VII.

ON POSTAL REFORM.

DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEBRUARY 20TH, 1863.

EVENING SESSION.

The House reassembled at seven o'clock, P. M., Mr. Washburne in the chair, as Speaker pro tempore.

The Speaker pro tempore stated the business before the House to be the consideration of Senate bill No. 492, to amend the laws relating to the Post Office Department, assigned as a special order for this evening's session.

The bill was taken from the Speaker's table, and read a first and second time by title.

The bill was then read at length.
Mr. Colfax obtained the floor.

Mr. Holman. This bill has not been printed, and I desire to move, if my colleague will permit me, to recommit it to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, and order it to be printed.

Mr. Colfax. The bill is printed, and on my colleague's file.

Mr. Holman.-Not printed by the House.

Mr. Colfax.-The same bill in substance. I will explain

Mr. F. A. Conkling.-I wish to ask the gentleman from Indiana if I understood him to say that the bill printed and on our files is the bill which has been read at the Clerk's desk?

Mr. Colfax.-I was about to say that the bill read at the Clerk's desk is precisely the bill on the files of members of the House entitled Senate bill No. 492, with only one amendment at all material, and that is to be found in the section which provides for the registration of money-letters.

Mr. Holman.-One other question.

Mr. Colfax.-Not until I have completed this statement, for I want it to be full and fair.

The press of the country generally have the impression that the bill as it is before us remains the same as originally printed by the Senate when first introduced. The bill, however, was amended in the Senate before it passed that body so as to make the registration of money-letters voluntary, as heretofore, and not compulsory, as printed in the bill.

This is the only material change made by the Senate in the bill as printed. There are two or three immaterial changes.

Mr. Wilson.-What is the registration fee?

Mr. Colfax.-The Postmaster General is authorized by this bill to increase the registration fee to twenty cents; but I will speak of that more particularly in order in my explanation of the bill.

Before alluding to the bill and proposing the amendments which the Post Office Committee have instructed me to offer, if there be no objection, I propose that in

the consideration of this bill speeches shall be limited to ten minutes, instead of one hour, as allowed under the rules. I shall not want longer time than ten minutes myself on any proposition.

Mr. Holman.-If the bill is referred to the Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, I will not object to that.

The Speaker pro tempore.-Is there objection to the proposition of the gentleman from Indiana? Mr. Wadsworth.-I object.

Mr. Colfax. The gentleman will understand that my proposition is to allow each member ten minutes. Not to limit the entire debate to that time.

Mr. Wadsworth.-That is just my objection. Every member will make a speech if you only give him ten minutes. [Laughter.]

Mr. Colfax.-Mr. Speaker, I will then speak briefly as to the object and scope of the bill. It contains some valuable reforms, in which the Post Office Committee of the House entirely concur. It contains one with which the majority of the House Committee concur, but in which I have been so unfortunate as to differ from them and with the Post Office Department. I will state just here the clause to which I refer. It is that which changes the compensation of postmasters from commissions to salaries. I will leave that amendment to the last, in order that we may perfect the bill in those features in which all the members of the Committee concur with each other and with the Department.

Now, Sir, in respect to the reforms proposed by the

bill, the first to which I will call the attention of the House is that which establishes uniform rates of letter and newspaper postage. It makes the postage on a letter weighing not more than half an ounce three cents all over the country.

It makes newspaper postage uniform, wiping out the distinction as to crossing State lines. There are now three hundred different rates of postage on printed matter, including the various descriptions of papers and periodicals, and the various distances they are to be carried. This bill will reduce the maximum number to twelve or fifteen rates, all easily memorized. It is impossible, under present laws, for postmasters to comprehend all the various and multiform rates of postage on newspapers and other printed matter.

There is another change in the bill, establishing a free carrier system in all the cities in which letter carriers are now authorized by law, and yet that this shall be done without expense to the Department. This may seem to be an anomaly; but I will explain that it is accomplished, in the first place, by increasing the prepaid postage on drop-letters from one to two cents; and in the second place it enlarges the carrier-system by allowing the Postmaster General to use his carriersystem for the transportation of small packages, the pay for which is to swell the fund.

This change, it will be perceived, will confer some material advantages. In the first place it will abolish the one cent nuisance to be collected by the carrier for every letter received by mail and left at the residence of the person to whom the letter is addressed. It is true

it increases the postage on drop-letters, but it will compensate for that by providing a system under which letters will be distributed in the large cities eight or ten times a day, instead of only half that number of times as at present.

The third reform to which I will call attention reduces the rate of postage on returned dead-letters. Under the law passed at the last session of Congress single letters returned to the writers from the dead-letter office, containing valuables, pay nine cents postage; those not containing valuables, six cents. This bill fixes the rate on letters containing valuable inclosures at six cents, and on those not containing valuables at three cents. It is believed that the entire expense of the dead-letter office will be reimbursed by the return of such letters to the writers at the rates which I have mentioned.

My friend from Rhode Island [Mr. Sheffield] asks me to explain the effect this bill will have upon the franking privilege. I will state to him that it was not intended to have any effect upon the franking privilege, one way or the other. As the House very well understands, I have been for years in favor of the abolition of the franking privilege. The House has passed a . bill to accomplish that purpose, but the Senate have rejected it decidedly; and I learn, reliably, that they will not concur in it. My colleague on the committee, from Massachusetts, [Mr. Alley,] will, after the other amendments of the committee have been adopted, move an amendment restricting the franking privilege, leaving, however, I have no doubt gentlemen will be glad