ceeded to the consideration of the bill from the Senate (No. 243) entitled “An act in relation to the time of holding the circuit and district courts of the United States for the district of Ohio:" when

The said bill was read a first and second time, and
Ordered, To be read a third time to-day.

The bill was accordingly read the third time, and passed.
Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Senate therewith.

Mr. Wheaton, from the Committee on Enrolled Bills, reported that the committee have examined an enrolled bill (No. 384) entitled "An act reducing the duty on imports, and for other purposes," and found the same truly enrolled: when

The Speaker signed the said bill.

Mr. Thomasson, in pursuance of previous notice, asked, obtained leave, and introduced a bill (No. 529) to provide for the establishment of a post road from the District of Columbia to the Columbia river, in the Oregon Territory: which bill was read a first and second time, and referred to the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads.

Mr. Joseph R. Ingersoll, (by leave of the House,) from the Committee of Ways and Means, to which was referred the bill from the Senate (No. 51) entitled "An act to provide for the payment of the evidences of public debt in certain cases," reported the same with an amendment: and the bill was left upon the Speaker's table.

On motion of Mr. Hopkins, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union; and, after some time spent therein, the Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Reid reported that the committee having, according to order, had the state of the Union generally under consideration, particularly the bill (No. 435) to amend the act approved the 3d of March, 1845, entitled "An act to reduce the rates of postage, to limit the use and prevent the abuse of the franking privilege, and for the prevention of frauds on the revenues of the Post Office Department," and finding itself without a quorum, had risen.

A quorum having appeared,

A motion was made by Mr. Tibbatts, that the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union be discharged from the consideration of the said bill, (No. 435.)

Mr. Hamlin moved that the motion made by Mr. Tibbatts be laid upon the table: which motion was disagreed to.

The question recurred on agreeing to the motion made by Mr. Tibbatts. And being put,

It was decided in the affirmative.

So the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union was discharged from the consideration of the said bill: and

The House proceeded to its consideration; the question being, Shall the said bill be engrossed, and read the third time?

Mr. Hopkins moved to amend the said bill by striking out all thereof after the enacting clause, and inserting the following, viz:

"That the following rates of postage be charged upon all letters and packets conveyed in the mail of the United States, to wit:

"For every letter or packet weighing one-quarter of an ounce or less, conveyed three hundred miles or less, five cents;

"And for any distance over three hundred miles, ten cents;

"And for every additional quarter of an ounce, or fraction less than the

quarter of an ounce, an additional postage, except where a letter is written on a single sheet of foolscap, post, or letter paper, weighing over onequarter of an ounce and less than one-half an ounce, when the same shall be charged with the single postage;

"For every letter, newspaper, or other written or printed matter deposited in a post office for delivery, without transportation, two cents;

"For every advertised letter, the additional expense for printing shall be charged: Provided, That the same shall in no case exceed two cents: And provided, also, That no letter which has been refused by the person to whom it is addressed shall be advertised, but shall be treated as a dead letter;

"And for each and every newspaper sent by others than the pubishers thereof, and to others than subscribers, and for every handbill, advertisement, or circular, printed or lithographed, or any other printed or lithographed matter, sent through the mails without being sealed, there shall be charged and paid at the time of the delivery of the same into the post office, and before the same is sent in the mails, three cents;

"Each and every newspaper, handbill, advertisement, circular, or other printed or lithographed matter, containing any writing, marks, or signs on the same, by which intelligence is or may be conveyed, other than the address, or which shall be deposited in the office sealed, shall be rated with letter postage;

"For each package containing coins for the annual assay, and dies to be used for coining, between the mint and branch mints of the United States, five cents to be paid when delivered for transportation.

"SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That, in lieu of the commissions now allowed by law to deputy postmasters, the Postmaster General be, and he is hereby, authorized to allow each postmaster such commissions as shall be adequate to his services and expenses, not exceeding the following rates on the amount received in any one quarter, or the due proportion of such rates for any period less than a quarter, to wit:

"On a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars, forty per centum; "On a sum over one hundred dollars and not exceeding four hundred dollars, thirty per centum;

"On a sum over four hundred dollars and not exceeding two thousand four hundred dollars, twenty-five per centum;

"On any sum over two thousand four hundred dollars, twelve per centum;

"And on all sums arising from the postage on newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets, fifty per centum;

"And on the amount of postage on letters and packets received for distribution, seven per centum: Provided, That all allowances, commissions, and other emoluments, shall be subject to the provisions of the fortyfirst section of the act passed the third of March, eighteen hundred and twenty-five, and that the annual compensation therein limited shall be computed for the fiscal year commencing on the first of July and ending on the thirtieth of June; and that for any period less than a year, the restrictions contained in said section, as well as the first section of the act of third March, eighteen hundred and forty-one, in respect to emoluments arising from box rents, branch offices, &c., shall be held to apply, in due proportion, for such fractional period, and that the amounts to be rendered of such emoluments from box rents, branch offices, &c., shall be rendered

for the quarters of the year as regularly established and observed for accounts; and that the several deputy postmasters, from and after the sage of this act, shall have the privilege of receiving through the mails any letter or packet, not exceeding two ounces in weight, addressedthem, and also one daily paper or its equivalent; and may send free thro the mails any letter or packet on the business of their respective offices. of the Post Office Department.

"SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the Postmaster General S have power to grant increased compensation to the postmasters at dis uting offices, when in his judgment it is necessary for the interest of: service, provided that no greater compensation shall be granted in a case than was received at the respective distributing offices in the y eighteen hundred and forty-four.

"SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the sixth section of the ac: the third March, eighteen hundred and forty-five, which this is intend to amend, shall be, and the same is hereby, repealed, and, in lieu of " money directed by it to be paid to the Post Office Department from t contingent funds allowed the officers entitled to the franking privileg there shall be paid quarterly from the treasury of the United States, tot Post Office Department, seventy-five thousand dollars.

"SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That the privilege of franking sta in future, be allowed to the several officers who were entitled to the st prior to the passage of the act of the third of March, eighteen hundred as forty-five, subject to the following restrictions, to wit: That said privile shall be allowed to the Vice President and members of the two houses Congress for thirty days before the commencement of Congress, after the respective elections, and be allowed during their continuance in office, ar for thirty days after the expiration of their commissions, and to all othe officers entitled to the privilege the same shall commence and cease with their commissions: Provided, That this restriction shall not be construel to apply to Presidents, ex-Presidents, or the widows of ex-Presidents Madison and Harrison: and during such time, the aforesaid officers of the government may receive free through the mails any letter or packet addressed to them not exceeding two ounces in weight, or any letter or packet relating to the business of their respective offices, any newspaper of other printed matter not exceeding four ounces in weight, and any document printed by the order of either house of Congress not exceeding thre pounds in weight: Provided, That no bound book shall be regarded as a public document, or be transmissible in the mails; and such public officers may send through the mails free any letter or packet on the business of their respective offices, any newspaper or other printed matter not exceed ing two ounces in weight, and any document printed by order of either house of Congress not exceeding three pounds weight."

Mr. Hamlin moved to amend the said amendment proposed by Mr. Hopkins, by inserting after the word "letter," in the twenty-fourth line of the same as printed, the following, viz: "which shall be advertised in such paper or papers in the town or city where the post office is situated, as the Postmaster shall direct."'

The said amendment was read; and the question was stated, Will the House agree thereto? when

Mr. Hopkins moved the previous question.

Mr. Rathbun moved that the said bill be laid upon the table.

It was decided in the negative, Nays,

The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are

Those who voted in the negative are—

Henry Bedinger
Joshua F. Bell
Charles S. Benton
Asa Biggs
James A. Black
James B. Bowlin
Linn Boyd
Jacob Brinkerhoff
Richard Brodhead
Milton Brown
William G. Brown
Armistead Burt
Charles W. Cathcart
Augustus A. Chapman
Reuben Chapman
Lucien B. Chase
Henry S. Clarke
William M. Cocke
Albert Constable
Henry Y. Cranston
John H. Crozier
Alvan Cullom
Francis A. Cunningham
John R. J. Daniel
Garrett Davis
Paul Dillingham, jr.
James C. Dobbin

Mr. James Pollock
Alexander Ramsey
George Rathbun
Julius Rockwell
John A. Rockwel
Joseph M. Root
John Runk
Cullen Sawtelle
John F. Scammon
Robert C. Schenck
Henry J. Seaman
Luther Severance
Truman Smith
Albert Smith
Caleb B. Smith
Andrew Stewart
John Strohm
Stephen Strong

Bannon G. Thibodeaux
Benjamin Thompson
Allen G. Thurman
Daniel R. Tilden
Samuel F. Vinton
Horace Wheaton
Hugh White
Hezekiah Williams
Robert C. Winthrop
Bradford R. Wood
Thomas M. Woodruff.

So the bill was not laid upon the table.

The previous question was then seconded; and the main question was ordered and put, viz: Will the House agree to the said amendment offered by Mr. Hamlin?

And decided in the negative, Nays,

The yeas and nays being desired by one-fifth of the members present, Those who voted in the affirmative are

Those who voted in the negative are