the arguments in
favor of the privilege would have tenfold greater influence there than
here. Can there be a doubt that, when the subject is fairly understood,
there will be found as much magnanimity among American as among British
legislators?

The moral evils of the franking system are far more serious than the
pecuniary expense, although that is by no means undeserving of regard. It
is not only an ensnaring prerogative to those who enjoy it, and an anomaly
and incongruity in our republican institutions, but it is an oppressive
burden upon the post-office, which ought to be removed.

The parliamentary committee ascertained, by three distinct calculations,
(of which all the results so nearly agreed as to strengthen each other,)
that, reckoning by numbers, one-ninth of the letters passing through the
post-office in a year, were franked. And, reckoning by weight, the
proportion was 30 per cent. of the whole. Of seven millions of franked
letters and documents, nearly five millions were by members of parliament.
If all the franks had been subject to postage, they would have yielded
upwards of a million sterling yearly. This was after the parliamentary
franks had been restricted to a certain number (ten) daily for each
member, and limited in weight to two ounces. The amount of postage on
parliamentary franks would be yearly L350,000, averaging about L310 to
each member. But there were a number of official persons, whose franks
were not limited, either in number or weight. These franks were obtained
and used, by those who could get them, without stint or scruple.

The celebrated Dr. Dionysius Lardner, who then occupied a
prominent place among men of letters in Great Britain, testified
before the parliamentary committee in 1838, that he was in the
practice of sending and receiving about five thousand letters a
year, of which he got four-fifths without postage--chiefly by
franks. While he lived in Ireland, his correspondence was so
heavy, not only as to the number of letters, but their bulk and
weight, that he was obliged to apply to the Postmaster-General of
Ireland, Lord Rosse, who allowed them to go under his franks. From
the year 1823, or soon after he quitted the university, until the
year 1828, his letters went and came under the frank of Lord
Rosse, who had the power of franking to any weight. Since he came
to England, his facilities of getting franks were very gre