The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-02
TWENTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
THIRD SESSION.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
TvrsDAy, Jan. %, 1889.

TUESDAY, Jan. %, 1889.
on motion Of Mr., FLETCHER of Mass, the bill
for the relief Of Winslow Lewis was taken up, read
| a third lime and passed.
On leave given, Mr.. BRIGGS offered The ioliow-
/ Ing resolution
Resolved, That the Postmaster General be direct
/ ed 10 communicate 10 this House, on The earliest
convenient day Of the next session. the distance Of
i mail routes established by law in the whole United
States and the distance in each State and Territory
4 the number Of miles the mails may have been trans
/ ported in the United States and in each of said
States and Territories, during the current year, the
average cost per mile and The aggregate cost on the
same the amount received for poStal in each State
and Territory, and The whole amount paid 10 post
masters for their services during the same period.
That he be also directed 10 report the whole num-
Der of letters carried in the mail during said period
charged with postage, designating The number under
each denomination OF postage and the amount OF
postage on each class, the amount charged on news
papers, pamphlets, and periodicals. and the number
OF free letters carried during said period
That said Postmaster General be farber directed
to state what in his opinion would be the effect upon
the resources of the Department Of establishing The
| following tariff OF hostages on letters, viz:
On letters carried 50 miles and under, 5 cents;
over So and not exceeding 200 miles, 10 ceLtS over
! 300 and not exceeding 400 miles, Is cents oyer
| 400 miles 20 cents. And To state whatever other
tariff fixing The rates in federal money, having in
view the greatest reduction consistent with the ne
cesSaIy means Of the Department, if any, would, in
| his opinion, De more luSt IMAM the ABOVE.
That he also state what alteration, if any, may be
made in the present rates OF postage newspapers,
pamphlets and periodicals, so as 10 promote the cir
! culalion OF Information without deriment TO The re-
venue Of the Department
That he report plan for putting up and regulat-
ing boxes in post Offices in large towns.
And that he also be directed 10 submit a plan for
regulating the transmission Of letters between this
and foreign countii les.
Which resolution, after some conversation be-
tween Mr. Common and Mr.. BRIGGS, was agreed
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.
Mr. CAMBRELENG from the Committee of
Ways and Means, reported a bill making appropr1a-
tions for preventing and suppressing Indian hosi-
| ties for the year 1889.
Also, a bill to repeal the proviso to the second
section OF an act, approved March 8, 1887, which
authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to COM
promise the claims of The United States against GER
tain banks
Also Senate bill, supplementary to the act entitled
An act TO establish branches Of the Mint OF The
United States" approved March g. 1885, with.
Mr. EVERETT, from the Committee on Indian
Affairs, reported bill TO provide for the location
and temporary support Of the Seminole Indians re-
moved from Florida. =.
Mr. CAMBRELENCi, from the Committee of
Ways and Means moved to correct an error in the
report heretofore made from that committee on the
state OF the Treasury .,.
Mr. MERCER moved to lay the motion on the
|
drew that motion
Mr. EVERETT, of Vermont, said that he did not
consider the subject OF much consequence himself.
He wished, however, 10 stand right before the coun-
try. The Statement proposed 10 be stricken out was
incorrect in two respects LIST 1t implied that he sub
mtted motion TO the consideration of the House
for an appropriation. On aprevous day he laid on
the table an anne ndment containing an appropriation
which he gave notice Of an intention 10 offer but
which he did not offer in committee or in the House
1t not therefore, correct TO say that any PROPOSE
/ Il Int pIt1la
ment not for an appropriation in addition to the
! ST. l47O00; that sum was subsequently reported TO
the Committee on Indian Affairs. He had assented
to it, and after it was reported he neither made nor
advocated any addit,onal appropriation.
/ Mr. BIDDLE moved 10 recommit the motion 10
correct the said report, together with the report it.
SELF to the said Committee of Ways and Means,
with instructions 10 correct errors which may exist
in the said report
A debate followed in which Messrs. BlDDLE
CAMBRELENG, and PICKENS participated
When, the hour having elapsed, the Chair an
nounced the Orders Of the Day.
...' APPROPRIATION BILLS.
On motion Of Mr.. CAMBRELENCi, the House
resolved itself into Committee of the Whole on the
state OF the Union, (Mr Banks, of Virginia, in the
Chair,) on the appropriation bills generally.
The committee took up the bill making appropria-
tons for the payment Of revolutionary and other pen
sioners of the United States for The year 1899
And no amendment having been offered, the bill
was laid aside 10 be reported.
J. The committee then took up the bill making ap.
preparations for the protection Of the Northern from
| tier ofthe United States. ."#
! Mr. BELL did not rise to make any objection but
! simply To inquire Of the chairman of the Commit
tee Of Ways and Means how much money had here
tofore been appropriated for this purpose.
Mr.. CAMBRELENG was understood TO say
something over six hundred and twenty-nine thou
sand dollars.
| Mr. C. presented letter from the Secretary of
| War in reference 10 this appropriation, and ex
| planned its contents 10 the House
| And, subsequently, on motion OF Mr. BRONSON,
the leller read.
| Mr.. FILLMORE inquired of the Chairman of the
| Committee of Ways and Means Mr. Cambreleng)
by whom the appropriation in this bill tor secret
service money, as il was commonly called, was 10
be expended Who was TO have the disposal
of il? .... Wv.
MIR. CAMBRE LENCi said it would be expended
under the direction of the President and Secretary
of War. Gen. Scott, he presumed, was the officer
10 whom the disbursement would be intrusted.
Mr.. FILLMORE said, If it was TO be in,rusted TO
any subordinate officer, he should oppose it,
was contemplated.
Mr.. r. GARLAND inquired whether the amount
intended TO be appropriated in this bill was 10 be
found in the estimates furnished by the Secretary of
the Treasury at the opening of the session.
Mr.. CAMBRELENG replied in the negative
Mr.. r. GARLAND said he had made this in
qury with view 10 call the attention Of the House
to the manner in which appropriations were got up
in this House
Mr. G. then alluded to certain remarks contained
in the Message of The President and in the report of
the Secretary of the Treasury in relation 10 the ex-
cess of appropriations the estimates and to the
attempt which was made to draw justification from
thai fact for the extravaganza of the appropriations.
Appropriations (Mr. G. said) were got up by means
of letters addressed from the various Departments to
the chairman of the Committee Of Ways and Means;
and then, when the appropriations were made, the
House OF Representatives was reproached for hav-
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