Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1850-12-20
CONGRESS-.
WEDNESDAY. Dec.

WEDNESDAY, Dec. IS. |
SENATE. Mr.. Pearce presented resolutions of
the MARYLAND state reform convention sustaining the
compromise acts Of the last session.
The resolution offered by MIR. Cass, on Monday,
calling for the correspondence between the United
States and Austrian charge, IN relation TO Hungarian
latfairs was taken up. MIR. Cass said he had receW-
ed information which pleased him much. lie I'M
derstood the charge appointed to Austria some months
ago had not left the country, and it was not prob
able he would remain of his own accord, he suppos
ed the president had follow ed that course which pub
lie sentiment required, and which the senate had re-
fused to adopt The resolution was laid over for the
present
On motion of Mr.. Bradbury, 1900 copies of the
report on the slave trade were ordered to be prn-
ted
Mr.. Bradbury's resolution relating to removals
from office taken up, and led to proracted de-
bate in reference to the removals of Gen. Lane and
Mr.. Weller
House.. Mr. Gilbert introduced a bill TO create
the office ofsurveyor general of public lands in Cali
fornia.
The house then went into committee Of the whole
on the cheap postage bill. The bill provides on let
tiers prepaid, weighing half an ounce, three cents
unpaid five, and reducing the postage on newspa-
pers.
Mr.. Potter offered substitute, namely-the uni
other descriptions not connected with manuscript or
written matter, of no greater weight than two Gun.
ces, one cent; newspapers delivered in the state
where they printed, one-haf of the foregoing
rates; letters to Oregon and California, quadrupe the
above rates; three cent pieces TO be coined, and
million and half dollars to be appropriated to sup
ply the deficiency in the post office revenues
Mr.. Carter remarked that this bill would bankrupt
the department, else why provide million and
half of dollars TO supply the deficiencies He was
understood to say that he would try the experiment
of reducing the postage TO FIVE cents uniformly, but
was not willing TO take the extreme rates proposed
Mr. Ashmun moved to strike out the three and
five cent rates, and insert a uniform rate Of two
cents.
Mr.. Venable was willing TO reduce to uniform
rate of five cents. He was satisfied that this would
operate so well that in few years it would be dem
onstrated that further reduction would be proper
and desirable under the reduced rates. Last wear
there surplus Of more than half million dol
lars, and he saw no why the post Office de-
partmen should sustain itself any more than the ma
Wy department by piracy the army by plumber
He called free traders show their fifth by their
works; sand he asked what was the difference be-
tween postage on letters and tax on yard of rib
bon lift be true that low tariff on necessaries OF
life produces large revenue, so will reduction of
postage.
MIR. Sacket gave notice of an amendment, which
he intended to offer to reduce the postage on news
papers, and showed that the department would not
be damaged by it.
Mr.. Brown, of Indiana, intended to offer an amend
ment OF five cents as the uniform rate, and two for
drop letters; newspapers to circulate free in the
county where published, and cent in the state,
or two out ofit. He argued in favor of this, and
said short time only would eapse before they
would be enabled to reduce still lower. Without
coming to conclusion the committee rose and the
house adjourned.