Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-07-01


army.
have deemed it my imperative duty to bring this abb
ect the attention Of Congress- and feel thankful to
the House for the courtesy which has extended The
opportunity of making this statements and if there
omission discharge this high public duty which he
country has right to demand at hands, the respn
siby must rest somewhere and shall not be upon he
Committee Military Affairs. am ready to report
these bills at any time and propose, If the House viii
give its consent to fix upon the 9th day Of July for tax
ing them up for consideration There are other prwi-
sons in these bills regulating the pay Of the officers Of
the army and retiring from service those who have e
come unfit to discharge their duties, that are also in
portant ard demand the consideration Of Congress-.
i The SPEAKER Does the gentleman from Virginia
propose to make these bills the special order for that
Mr.. FAULKNER. For that day and until they are
disposed of.
ders being made at this period Of the session
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Mr.. MACE, by consent proceeded to make personal
explanation, which he said due alike to the gentle
man from Illinois (Mr. RIoHAnDsoS) and himself.
II seems he sad) from teegraphic despatch refer
red to by the genteman day before yesterday and pub
lished in the New York Times newspaper, that my
embodied in connection with charge that the gentle
man. in the substitute which he offered to the Senates
Nebraska aud Kansas BILL coyerty perpetrated fraud
upon the House and the country. Now, have this to
say that far the despatch concerned and far
as am personally concerned am responsible for nc
such charge and, in addition to that it gives me plea
to state that can, with the rest Of my friends bear
testimony to the honorable of the gentleman from
Illinois during the contest the passage of the Ne
braska and Kansas bill ! en- incapable of charging
the gentleman with any thing like fraud in incorporat
ing provision in his substitute in any other BILL to
deceive the House and the country.
RATES OF POSTAGE
The House then resumed the consideration of the bill
further to amend the act entitled San reduce and
modify the rates of postage in the United States and for
other purposes" passed March s. 1851.
The first section provides
"That in lieu of the of established by
law, there sal be charged the following rates. wit
"For every single letter in manuscript paper of airy
kind which information shall be asked for communicated
in writing by signs in the mail for any
distance between places in the United States exceeding
three thousand miles three cents any distance
ceeding three thousand miles, ten cents For every such
letter paper when conveyed wholly in by and
to from foreign country for any distance exceeding
three thousand miles the ocean postage shall be Eve cents
and for any distance exceeding three thousand miles such
ocean postage shall be ten cents excepting, however all
where such hostages have BEEN shall be- adjusted ut
dnerent rates by postal treaty or convention already con-
cuded or hereafter to DO made And for double letter
there shall be charged double the above pecied and
for treble letter treble those rates. and for quadrupe LETT
ter quadrupe those rates. and letter parcel not
ceedng half an ounce in weight shall be deemed single
letter. and every additional weight Of half ounce add
ona weight Of less than half ounce shall be charged
with an additional single poaage and oil letters
ing through the mail Of the United States excepting such
as from foreign country the hostages above specified
shall be prepaid and from and after the day Of January
eighteen hundred fftyfve prepayment shall be by
stamps And all dropped letters, letters placed in any
post Office not for transmission through the mail but for deli
very only shall be charged with postage at the rate Of one
remaining uncaed for in any post office shall be
charged with cent each in addition to the regular post
age both to be accounted for other hostages are
The second section provides that the bill shall take
effect from and after the Of the next fiscal
quarter.
Mr.. oLDs said that it would be recollected by the
House that in the latter part of last week communica
ton appeared in the National Inteigencer" Directing
to this bill the ground that it would be difficult to
supply the various post Offices with stamps for the pre-
payment Of postage and that persons would buy up the
Of
of speculation. Upon consultation with some of the
friends of the bill and with the Postmaster General, he
n had drawn up the following amendment, which he
thought would meet every objection of this kind:
And Be Il further enacted, That it shall not be lawful for
any postmaster other to sell any post ONCE stamp
stamped envelope for any larger than that indicated
the face such stamp Envelope any person
shall violate this provision shall be deemed guilty Of mis-
demeanor and conviction thereof shall be fined in any
less than than five hundred dollars.
Mr. O. said that the Postmaster General and those hav-
ing charge Of the business Of the were anx
ouo that this bill should be passed IL would open up
system Of keeping the accounts between the Post
Office Department and the deputy posmasters per-
feet than any thing Of the kind that had heretofore
listed in this Government. ..,.
Mr.. WASHBURNE, Of Illinois, moved On amendment
to abolish all the distributing post Offices from the time
| this act should take effect.
After brief debate the amendment was rejected.
MIR. READY moved to lay the bill on the table; which
motion was disagreed to-
The amendment of Mr.. Obs was then agreed to when
the bill read the third time and passed by the follow
ADJOURNMENT OF THE SESSION.
The SPEAKER stated that the first business in order
was the resolution for the Of the two Houses
OF Congress on the l4th of August next returned from
the Senate with amendment providing for recess
from the 18th Of July to the 10th Of October.
Mr.. ORR moved to amend the amendment of the Sem
ate SO as to fix the 3lst Of July the day for the erm
| nation of the present session
MIR. MCMULLEN moved that the whole subject be laid
on the table, which motion did not PREVAIL Yeas 49,
nays 1874.
The question required the amendment of Mr.. ORR
and, being put it decided in the negative Yeas 3d.
nays 80.
The question then taken the amendment of the
Senate for from the 18th of July until the 10th
of October, and it rejected: Yeas II, nays 105
PROTECTION OF EMIGRANTs.
The SPEAKER laid before the House message from
the President Of the United States transmitting two
communications from her Britannia Maesty's Minister
accredited to this Government the Secretary of State
relative to the health shpboard Of immigrants from
foreign countries to the United States
Mr. Champion says that he has been instructed by her
Maestys Government to inquire of the Government of
the United States whether any steps be taken to pro-
cure more accurate information respecting the causes to
which diseases and deaths among passengers board
| enigrant ships nre to be attributed
The message and accompanying documents refer
red to the Committee Foreign Affairs and ordered to
/ be printed.
| The House then adjourned.
| FRIDAY, JUNE 80, 1854.
IN SENATE. s
i 4.