Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-04-14
House of Representatives.

ten thousand additional copies of the report OF the
surveys and exploration of the valley of the ANA
zon and its tributaries, by Lieutenants Herndon
and Gibbons
Mr.. BOYCE moved an amendment to print
twenty thosand additional copies.
Mr.. JONES, of Tennessee, said that ten thou
sand copies of the report had already been ordered
TO be printed.
Il was said in the course Of conversation that
the copies will shortly be furnished.
Mr.. JONES, Of Tennessee, remarked, in reply
to Mr.. HESTER, that if such large edition of the
report should be ordered, the copies would not be
furnished until the next Congress, when they
would be distributed by the successors Of gentle
men now occupying sears on this floor.
Mr.. HESTER responded still they would go
into our districts, and be circulated among the
people. +
The amendment OF Mr. BoYcE was agreed to,
and the resolution was in this form adopted.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
Mr.. GREY asked leave to offer resolution,
calling on the Postmaster General TO furnish the
House with copies Of all orders, rules, and regu-
lations adopted by him, denying 10 members of the
Committee on thelPost Office and Post Roads the
privilege Of going into the rooms Of the depart
ment during office hours, and then aud there ex-
anime the public records Of the department; and
further, that the Postmaster General be directed
to abolish all orders and regulations which prevent
and deny TO members of the committee such a
privilege.
Mr.. PHELPS objected to the reception of the
resolution.
Mr.. GREY, however, obtained the consent of
the House to make an explanation. He said that
resolution had been adopted, calling for informa-
ton in relation 10 the carrying ofthe mail between
Mobile and Montgomery; but, as the reply of the
Postmaster General was contradictory, he went
TO the department to ascertain how 1t was. He
repeated he thought there was mistake in the
report. But he was denied such investigation or
examination was necessary to enable him TO
discharge his duty as n memSer of the Committee
on the Post Office and Post Roads. He addressed
a letter 10 the Postmaster General, but received
no answer 10 il and therefore he was constrained
to come before the House for their interference.
Blythe original contract the mail was carried be-
tween Montgomery and Mobile for 6,l75, in
ffty-eght hours, but there is now paid for the
same service SOL ,000 and the mail goes through
in ffty-nine hours, or one hour longer time.
4 Mr.. PHELPS repeated his objection to the in
troduction Of the resolution
Mr.. GREY asked, as it was impossible for him
to investigate the facts, to be discharged from fur
Their service on the Committee OH the Post Office
and Post Roads.
Mr.. HARRIS, Of Alabama, said he was pre-
pared TO meet every objection TO the present con-
tract, and wanted the fullest investigation.
Mr.. PHELPS said he objected to the resolution,
because he considered the regulations to be
right.
Mr.. OLDS was willing that the resolution
should be referred to the committee on thesPost
Office and Post Roads.
But the objection to its reception was not with
drawn. s.:
Mr.. GREY was here excused from service as
member OF that commlttee-ayes st, noes 81.
INCREASE OF POSTAGE.
Mr. OLDS, from the Committee on the Post
Office and Post Roads, reported bill amendatory
of the postage laws.
He said it was not his intention at this time to
enter into extended argument in favor of the
bill, but merely to explain its features. He re-
marked, the other day, that one of two things
should be done. We should either abandon the
idea Of making the Post Office Department self
sustaining machine, and make the department
charge on the treasury, or so raise the postage
to meet the expenditures. As long as the system
is neither thing nor the other it operates inju-
rously on the rural districts, not the cities in
the eastern States, where the postal arrangements
are perfect. We have deficit of more than two
millions of dollars and what is the consequences
A gentleman from a western or southern State
goes to the Postmaster General and asks for in
creased service or for a new post office. The an
swer is, no funds the department is crippled, and
we cannot give you increased facilities. If you,
however, make the post Office a charge on the
country, as the army and the navy, then the Post
master General will give increased facilities or
new post Offices.
Mr.. SHELTON asked that the consideration Of
The bill be postponed till day certain. Il was Of
loo much importance 10 be considered and passed
without an opportunity for investigation.
Mr. OLDS, in order to keep the bill before the ,
House, moved that the bill be recommitted.
Mr. WENTWORTH, Of Illinois, said the House
nad for some time past been postponng bills for
day certain, and therefore he hoped that they
would name certain day. But he was opposed
o those postponements.
Mr.. OLDS resumed his remarks reading from
statistics to show that five cents for single letter
the revenue point while three cents is
lot. lfyou would make the Post Office Depart
nent selfsustaining machine, you must fix the
ates at five and ten cents.
He then explained, that the bill proposes a
,harge Of five cents on the single letter for any
distance not exceeding three thousand miles, and
,ver that distance ten cents the postage in all
Eases to be paid in advance, by post Office stamps,
is the better way of establishing check on the
which does not now efficiently exist;
he law TO go into operation on the first of January
iext, in order that, meantime, new stamps may be
procured and furnished 10 the deputypostmasters
The next section proposes to alter the rates of
postage on letters conveyed wholly or in part by
ea, so as to charge at the same rates as letters
ire carried by land, except in cases where we
rave may have postal treaties with foreign gov
nents.
With regard 10 newspapers aAd periodicals. the
asst section proposes 10 repeal so much of the
present law makes a reduction Of fifty per cent
or prepaid POSTAGE
BY passing this bill, the revenues of the Post
Office Department would be increased two and
laf millions annually.
Mr.. CHANDLER said that it was his object 10
eply 10 the remarks Of the gentleman from Ohio
He however, yielded the floor to
Mr.. SAGE, on whose motion the further con.
liberation of the subject was postponed for four
weeks.
THE JUDICIARY.
Mr.. STANTON, of Tennessee, from the Com
ntted on the Judiciary, reported bill modifying
ne Judicial system Of the United States.
GRADUATION OF PUBLIC LANDS.
The House resolved itself into Committee of
he Whole on the state of the Union, Mr. FULLER
4 the chair, and resumed the consideration of the
i'll 10 reduce and graduate the price Of the public
'nds according to the time that they have been in
,arket unsold t
The bill having been perfected, the committee
'se, and the chairman reported il TO the House.
(The following is the scale Lands in market
,r zen years and upwards, TO be subject TO sale at
lie price Of one dollar per acre fifteen years or
pwards, seventy-fve cents per acre; and all of
he lands Of the United States that have been in
,nrket twenty wears or upwards. ffty cents per .