Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-06-17
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

committed
Mr. JONES, Of Louisiana, from the Committee on the
Post Office and Post Roads reported back Senate bill for
the relief Of Thomas Rhodes with the recommendation
that it pass and il was committed.
POSTAGE RATES. -
The House resumed the consideration OF the bill fur
Their to amend the act entitled IAN 20 reduce and
modify the rates OF postage in the United States and
amendatory thereto passed August 80 1882 heretofore
reported from the Committee the Post Office aud Post
Roads.
Mr. HAVEN said that oil amendment to the bin and
substitute being precuded by the ordering OF the
vous question, he would ask consent to strike
out the first four sections Of the BILL relating 10 the
ranking privilege. The substitute he thought, would
prove acceptable him should his amendment prevail
There being no objection the amendment was enter
tanned.
Mr. OLDs then proceeded to close the debate on the
BILL He believed this most important measure de-
manded alike by the necessities OF the Post Office Depart
and the exigences of the mail service Of the
try. He was that the bill might not be perfect in
all its parts such would please every
Der of the House. but it would be difficult to frame bill
that would meet with the concurrence Of ALL
He then proceeded to show that the deficiency in the
of the Post Office Department at the present
rates of postage increasing at the rate OF more than
half million of dollars year The committee, rs one
remedy for this proposed to abolish the Thanking privi
ege directly but that the Government itself should
pay-to the revenues of the Post Office Department
equal the service performed by the Department
in carrying matter which the Government itself had pro-
vided should pass through the mails free He estimated
that the free matter passing through the mails would
charged with postage, yield two and half millions Of
dollars year. The committee proposed to abolish so
much Of the exstingaw made reduction Of fifty per
upon the prepayment Of postage newspapers and
periodicals. which would bring $500 900 into the revenues
Of the Post Office Department.
The committee also proposed that the postage on all
letters should be prepaid and this would establish CON-
pe system of checks and balances which did not
st Pass the substitute which he had offered and bring
n reasonable compensation
for transporting the nails and three millions Of dollars
would be added the Of the Post Office De-
partment, without any increase of postage whatever
The question then taken the following amend
ment yesterday offered by Mr. SMITH, Of New York. and
it rejected:
Sec 4 And be il further enacted That this not shall con-
nue years. and that at the expiration OF that
the Post Office Department shall be abolished and in
divduals associations shall thereafter be free carry
letters as to carry any thing else.
Mr. ETHERIDGE then moved to lay the bill on the
table; which motion was disagreed to: Ayes rs, noes
not counted.
The question was then stated to be the amendment
of Mr. HAVEN to strike out much of the substitute
proposed to make the ranking privilege charge
the Treasury.
Mr. BENSON asked consent to move to amend the
abolish the ranking privilege entire
y, instead of making it charge upon the Government
Objection made.
The amendment of Mr.. HAVEN then agreed to !:
Yeas 70, nays "a
The question was then stated to be the substitute
Of Mr. OLps which just amended proposed three cents
the postage every single letter conveyed in the
mail three thousand miles, and ten cents for any distance
exceeding three thousand miles, and for letters convey
ed wholly in part by for any distance not exceed
ing three Ahousand miles, five cents; and for any dis
exceeding three thousand miles, ten cents except
ing where hostages have been or shall be adjusted at diff
erent rates by postal treaty convention 1t also pro-
posed to repeal much of the act of 1852 reduces
the postage onehalf all newspapers ard periodicals
when prepaid
The question taken the substitute, and it
rejected Ayes 81, not counted.
The question being ordering the original bill to be
engrossed for third reading
Mr. WASHBURNE, of Maine, moved that it be laid
the table; which motion was agreed to by the follow
ing vote:
YEAs-Messrs Aiken, James c. Allen, Willis Allen APP
peton David Bailey Ball. Belcher, Benson, Bliss Bridges
Bugg Campbell Carpenter Chamberlain Chandler, Corwin,
Croker Curtis John g. Davis Thos Davis Dawson Dick
Dickinson, Disney Drum Eddy, Edmands Thomas D. Eliot
John NJ Elliott Ellison, English Etherdge, Everhart Flag
le2 Gddngs Goodrich, Aaron Harlan, Hastings, Haven,
Hendricks, Hlyer, Howe, Hunt johnson, Knox Lilly Lid
ley Lindsey, McCuloch Mace, Macy Maya Mddleswarth
John g. Miller, Morgan Murrag, Nichols, Norton, Andrew
Oliver Parker Peck, Peckham, Pennington Bishop Perkins
bins RUSSELL sabin Sage shannon, Shower SHELTON, Gerrt
Smith, Samuel A. Smith, Sraub, John J. Taylor John H.
Wae VALLEY ha
burn, Wells, and Tsppan Wentworth-94.
NAYS-Messrs. Abcrcrombie Thomas II. Bayly, Barry,
Bell Bocock, Boyce Caic chasain, Cbrsman, Churchwel
Clark, Cobb, Coqut Dowdel Dunbar, Edmundson, Flo
renee Fuller Goode, Hamilton, Wiley P Harris, m Hous
tom Ingerso George W. Jones' Roland Jones, Ke Kerr,
Kurz, Lamb, Latham, MeDougall, McMullen, Maxwell,
Nav Smith Miller Mlson, Olds Orr John Perkins, Powell
Purycar Reese, Rufn, Shaw, Singleton, William Smith,
George W. Smyth, H. L. Stevens David Stuart, and Daniel
B. Wright-5l.
The bill provided that from the Of the
fiscal quarter there should be charged the following
rates of postage:
For every single letter conveyed in the mail for any dis
lance not exceeding three miles, five and for
any exceeding three thousand miles ten cents For
every such letter when conveyed wholly in part by
and from foreign country, for any distance not
ceeang three thousand miles, the ocean postage to be five
and for any distance exceeding three thousand miles,
postage to be ten cents excepng where such hostages
have been shall be adjusted ut different rates by
tai convenon Double letters TO be charged dou
bic the above specified and treble letters treble thoe
rates. &c every letter exceeding half in weight
be deemed single letter and additional weight Of
half additional weight less than half
to be charged with additional single postage. Upon all
letters excepting such from foreign country, the
such prepayment be by stamps All droplcers to be
charged with postage at the rate Of cent each and all
letters advertised be charged with cent each n ad
ton the regular postage IL also abolished much Of the
act Of 1882 reduces oneha the rates of postage
| papers and periodicals when prepaid.
PRIVATE CALENDAR.
| On motion Of Mr.. HENDRICKS, the House then went
into Committee Of the Whole the private calendar Mr.
SHELTON, of New Jersey, in the chair
The CHAIRMAN stated that the first business in order
the consideration of the bill Of the House for settling
the claims Of the legal representatives Of Richard W.
Meade, deceased.
On motion of Mr.. CHANDLER the bill was informally
passed over
The bill for the relief of Henry Lewis of Clinton couu.
y Indiana then considered and aside report
ed to the House with the recommendation that il pass
The bill for the relief of Capt George SYMPTOM Of GAL
veston then taken up, and after having been
planned by Mr.. MILLER of Missouri, motion WINS made