Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-28
the payment of postage on newspapers and pc

receive the same BY mail in such quantities
at the same rate as regular subscribers. Also
that all packages of maps, engravings, litho
graphs and photographs, shall DO paid for a
the rate Of one cent per ounce. The remain
ing sections provide a penalty Of a fine of no
more than one hundred dollars and impriSon
mcnt of not more than one year for those VIII,
receive letters to be deposited in any post office
and fraudulently omit to do so. or who take o.
receive letters Intentionally or by mistake, from
any office and fraldulently omit to deliver then
to the owners.
4. letter from the Postmaster General wa
read, recommending the passage of the BILL
Referred to the Committee of the Whole.
The committee are unanimous in favor oil TIT
passage Of the bill.
Mr.. Wood Of Maine. reported from the Com
mittee on the Post Office and Post Roads a bill
to establish n line Of national mail steamers be
tween certain ports Of the United States anc
Europe. Referred TO the committee Of The
Whole.
On motion of Mr.. Hopkins. Of Virginia, it Was
Resolved. that the President Of the United
States he requested. if not Incompatible with
the public interest. TO transmit to this House 4
copy Of the report Of the special agent of tho
United States sent 10 TancouverS island and
British Columbia.
Mr. Horton of Ohio, offered 4 resolution ID
authorize the various standing committees &c
employ clerks, as at the last session.
Clerks have been employed by thcsa com
mittces since the beginning Of the session, huI
the House has not, so FIR authorized their en-
ployment.
Mr.. Phelps Of No., moved that the lIou>,
20 into the Committee Of tn. Whole.
The question was taken by yeas and nays.
and resulted yeas l23. nays G3.
The consideration Of the Civil and Diploma
tic Appropriation bill was resumed.
Mr.. MORGAN, of New York. moved 10 amen!
the bill 81 as to reduce the appropriation OF
$4,000 for blank books. flags, &c. for the use
Of consulatcs. to $1,000.
The amendment was rejected.
Mr.. Morris. of Pennsylvania, moved 10 re.
duce the appropriation 10 100000.
Mr.. Nichols, of Ohio. offered q proyi,o. that
no blank books. flags. dc. be sent to cOnSulS at
Quebec and Havana.
1t was unnecessary TO eyiend money for
consulatcs which would be useless within the
next six months, as we had made up oar minds
to get Cuba and Canada, and, OF course. would
have them. Mr.. l.. was somewhat Of 4 fill
buster, and was in favor of anneying the whole
world, with England aS a potato.patch.
lie withdrew the amendment.
Mr.. Hopkins, of Va. offered an amendment
appropriating 1880 for the salary Of the min
ister resident of Japan. from January 18th.
1859. to Goth June, 1860, and $1,000 for the
: salary Of the same minister, from the 30th day
Of June. 1850. till 1861.
Ar Shor,nop nf Dh;n u-1S onnosu1 70 This
amendment, because the President had no right
10 appoint such an officer. He considered il tan
usurpation of the Executive power. We are
now following the lslrpa,ion commenced by
President Tyler when he sent Mr.. Gushing To
China.
Mr.. Phillips. Of Pa. contcndcd that the
President had the power 10 appoint ministers
and representatives at foreign courts, under the
treaty making power. without authority from
Congress.
Mr.. Garrett. Of Va, contcndcd that while
the President had the right to appoint judges
of the Supreme Court and foreign ministers.
Congress had control over their numbers and
salaries. There was no clause in the Constitl
ton which gave the President the right to make
appointments without authority from Congress.
Mr.. Reagan, of Texas. argued in the same
strain as Mr.. Garnctt. and expressed his sur.
prise that Democrats should be found sustain
ing old Federal theories. which the Democracy
had long since exploded.
The vote was then taken on Mr.. Hopkins
amendment. and it was carried. Yeas G2. nays
81.
Mr.. Hatch. Of New York, moved to strike
out the appropriation for the Quebec consul
ship. The commercial agents appointed under
the consul at Quebec were scattered all along
or northern frontier. and were a burden and
imposition on the internal trade Of the conntry.
II these officers were to be quartcred on the
people. let them he paid out of the national
treasury. and not from fees ex;orted from the
commercial community.
Mr.. MAYNARD. ofTenn.. said that he had hoped
TO see some we!l.advised scheme Of public re-
trenchmcnt adopted during the present session.
but now found that gentlemen were pressing
reforms" which would sweep away our whole
system Of communication with the other na-
! tons Of the earth. Such reforms would be far
from beneficial To the country.
The amendment was rejected.
Mr.. Morris. Of Pa. moved to strike ont the
entire appropriation for consnls. If we were
about to dispense with orr diplomatic agents.
our conSulS would be useless. and we had bet
ter let them 90.
Mr.. curry. of Ala. denounced our whole di-
pionatic system aS wrong. and a fraud on the
people. Now was the time for reform. Onr d.
plonlacy was but a pinch-bcck imitation Of the
pomp and rstgcantry Of kings and courts.
Nr. Morris Withdrew his amendment.
Mr.. Kcitt. Of :. e.. said he was rs much in
favor of economy as his friend from Alabama,
! hut nc did not think this was the place TO com
mcncc. "lfnnfIcr the commands Of party dicta-
ton. incompetent men. broken down politicians
were sent abroad. the fault was not in the sys-
TEN, but in the administration which sent them.
! lie rldicnled the idea that our foreign reprcscn-
t~ativcS. upon the salaries they received. could
initiate the pomp and extravaganza Of foreign
courts, where noblcmcn enjoyed incomes of
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars per annurn.
No American representatives abroad ever saved
n cent from their incomes. or were even able to
live like gentlemen. lie had heard that some
of them lived ocer wine cellars: and If all that
had been said was true. perhaps that was the
best place for some Of them.
Mr.. Sicklcs. of y. Y. could not agree with
those who were in favor of such sweeping re-
forms in orr diplomatic system. The economy
proposed was false and nicsarily. IT was i'm
portant that not only the compensation Of our
ministers and conSuls should be increased. but
that our diplomatic relations should BE- extend
ed.
Mr.. Dowdcll. Of Ala. moved to strike out
the appropriation Of $4,000 to enable the
President to carry into effect the law Of 1919,
in relation to the suppression Of the African
slave trade. lie said the appropriation had
no place in the bill. and the contract which
the President had entered into with the Coloni-
zation Society. in regard to the slaves taken
from the brig Echo. was without authority ot
law.
Mr.. Phcl,s defended the course Of tho Presi.
dent. lie had sent the negroes found on the
Echo back to .Africl. at the Government en-
pen c. under the provisions Of the act Of 1919
and had made 4 contract with the Colonial
ton Society to receive them. support and edu
cate them for one Year in Liberia.
-, -.t, - H. ,.,,-