Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-02-09

till Crew saved. The cholera was on the
decline in the Spanish army.
TIEIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS.
SENATE.
The Senate met at ten o'clock.
Mr.. DAVIS resolutions were postponed till
Monday next.
Mr.. GREEN presented petition from the
mail contractors, asking the immediate passage
of the bill for their relief, with the interest left
out to be settled by future legislation.
Mr.. GRIMES presented the credentials of
James Harlow as Senator from Iowa from the
4th Of March, 1861.
Mr.. PEARCE introduced a joint resolution,
authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to
make arrangements for dedicatii.g the statue
of Washington on the 22d of February next,
and appropratng $4,000 therefor. Laid over.
A number of reports and petitions were
presented.
Mr. DAVIS made report from Committee
on Printing, recommending printing 10000
copies of reports of Majors Mordlcai and Del
afield, of Observations in the Crimean war.
Mr.. HUNTER asked how much they wond
cost.
Mr.. DAVIS replied $5O,8OO. If they cost
double that amount they were well worth the
expenditure.
MIR. HUNTER moved to reduce the number
vi CbpicS hN,IGClSu-D cas- ~ To-
The report of the committee was rejected by
yeas %, nays 81.
A motion to reconsider was lost by a large
majority.
Mr.. FITCH read a report from the Commit
tee on Printing recommending the printing of
ten thousand copies OF the report OF the Com
missioner of Patents. Laid over. He also
reported resolution for printing fifteen thou
sand copies of the Agricultural Report of the
Patent Office. Laid over.
Mr. HAUN introduced a resolution instruct
ing the Committee on the Post Office to i'll
quire into the expediency Establishing a line
of steamers between San Francisco and China
VS.. Sandwich Islands. Adopted.
The Post Office Deficiency bill was taken
up, the question being on the amendment of
tered by Mr.. Coamcr to repeal the acts of
1874 I'd 1851 appropriating 100000 for the
expenses of free matter.
Mr.. CoLLAMER Withdrew the amendment.
Mr.. POWELL discussed the amendment of
the Finance Committee to abolish the ranking
privilege regarding this as the very time and
place to effect reform. The privilege had
been abused for partizan and private purposes
the ranking of electioneering documents and
letters for friends. The effect also of tie
amendment would be a great saving in the
public printing expenses, amounting to SOLO,
900 per annunl.
Mr. SIMMONS offered an amendment to the
proviso requiring the prepayment of printed
matter.
The motion to reconsider was agreed to.
After cooquy between Messrs. Simmons
and Toombs, Mr.. Simmons Withdrew his
amendment and Mr.. TOOmbs renewed it, and
called for the yeas and nays.
Mr. SIMMONS suggested that the amendment
be so modified as to require prepayment on
printed matter bV all persons.
Mr.. TooMBs accepted the modification.
Mr.. DOUGLAS thought it unwise to encum-
Der the deficiency bill with such legislation as
was proposed. Itwould delay action and keep
contractors out of the money which is due
them, He was ready to cooperate on sepa-
rate bill.
Mr. FooTE was in favor of the adjustment
of the ranking privilege, but opposed to its
introduction in this bill as out of time and out
Of place
Mr.. HALE said there was a great want of
efficiency in the mail service, and express
companies i'll his opinion now command one
half the correspondence between large cities
because they did the work much more rapidly
and safely than the department. He would
make the revenues of the department subject
to the draft of the Postmaster General, and
give him discretion in establishing routes and
making contracts according to the financial
condition of the department. The payment of
the honest debts OF the country to contractors
had nothing to do with the adjustment of the
ffankng privilege.
Mr.. GREEN said he was in favor of abolish
ing the franking privilege, but did not think
this the appropriate place for its introduction.
Mr.. GwIN was willing to make the Post Of
flee Department sefsustaining. 1t could be
done with regard to the interests of the coun-
try. He wanted it enabled to give proper mail
facilities to the whole country. Therefore he
would vote to abolish the ranking privilege.
Mr.. GREEN moved to reconsider the vote
by which the proviso exempting those now
entitled to the ranking privilege from the pre-
payment of postage, was agreed to.
Mr.. JOHNSON of Arkansas opposed the en-
barrassing of the bill with a proposition to
abolish the franking privilege
After further debate by Messrs. Davis, Hun
ter, and others, Mr. Toombs' amendment, mod
flied so as not to require prepayment on news
papers, was agreed to by yeas %, nays 26.
Mr.. TRUMBULL moved to strike out the
whole proviso as amended. Carried.
The question recurring in the amendment
to abolish the ranking privilege, Mr.. Sim
mons moved an amendment that prepayment
Oh all printed matter, except newspapers and
periodicals, be required. Rejected by yeas
49, nays 81
The question recurring on the amendment,
as originally reported, it was rejected by yeas
81 nays 81.
The next amendment was to appropriate
| hereafter the revenues of the Post Office De-
partment for the use thereof This was in
troduced to enable the Postmaster General i'll
contingencies like the present, to use the rev.
enues OF the department Rejected.
Mr. Brown offered an amendment that the
| Superintendent OF Public Printing be required
to procure the printing of the post office blanks
by contract after thirty days notice, and award
said contract to the lowest bidder. Agreed to.
Adjourned.
Texas Legislature