Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-03-02
Eon. Ben. stanesn on the Frankiag
PriviIeea.

ciency Bill being under cunsideration-ttoa abol
ish the franking privilege, and let the printing
of post office blanks to the lowest bidder)-Mr
Stanton spoke as follows
Mr.. STANTON. l should not have troubled
the committee with any remarks at this time
bat for the fact that I am in favor of boil
these latter amendments of the Senate as indie
pendent propositions but feel myself under
obligation thus early in the session, to take
ground in favor of the proposition of the
Committee of Ways and Means, as presented
by the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. NJ illson]
and to vote so as to prevent, il possible, this
practice of Incorporating independent legisla-
tion upon appropriation bills.
s voted to abolish the franking privilege o.
The last Congress, and toward the close of that
Congress. If the House is determined to in
corporate independent legislation upon appro-
pfiation bills, | will do so again under the
same circumstances. / take the position l do
row, at this early stage of the session, because
here is bill which the exigencies of the postal
service require shall be passed Immediately,
the urgency is quite as great as it could be at
the close of session. Here are hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of public creditors, who
are waiting upon the action of the House, and
demanding their just dues, while we are dis
cussing the wisdom and propriety of great
question of public policy-the abolition of the
franking privilege. / believe, sir, that it is
question which requires mature consideration.
believe that it is one upon which the public
feel great interest. l believe it is one upon
which gentlemen upon all sides of the House
should have opportunity Of expressing their
opinions. I believe that the urgency of the
public service, and the demands of the public
creditors, render it improper that we should
delay action upon this appropriation bill until
the legitimate, proper, and necessary discus
sion shall be had.
Gentlemen must see Mr.. Chairman, if we
are to adopt this system Of legislation, and if
we are to leave our rules standing as they are,
that we place ourselves completely within the
power of the Senate, and of committees of
conference of the two Houses And, in addi
tion to what the gentleman from Virginia Mr..
| Millsonl has said on the subject, l desire to
call the attention of the House (for there are
many new members here) to the manner in
which appropriation bills are sometimes pas
sed. l remember, i'll the Thirty-Fourth Con-
grcss, that, during the last days of its ex-
istence, there came back from the Senate an
appropriation bill with over one hundred
amendments. They went to the committee Of
conference, and the committee reported to the
House that they had agreed TO concur in fifty
and non-concur in the other fifty. / rose in
my place and demanded that the amendments
iii which it was proposed we should recede
from our disagreement should be read and it
was ruled that had no right to demand the
reading Of amendments upon which | was re-
quired 10 vote. liad sir, on that occasion,
to trust to my memory, although the amend
ments of the Senate had never been read in
the House.
Mr.. HARRIS, of Maryland. I want to ask
reeollect that it is the fact that the great ma
iority of those one hundred amendments were
on subjects of independent legislation, tackled
upon the House bill by the Senate?
! Mr. STANTON. Certainly that is always
the case-it is the uniform practice of the
Senate. Those amendments were not printed.
The committee of conference only wrote them
/ before they came here, and there was no hu-
man possibility of any man knowing anything
about what he was voting upon. 1 believe
! that those amendments made an addition OF
$l0,0G0,000 for the Navy, and l know there
: were some millions for the water works. i
recolIect that very well.
| | desire, Mr.. Chairman, that we should have
conference between the House and Senate
and that this eucstson of general legislation in
appropriation bills should be thoroughly dis
cusscd, and, if possible adjusted. ] think that
there ought to be joint rule of the two
! Houses for some common mode in reference to
the action of the two Houses, and determining
what it is proper and legitimate for US to do.
In regard to the two amendments, the first
is emiifently proper, and, as an independent
subject of legislation, is one on which, ap
prehend, there would not be a serious differ
emce of opinion. | take it for granted that il
will be passed, i'll some form or other, during
this session. In regard TO the second amend
ment, there is, unquestionably, a great differ
ence of opinion. | am in favor of it, so fal
as | am concerned. and for this reason, be
leve that the franking privilege is the fruitfu
source of thousand other evils, besides The
overlooking of the mails with useless and un
necessary matter. ] am in favor OF its aboli
ton not because desire to have the Post OF
fee sefsustaining department Of the Gov
ernment, for about that am comparatively in
different 1t is not because | object to any
specific abuse of the franking privilege.
, know sir, that, if this Government is ever t
, be overthrown or undermined, it will be b.
the corruption which results from enormou
|, expenditures.
Instead of expendiug $60,000,000, annually
, ] believe that this Government ought to b
t carried on for 100000, 900. Because we hav
4 the poWer Of fanhi1g books, an hblfan, Wba
ever books Congress may determine to pub
lish, 1T furnishes a strong reason why members
t should vote for the publication of such book
r for distribution amongst their constituents
! will answer the purposes of their electionee1
ing fodder in the coming campaign-to vot
for the publication of the reports of eXpedI
= tions, &C., that those who control nominating
: conventions are DESTROYS to receive. Why d
: members vote to publish Patent Office reports
o reports of exploring expeditions, &c? Be
r cause you want them for eectioneering docI
r ments; because every respectable, IDtelligen
t gentleman, who has great influence in nomln
> ating conventions, is very glad to receiv
: them at your hand, and you frank them. !
+ this way you are running up the expenditure
l. of the public printing, ranging, in Congress-
n past, to between two and three million dollar
O Then, what follows? AT the opening
- every Congress disgraceful struggle in BOT
d branches of Congress for the public Printin
e because it affords enormous profits, much
IS which is to be distributed as an electioneerir
lie fund, which in thousand ways acts as q CO
s. rupting influence throughout the country
IN That grows out of this franking privilege.
ce do not believe, as the gentleman from v
ne ginia, Mr.. Millson, who has so ably addrt
RS sed the House, seems to suppose, that if I'll
n franking privilege is abolished therefore the
ii are to be no public documents distribut
I'd throughout the country. / take it for grant
TINT snanches and doom menfs can be rircnlatI