Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-02-06

it in good faith: for l expect to vote for
the bill. ask him If he has made any ap-
proximate estimate as to the amount Of
revenue that will be derived from this bill?
Mr.. CoLFAx, have stated that. in my.
Judgment. the revenues ofthe Department
would be increased over 1000. 900. OF
course have no official data upon which |
can approximate anything like correctness,
lhave shown that in Cincinnati alone, the
gain will be some fifty thousand dollars
and. in nv Judgment. with the gain from
the abolition of the ranking privilege, and
by transferring the carrying of the California
mail to the general expense of the Govern
ment. as was the original enactment of Con-
gress, as from the vast unpeopled plains it
has to traverse it cannot be expected to pay
for its cost. the Post Offi.s Department i'll
become almost if not quite selfsustaining
During the last three or four years the
Post Office Committee. aided by infuen-
tial members of both branches. and the
Postmaster General Mr. Holt. reduced the
expenses ofthc mails to California from
80. 200. 900 S1.000.0U0. by discontinuing
the ocean mail service, carried over two
oceans and across foreign country, and
by disseminating the Butterfield and other
parallel routes, although we increased the
service from several irregular semi weekly
and weekly mails to daily mail. The
service is not carried as well as l should be
glad to see it; yet the reduction has been
made in the expense. and the service has
been much improved. Our effort has been
steadily and labouriously to decrease the
expense and increase the efficiency and USE
fitness of the Department.
Mr.. CoLFAx. Task the indulgence OF the
House for about five minutes further. as my
time has expired.
The SPEAKER having stated the question.
and it being unanimously agreed to Mr..
CoLFAx proceed as follows:
This bill is composed of other sections
tn which wish to call the attention of the
House. The section is as folio ws:
BE IL further enacted. That for letters or
money packages. or bills for collection
transmitted through express companies. the
said companies shall pay to the Post Office
Department three cents EACH. returning the
number thereof under oath. according to
such regulations as may be prescribed by
the Postmaster General. who may through
his special agents. examine the books of
said companies when he deems il necessary.
Mr. Speaker, there has grown mp in this
express system what is intended to be pro-
hibited by law. Letters are sent with
money and bills to be collected by thou-
sands and tens Of thousands, which ought
to 60 into the nails and ne propose here,
as we are seeking to draw in revenue from
all possible directions, THAT these express
companies shall pay three cents upon each
package OF that kind.
So. too, in regard to telegraphic Com
munications. The third section provides:
That on all telegrapbic messages. excep.
those for the Governm ,nt. or those on
business of the company owning the line.
and excepting also news and congressional
reports for the press, the telegraph com
panies shall pay to the Post Office Depart
ment three cents for each message, return
ing the number under oath; according to
such regulations as may be prescribed by
the Post Master General. who may.
through his special agents. examine the
books OF said companies when he deems
il necessary.
Mr.. Holt, the very abe predecessor of
the present distinguished Posim .ster Gen
ersl. estimated that by teleyrsphic dis
patches the Government had lost million
Of dollars of postal revenue; and Mr..
Blair, the present Postmaster General, has
written the following letter, which he has
authorized me to read to the House.
[Omitted on account of its length
| wish, also. to read this paragraph
from one of the Postmaster Generals let
tiers in reference to newspapers:
Gas to the newspapers carried ou.side
the mails. you see by the outcry that it is
now the lawyers OK that is gored. They
are outraged that the Representatives Of
the people should exercise the ranking
privilege, but think it all right that editors
should have that privilege. IN effect. My
proposition is to get postage from all mail.
able matter. The right to carry such mat.
ter is exclusive in the Government. Tc
this end we do not propose to prevent the
carrying of the matter by trains and Other
vehicles which do not carry mails. but
merely to get postage on such matter how
ever carried. Il think we can reach thai
object by licensing these trains. &C.. to
carry the matter, rating the license by Il {
amount to be ascertained by the Post Of
fee Agents"
81 | will give one illustration OF the effect
of these sections upon single post Office
In a town in my district. of twenty five
hundred people-not the town where ! re-
side-there are two hundred and Fifty Gin
cinnati and Chicago newspapers taken BY
} private hands. and the postage upon those
newspapers would amount to S400 annual
lly. The net receipts Of the post office in
that town now amounts to less than $500
and we are therefore throwing away S40(
, a year of revenue that really belongs to It
On the first vote on laying the bill OF
the table. the Honse refused to do SO, b.
Ayes 6l, Noes &c; but finally voted thu
to dispose Of il, Ayes 10 Noes 60.
Interesting from Observation-Disclosures
Remains Sent South.
The remains Of Zolicoffer and young
Peyton have been sent South, accompani
ed by a flag oftruce, over the Louisville d
Nashville RAILROAD. The Louisville Jour
nal says: ~
5 |. r.