Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-07-12

slge often words vas 90 be sent from Nilsson
to San Francisco fer q, but the Company ez
acted s. for every ten words and refused Z
receive payment in the currency of the coun
try. Western Union Telegraph Company
capital in 1864 was ST. GOO, 600, and wa
worth in market 20 per cent, bat had sine
been increased 10 So, 000,00 and now II
stock was selling at So. Immense fortune
have been made BY individuals connected
with telegraph companies. This, bill wa,
/ designed to enable all telegraph complnie
/ that are, or may be organized, 10 build Their
/ lines over military and postal roads of the
| United States, and over public domain
Mr.. FINCkLE, "A member Of the Post
Office Committed, Argued against lis oonsti-
nationality, inasmuch as il allows private
property 10 be used for public purposes with
out making compensation to owners.
Mr.. HALE opposed the bill on two
grounds. The frst was stated By the gen
tleman from Ohio, Mr. EINc1ZI.E, the sound
ness Of whose arguments could not be con-
tT0Yerted. The second was, that under this
bill the Cuban Telegraph Company. for in
stance, and other foreign companies could
ENJOY ITS privileges, which their govern
ments refused to their own citizens. ANY
company might, under this law, extend Is
line beyond the marine league from the
shore, which our jurisdiction covers, and
thus make connection with foreign line.
chartered by foreign government He de-
sired 10 have the bill amended in both these
particulars
Mr.. ALLEY remarked that no one had
dared to say a word about the merits Of the
bill, but every gentleman with whom he
had conversed had been forced 10 admit that
II was bill Of great merit, aud that there
ought to be remedy for theevil complained
OF. So far as the constitutional question was
concerned, he had nothing to say, as he was
no lawyer; but eminent lawyers in Congress.
with whom he had conversed, has said that
that they believed it was perfectly constitu-
tlonal. He had anticipated opposition to it
he understood what appearances were at
work to defeat 1t he understood that min
lister Of a great telegraph monopoly had
been on the floor to-day soliciting the aid Of
members in opposition to this bill He had
no doubt that it might be Improved in GER
tain particulars, but he did not want to run
the risk of sending the bill back to the SEN
ate at this stage of the session.
Mr.. KASSON declared that he had no
difficulty about the constitutional question.
The difficulty with him was practical one.
The bill did not reserve to the United States,
as It should, the control of the telegraph
rates, and there was nothing to prevent per
feet accord between existing companies.
Mr.. WASHBURNE, Of Illinois, express
ed his willingness to do anything 10 break
up or interfere with the present stupendous
telegraph monopoly, which had become so
oppressive to the people. These telegraph
companies had been combining, confedera-
ting and consolidating with every telegraph
line in the country, and the people were now
being taxed enormously for telegraph facili-
ties. He desired to have the bin so amend
ed that the company organized under It
could not dispose Of privileges to any other
company.
Mr. ALLEY declined to admit the
amendment, and insisted on the previous
question, which was seconded.
The main question was ordered to be put
yeas a. nays 60.
The bill was then passed by yeas Y, nays
Mr.. PAYNE, called up the report of the
Committee on Elections in the contested
election case of FULLER against DAWSON,
from the Twenty-frst Congressional Dis
trict of Pennsylvania, ending with a resolu-
tion declaring Mr.. DAWSON entitled to re-
tain his seat.
Mr.. SCHOFIELD moved 10 amend by de-
claring SMITH FULLER entitled to the seat
Speeches were made by Mr.. PAYNE in
support Of the setting member, and by Mr.
ScHoFIELD in support Of the contestant,
after which the question went over till to-
morrow.
A Conference Committee was ordered on
the Senate bill to adjust land titles in Cali
fOrnia.
Mr.. LeBLOND called attention, as a
question of a privilege, to the fact that al
though the house had ordered the minority
and majority reports of the reconstruction
Committee to be printed together with the
volume containing the majority report, did
not contain the minority report.
The SPEAKER mentioned, perhaps as
an explanatory circumstances, that the mi
nority report had not been made till II days
after the Majority report, and suggested that
the proper way to ascertain facts 10 refer
the subject 10 committee
Mr.. LeBLOND moved to refer it to ase-
lect committee and
Mr.. WASHBURNE moved as amended
to refer it to a committee on printing.
Pending this discussion ofthe question the
HOuse adjourned