The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-07-12


yielding the floor to the enemies of the
. bill to propose an amendment, which
they know would most certainly kill
it, but he did not propose to deny the
privileges to discuss the measure in
Egood faith.
4 Mr.. Hale said he most certainly wish
ed to discuss 1t, and he was not in the
habit of discussing questions otherwise
than in good faith.
Mr.. Alley opened the discussion. He
said thatall the telegraph companies of
the country, or nearly all, were recent
ly consolidated into one, which now
represented a capital of $4,000, 600.
II was certainly the most gigantic mon
|. opoiy IN this country, II not in the
world. 1t held in its hands nearly the
whole Geographic power of the nation.
me American people were, substan-
TALLY, subject to the declaration of that
company, and every one knows how
much power telegraphers had. for good
or for evil. This bill was not to oppress
that company but to protect the rights
of the nation. Congress had, few
years since, granted privileges to Paci-
tic Telegraph Company Company, but
that company had not acted in good
faith towards the Government. The
company was to charge but three dol
lars per message from the Missouri
River to the State line of California,
and 1t was understood that a message
of ten words was to be sent from Wash
lngton to San Francisco for four dol
lars, but the company e5acted eight
dollars for message of ten words, and
refused to receive payment in the cur
rency of the country. AS to the West
ern Union Companyits capital stock in
/ 1854 was Sll,OOO, 900, and was worth
in market two hundred per cent, but it
has since been changed to SO, 200, 900,
and that its stock was selling at fifty
three. Immense fortunes had been
made by individuals connected with
the telegraph companies. This bill
was designed to enable all the telegraph
companies that are or may be organized
10 build their lines over military and
postal roads of the United States, and
| over public roads.
Mr.. Finck, member of the Post
Office Committee, argued against the
constitutionality of the bill inasmuch
as it allows private property to be used
tor pubic purposes without compensa-
| ton to the owners.
Mr.. Hale opposed the bill on two
grounds first, it was for that stated by
the gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. Finck, J
the soundness of whose argumentcould
/ not be controVerted: second, it was that
under this bill the Cuban telegraph
company for instance and other foreign
companies could enjoy its privileges
while their governments refused equal
privileges to American citizens. ANY
company might under this law extend
| line beyond the marine league from
the shore which our Jurisdiction covers
and then make connection with foreign
companies chartered by foreign gov
ernments. He desired to have the bill
amended in both of these particulars.
Mr.. Alley remarked that no one had |
dared to say word against the merits |
| of the bill, but every gentleman with |
whom he conversed had been forced to
admit that 1t was a bill ofgreat merit and |
| there ought to be a remedy for the evil |
complained of. So far as the constitu-
tional question was concerned, he had
nothing to say as he was no lawyer, but |
eminent lawyers in Congress with |
whom he had conVersed, had said they
Beloved the bill was perfectly constitu-
tional. He had anticipated opposition |
to 1t before he understood what appli- |
ances were at work to defeat it. He |
understood that the managers of the |
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 certain particulars, but he did not
want to run the risk of sending the |
bill back to the Senate at this stage of |
the session. rte --r-
Mr.. Kasson declared that he had no
difficulty about the constitutionaIitY
of the question. The difficulty with |
not reserve to the United States; as it
should, the control of telegraph rates,
and then there was nothing to prevent
a perfect accord between existing COM
panieS and those to be organized under
this act in regard to establishing ex-
travagant rates. He argued that the
telegraph should be put In connection
ms far as possible, with the Post-O Office
department. His proposition was to
fix maximum rates, which should be
changed under the bill.
Mr.. Washburne, of Illinois, expressed /
n
to break down or interfere with the |
present stupendous telegraph monopo- |
ly which had become so oppressive to |
the people,. These telegraph companies |
had been combining and consolidating |
almost every telegraph line in the |
country and the people were now being
taxed enormously for telegraph facilf-
| ties, and he desired to have the bill SO
amended that no telegraph company
organized under 1t could dispose of
privileges to any other company,
MIR. Alley decided to admit the amend
ment and insisted on the previous ques-
ton, which was seconded.
The main question was ordered and
the bill was passed-yeas II, nays 81.
Mr.. Price introduced a bill to author
ize the issue of certain bonds in denomi- |
nation greater thnn $1,000, which was
read twice and referred.
Mr.. Paine called up the report of the |
Committee on Elections in the contested |
election OF Mr.. EuItoni against Mr.. |
Dawson, for the 2lst Congressional
District of Pennsylvania, ending with |
a resolution declaring Mr.. Dawson en-
titled to retain his seat.
| Mr.. Schofield moved to amend by de-
claring Smith Fuller entitled to the
seat. Speeches We're made-by Messrs,
Paine in support of the sitting member
and Schofeld in support of the contest
ant. After which the question went
over till tomorrow.
| Mr.. LIE Blond called attention, as
question of privilege, to the fact that
| although the House had ordered the
minority and majority reports of the
reconstruction committee to- be printed
together, the volume did not contain
the minority report. -
The Speaker mentioned, perhaps as
an explanatory circumstance, that the
minority report had not been made un-
til eleven days after the majority re-
port and suggested that the proper way
to ascertain the facts was to refer the
subject to committee.
Mr.. LIE Blond moved to refer it to the
select committee, and Mr.. Washburne,
of Ill, moved as amended to refer 1t TO
the Committee on Printing. Pending
the discussion of the question the
House adjourned.
New ORLEANS, July lin pursu-
ance ofa call of the National Union par
ty or Convention tn meet in E0bi1adol-