The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-06-30

from Nevada seemed TO imagine The gentleman
who was a. the head Of the sntsrpd,s vas worth
| a. 600. 900. a HHFl
! M. Nys said sbe gentleman referred 10 would,
doubusss have no objection 70 making another
million BY selling out this franchise AFTER he OBJ
tanned II. tfT III ~ -sr>
| Mr.. sherman said Il had become absolutely
! necessary that competing lines shoald be estab.
lisbed. The Government now paid hundreds Of
thousands yearly for teisgraphiug. and BY this bill
70 vas 70 have iu messages sent at rates fixed By
The Postmaster General.
Mr. Coune.s said the Senator from Nevada talked
like he In favor Of monopolies, and II tho tele
graph monopoly bad wished an argument In It's
favor II could rot have been better saitsd He
was surprised that Senator from the Pacific coast
should object to the creation Of new lines, The
people there suffered from the existing state Of
afaira An instance had happened last winter 10
show how the telegraph was controlled. The So.
preme Court had made decision In . land osse
materially affecting the interests Of the citizens Of
California. Parties owning interests In the tee-
graph seized and sent tho decision there in ad-
ulstion out oft 81 fnt ~
M. Grimes asked whether the message wa, sent
out Of the regular order. .sad H3 y
Mt. Conness. Certainly. ul.. 1fl ,Ni .
Mr.. G'imes hoped II this was the ease that the
Senate would Immediately bring in bill repealng
The act granting subsidy to the Pacific telegraph
company. ftN .
Nj Nys said he did not yield to the Senator
from California In devotion TO the interests Of the
people Of the Pacific coast He wanted TO tighten
their burdens and this kind Of Legislation only In.
creased them. These new companies were bought
out By the old ones which added to their capital
stock TO pay for Il and then imposed the additional
burden on the people. UN.sra..H'
Mr. Sherman said this company could not sell
out without the consent Of Congress- ,.s-
Mr.. Nye. Oh nonscn,s, tell me what cannot
be done by consent Of Congress and will show you
a white blackbird. Laughter. r
Mr.. Stewart advocated competition as the only
remedy for the present high charges, though not
Evoring the bill. M y. = ri
Mr.. Howard opposed the bill. , ...gst .......
The discussion was further continued BY Messrs
Williams, sherman, and Doolittle.
The question was then taken on the amendment
Of Mr.. Grimes; which was agreed 70 n. i'.
Mr.. Sherman proposed number Of amendments;
which were agreed TO. lH .s I4ftrlI.. lra s y
Mr.. Howard moved 10 strike out the words ''pre-
empt and" In the 18th limo Of the hrst section;
which was disagreed to
Mr.. Hendricks moved TO strike out the provision
allowing the companies to pre-empt one quarter
section OF land for each station.
Mr.. Hendricks said this was clearly for the pur-
pose Of speculation. A railroad company needed
land, but telegraph company did not. .-
Mr.. Conness moved to insert 40 acres where one
quarter section occurs, which was accepted by Mr.
Hendricks In lieu Of his amendment. '.'
The amendment was agreed to. .. .|..
Nj. Nye movedto adjourn; which was decided
In the negative. . l.. f'.. ... OIL. .rl.
Mr.. Hendricks then took the floor and argued
against the right Of Congress to authorize any cor
poration TO 60 into State without the consent Of
that State. He would ask the Senator from Ohio
what right had Congress to authorixo railroad
corporation Of tho State Of Indiana to enter the
State Of Ohio without the consent Of that State.
Mr.. Stewart asked IL steamboat, and stage
coaches had not always gone from one State into
another. '
Mr., Hendricks said that so far as he was advised
Al ~ 4
the consent Of the State whose territory was en-
tered. This whole thing was simply providing for
q species Of speculation herstofore unequailed.
MT. Wilson moved to postpone the further con
alteration Of tho bill until tho first Monday in De-
cember; which WINS disagreed to. W. ...
Mr.. Morgan offered a substitute for the second
section: which was lost-yeas II, nays II.
The bill having been reported to the Senate, Mr..
Nye renewed the amendment offered by Mr.. Morgan;
waieh was disagreed to--yeas II, nays is. .f
The bill was then read a third time and passed
yeas 10, nays Is, as follows:
Yeas-Messrs. Anthony, Brown, CONFESS, Cragin
Edmunds, Fessenden, Foster. Harris, Howe, Kirk
wood, Pomeroy, Sherman, sprague, Stewart, Wade,
and Williams-16. -
Nays-Messrs. Buckalew, Clark, Cowan, DooIit-
tie, Guthrie, Hendricks, Howard, Morgan, Nye,
sumner, Van wiukis, Wiley and wilson-i3.
The following 10 ue bill az passed: II ~. y,
bill 10 aid In the construction Of telegraph iinss
and to secure TO the aovsmmsnt the use Of ths
b. u enacted by the Senate and Hosss on Repre-
sssfatipss Of ths Unitsd Ststss Of Aasriaa IN Cor,
grsss sssepsbied, That any telegraph company, nov
organised or Authorized 10 be organised under tho
laws Of any State OF tho Union, shall have the
right to construct, maintain, and operate lines Of
telegraph through and any portion of the pub.
lie lands Of the United States over and along any
Of the military or post roads Of the United States
which have been or may hereafter DO declared such
by act Of Congress, and over, under or across the
ma ali If h. hat. II
PToVided, That such lines Of telegraph shall be 50
constructed and maintained as not 10 obstruot the
obligation Of such streams aud waters, or interfere
with the ordinary travel on such military or post
roads And said corporation shall have the right
TO take and use from such public lands the neces-
sary stone timber and other materials for Its posts
piers stations and other nsedful uses in the con.
structiou, maintenance and operation OF said lines
Of telegraph, and may pre- empt and use such por.
ton Of the unOecupied public lands subject to pre-
emption through which its said lines OF telegraph
may be locate as may be necessary for its stations
not exceeding forty acres for each station; such
stations to be not within fifteen miles Of esoh other
Sec. 2, Aud BE- IL further enacted, That tele-
graphic communications between the several De-
partments of the Government Of the Uni cd States
and their officers and agents shall In their trans
mission over the lines Of any Of said companies
have priority over all other business and shall be
sent at rates to be annually hIed BY the Postmaster
General. .... ..... ., ... -.. - ...- ID. ....
Sec. s. And5s ii further enacted, That the rights
and privileges hereby granted shall not be trans.
ferred by any company acting under this law to any
other corporation association. or person: Provided
h0pever, That the United States may at any time
after the expiration Of Eve years from the date Of
the passage Of this act for postal military. or other
purposes purchase all the telegraph lines, property
and effects Of any or all Of said comp snies at an
appraised value, to be ascertained by Ave oompe-
tent, disiuterested persons, two Of whom shall be
selected by the Postmaster General Of the United
States, two by the company interested, and one by
the four so previously selected.
Sec. 4, And BE- a. further enacted, That before any
telegraph company shall exercise any of the powers
or privileges conferred by this act, said company
shall file their acceptance with the Postmaster Gen.
era Of the restrictions and obligations Of this act
On motion Of Mr. Sherman, the Indian appropri
alton bill was taken up.
Tho Senate then adjourned. |
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,. Il
The House, In Committee Of tho Whole on the
state Of the Uuion (Mr soohed of Pa. In the chair
made good prngrsss with the tariff bill The most
important amendment made was that increasing, on
the motion Of Mr.. Bundy, of Ohio, the duty on pig
iron, from nine to ten dollars per ton.
Mr.. Eliot Of Massachusetts, Mr.. Bingham Of
nd NJ. - 49, .