The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1866-07-21
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
Congressional News.

t'ssiaI Conversational News. 7
-" f. Washington, July nth.
~ The Senate has passed a bill to extend
the time for the acceptance by the South
ern States of grants of land for the es-
tablishment of agricultural colleges. 81
Mr.. Poland from the Judiciary COM
mittee reported the House bill TO establish
uniform system of bankruptcy, which
with the amendments was ordered
printed. f.H -.-7r...1 .-r -n.. a. es,-
Clark called up the bill to prescribe the
mode ofelecting United States Senators,
which provides that the Legislature next
preceding the expiration of q Senatorial
term shall elect on the 2nd Tuesday of its
session, by viva yoce voting in each
House separately, and shall meet in joint
session next day, when if no person is
found to have received a majority of the
votes of both houses, or if either house
shall have failed to take the proceedings
as required, the joint assembly shall pro-
ceed to choose viva voce, and the person
receiving q majority of the votes, being
present and voting, shall be declared
duly elected. Fessenden moved to strike
out the viva voce, which was disagreed
to, and after a discussion the bill passed,
25 against Is. 7a..
Nesmith offered resolution, which was
adopted, for information concerning GER
tain disorderly proceedings, robberies
and murders on the road from the Ari-
zona line to Guaymas, and directing the
military committee to enquire into the
expediency of closing that route by oppo-
sing forces.
In the House Stephens reported back
the diplomatic appropriation bill. Dawes
reported back the Senate amendments to
the legislative, executive and judicial ap-
preparation bill, which were generally
unimportant and concurred in.
Hooper, from the committee on bank
ing and currency, reported a substitute
for the bill amendatory of the national
currency act; ordered to be printed.
Alley reported the Senate bill to en-
courage the construction of independent
telegraph lines, which, after considerable
discussion, passed; ayes 72, nays Al
During the debate on the above, Mr.
Alley declined to have any amendments
| offered on the ground that if the bill was
sent back to the Senate at this late day
1t would be equivalent to killing it, lie
| therefore declined to yield the floor to
the enemies of the bill to propose amend.
ments which they knew would most
certainly kill it; but he did not purpose
to deny the privilege to discuss the
| measure in good faith. Proceeding with
all telegraph companies OF the country
Were recently consolidated into one
which now represented capital of Sal, +,
0O0, 900, and it was certainly the most
gigantic monopoly in the country, if not
| in the world. The American people were
subject to the dictation of that company
and every one knew how much power
| the telegraph had for good or evil. This
bill was not to oppose that company, but
to protect the rights of the Union
Congress had, few years since, granted
privileges to the Pacific Telegraph com
pany, but that company had not acted in
| good faith towards the government il
was to charge but three dollars mes
sage from the Missouri river to the State
line of California, and it was understood
that message of ten words was to be
| sent from Washington to San Francisco
for four dollars, but the company ex
acted eight dollars for message of ter
words, and refused to receive payment
in the currency of the country.
| Fincke, of Ohio a member of the post
office committee, argued against the con
stitutionality of the bill, because it al
lows private property to be used fol
public purposes without making com
pensation to the owners.
Hale opposed the bill on two grounds
the first was that stated by the gentle
man from Ohio, the soundness of whose
argument could not be controverted
and the second was, that under this bill
the Cuban Telegraph company, for in
stance, and other foreign companies
could enjoy it's privileges while theil
governments refused equal privileges t.
American citizens. Amy company might
under this law, extend line beyond the
marine league from a shore which oul
jurisdiction covers, and there make ;
connection with q foreign company
chartered by foreign government hi
desired to have the bill amended in botl
these particulars. a... ... ,
| Alley remarked that no one had sale
a word against the merits of the bill, bu
every gentleman with whom he had con
versed had been forced to admit that i
was bill of great merit, and that there
should be o remedy for the evil com
planned of. So far as the constitution
ality was concerned he had nothing t.
say, as he was no lawyer but eminent
lawyers in Congress with whom he haG
conversed had said they believed The
bill was perfectly constitutional. He an
ticipated opposition to it; he understood
what appliances were at work to defea
it; he understood that the manager O
the great telegraph monopoly had beer
on the floor to-day, seeking the aid o
members in. opposition to this bill HI
had no doubt it might be improved il
certain parts, but he did not want to rur
the risk of sending the bill back to th'
Senate at this stage of the session.
Kasson declared he had no difficulty
about the constitutional question, tn,
difficulty with him was practical one
The bill did not reserve to the Unitet
States, as it should, the control of tn,
telegraph rates, and there was nothing
to prevent perfect accord between tn
existing corporations and those to be OF
ganized under this act in regard to es