The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-23
ROUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

ment or the revenue laws a5 10 permit discrs OF
grapes apples and peaches 10 use drop beer for dis
tillation, setting forth that S1oooooo OF revenue,
\ now lost TO tue government might 90 secured by
| such a law.
BILLS REFERRED.
Bills were, by unanimous consent introduced and
referred "a follows:-
By Mr.. WELLER. trep.) Of ohio--To abolish I'm
! prisonment for debt IN the District OF Columbia
Also 10 supply ARTIFICIAL Limbs discharged soldiers
| ana sailors.
BY Mr. SHELDON. (rep) OF La--For the better or
ganzation OF the United states Courts In louisiana.
BY Mr. BoYp, trep.) OF Mo.--Extending the time
| for the complexion OF the Atlantic and Pacific Rail-
| road
| BY Mr. wAsHBUas trep.l OF VISITOR the cstab-
iishmen OF collection district and port OF entry at
| La Crosse, Wis.
\ by Mr.. LAWRENCE. (rep.) or 0hio-Proposing M
| amendment 10 the constitution.
THE house. IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
The House then went into Committee OF the whole,
| Mr.. Iso EgsoLL In the chair for general debate.
| MI CUILoM, irep.l OF ILL., addressed the committee
! on subject Of the apportonment under the next
census, desiring IL TO be carried Out so AS TO apply 20
the next Congress layorina the increase or Repre-
sentayes 10 at least three hundred, aud intnating
| that nj no distant day there woud be an amend
ment Of the consultation TO change ne basis OF repre-
scntation IN the senate. he thought that the whole
system OF representation should be revised ana that
system should be devised whereby all the people,
mnorties or maJorttles, should be represented.
mr. DAWES, trepl or Mass, replied 10 the argu-
| ment OF MIR. Cuilom. lie SAID be had heard with
| some apprehension that that gentleman not only
tnoagnt it right, but contemplated IN attempt on the
| part ol those VITO might nave tue power right or
| not 10 break up the original constitution OF this
| government, compounded OF she States and OF the
| people OF the Whole nation. lie did not Understand
tbs definition II his government TO be entirely the
government ef the people as mass. He understood
it 20 have been an attempt 10 bring under Que gov
eminent TIC states aud tue people, ani that tue peo-
| p!e were represented In tls branch and the states
IN the other branch The nation would have had no
| existence y the sentiment winch the gentleman adj
yocaLed IN regard TO the Senate had prevailed In
| 1852 II was mater OF history that OF nothing
were the states jealous Us their state existence
! and that they came ipto the convention, which
! 1naly adopted TINS Admirable system OF govern
mcnt, on the pledge, not only that their State exist
ence should pe recognized ANA tner eqdaity recog-
ni1ed IN the Senate OF tue United States out thai
| they s1oud be protected against such change rs
might De suggested hereafter by any ambitious State
or ambitious section OF the country and nad been
nov suggested by the gentleman from Illinois.
Fhey hGa not only provided for the equality OF the
states IN the other branch but each state stipulated
tnaI II never should be changed without the consent
OF each OF the States. he submitted to his friends
VINO spoke OF amending the constitution so as to
obllterae that feature OF tue government by which
the states were recognized III their STATE capacity IN
tue other branch this clause III the constitution
taTtcle 81 aRQ that no State without iCs conselt
snail be deprived OF lis equal suffrage Ia the senate
There WAS solemn stipulation, constitutional
provision, entered into aellDeralvely, aud The MS
tory OF the formation OF the constitution dis
closed that on TINS point 1t wss that
the whole success or failure or tine conyen.
ton depended, whether the States should DC
preserves in their corporate ana STATE capacity
beyond Deradventlre OF ambitious power IN any
state that might thereafter develop In the power OF
any section, in combination uuuer an, power re-
served provided Tor IN the consultation ot the
United STATES Tor It's future amend neut The con-
tenpiated amendment suggested uy The gentleman
nom Illinois would De O breach OF the piighyed iaiCn
" every state tnat Rad come INTO tne Union under
the Constitution. The testimony OF Madison alu OF
all VINO had since written on the constitution was
that without the provision lie had read there
woaid have been a nailon composed as this natIol
Is, OF States and people represented In the Two
Branches. and realizing that beautiful figure of
TIE ate had been wagcd 10 put down the
heresy OF STATE sovereignty. Let IL not ne prayed,
mark also the decay OF state rights.
TaE POSTAL TELEGRAPH SYSTEM
Mr.. WAsHgURS, trep.l OF Wis, made O speech In
favor Of thc government undertaking tue telegraph
business OF the country In conjunction VITA
postal service. he criticised the report made last
session py the Post once Committee agsinst tue
proposed reform aud anayzed ana contrancted tue
statement suDnted 10 that committee By the W e5t
efn UAion Telegraph company, lie referred TO the
success OF the system IN France, switzerland anu
Belgium and 20 The cheapness OF teiegrabnic mes
sases Ia those countries.
Mir. FAgSswoiTn. (rep.l OF Ill, chairman OF the
Post olice Committee, suggested thai tue compar
WIS not fair one, US tue population or Belgium
WAS tour hundred 20 the square nile ana thai OF the
United states ten To the square nile.
Mr.. WAsEBURS SAID he wonid refer to that before
he got arouga. lie announced his intention to ASK
the House To appoint select committee TO invests,
gaze the whole question OF teegraphiug ana TO deter
mine wiat the cost would be VI connecting the teie
graph with the postal system aud extending It's use
unesss 10 every section OF the Union. He was sat-
Sned that better lines tnan the western Union lines
could be butt by the government at less tnAn
$40 900 Co., La conclusion ne said:-NOw, hr. CHAIR
man, Know how difficult it Is Tor me TO reach the
ear OF the country IN what may have 10 say
tnat is diverse TO the Interest OF the
Western Union Telegraph Company. Should
there ne any ono mere to spaaA In benalf
OF thai monopoly you viii lind that every word will
DC instantly transmitted to the country on the wings
u IgutnnR, was the lengthy report OF the caar-
man OF tue Committee on iost ounces ano POST
Dnnst .r.rfn nav dan q aT
the Associated fress, VINO IS allowed seat with the
reporters the noor OF this house, snai say Ia MS
despatch today chat clam 10 have snoWn that the
United States IS the only enlightened nation on tue
gloDe tnat mas not taken charge OF The telegraph
system and nearly oil nave made It an appendase
10 the Post 0nice; that la the United Kingdom OF
Great Britain aud Ireland despatch OF twenty
words can be sent at uniform rate OF
one smiling 10 any part OF the Kingdom,
distance au 1urel miles; lroM one cX-
treme OF France TO another about SIX hundred
mucs. Tor one lIalc, twenty cents; all over Bel
gum and Switzerland Tor haf u franc or ten cents;
DenMara, 125s Cents Fru sia, from l23l 10 ~ -
cents; Sweden anu Norway, any distance Tor thirty
cents lor message OF twenty words, and one cent
for each additional word that . message may be
made 10 Contain; from MarseiIleS In the south OF
France TO tue 1orth OF Scotland distance Oh l4oo
miles, traverslng two kingdoms ANA crossing the
Straits OF Dover by submarine caD.e. Tor ufLy-ngo
Yet In tue race OF these ac.S the chairman OF
tie Committee on fost Offices and fost Roads mas
tod tni5 House aud the country ~ soena report,
That Ieegrapang IA tls country u the cheapest and
most re IaDle Ia the world. Yet lie could not have
famed 20 know that II ne decsire1 10 send despatch
o. twenty words TO his home IN Illinois and "a moi
favored VITA -. w. lass he would have 10 par
So, Tor similar message TO the home Or the MIG
sour meuIber THAI committee "a would nc
cGargeJ the MchiQan member, az so; the New
Jersey meuDer 81 25 the Massachusetts member,
| 81 rs; the Indiana mei4Der, 81 so; the Kentucky
member, ~ 81; the Nevada nember, 80 Is, anu the
oregon meGAber SIS 81, or So 10 moro Than II would
| cost 10 send message OF ten words from Washing
| ton 10 Constantinople by the Atlantic Cable and
Continental. lines say iurtner, that the purpose OF
my blil IA 70 bring the telegraph within the reach OF
the humble a. well assthe highest by connecting IL
| win the posi- oiice and establishing UNIFORM rate
oil twolty cents Tor twenty WORDS. Say, also, that
the further purpose OF Iny bill Is 10 give press de5-
patches " tue enare press OF Gnc country at less
| rate tnan nov furnished 10 tie favored few who
! compose toe close corporation known as the Asso-
4 ciaed pregS,
MIR. PETERS, (rep.) OF Me- asked Mr.. Washburn
wbelher his proposition WAS to establish the se.e
graph system AZ extensively as the postal system
| was now established.
ns- .ftngx r 49, fr tixtn