The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1870-01-28
Iwth Hss6t4,.s.

Poseus 1sesv,urR Bsseses-A SUaUlsp'
EITfvh5 Rseibt4ss.
From The saessmeuto Record.
One of the most important measures that
viii come before OosgIsss On IT. sssas6em-
bling after the holidays, u the Postal Tt1e
graph bill drafted " General 9. o. WASH
burn. A. the bin itself u TO lengthy for
our columns. nc. NIL prcsent Z axpQpaiAo Of
It's contents, from which It may be seen that
It is measure that fully meets the require
ments of the age, and that il 10 calculated %
be Of estimable benefit to the public at large,
The main principle ID, to placs the telegraph
on basis with the Postal DEPARTMENT It
provides, in the first place, that the Post
master General shall bc empowered 70 con.
tract for the purchase of MI tho telegraph
lines in the country, and that after July "A,
1871, no persons other than thoss authorized
in the bill wiz: the Postal Telegraph De.
partmcnt) shall he permitted to transmit
messages by electric telegraph. The Post.
master General 10 to appoint two appraisers,
and two more are to be chosen by each Of
The telegraph companies. These four will.
jointly, select fifth, as . sort of umpire,
and the i've shall proceed to examine and
appraise the lines and other property at their
cash value This appraisemcnt is to take
place between July and November 1, 1870.
and the purchases ore to be conditional on
the consent of the President md Congress
to the terms proposed. From and after the
oath Of July, 1871. the telegraph lines sEe 70
be under the exclusive control of the Post.
master General A special Bureau Of Pos!
tal Tclcgraphy, with headquarters at Wash.
ington, is to bc established. THIS will be
in charge of Director General, appointed
by the President and Senate, ct salary Of
So 600 per annum, and subject to the dircc.
ton of the Postmaster General: The whole
countIyis 70 be Geographically proportional
into i've grand divisions, each under the 50.
pcrvision of aGeneral Superintendent, ap
pointed in the same way ~ the Disector
General, and receiving salaries of $4,000 per
annum.- Telegraph Offices are TO b sstab.
lished at every Post Office in the United
States, tho gross receipts of which arc not
less than 500 pc. annum; provided that
the distance between such -elaces and the
nearest telegraph line be not more than
twenty miles. The tariff Of charges is not
to exceed twenty per cent for the first. thir-
~ words, with minimum Of twenty cents.
Payment is to be made by stamps and
stamped paper, and the Postmaster General
is authorized toerect pillar letter boxes and
other places of deposit at all convenient
points, so that the public can drop their mes.
ssgcs at the nearest box, without going TO
the Office. The money-orlor system NOW in
operation is to be extended to the Bureau
of Telegraph, and conducted on the same
principles Is at present. Tho Government
will have precedence in its messages, and all
others will be dispatched in the order Of
their, receipt. The Postmaster General il
empowered to make arrangements for trans.
hitting press messages 1t such rates - he
may determine; he - authorized to assign
one or more wires to the exclusive use Of
the press, in his discretion. He may also
make arrangements with foreign telegraph
and cable companies, and open negotiations
for laying down cable line. rom various
parts Of the United States to-foresgn coun.
tries, reporting the estimated expense TO-
Congress. It j. further provided thst II
any telegraph company shall fail or neglect
to appoint appraisers before the LIST OF Jan
usry, 1871, as required by the 'bill, or II
such company shall fail or neglect to pro-
cure the conveyance o. their property to the
Postmaster Gcnersi, Il shall be lawful for
the Postmaster GsnerslS to construct other
lines in lieu OF the lines of said company
and the said company shall thereafter have
no claim On the Postmaster General or the
l0oysnu,cnt Of The United sSsaesU Is kpur:
chase their lines. Penalties are provided for
contrsvcntion Of the provisions Of the bill,
or for divulgcment by any smsloyee of the
contents of kilograms. These are the main
featurcs'of tho new Postal Telegraph bill.
It will be econ that il deals fully and ably
with tho entire question, and that It pro-
vides . mest complete and efficient system
of postal telcgraphy for the entire country.
The simplicity of the machinery Is one Of
the most notes ortly FEATURES Of this meas
ure, aud it needs little explanation to de-
mon.trats the extent: Of it, usefulness. It
IL not to be expected that 1t will pass with.
out opposition. It will have TO meet the
most dctespiped and energetic. resistance
from the companies Which at present hold
. monopoly u The tslesnphIe business Of
this country. Money and influence will not
be spared in the effort to defeat it, and it Il.
Quite possible that the present Congress
may not lsate force o. character enough TO
cpnteLd successfully against il, opponents.
sympathies ana obtain the support Of the
people. Il Il esssstiallt Is pUPulkr sblii, and
sooner or later W hdvSno Aoabs thatN Will
.hecons the law Of tie land. - set i
sllood6 foai. Str1l!Ifi wili BE- seen On |