The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-06

WASHINGTON, December 8, 1871.
HOUSE,

a.
, HOUSE.
Several bills were introduced and re-
J lerred.
A bill was reported from the Post Office
Committee consolidating the postal laws.
The House went into Committee OF the
Whole on the Presidents Message, and
debated the Presidents recommendations
for the absorption Of the telegraph into the
postal system. Tho House postal tele-
graph proposition was referred TO the Post
Office Committee.
Special bills were introduced and refer
red, among which was one by Mr.. WELLS,
OF Missouri, appropriating money for the
purchase oil site and the erection OF
buildings for custom house, post office,
and other federal offices at st, Louis.
Mr.. FARNswoRTH, from the Post Office
Committee, reported bill to revise, con.
sOlidate, and amend the statue relating to
the Post Office Department. He stated
that II was the same bill which passed the
House At the last session OF Congress. Tho
postal laws had never been certified to
since the organization Of the department
and many Of them had become obsolete,
while Others were contradictory and diff.
cult for explanation.
The CLERK proceeded To read the bill,
which Is very voluminous. The reading
Of the bill was interrupted by the OXpira.
Lion Of the morning hour, when the House
went into Committee Of the Whole on the
Presidents annual message.
The usual resolutions distributing por.
tOns Of the message among the apprO-
pirate committees were offered by Mr..
DAVIS and adopted, ...
Before the vote was taken Mr.. WOOD
inquired whether there was any such
committee as the Committee on lnsurreC-
tionary States.
Mr.. DAWES replied that there was u
committee which went by that name, and
which was raised last session Tor the pur.
pose Of considering the subject, which ii
was now proposed TO refer to II the Ku.
Klux outragcs.
Mr.. WoOD said that this committee was
brought into existence for the purpose Of
visiting the Southern States to do certain
things; that when the committee had re.
ported TO tho House It had no further
functions. lie was therefore opposed TO
rcviving II for the whole Congress In
this surreptitlOus manner.
Mr.. DAWES stated, In reply to Mr..
WooD, that tho terms by which the COM
mittee was constituted provided that Il |
should continue during tho present Con.
gress; but even II tina! were not so, there |
had boen'yesterday referred to that COM
mittGe some measures which would have |
revived 1t If 1t had expired.
Mr.. WOoD protested against the COntin-
anCe OF the committee, which was not
only useless, but promotive Of disorder
and distraction throughout tho country.
Mr.. RAMsDELL thought that the qucs,
ton Of Il union telegraph and postal ser
vice, and all questions OF subsidies, should
go to the Committee on Commerce or the
Post Office Committee, instead Of to n
select committee. lie had seen the evil
of creating select committees to consider
special subjects. lie remembered when
the first Pacific railroad committee was
established; the Speaker of the House
made II up In the interest Of the road; and
that that committee wAs prepared TO
give away all the land of the nation.
Mr.. FARNswORTII moved that the sub.
ject 10 referred to the Post Office Com
mittee, US 1t was the only one having
proper Jurisdiction.
Mr.. DAWES said this was a great sub.
jeCt, worthy the consideration Of the
country, and which was being forced
upon It's consideration by the events and
tendencies Of the age II anything re.
Quired q special committee which would
have time TO consider It, II was this sub.
jeCt.
Mr.. NrBLACK suggested that the project
would entail an immense patronage on the
administration, which would have the
appointment OF at least 5000 employees
to take charge Of the telegraphiC business,
which fact made the proposition an ap-
palling one to him and would control his
vote against II.
Mr. FARNswoRTIt understood that 1t
was proposed TO incorporate with every
considerable post Office In the country a
telegraph office and to make every post.
master q telegraph operator, or else TO
appoint an expert 10 operate the telegraph.
The government would thus have cog
nizanCe Of all private, confidential and
financial business Of the people. Every
member OF Congress would bo impOrtun.
ed by his constituents to make their post
office telegraph station. The Post Office
Committee had been appointed without
reference to this subject, and might there.
fore be presumed as fair as one appointed
specially. lie was willing to admit he
had gone over the whole subject and was
against the whole scheme. The success
OF the system In Great Britain or any
thickly settled old country, where no new
post Offices had been established for fly
years, formed no criterion for this coun-
Try. The whole thing was monstrous in
any way II could be regarded.
Mr.. BANKS remarked that the question
Of ocean cables was under the Jurisdiction
Of the Foreign Committee, and moved
that point be stricken from the pending
resolutions.
Mr. DAWES assented to the resolution
so modified.
Mr.. BANKS thought II best for the in.
terests OF the country to avoid special
committees whenever there was a per.
manent Standing Committee to whom
the subject could be referred.
Mr.. BECK, q member Of the Special
Committee Of thelast Congress, said that
the cost and effect Of the project had been
understood wrong. There were now s.
900 stations in the country, with 1900
miles Of line and 1000 employees. Under
the Government plan there would be at
least 90, 900 telegraph offices, 10000 miles
Of line and 25,00O employees. He believed
the proper committee that OF Appropria-
tions, who would be very careful in re.
commencing anything that would take
from the people not $3j,O0O, 600 but $70,-
100000, He did not believe the commit.
tee could ever consider tho station scheme
for moment
Mr. RANDALL wished to stop this scheme
of plunder at the Threshold. He was in.
formed that originally the whole Of the