The New York herald., 1871-12-06

4 federal Offices at st. Lons. n. n.
| o0DIFYIsG THE POSTAL LAWS.
] Mr.. FARNswORTH, rep OF H., from the Post
once committee, reported a bill TO revise. colso-
| Ofice Department. lie stated that II was the same
bill which passed the House at the last Congress-
after having been very strongly considered by two
committees 10 conjunction with q commission or
experts appointed by the Postmaster General. 1t
was simply . cod6caLion OF the postal laws, with
/ few corrections and amendments not generally OF
Importance, but necessary 10 make the law clear
and harmonious. The postal laws had never been
and many OF them han become obsolete, while
Others were contradictory and difficult Of explana-
The CLERK proceeded to read the bill. which Is
very v0luinlnous.
The reading OF the DILL was INTERRUPTED by tic ex-
piratlon Of the morning hour when tho House went
into Committee Of tne Whole (Mr. Wheeler, rep; OF
n ", IN The chair on tine Presidents annual Mes.
sage. The usual resolutions, distributing portions
OF The Message among the appropriate committees,
were offered Dy Mr. Davis and adopted
Before the vote was taken on the resolutions Mr.
sc a my on
tonary Statesa He denied that there were any In
surrectionary States or any such committee
Mir. DAWES, (rep) OF Mass, said nc would not now
discuss the question OF fact, but would state that
there was committee which went by that name
and whicn was raised last session for the purpose
OF considering the subject which 1t was now pro.
posed to refer TO 1.-THE Ku Kiux outrages.
made last session to revive the Reconstruction Com
mitce and that the House mad on every occasion
surrectionary States brought into existence
temporary purpose TO go into the Southern States
ported to the House IL had no further functions He
was therefore opposed TO revvlng it for the whole
Congress In TINS surreptitiOnS manner.
Mr.. DAWES stated IN reply 20 Mr. Wood that the
terms by which the committee was constituted pro.
ylded tnat Il should continue during the present
Congress. But even II that were not 80 there had
been yesterday referred to that committee some
measure which would have revived is II it had ex-
Mr. w0oD supposed that with such declaration
on tine part OF the leader OF the House the demo-
keep In existence committee formed ostenslbly
Or the purpose OF preserving order but really and
himself, personally and without consultation with
others, he protested against the continuance OF q
OF saer ana me
country. Foo f1a ~ 4a1-HH
THE GOVERNMENT POSTAL TELEGRAPH PROJECT
Mr.. RANDALL, Vdem.) or Pa. called attention TO
that resolution which referred to seiect committee
all tnat portion OF the Presidents Message relative
| TO the union OF the teegrapnc system with the
postal service and all other questions OF subsidies
! TO steamship lines. He did not sec why that sub
! ject should not go to the Committee on Commerce
| or to the Post Oirce COMMITTEE. The owners OF the
telegraph lines OF the country had estimated the
lie had heretofore seen The evil erect OF creating
lect committees to consider special subjects. lie re-
membcred that when the first Pacific Railroad COM
mlttee was established the Speaker OF the House
made t uD In the interest or the railroads. and that
land OF The nation He thought that this - subject
should take It's natural course and 60 to the ap
prOpriAte Btau0l1g cOmmttC0.
Nj. FARNswORTH, Chairman Of the Post once
COmmittce1 moved that the SUBJECT be referred to
the Post once Committee; not that he cared TO have
jurisdiction OF the matter, but because 1t seemed
him that no other committee could have proper
| jurisdiction Of It. He dld not know what reason
existed for the appointment or q select committee,
although lie was aware that q select committee on
the same subject had been created during last Con.
| gress ana had arrived at no conclusion.
Mr.. DAWES remarked that he had been on that
select committee last Congress- and had joined Ia
perence wRici ne then had had led him /, beiieve
that the subject was one OF very great Importance
sed faS treaty. hs me postal AFFAIRS ana the
no one committee could De said to
have Jurisdiction u, OF the the, whole matter.
| sideration OF the country and which was being
forced upon Its consideration BY the events and
, special committee wnicn would have the time 70
consider 1t fully It this subject II the gentle
the Speaker had not the confidence OF the House in
| the appointment OF select committee ne might
nave vote upon that question.
! Mr. RANDALL have nothing to say on that point
| further Than have said.
! Chairman or the Post ONCE Committee, or In the
mltiee, but because he was convinced ina. tie ral
ncatiOns OF The whole question were such that with
no propr,ety could it be referred 70 any particular
Mr.. NIBLACK, ldeni.) Of Ind suggested that this
mlnlstratI0n, which would have the appointment OF
a. least 600 employees to take charge Of the tee-
an appalling one TO HIM and would control bis vote
difficulties IN the way but tnat fact rather rendered
1t more appropriate tnat the subject should be re.
ferred TO select committee.
MT NIBLACK conceded that there were many rea-
sons why 1t should go 10 select committee instead
OF q standing one. but nc should be unwilling to
trust any committee that was specially organized
for the purpose. The temptation would 90 aDso.
soutciy too great; the committee would have no
other business to attend TO- and would be the focus
around which all Influences would be brought to
bear in lavor OF the scheme. s
Mr.. FARNsw0RTH understood that It was proposed
to incorporate with every Post Oice IN tho country
that had sufficient number OF Inhabitants q Iele-
graph operator, or else to appoint an expertTto
operate the telegraph The governments would thus
SS1 business Of the people, EVeS MemSer aa
Of Congress would pc importuned by his con-
staon The Pos, Once Committee has pcen
appointed without reference to this subject,
and might, therefore, be presumed to be quite as
general rule the best aud fairest committees were
the standing committees Of the House. He was
willing to admit that he had gone over the whole
subject OF postal teegraphs and had for weeks and
weeks listened 70 arguments for and against the
The success Of the system in Great Britain or any
thickly settled OLD country, where no new post
criterion for this country and those institutions.
The whole thing was monstrous IN any way that It
Mr.. BANKS, (rcp.) OF Mass, remarked that the
question OF ocean cables was In the jurisdiction OF
the Committee on Foreign Affairs and moved that
that point be suiken on the penung resolution.
TIN this Mr.. DAWES assented and the resolution was
modified accoriingly.) lie did not think It abso
lutely necessary 10 have this subject referred 20
great importance. lie thought 1t best FOR the
tcrcsts OF the country and for the business OF the
House that select committees should be avoided
whenever there was permanent standing com nit
tee to which the suuJect could appropriately be re-
fcrred. f.a@.t 4.t n III. M#Nra
Mr.. BECK (lem) OF Ky., said he had been mem-
Der OF the select committee which nad had charge
OF the subject last Congress, and that the cost and
effect OF The project had been unaerstated to-day.
Tnere were now some Eve thousand tclegra ph sta
tOns In the country. with seventy-seven Thousand
miles OF line and seven thousand employees Under
The government plan there wOuld Dc least twenty
thousand telegraph Offices, one hundred and filty
thousand miles oil line and twenty five thousand EN-
pioyrs The gentleman from Pennsylvania tMr.
kandalI had uudcrstated the cost nearly one half
Mr.. RASDALL-1a always ike to be on the safe SIDE
Mr.. REcK-And the gentleman from Intiiana tMr
N.hack) viii ind that instead OF increasing the
government officials by 5000 they would be In