Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-01-27
FORTY SECOND CONGRESS.
This Afternoons Proceedings.
SATURDAY, January q.

THE SENATE is not in session to-day.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
House met as in Committee OF the Whole, for
debate only; Mr.. Palmer (Iows) in the chair.
HR. BECK SCENTS DANGER IN THE POSTAL
TELEGRAPH sSRRNE.
Nj Beck (Ky) addressed the House on the
suhiect OF postal telegraph, opposing both bills
which were under consideration last Congress
and said he had not been able, as member OF
the special committee on the postal telegraph,
TO sign either the majority or the minority re-
ports. He said the committee was 80 much cut
up that it was impossible TO make a majority re-
port. Yet, in spite of this, MIR. Beck said,
port was made TO the Senate the other day which
embraced the House bill. and, which, il wa
said, had received the endorsement OF
The special postal telegraph committee OF
the House. lie denied that this was 50.
Mr.. Beck claimed that this whole scheme wa
Tor the purpose OF consolidating the telegraph
lines and increasing the value OF the stock o.
telegraph lines which had now been bong hit up
by monopoly. lie contended that the WhoL
Plan was one 10 consolidate aIid centraliZe power
in the hands of the government, and il wOuld
only add another force to the already large army
OF office holders who were ready to 10 the bid
ding Of the President. Absorb the telegraph
lines flint and there Wa no reason why rai!rOad>
and express companies should not also be takei
possession OF by the government. And Gus
people would soon be reduced TO the con
,ltion of TIE people of Continental Europe
Mr.. Beck made a comparison OF the pOSta and
telegraph service in thi- country and Europe,
and argued that the Postmaster Generals view,
On the subject were all wrong. He said the
whole purpose of the Postmaster General was I,
get control of the large number Of olice hol.ler~
that would I've created by this dill. To make up
the large deficiency, taxes were sure 10 follow
the reduced rates that were proposed to DC estab-
IleEtd. Every one, rich and IoOF, white and
black, was TO be taxed for the benefit of \ class
rot exceeding in number $4,000, vino are per
fortiy able tn pay the expense, aud who did not
complain of the cost. England he said, had hal
the postal telegraph in operation only aboat d
year, and Yet MIR. Scudamore, the superintenl
ont, had already .atte pied a censorship am
suppressed dispatches on the ground that it wa,
Tor the public good. Ii was, perhaps, this fea-
ture that commended the system to the Posfnfas-
ter General. He then proceeded to show the
danger OF attempts 10 control the telegraph al
tunes OF elections, and Tetutcd the idea tina;
there could lee greater secrecy under a gov
eTnment control Of the telegraph. lie produced
r,Niew Of the report OF the British Office upon
the telegraph, by George Il. Prescott, one OF the
electricians Of the Western Union Telegraph
Company, 10 show that numbers of ite Ms OF run
ming expenses had been charged TO the capital
expenses, and iu that way the showing OF a pro-
fit was obtained. He said that 80 far a. the pri-
yacy of dispatches Was concerned. he believed
the employees of the Western Union were quite
SIS reliable and competent as the political EN-
pioyGes OF any administration. and especially
any that would be made by the present head OF
the Post Office Department.
Mir. Dawes Mass said he agreed with all
that had been said by the gentle man as to tn,
improperly of the government assuming tn
charge OF the telegraph, but If these evils wert
to arise from placing il in the hands of the goy-
eminent, what could be said when the control
OF the telegraph was placed in the hands of a
gent monopoly whose head was in Wall street
and whose arms extended around the world
The telegraph he said was Vet in its infancy
What did his friend Mr.. Beck propose 10 do t.
prevent this great monopoly riding upon
every current and holding the rudder of trade
He said ne saw in the bill OF Mr.. Hubbard TIL
dawn OF something that would afford relief from
tie state Of things he had portrayed by intro
duCing system OF competition for the trans
mission of Geographic messages.
AT the close OF Mr.. Dawes remarks Mr. Bech
said that If he had spoken ANYTHING rehectinc
upon TIE character OF ar. Hubbard he retractet
II. lie had intended TO speak Vi him only as the
attorney OF "A company.
MIR. Dawcs.-''An InSClvent company" anC
Why il II an insclvent company?
Mr.. EcCk said he was sorry 10 say il was be-
cause it lad been crushed ont by the Western
tni0n monopoly.
Mr.. Dawes-"And like Sampson OF old he /,
willing 10 lay down ard he shorn."
MIR. Beck said he had no more sympathy 10,
the Western Union Company than the gentle
varia Railroad Company, which was fast be
coming, II il was not already, the creates
monopoly ia the country. But there was NJ
monopoly he 80 much feared as "A monopoly by
the government.
Mr.. Wells (Mo.) next addressed the House IN
SUPPORT OF his bill TO establish the territory OF
Oklahoma and provide a territorial government
for the Indians.
sir. Townsend (pal read lengthy speech H.
suITo't OF protective tariff as necessary e.
try, and to show that the republican party were
the friends Of a protective tariff, and the demo
Gratis were free traders.
MIR. Chapman, delegate from the District OF
Columbia, followed. A synopsis of his speech
will be found in another column