Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-01-23
CONGRESSIONAL.
Rival Senators from Louisiana.
Senate Votes to Abolish the Frank.
ing Privilege.
SENATE


WASHINGTON, Jan. 22.-Mr. Stewart,
| from the Committee on Pacific Railroads,
| reported, with an amendment, the bill sup
Elemental to the act incorporating the Tex
as Pacific Railway Company, which passed.
MIR. West presented the credentials of
Mr.. Mcmillan, elected. by the Warrnoth
Legislature to fill the unexpiTed term OF
Nr. Kellogg as United States Senator from
Louisiana, and also the credentials Of Mr..
bay, elected by the Kellogg Legislature.
The credentials of both were referred to
the Committee on Privileges and Elections.
To Exclude Foreign Gold-A work of
SupererOS8tiOn.
Ames from the committe on finance re-
ported bill establishing four dollars and
eighty six and sixty-fve hundredths as the
custom house value of q sovereign or pound
sterling of Great Britain and par of ex-
change. The bill also provides that all con-
tracts made after the 1st d ~ Of Jan. 1874
based on an assumed par of exchange with
Great Britain of 81 pence TO the dollar or
$4.44 40 to the pound sterling shall be null
and void, and it is also provided generally
tn It the value of all foreign coin as eX-
pressed in money Of account Of United
States, shall be that of the pure metal of
such coin of standard value, and the value
of foreign standard coins in circulation in
this country shall be estimated annually by
the director of the mint alG promulgated on
the 1st day Of January by the Secretary of
the Treasury.
At the expiration of the morning hour,
unfinished business, being the bill to pro-
vide for the construction of six new sloops
of war, increased by an amendment to ten,
was resumed and an amendment offered by
Mr.. Sherman yesterday, providing that
neither Of the vessels shall be commenced
until complete plans, models, and specifca-
tons for it shall be proposed, was agreed
to. n
The bill was then passed; geas SO; nays s.
Postal Telegraph.
MIR. Ramsey moved to assign next
Monday for the consideration Of the postal
telegraph bill.
MIR. Conkling said he would object to fix
ing any day for the consideration of that
bill, until some action should first have been
taken to abolish the franking privilege.
WOmen's Rights In the Territories.
The bill TO allow women to vote and hold
Office In the territories was indefinitely post
poned.
The Frankins Privilege.
On motion of Mr.. Ramsey, the bill to
abolish the tranking privilege was taken up
by vote of yeas 2S, nays Il.
Mr.. Morrill, of Vermont, offered an
amendment, providing that no allowance
shall now or hereafter be made members Of
Congress in lieu of the franking privilege
Without this he said the abolition would be
q farce.
Mr. Hamblin said that to give the country
the full benefit of the abolition of the
franktng privilege, the bill ought to be so
amended as to reduce and limit the
amount of public printing.
Mr.. Frelinghysen did not favor the abo-
lition OF the franking privilege because
he thought it undesirable that there should
be any tax imposed by the government
upon communication between the people
and their representatives. To him person
ally, it would be relief to be deprived Of
the franking privilege, but he looked upon it
as privilege valuable to the people aud of
which they ought not be deprived because
ic was abused. The abuses of it, however,
should be corrected, and that could be best
done by limiting the privilege TO postal
matter weighing not more than one ounce,
um in one volume OF the information about
public affairs most necessary and useful TO
the people.
Ar. Edmunds spoke of the bill as an ut
ter delusion. The abuses of the frsnking
privilege ought to be corrected, but the
benefits of the privilege belonged to the
people and not to the members of Congress,
and the people should bear rs they ought TO
bear the burden Of 1t. If, however, it was
to be abolished, he was il favor Of abolish
ing it honestly and completely, and not as
proposed by this bill. He hoped no one
would accuse him Of shirking the question.
Mr.. COnkling-Are you for it or against
Mr.. Edmunds-I am against sbolishing
it most decidedly. Ihope the Senator IN
derstands me.
Mr.. COnkling-I TO now. Nsughter.)
Mr.. Upton SAID he would vote to correct |
the abuses of the privilege, but not to abol |
ish it.
Mr.. Wilson did not regard it as privilege at |
all. He was willing now as he had always |
10 relinquish it uncOnditionally, but be was |
not sanguine as to the saving to be effected |
by abolisbing it.
Mr.. Hill gave notice that when the Legis- |
latiVe appropriation bill should come up he
would offer an amendment increasing The
compensation of members of Congress, and |
he moved that in the meantime the pending
bill lie on the table. Lost.
The amendment offered by Mr.. Morrill,, |
OF Vermont, was then agreed 70.
On motion Of AT. Carpenter the bll was
then so amended as to simply abolish the
franking privilege on the 1st OF July next,
The bill wgs then passed, yeas SO, nays
1G.