New-York tribune., 1873-01-18
WASHINGTON.
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
REDUCTION OF LETTER POSTAGE.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE,
WASHINGTON. Friday, ia

WASHINGTON. Friday, Jan. II, 1873.
MA House Committee Post Offices to-day agreed TO
rt the bill reducing the rate Of letter postage TO two
snts for every haltounce. The Committee are not en-
tely certain OF the wisdom OF this STEP and II may,
,narefore be regarded experiment effort at re-
form The bin viii be urged upon the House with much
.trength BY Mr. Farpsworth who has great faith in its
.aom Should it become law. and after two-year's
ts found that t does not yield enough revenue IL
NAV be changed. The Committee also decided TO report
ab for the prepayment OF postage on newspapers ex-
cept in the counties where they printed large
mass OF figures has collected which will be used to
d the passage of the latter bill appears that in the
y.wYork Office alone on each Tuesday Wednesday and
Tnursday from 10 e5 tuns Of newspapers and printed
matters received all unpaid and IL Is held tha 10
~ rrinted matter reached that matter upon which
nothing will ever be collected clogs the mail cars on
,ssson so little revenue TO The Department is derived
nom printed matter is that posmasters either negeet
Department In addition. very large mass OF suon
matter called for is refused by the persons
10 whom IL is addressed The receipts from paper lnas
Tor The wear were aSs5 $40 aud for letters sS54 600
The weighs 20 times as much as the latter Inc
me mails is as follows; Dahes, s0O,OoO0oO per annum
Weekies 100000. and monthlies lUOoOo Inc Com.
,tee estimate that the POst-Ofice Department ought
70 get s. ls2 so from newspaper pSsIage 4 \, was was day
collected and honestly accounted Tor while II ony gets
use Of tiSs,Sot
THE CLAYTON ELECTION CASE.
Considerable comment has been made within the past
few days especially since Mr.. Mortons Committee has
prosecuted the Caldwell bribery so vigorously, on
the action OF the Select Committee TO inquire into certain
allegations against the Hon. Powell Clayton. This Com
uittee is composed of Messrs Wright, Lot NJ. Morrill,,
apd Norwood and during last session for many
weeks with closed doors, and took immense mass OF
testimony. very much Of which is not believed to have
sny bearing on the case. The charges which
csHsed the appointment OF this Committee We're
agoo1 IN test taxi NIX
Committee a year ago last summer, and were
reported to the Senate by Senator scott more than q
tgs evidence should have been adopted ought TO have
even me committee IN Que OF Two months. d sun i
A. the Senate but to Senator Clayton himself that TINS
natter shall be closed up before the last days OF the
sessOn Ii he is innocent, the onus OF the charges
should BE- removed by report yndicatinS nun II ne Is
better TO ill his seat
DoINGs IN THE HOUSE.
The Claims Committee were allowed two hours OF the
time Of the House to-day and passed large number Of
p-vse bills and important measure Of great interest
70 the South extending for four years the operation OF
the law creating the Southern Claims Commission, which
expires by Limitation on the 4th Of March next
At2o'cook the business on the Speakers table, which
had been accumuatng since the beginning of the ses-
SON was attacked, and number Of unimportant bills
worked of by passage or reference. Senate bill to
quiet certain land titles IN Iowa, proved stumbling
block the way Of any progress after o'clock: Its
new grant Of land, but only settled a cOntrO-
yersy about a grant 10 the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific Railroad for land that had already been
certified To the Company. This statement disputed,
the opposition claiming that the Company would get
10000 OF the best land in Iowa, II the bill passed
which had been illegally certified 10 them, and which
was n part occupied by homestead settlers. motion
20 lay the bill the table defeated which appeared
20 show the bill would be passed IL direct vote
could reached but its friends could not keep the
House from adOurnlDg when the O'Clock dinner hour
pretty close at hand the BIZ went over until TO-
morrow.
INCREASING THE SALARIES OF CONGREssMEN.
Among the secret propositions now before Congress,
that H. propositions which secretly worked up before
they made public the form Of bill or resolution
Il one increase the salaries Of Senators and Members
10 $500 or $4,000 year Those who have conceived
ts PROJECT order gain strength for H. have proposed
70 make the act retroactive 10 apply 20 the whole
Of the presc Congress IL this way they hope TO enlist
in lis support many members whose terms OF Office expire
the lth o. March next and who would vote against
any increase 10 apply only TO the future 1t is
claimed by toe friends OF the measure that majority or
esch IOuse favor OF tins increase, but 10 If doubtful
NeBOlh viii be induced to go on the record to TINS
session TO pass II.