The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-02-22
XLIID CONGRESS.
SENATE.

Mr.. Window from the Committee on Publ,
Lands, reported adversely on the bill TO incor
porate the European & American Land Emf
grafton Company.
Mr.. Lewis from the Committee on Dsabili
ties reported bill to remove the political dis.
abilities of r M. T. Hunter of Virginia. an6
asked unanimous assent to put it on passage,
but Mr.. Edmunds of Vermont, objected.
Nh. Harlan from the Committee on Indian
Affairs, reported without amendment the
House bill relative to private contracts or agree
ments made with the India MS; also favorably
/ with amendments, the Senate bill to create q
| territory of Oklohoma. t9
On the motion of Mr. Anthony the bill to
provide for reporting and printing debates was
taken up and discussed until the expiration OF
the morning hour, when the q per cent. bill
Mr.. t'relinghuysen spoke of the necessity oil
| some legislation in the case of Utah and moved
to lay the per cent. bill on the table. Lost
p to 30. -
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
2 per cent. bill, and Mr.. Edmunds continued
the argument against it, 7iri
On motion of Mr. Thurman the House bill
was offered as substitute for the Senate bill,
but the Senate refused to order it to third
reading-yeas "a, nays 26. ,..e-r II
The Senate then took up the post Office ap-
preparation bill.
The following amendments reported from the
committee were agreed to: Requiring persons
receiving their mails by free delivery system to
provide receptacle to facilitate safe and speedy
delivery; authorizing the Postmaster General
to appoint additional special agents for detec-
ton and punishment of persons sending OBJ
scene, otherwise immoral, matter through the
mails; repeating all laws permitting free trans
mission OF any mail matter whatever.
Mr.. Sherman moved to strike out the clause
providing for 100000 increase of compensa-
ton for the transportation of mails on the rail
roads. The railroads now he said, received
higher pay per pound for carrying the mails
than for any freight .ell
Mr. Cole said that the companies would glad
ly carry the mails at the rates they now receiv-
ed it they could be permitted to carry them as
they carried other freight, but they could not
carry the mails at the present rates and furnish
postal cars at their own expense. Clerk hire
was saved and the public convenience facilitat-
ed by the employment of these postal cars, but
the companies claim that they have been fur
nlshing them at a loss to themselves and free
of cost to the government.
Mr. Steward said the railroad companies were
debating this increase.
Mr.. Anthony said the government had no
control over the matter. The railroads could
refuse to carry the mails at all if they choose.
Mr. Window said the government had not
the power to compel the railroads to carry the
mails. That power will soon have to be obtain
ed either providing it in the Constitution or by
amending the Constitution. He for one had
no doubt that the government had that power
already, and the power to go even further in
regulating the railroads. There was, however,
no obligation on the part of the companies to
nun these postal cars unless they were paid for
it.
Mr. Casserly also opposed the appropriation,
1t was time the question should be settled
whether the government and people were to be
controlled by railroad corporations. There was
no danger, however, that the companies would
stop the mails. Those corporations in theil
greed often made mistakes, but they would not
be likely to make such mistakes as that.
Mr.. Corbett also opposed the appropriation.
MI. buckingham called up the till TO punish
and prevent the traffic in obscene literature
which was passed.
Pending further action on the appropriation
bill the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE. ,
The Senate bill to authorize the Northern
Pacific Railroad to CONSTRUCT a bridge across
the s.. Louis River, was taken from the Speak
er's table and passed.
The bill to authorize the Secretary of the
Treasury to dispose of the old post office prop
erty at Chicago, was passed.
The bill authorizing the construction of a
railroad bridge across the. Mississippi River to
st. Louis, was passed.
MIR. Hawley, from the centennial commits
sion, presented report with regard to organ
ization, opening ceremonies and duration of the
exposition. He SAID that the State of Pennsyl-
vania and the city of Philadelphia had made
the success of that exhibition unquestionable.
Philadelphia had raised $500, 000 by private sub
scription and would make it 81, 100000. Penn
sylvania had contributed 81 100000 and it was
certain that the aggregate subscription of the
State and city would reach $4,0O0,OO0. He hop
ed that the rest of the country would help out
and they would have in Philadelphia in 1876,
the grandest exposition the world ever saw.
The report was ordered to be printed.
A bill donating six canon for the statue of
Gen. Phillip Kearney was passed.
The Senate's amendment to the Honse bill to
enforce the stipulations of the convention with
Venezuela were concurred in.
Mr.. Dunnell of Mimi, moved to suspend the
rules to pass bill granting the right of way to
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fee Railroad
It was amended by reducing the grant of land
from twenty to ten acres for depot purposes.
Mr.. Holman of Indiana asked that the rule
be read prohibiting members from voting on
matters in which they are interested, he under
standing that Mr.. Twitchen of Mass, was
President of tine above company.
MI. Twitchell of Mass, denied the statement
and the Speaker said the time for point of
order was after member had voted.
Mr.. Randall of Penn. said if the member did
not vote he should not lobby either
After sharp debate, in which Mr. Cox of
New York, criticised the action of Mr.. Twiteh-
ell, arguing in favor of bill for a railroad of
which he was Pres dent, the motion to sus-
pend the rules was rejected, SO to ". Not two
thirds.
A resolution to print 255,OOo copies of the Ag-
riculturaSreport was laid over. 1t appears it
could not be printed before the first of July,
when the franking privilege expires.
The House went into Committee of the
Whole on the civil appropriation bill.
Mr.. Hale of Maine, moved an amendment
appropriating 100000 for the purchase of an
addition to the site of the Boston post office,
providing that the city of Boston shall widen
Cong. ess street along the proposed new front of
the building to at least eight feet; to widen
Milk and Water streets, where the buildings
have been destroyed by fire to at least sixty
feet.
Mr.. Farnsworth of ILL.,, opposed the amend
ment and sent up and had read an article from
the Boston Post of January 22d, ciriticising the
Boston Postmaster for debating to the city au-
thorities as to the widening of streets and sug-
costing that if this official would attend to the
business of his official Office and leave the CITY
to regulate its own street lines and to manage
it's own affairs the public would not be loser by
the change
Mr. Butler adhered to the amendment and
attributed the opposition of the Boston Post to
the proposed widency of streets to the fact that
that establishment would have to move back
its own building. A vote was then taken on
Mr. Hales amendment, which came from the
Committee on Appropriations, and it was
adopted, by 20 to S.
An amendment was offered by Mr. Frans-
worth requiring all government buildings to be
efecCeu ny CoHtrdCG 10 tne lowest bidders after
public advertisements. He denounced the man
ner in which the granite for the Treasury
Building, the New York and Boston post Of
fees, and other government buildings had been
supplied. He connected the contractors for
supplying the Dix Island Granite and Cape
Ann Co.. with rings extending into the
House and Senate. The Credit Moblier ring
was nothing to those private and other rings
that were plundering the Treasury. Govern
ment had plenty of money and it was being
shoveled out to those 'rings" by millions.
Mr.. Dawes did not know what Mr.. Frans-
worth meant by connecting the contractors for
granite for the New York and Boston post Of
flee with rings 1t was quite time that men
some sort of testimony. The contractors Whom
the gentleman had alluded to belonged to no
rings and were not represented in any ring OF
the House or in the Senate or in the country.
charges and not charge honest ana honorable
men with being cheats. If the gentlemen had