Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-02-07
REMARKS I0F HoN.B. 7. BIGGS,
FERRuARY 5rH

a V
The POsIolhce Appropriation Bill. being
under discussion in the Committee Of the Whole
under the rule Of FIVE minutes speeches, Hon.
B. T. BGees u Delaware, ,obtaiasd the floor and
spoke as foIIowa:
From the Congressional Globe. Of the 9Th inst.
Mr.. BEGGs, Its very seldom cir, a, lbis
COMMITTEES is aware, that l attempt 10 seek the
door. But on this occasion Il apPears 10 me thai
there ere gentlemen undertaking 70 discuas This
question ~8tlhaVe net carefully considered il.
Aud desire 10 say a few words on the question
before the committee. What, sir, are the facts
In the eass2 A postal car costs, on eight wheels,
$4,000. Willis an ordinary baggage car costs less
than one fourth that amount. And yet this bill
proposes to pay railroad companies for carrying
the mails less money than they received for
carrying third class freight in an ordinary
fregh. car. "- ~ f-'t = -
Any geAlileman who is c0nversaut with rail :
roads and who will look into the matter. will.
md that lhe railroad companies ara carving
the mallsaodayier less than TWENTY-FIVE cents
per mile per car-vlaing eight wheeled and ifly
ieeCcArs' carrying thrss, four, and FIVE mail
clerks IN car free Of cost--IhaI they do this
service pad tecu{ e4tra etpense3 to which they
would NOS 6s saJecIed If they we're carving
third class freight. Sir, the price paid TO -day
for carrying The mails il le4, As the gentleman
from Peansylvania Ar. DIcKEYl savs than
Tor carrying pig iron. Now Is this just Z Is il
righlP
Now, wish to say, Mr.. Chairmau. that il
this bill becomes Law the railroad companies in
this country, predict will, on the lst OF April
next, take on their postal cars; they will put on
hrsa GLASS baggage cars and will run the mail
throughout at the same speed at which they arr
nov runN1ng, and they, Will take their old fash
ionOd mSli pOnOhes and viii nut them oT at IN,
different towns aud cities, as they did before III,
postal ears were introduced. My friend from
FennsylVania Mr., RANDALLl says that thi
bill is giving the railroads $50O,O00 more. VIII,
alF, they are carrying the mails nov; and ar
R9t receivingtAe Arst cent Of pro6s from them
The carrying the mails is bringing them int
debt eVerysda they carry them. ask, does th
country want these corporations 10 carry III
mails without being willing TO pay them fai
compensation for their VoFk? Just look at thi
bill, and when analysed it Is not more tina
tWsnty Eve cents per mile new for postal cat
when i ought 70 be Al leaal forty cents per mil,
ME RANDALL. Fifty. for the benefit OF III
stockholders OF the roads.
Ar. BlGGS. Not at all. When slOekholdtI
invest their money in ruilFoad Of con Fss the
do It with view 10 deriving benefit from the
investment; but they ask nolhing more tha
what is just and right aad shat would be IA
per cent. on their inveslment.
Ma. bREER. H The gentleman will alIo
me, wonld ask hIm where il the proof that Il
stockholders Of railroads are losing their mon.
By carrying the Esails2 (tsI era t
Mr., BIGGS. The proof il in Ihis very 81
which pEOPOses,a ,as belOFs said less than twen
i've cents a mile for carrying the maila
ought to he raised 10 forty cents, ia order 90 ha
Justice done 10 the railroads And will vc
with the gentleman from Pennsylvania RI
SPERR 10 strike ont the paragraph. Aud Ih
on ths'tat Of April next, Il We see all the pos
pouches carried the railroads in baggage ca
the country viii understand that the blame "
not attach to..railroada. but to Congress for ref
ing 70 pay the railroad corporations lor d
seTVice SAak y jssi TiF6taHA proper NM
Here The hammer fell.