The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-02-05
FROM WASHINGTON.

ing the compensation of members o
congress and others to its forme
status.
The committee on ways and mean
have prepared and viii report a resolu
ton TO fix the amount of greenbacks a
four hundred millions, including th,
reserve, thus keeping it within the lin
its of the law prior to 1866. The,
deem it just to the country that til,
limit should be absolutely fixed.
The national board of trade thinks il
not worth while for congress to spend an,
money in building through railroad
for the purpose of solving the transpor
tation problem, and regards as equally
hopeless any attempt to settle it BY
prescribing fares and rates by law
They favor the passage of laws b. stat,
legislatures to compel railroads trans
porting grain in bulk to deliver the sam.
/ quantity they received.
Mrs. DR.. Guthrie was heard befor,
the house committee on judiciary las
week, in opposition to the enfranchise
ment of women in the District of Co
lambia and elsewhere. She said the
ballot in the hands of women would de.
moralize society, undermine the state.
and tend to detract from the finer quail.
ties of the sex, and consequently destroy
woman's usefulness as a mother and
citizen. This lady made several at
tempts to be heard in Lincoln Hall
during the recent suffrage convention.
She alluded to the fact, aud thanked
the committee upon concluding her re-
marks, for according her a privilege
which had been denied by her own sex.
Cheaper transportation is to be got,
according to the plan of the transporta-
tioR convention at Washington, which
has just adjourned, by state laws regu-
lating the railroads, but not fixing their
rates, by throwing the roads open to
all who are willing to pay for the use of
the tracks, by improving the water
ways from the interior to the ocean,
and by the construction of roads and
| canals by the federal government, to
| be used BY citizens on the payment of
| tolls. A national bureau is to be es-
| tablished, She members of which are to
| look after the passage of state laws
| preventing excessive charges and unjust
discrimination. The abolition of the
| free-pass system and the subsidy swim
| die are other meaus to the same end.
The senate committee on commerce
have agreed to report faverably Vests
bill giving the secretary of war full con-
troll over the channel at the mouth of
the Mississippi river, where dredging by
the United States government is in pro-
gress. The bill authorizes him to pre-
scribe binding regulations, any viola
tiOn of which will be punishable by the
United States courts. Senator West, of
Louisiana. Senator Window, of Mime
sofa ard Representative Stannard, of
Missouri, appeared before the com
mittee and explained the necessity for
enacting the bill. They stated that the
Tow Boat association of New Orleans,
in order to secure a continuance of
their present monopoly, are in the habit
of sinking vessels and otherwise block
aiding the bar so rs to oimpede and some
times wholly stop the work of excava-
ton.
Thesecretary of the treasury has writ
ten a letter to Senator Chaudle ler, chairman
of the senate committee on commerce,
giving, by invitation of that committee,
his views on the subjects covered by
Senator Fenton's bill, to regulate the
customs service and the disposition of
fines, penalties and forfeitures. Secre-
tary Richardson goes into an extended
discussion of these and collateral sub
jects, and recommends the following
measures: l. A revision and consoli-
dation of the tariff acts. 2. The sub
stitution as far as practicable of spe-
The abolition of the present system of
moieties with one exception, to wit: That
where attempts at smuggling are de-
teeted, or where the act of smuggling is
accomplished and the goods are seized
afterwards, the seizing officer or officers
and infOrmer or informers, If any, shall
be entitled in equal parts to one-tenth
of the net proceeds, or if there be no
informers, the seizing officer 20 be en-
titled to the whole of such one tenth.
L That a provision be made for a spe-
cIal fund to be applied under suitable
restrictions to tie compensation of spe-
ciaI persons affording information which
shall enable the government to detect
and punish frauds upon the customs
revenue rather than in the act of at
tempted smuggling. 5. That the law
authorizing the seizure of books and
papers be so amended as 20 afford due
protection TO the rights of private par
ties. 6. That no compromise of any
fine, penalty or forfeiture accruing from
a violation of navigation or customs
revenue laws shall be lawful until after
judicial investigation of the facts.
That the compensation Of customs Off !
GERS be graded in accordance with the
Importance and responsibility of their
respective positions.
Hon. W. Orton, president of the
Western Union telegraph company, who
has recently been before the senate
postoffice committee several times, the
Hubbard telegraph bill being before
them, concluded last week his argu-
ment, maintaining the following pro-
positions /. Congress has no right to
pass the bill, because it would indirectly
take private property, for telegraph
vr1HharnN d.
and furthermore, the passage Of the bill
would be a violation Of the coniract
established between the government
and the telegraph companies, nov exist
ing under provisions of the law of 1866.
q If there were no constitutional OBJ
iections or any violation of the contract,
It would be impolitic to adopt the Hub
bard scheme contemplated by the bill,
because it constitutes a partnership be-
tween the government and q private
corporation, to be conducted by both
official and private agencies at the same
time, under which there Is TO be o
division of expenses between the gov
eminent and the company, while all the
profits are to accrue exclusively TO the
latter. g. That whatever may be the
faults Of the existing telegraph system
OF the country, the scheme proposed
affords no means OF remedy for them.
in this connection the fact is established
by abundant evidence from official doc
uments, that the present average rate
for messages in the United States is
lower than IN Europe for like dis
patches, and that ia this country busi-
ness is conducted without any expense
to the government, while in Europe tie
several deficiencies raised by taxation
upon the people amount to several mill
lion dollars. In reply to EIr. Hubbard s
arguments be referred him to the action
of the Western Union telegraph com
DaBy with the associated press, and
showed that there IS no combination
between them, that the associated
press depend upon the Western Union
telegraph company in no respect Tor It's
own monopoly, and that ali other pFess
combinations are offered the same terms
as the associated press obtains. Also,
that the associated press IS an indeptud-
ent agency fer the procurementan aud dis
tribution Of news, and the Western
Union telegraph company is an equally
independent common carrier, for its
k,,-,,sr,szosoT, IN, call for All who reuufre