National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-25
F0RTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
(Cont;nued from Firsf Pace

this was unavoidable. He believed that anon
out were the speeches of members. He had ea
amined the Saturday speeches carefully, and Il
most Of them had found much information. Whe
KAssoN's amendment, which authorized the pun
chase Of the documents, and If that was rejected
he would vote for the amendment Of Mr.. MONROE
which limited the distribution Of documents u
Mr.. HERNDON, Of Texas commended that IN.
abolition of the franking privilege had not resIs
pArtment, for there was large deficiency; an
there mnst necessarily be, because tbe roes o"i0'
Department could not be selfsustainin2. -
Some such measure as this was necessary, ue
cause members of Congress could not AFFORD Il
pay the postage that would be required OF them
because 1t would take at least sso OUT OF ths
pocket of each member, and that was too much
The result was that the documents were not sem
out TO the country, and they were permitted u
accumulate in the document room, awaiting tns
passage Of Just such bill ms this. The Govern
mept really made nothing by the abolition Of the
privilege, as it takes the money out of one pocke
and puts itin the other, while II loses the CT
The people demanded to know what was dont
here and by this bill was the cheapest way O
circulating fnSyledge among the people .,,,,
of offering an amendment to also pass through
the mails free all printed reports and speeches O
members, and all books and documents printed a
the Government printing Office by order Of Con
Eress. and that said privilege shall extend e
forty days after the session Of Congress. Mr. Is
commended that the bill did not go far enough
Anything that took place in this House he De
MI ROLLINS. of n. c. said he would vote a
any time for the pure and simple restoration ,, 2
be sustained by his people, who desired to nav,
all the documents printed and everything thai
would give them knowledge.
speak upon the bill further than to say that II II
could be divided he would vote for the first sec
Mr.. HAZLETON, of Wis, said this bill was In
NO sense o restoration Of the franking privilege
but was to distribute among the people books thai
belong to them. He referred TO the publication:
Of the Agricultural bureau, and the provisont
in the bill Tor the distribution Of seeds. and said
the opposition TO the bill meant finally cessa.
ton Of these publications, and the ultimate repeal
Agriculture. 1t would be a most unpopular act
to abolish that department. The people wanted
these documents. as they did the reports oil me
Commissioner of the Census and other documents
which were Of value. He could not agree TO NJ.
KAssoN's amendment, because it was Of the
Cheap John order Of selling Government docu-
Mr.. MAYNARD, of Tenn, inquired OF MI.
PACKER, who had charge of the bill, when lie
Mr. PA s1g said he hoped to call the pre-.
vious question tomorrow at 1:3o O'Clock, and then
have another hour for discussion.
Mr.. PHELPS, of N. J., said he would oppose
which proposed retrcnchment OF the ranking
privilege. He believed q restoration would give
special privileges to the few and ne should always
vote to give equal rights to all and special priv
leges to none. In spite Of the very pleasing re-
marks OF Mr.. DAWES lew days ago, tnat TINS
was a House of eminc It statesmen, he thought
the record of members was very unsatisfactory on
the question OF economy. At the beginning OF the
session all spoke upon the salary question, and
showed great anxiety for reduction. After a
struggle the House voted to repeal salaries, and
right upon the heels Of this act of economy came
I'm the gentleman from Iowa, Mr.. DOMAIN
chairman of the Committee on Printing, with a
proposition to print IS 600 copies OF the last "Ag
ricultural Report"
This was a clear contribution of S50O, 900 to the
rag shops and barber shops Of the country, and
Mr.. HALE, of Maine, who was so persistent about
the repeal of the salary bill. opened his mouth
against this extravaganza. ILaughter.1 All the
members cried out for economy, but they did not
seem to be able to find place exactly where they
could vote for it. He then referred to the effort
made by Mr.. WooDFoRD, of New York, last week
to get up bill relating TO the finances, and ateT
would take up this bill to distribute garden.
seeds and scIons, instead of the finances. The
House decided that, as for them, they would first
distribute garden-seeds, and then attend to the
currency. When he asked for an explanation OF
this to him apparently inexplicable course Of the
House he heard at his seat and in the lobbes that
Il was the Changers who did it: MIR. PHELrs said
this bill practically gave q Congressman all the
franking privileges he had had before, except the
privilege Of frankng his own letters. and If any,
thing should go through the mails free it should
be n letter which a Congressman writes to lis
constituents This bill was simply the old frank
ing privilege rcbaptiZed. 1t was argued that
msmbers had taken advantage Of the frankng
privilege, but he did not believe that, for they
S.a,. ,,.,, able men.
He did not believe any risrS sSr haa ever sent
his soilcd linen home under ms frank to be
washed. man who would do that would not
have o washerwoman. Laughter Nor did he
believe any Senator had ever sent his furniture
home under his frank, for that would indicate
that he was blockhead. 1t was said that this
bill was to supply books that the people wanted:
Inn ha
which they could rot get from their Con-
yressmen. Semc of them wanted health and
sIeanliness and money. but Congressman could
not furnish all these. The gentleman from lii
aois, IMr. CASNoN,l with hay-seed in his hair,
bald the other day that he received many letters
rom his constituents asking for books and seeds.
and he received many letters. His constituents
1rove right through Lindley Murray and Noah
Webster and came direct to the point, which was
he postage" Laughter If Mr.. CANNoN's
constituents were satisfied with the Agricultural
Report, his tAIr. PHELPs'1 constituents wanted
tlsO books relating to the Silurean period and
:he isothermal line. He had, besides. got letters
politely asking for the loan Of Is. [Laughter.l
He could see no good reason why Congress
nan should not be required as well to donate the
Is as TO give the books asked for. The Republic
an party did not want the franking privilege re-
Itored. 1t had said SO in many conventions.
When he asked who did want this bill. the reply
Vas, 1.-THE Changers want it." The Changers
want good many other things. He was not 4
Granger, and did not like the movement. The
Republican party nominated him and voted for
him. He would never, never be q Grangcr-un-
less they started oranges in the northern part of
New Jersey. tI.aughter.l By revival of the
ransing privilege I'll the evils Of the Gorernment
would be a most wasteiul expenditure, as hereto
Fore: The fact that FL thess books could be pur-
- a.aiosI Inc cost of the paper in every
70 him that they were not in such demand as was
sretend,d
If we must tax the people to furnish them
2Seks, let US give them grammars and readers,
Ind they will be some be1eft to them Is II Jar
20 give books TO the few? He did not believe Con,
Eress had any right to do this. Now, with regard
% the country editors who we're said to De Gen ne
lhem Just as much as Mr.. CANNON, of Ill, was
haunted the other day by the Changers. He re-
ipeeted the county EDITORS they were Kind ito to
eat in that sleepy hollow, pointing to the corner
n which his seat is located.) he had vainly tried
20 catch the eye of the SPEAKER, in order that he
country edItors-and there were many in lis dis
rict-were always upon him. IT he went to
cleanse himself in the basement at mis- country
sc RECALLED himself with oysters at his own ex
)ense. and thus was not here to vote on every
question, his country editor at once proclaimed
He thought the greatest skill in putting mar
n false position was attained by the resolution!
poured into the House on these wretched Mon
LAYS and when he read this bill. with the clause
tbout country editors, he thought IT was catct
liter the style of the resolutions OF Monday
These resolutions, he had discovered, commenced
omewhat in this way: Whereas the world !:
-ound: whereas this is great and Tree countr,
whereas il you are yirtuous you VIII re happy
therefore, resolved, that this House should at inc
Lnthorile the issue Of convertible bonds, bearing
three siIty-fye per Cent. interest. lGreat merri
mert.l All he could say in behalf OF his county
Iditors Is that they do not wish TO obtain favor no
accorded to all Others and he did not believe ina
hey desired the passage of any act that wou Id
injustice TO the many for the benefit oil the lew
Alluding to the remarks Of Mr. GARFIELD, tn
uhcr day. IN behalf Of the country editors, h,
aid he believed he would incorporate that speecl
With his and scndit along. tLaughter.l
When this bill was first introduced in the Hous
1 did not contain the amendment but in a subse
,uent print he found an amendment in italics
which seemed to him to mean beware. He said 1
Vas discovered in the committee that Demo
natic member from New York, who says grea
many witty things, had prepared an address
which he proposed to issue Just before the election
lext fall-an address to the Republican voters
which something like this was to be said: on
party promised TO repeal the franking privilege
Well they did repeal it, fou put them in powcl
md kept them in power, and when they wake
n then they restored the privilege. Laughter.
Whereupon the committee saw the damage tn
ircular might do, and therefore inserted tn
amendment, which authorizes the Postmastt
SenefaI TO withhold the mails for thirty DAY
which would lust about bridge over the Pennsy
,ania election. l4reat laughter.
Mr. MELLISH, of N. Y, gave notice tnaI
keHld offer an amendment that on ana aiter ~
States on ali written matter shall be two cen
or every ounce offrnction thereof, and upon O