Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-26
HOUSE.

missions to pcstmasters appointed by the
President with the consent of the Senate.
He explained the object to be to transfer
that body from the State Department TO the
Postofflce Department. Passed.
Also, bill to provide for a more CON-
plete organization of the State Department,
creating two new Offices, that of Third As
sistant Secretary of State and Of Solicitor
to the Department of State, with salaries OF
$500 respectively and abOlishing the Office
Of Examiner Of Claims. Referred.
Mr.. COnger, from the Committee on
Commerce reported a bill to amend the
steamship passenger act in regard to the
publication of lists of Immigrants.
Passed.
Mr.. Small presented resolutions of the
New Hampshire press association for the
restoration of the law allowing weekly
newspapers free transmission through the
mails in the county of their publication;
also resolutions declaring hostility to any
action that may result directly or indirectly
in the restoration Of the abuses Of the
Franking Privilege.
The House resumed consideration of the
bill to provide for the distribution of public
documents printed by authority of Con
gress, and Of seeds furnished by the Agri-
cultural Department; for the free exchange
of newspapers between publishers, and for
the free transmission of weekly newspapers
by mail within the county where published.
Mr.. Cobb, Of Kansas, supported the bill,
first, because it was demanded by the
people, and secondly because it was the
only means of keeping the people informed
g Of t,af fafax in,
gress. III there was to be no opportunity
for that except through the reporters for the
newspapers, then the source of power was
in the hands of the gentlemen in the gal
lery, and not in the hands Of the members
themselves.
Mr.. Ward said he should vote against the
bill, but if it were to pass he should move
an amendment to extend its application to
the speeches of members and Senators.
MT. COburn supported the bill, and ar
gued that the law for the abolition Of the
franking privilege would never have been
passed if it had been understood at the
time that an arrangement would be made
for the free transmission of public dOcu-
mentS.
Mr.. Lawrence declared himself in favor
of the third section of the bill, providing
for the free transmission Of weekly news
papers, etc, and opposed to all its other
provisions.
Mr.. Rice advocated the bill as an educa-
tiOnal measure, and solely on that ground.
Ben Buffers Bout with the Press.
Mr.. Butler Of Massachusetts, reviewed the
history Of the postal service of the country,
and OF the connecting with it OF the frank
ing privilege. In the process of time hi
said the newspaper press took possession of
the mails of the 5Ss tons of NAL matter
which LETT the New ] ork pcstottiee daily,
only 81 tons consisted of letters and CORE
spOndence, while AZ tons consisted of
newspapers, and - tons of transient print
ed matter. lie said in the very remarka-
he speeches of his colleague twas claimed
to be great abuse.
A member--What cOlleague?''
Mr. Butler-H'sMr Dawesi he il the only
one of my colleagues that makes remarka-
bic speeches. The others are good. HIS
are remarkable Here the Clerk read an
extract from Mr. Dawes speech, as 10 the
increase in the pOstOffice expenditures
Mr.. Butler went on to state that the
amount annually paid on letter postage
was over S20,0OO,O00, and only little
over Sl,OO0,O0O on newspapers, and yet
Congress was called on to relieve The
newspapers of the burden. He contrastcd
the great abuse of franking speeches and
documents on the approach Of Presidential
elections with the greater abuse Of loading
the mails with newspapers, a large portion
of which consisted of advertisements OF no
interest outside of the place where publish
ed. lie knew that the newspaper was q
great educator. No man had an idea how
great an educator it was, and how it edu-
Gated. They heard now of murder, arson
rape, larceny, and counterfeiting all ovel
the country, and why? because of the
newspapers. They published every detail
of how murder has been and may be com
mitted; how counterfeitingcsn be practiced
how banks are opened; how safes are rob
bed-.he very minutie. \ man with al
insane delusiOn about murder is taught
How Murder Could be Done Safely.
The last words and speech Of the muir
derer were transmitted as precious infOr
nation. If there was case in court wher,
prJlrient details must come out for the pur
poses of justice when they ought to b.
heard in silence, and where in old Englisl
courts women and children were Ordere,
to withdraw, they were all spread out il
the newspapers in their most sickening an,
disgusting details. And yet these paper
were to be sent free through the mails L
educate the people and children in th'
ways of crime. Ifany Congressional Com
mittee ever franked any such documen
as this he would take away not only tn,
| franking privilege from that committee bu
he would take away the committee itself
| The members We're to take off their owl
| privileges as public servants in order tha
the mails might be loaded down in tha
way. Think Of it, said he, think of
| fathers, brothers and good citizens. Thlnl
not how much people are educated, bu
| how they are educated by the newspapers
| am an enemy of newspapers by no means
| | am only an enemy of their abuse.
| desire that the children of this countr.
| shall not be taught where bad books can b
| bought; where lewd instruments can b
procured, and how to use them. l propOs
| that the burglar shall not know the eXpe
rience of every other burglar. do not de
sire that the man who has got an insan
mind ready to commit murder shall b
taught exactly how it can be done, an
done with safety. do not desire that tn
speech of the man on the gall0ws, wherein
he claims he is going
From the GaIIOWs Straight 10 Heaven
shall be reported, so as to induce ever
other murderer to propose to go TO heavel
by the same route. L should a littl
| rather not do that at the expense OF tn
government, if you please, (laughter) an
therefore have no desire to pass this bill
If slander is charged upon one of us, W
can't reach our constituents to repel 1t
| while the Slander may spread broadcas
free. If YOU get mp in Congress to repe
an attack. the newspaper that attacks yo'
will not publish your statement. L ca
| give you an instance of it. / rose here tn
other day and stated that had never hear
of a certain bill introduced by Mr.. Morey
of Louisiana, affecting Judge Durell, an
that the whole thing was falsehood, an.
Mr.. Morey got up and said that the oil
would not disturb Judge Durel, and hoy
DO you suppose that newspaper, TO Whleh
called the attention of the House, treate
that explanation? / saw in that news
paper the next day these wordS-"Genera
Butler rises to a personal explanation an
got into a controversy on the question
veracity, with Mr.. Morey, of Louisiana
! Hauehter.) That is all the retractlo
there was. That is all the explanation
and the only way could send my remark
to a single man was to buy ana sen