New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-25
THE ERANKING Bill.
DEBATE or UNUSUAL INTERCsr-A HUMOROUS AND
sATIHCAL SPEECH By Mr.. PHELPS IN orrOsuiON
TO TIE REVIVAL OF TIE ABUSE.
10y rruyosArn 10 gHn rRIaUvs.1

ADEBATE or UNUSUAL INTERCsT-A HUMOROUS AND
sATIRICAL SPEECH By Mr.. PHELPS IN OTrOsuION
TO TIE REVIVAL OF TIE ABUSE
IBY TEJy9sAPu 10 TIM rRIBUNT.l
, WASHINGTON, FEB. @.-Che debate on the Frank
ing bill to-day possessed features Of moro tban
usual interest although much of 1t addressed TO
Oh unusually thin House scores of meIabers having
gone over to the Senate % hear Mr. schu1zs speech
the finances.
Mr. Willard, who has always been an active and
ronsistaDt opponent of the ranking abuse and tho
kindred abuse of eXtrayagant expenditures for pub
lie printing, delivered an able speech in which he
characterized the whole business of printing dOcu-
ments at the expense of the people for distribution
according TO the caprice or pleasure of members
of Congress as species OF public plumber.
The principle the same, he declared,
rs Congressman should take $1,000 a
piece from the Treasury and distribute the
money Just rs they ft among their constituents
The money was, IN fact, taken from tho Treasury,
and was invested in books which the members re-
ceived as perqoisite. each getting about 5000 vol
umes, OF about enough to give one to every tNnth
man among their constituents. Such method'of
distribution was, be argued, unjust unequal, and
4ndefensIble.
Mr. Potter favored the sale OF all documents at
the cost urice as in England If the ranking priv
uRC were "a De partially IoNANOu, no AAoA0''N 49,
II should extend 10 the speeches Of members, which,
he thought, were the most valuable Of all the
documents. lie had made o collection
OF all the speeches delivered at sat
urday sessions since ne had been ia Congress, and
said that they contained great deal Of information
and evidence OF a high order Of statesmauship Mr.
Potter's hearers at first thought he iutepded this
statement for joke but they could find no sgns of
leyiy in his manner and were obliged to regard his
admiration for Saturday oratory as an unaceount.
able idiosyncracy.
The most notable speech of the day as regards
the attention it attracted, was that OF Mr Phep, OF
New-Jersey Who while keeping the House con-
stantly amused With his peculiar humor and dpou
sat,Ie managed at the same time to deliver an
attack uoon the bill that was fully as effective
ne any that had been made in prOfessealy
serious speeches He Characterized the pending
measure as the disreputable castaway of the XIJId
Congress, whom the House had picked mp, and after
putting q silk hat on his head and dyenR his mus
tache, were trying 10 make the people believe wa
not the old, original Jacob. His satirical hit'
st tire Western members who stand in awe
Of the Grange movement, at Mr.. Garfelds eulogJ
upon country editors and at Mr.. Kellys 3-65 mania,
were particularly good. Before Mr. Phelps was hall
through with bis speech he had the ontiIo House liz
tcning and at the conclusion he received the rare
sompiiment of round Of unpaTliamentar ap-
plause. 30 % 4i' aL+ ,-s ',sss..
No vote was taken On the bin to-day. Rr Packer
sAnsaasse that he would CAL tae previous question