Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-02-20

/ resolution for a bill providing JnaJ all extra
/ numbers of documents printed by order OF
! congress shall be sold and disposed of by the
agricultural department, and the abridge-
ment of tile Presidents message and accom-
| paniyng documents, at TWENTY-FIVE Gems per
l. volume, and all other documents at actual
| cost OF paper, stitching and binding, and that
within the county where they are published,
but shall not be delivered by pOstoffice carriers
| unless postage shall have been paid at the
Mr.. Monroe gave notice of an amendment
10 strike out OF the bills all provisions lookiA &
TO continuance Of a system distributing pub
Mr.. scU1ieId stated that he would
vote against THE whole bill, except
that section which provides Tor the free trans
mission of weekly newspapers in the county
where they are published, and of newspaper
exchanges; this he would do in accord
ance with a pledge which the Re-
convention in Philadelphia, Is72, to aboI-
ish the franking privilege, and keep it abol-
tshed; but II the bill were TO pass he would
propose an amendment to strike out the
words "without charge" and insert the words
aha Sa P9sSg D9 Inc Inc
wrapper and paid by the person receiving the
same"
Mr.. Kasson proceeded to address the house
in support of The substitute OF which he had
given notice. He had been told this morning
bv the head OF the contract-ofhce in the post
office department, that over that vast district
west of the Mississippi, and north of Ken
lucky and Tennessee, mail lettings were fifty
per cent, certainly thirty per cent, less than
Mr.. Beck called upon Mr. Kasson to explain
why the estimated deficiency for the post
Office department was larger this year than 1t
was last year.
Mr.. Kasson declined to enter into a discus
sion of finances but Mr.. Grassland undertook
to demonstrate that the deficiency did not
appear IN the postmaster generals estimates,
but In the estimates of the secretary of the
treasury, who wanted a couple of millions to
subsidlZe steamships.
Mr.. Grassland continued TO talk loudly and
gesticulate violently, manifestng very an
cry feeling toward Mr.. Beck. The speaker in
the meantime used his hammer vigorously,
so that ii was impossible for the reporters to
get any idea OF what Mr.. Grassland was talk
Ing about.
At length order was restored, and Mr.. Kas-
son proceeded. He would show to the house
what the voice OF the people TO the forty
second congress was.
Here he had placed upon his desk four large
waste e-basketS filled with memorials for the
abolition of the ranking privilege, while
from all sides OF the hall came Interruptions
and questions bearing upon the point that
the petitions had been gotten up by the post
master-general. In the midst OF the noise
and confusion, the speakers gavel indicated
the close of Mr.. Kasson's hour, and objections
were made to an extension of his time.
Mr.. Tyner said that he should support so
much OF the bill as authorized free transmits
sion of weekly newspapers within the county
of their publication, and of exchanges be-
pose that portion OF the bill which provided
for what was equivalent to a free distribution
of public documents. He called the attention
of the house to the fact that the postmaster
generals estimate for the next fiscal wear
shows probable deficit OF four million six
hundred and thirty-six thousand three hun.
dred and sixty-three dollars, TO which
was to be added the amount
TO be paid for official stamps for the execu-
tive department, making the total deficiency
six million eight hundred and thirty-siv
thousand three hundred and sixty-three
dollars, or over million and half more
than the deficiency of last year, he believed
hot hn Qio oil TOR
general and all other official reports would
show like deficiencies. and, therefore, 1t was
his opinion that the abolition of the
franking privilege would not dimin-
ish the posIoffice expenses one dollar.
Mr.. Townsend moved to extend the priVi-
lege proposed for weekly newspapers TO the
small daily one cent newspapers that were
spiinging up, and which might be called the
poor mans newspaper. To make such papers
pay the same postage as the great dailies was
an unjust and odious discrimination against
the poor man, ana in favor of the rich, He
thought that the last congress had acted has
ttly and inJudiciously in repeating the frank
Ing privilege IN obedience to artificial public
sentiment.
Mr.. Garfield said the time had not vet ar
fairly tried the effect of the repeal of the
ranking privilege, as it had only gone into
effect on the first of July last. greater abuse
than the frank itself was that of the extraor-
binary amount of public printing. Aside
from the Congressional Globe, which had cost
about three hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars a year, the cost of the printing was two
million dollars year, and he believed
that that was an abuse which nothing but the
r9peal of the 1ranking privilege would stop.
II this bill passed all that abuse would be re
stored. He would vote, however Ifor that part
of the bill allowing free transmission to coun-
try newspapers in the counties of their publi-
cation.
Mr.. Butler Mass.l asked Mr.. Garfield
whether all these country newspapers had not
asked for the abolition of the franking
privilege.
Mr.. Garfield said he did not know.
Mr.. Butler-Well, do, and thought they
would be sick of it before the year was out.
Laughter.
Mr.. Parker MOL spoke in support of the
bill.
An attempt on the part OF Mr.. Niblack and
Mr.. Garfield TO have some limit for debate,
was defeated by objection on the part of Mr.. |
Cobb Kansas.
The house, without taking action on the |
subject, took a recess.
The evening session will be DEVOTED to a
bill revising statutes.