The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-04-14

government was legal government of the
STATE ana that the people there were quietly
pursuing their vacations
.Mr Carpenter gave notice that Tomorrow
aIIeT the expiration of the morning hour he
"0 %l ask the Senate to take up the BILL
=, Ahe senate then resumed the consideration OF
the railroad bill
MI. Hagar moved an amendment giving IL
| the Legislature of any State which may here
aI!er De formed out of a territory in which a
raiiroad authorized under this act may be locat-
Gu uhder the same power, over such corporation
as would have over one of its own creation.
Agreed to.
Mr.. Pratt offered an amendment making
stockholders of any road organized under act,
are individually liable for an amount equal to
the amount of stock subscribed for by them,
Ior All deDts contracted by the road. Agreed
Mr. Ramsey offered an amendment that any
sucn road or telegraph should transmit the
mails ana 1 messages for the government of the
Cni'eu states TOR compensation not to exceed
tnat paiu oy private parties for similar service
The bill was then reported to the Senate and
the amendments made in COMMITTEES If the
whole were concurred in.
MI Conkling offered substitute for the La
bllity clause of Mr.. Pratt, ''that every stock
no.. nouer IN every corporation to be formed under
TINS act shall be liable for all debts of said COR
poration, contracted while he held the stock
equal to the amount of stock of which he is the
no nae at par value thereof" Agreed to-
Inc Dill was then read third time and pass
ca, Yeas, 20; nays, is.
The Senate concurred in House amendment
10 Dill to authorize aliens to act as engineers
ana pilots which provides that they shall be
ed States. '"o INV
II The Senate then went into executive session
ana at 5l5 adjourned.
HOUSE.
Gov
between publishers and the free transmission
by mail of newspapers, within the county of
178; nays, Al. ''
Mr. Wood of New York, introduced bill to
reESuiate tne service of collection of customs,
Whlch was referred to Committee on Ways aud
means. 1t enacts that no moietes, perouistes
or commissions shall be allowed collectors, ma
val ofhcers. or employees of the collectors de-
partment, and all laws providing such are to be
repealed; that all proceeds of condemnation by
seizures shall be paid into the treasury; that
the District Attorney upon complaint shall
make investigation into the facts before com
missioners, and then cause the arrest of the Of
tenders; that compromises by special agent or
district attornies shall be unlawful with penal
ties for felony, but the Secretary of the Treas
ury may remit when no intention of fraud was
proven; that only single items of merchandise
shall be forfeited, instead of the entire inyoi-
ces; that all the settlements of duties shall in
the absence of fraud and in the absence of a
protest. be final upon all parties that SHIFTS for
recovery must be commended within two wears.
that books and papers n ust be ordered by a
judge of the District Court, and the books
must be accessible at all times to the owners.
All acts inconsistent with this are repealed and
this IS to 60 into effect immediately. Text of
bill is as follows: That from and after the
passage of this act the following mail matter,
shall be allowed to pass free in the mail: First
newspapers periodicals. ard magazines recip-
rocally lnterchanged between publishers and
not exceeding 16 ounces in weight, to be con-
fined to single copy of each publication
Second Newspap ers, one copy to each actual
subscriber, residing or receiving the same
within tie county where the same is published.
but carriers shall not be required to distribute
such papers, unless postage is paid upon them
at usual rates.
Mr.. Hayes of Ala, moved to suspend the
rules and pass the bill for the free transmission
by mail, of all seeds, cuttings, and plants sent
by the Committee of Agriculture. The rules
were not suspended: Yeas, 146 days, S4-not
two thirds iu the affirmative.
Mr.. Hazleton introduced bill defining a le-
gal days work for conductors and drivers on
the Washington street cars to be not exceeding
ten hours; the wages of such conductors and
drivers to be not less than the amount now
paid Referred to Judiciary Committee.
Mr.. Platt of Va, moved to suspend the rules
and pass the bill authorizing and directing the
Secretary of the Treasury to defer operations
on any public building, authorized but not ac-
actually commenced, or to proceed with the
same, as in his opinion it is for the best inter-
est of the public service. The monies hereto
fore appropriated for that purpose, to remain
available till the completion of the work for
which they were appropriated. Rejected
Yeas, 129; nays, 96-not two-thirds in the
affirmative.
Mr.. Stone of Mo-, moved to suspend the rules
and adopt resolution reciting the gross abuses
and Irregularities in the letting of mail con.
tracts, and providing for an investigation there
of.
The motion to suspend rules was not second
ed and the resolution was not entertained
Mr.. Beck of KY, called attention to the fact
that every Democratic member voted in the
affirmative, aud every Republican member in
the negative.
Mr.. StoweTl of Va, member of the Post
Office Committee, said Mr., Stone had an oppor-
tunity OF making his proofs before the commit
tee, and the committee would give him hear
ing tomorrow.
Mr.. Packer of Pa, chairman of the commit
tee, made a like statement, and said if the pre-
amble was struck out there was no objection to
the resolution.
Mr.. Page Of California remarked that
statement had been sent to the associated press
in California, at the nstigation of his colleague
lLuthrelD that this investigation had been 60
ing on for weeks.
Mr.. Luthrell, (excitedy,)-I know nothing
about it and you have no authority for asserting
4 Mr. Page stated that over two weeks ago. his
colleague (Luthrell) went before the Post Office
Committee, making certain charges, and was
requested by the committee to make his charg-
es in writing, and to sign them. He had come
at different times, and afterwards, when there
was no quorum present, and then the kilograms
were sent to California, stating that Luthrel
was endeavoring to get up this investigation,
but could not get it; statement which was
wholly false.
NJ 'TrthraIl- No civ. - NO, 49,. ~,
colleague is very sensitive. i; stated to him
and stated to the committee that serious chare-
es had been preferred in regard to certain post
Office transactions, that l was not disposed to
implicate the Postmaster General but that
there had been post office ring formed, which
was defrauding the government, and had de-
frauded it to the amount of hundreds of thou
sands of dollars. l afterwards went before the
committee as 1 agreed to, but my colleague did
not appear, and there was no quorum. 1 make
these charges on the authority of the very best
men in my State, who would be ashamed of
the action of their representative here to-day.
do not come here with Iceland Standford's'
collar round my neck, labelled as the tool of a
monopoly. come as the representative of the
working men.
Here there were loud calls for the "quest;on
question, question: and Irregular order"
Messrs. White, Paige and Luthrell were gestic-
ulating at the same time, and each endeavoring
to make himself heard. There was hardly a
member IN the House occupying seat, all
standing in the aisle fronting the Speakers
chair, and the noise and confusion prevented
anything being said or done In order. At
length the Speaker managed to have order re-
stored by requiring all the members to
resume their seats.
Mr.. Tyner of Ind. member of the Post Of
flee Committee, in the last and present Con-
gress, explained that all the charges contained
in Mr.. Stones preamble had been before the
committee last Congress, and has beed fully in
vestigated, and that while the result showed
the department had been victimzed by sys
tenn known as "straw bids" no official connect
ed with the department had at all been impli-
Gated
Mr.. Randall of Pa, also member of the
post office committee in the last and present
Congress, differed somewhat from Mr.. Tyner's
conclusions as to the result of the investigation
in the last Congress.
Mr.. Page returned to the charge and read a
despatch published in the Sacramento Union,
which be said was instigated by his colleague,
(LuthrelD aud which made statements tina
were not true. His colleague had been requir-
ed by the committee to submit his charges in
writing and to sign them, and he had refused
to sigu them
Mi. Luttrell to Mr. Page-Are you not con-
tractor yourself, sir?
Mr.. Page-Yes sir, am, and have right to
De; (Sneers and laughter on the Democratic
side.) Whenever my colleague wants to dis
cusS my right to be a contractor, l will do it
wIth him before the House.
MT Luttrell-Not at all nor do L want to dis
al