New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-28
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.


contracts. The arguments III behalf of The District VIII
DC fled tomorrow.
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
THE TELEGRAPH SYSTEMS OF EUROPE AND AMERICA.
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, May 81, 1874
This morning the House Committee on Appropria-
tons heard Grcsvenor Z. Lowrey on the subject of
the postal telegraph, appearing on behalf OF the
Western Union Telegraph Company, arguing
against the consttutionaty of the Hubbard bill.
Mr.. Lowrey also introduced statistics showing that
the Western Union Company operates more miles OF
telegraph lne than all Switzerland, Sweden, Hol
land, Belgium, Hungary SPAIN Bavaria, Denmark.
Norway, Portugal, Greece, Wurtemburg and Great
Britain combined. 1t operates more miles of tel
egraph and annually transmits more messages than
all Germany, Spain, Hungary. and Russia. notwth-
standing that these countries have nearly
the same area Of territory and nearly
four times the population of the United States.
Europe has population OF 300OCOO0, and sends an
nuay go 100000 messages. being one message to six
persons The United States have 100000 inhab-
itants and the Western Union Company alone sends
IS 900 900 messages being one message to two and
half persons In 1886 England had 0,4G6 miles Of
telegraph wire and in 1872 90 9S miles, being an in
crease of 16 093 "a per cent In 1866 the Western
Union Company had 1856 miles of telegraph wire.
and in 1S7S 15i AL being increase of 7S,7S5, or
1O4 per cent In 1866 England had 2,151 telegraph
Offices and in 1873 5474 being increase of 1928,
OF 15i per cent In 1866 the Western Union Company
had 200 Offices and in1S3 $40, being an increase Of
3540 or 100 per cent. In 1867 sEngand transmitted
1900 600 messages. and In 1872 1.SSOOO beng an
increase of 1853 co., or 9S per cent. in 1858 the
Western Union Company sent s. 73339i messages, and
in 1873 1880 837 being an increase of 7,694sS
sages or 1 per cent IT, 1868 the average toll upon
the English lines 80 cents per message. In 1874
the average toll is % beng reduction oil ~ cents
per message OF 3 per cent In 1SOS tle average toll
upon the Western Union lines was 81 10 per message,
and in 1874 So cents being reduction OF 50 cents per
message or so per cent. John H. Porter and George
Il. Prescott, the electrician Of the western Union,
were also present before the Committee. Tho argu-
ment will be continued by these gentlemen Oh Fri
ay.
Mr.. SAWYER SEEKING HIS REVENGE
The country has already had some amazing evil
dences of the contemplate character of some of
Assistant Secretary Sawyers official acts, but few
persons would have thought it possible for an officer
of his eninence to descend to such depth of spite
and malice as was developed to-day in connection
with one of the clerks of the Treasury Department.
Mr.. SAWYER has not entertained toward the men,
hers of the WAYS and Means Committee, since they
made free with his official acts in connection with
the Sanborn inquiry the kindliest feelings; on
the contrary, no has denounced them in both
public and private. He has also devised means
TO annoy them personally from time to time
The fact that Lucy c. Dawes of Massachusetts
was a clerk in the office of the Register of the
Treasury came to the attention of MIR. Sawyer, and
as he has done similar acts to crafty personal
malice he ordered the dismissal of Miss Dawes
under the impression doubtthat she was relative
of the Chairman Of the Ways and Means Committee
her name being the same and her residence Massa-
chusetts She at once, upon receiving notice of dis
missal. signed by Sawyer, sought that officer for an
ht,t l1la w
formed it was enough for her to know that she was
discharged. She had been told previously
nv Savers clerk that it was believed
that she was relative OF Mr. Dawes of the House
The lady, who is spoken Of one of the most
capable clerks in the Department then applied to Mr.
Dawes whom she had seem and he was at that
time first made known of her existence. They
Yare not relatives of even a remote degree aud Mr.
Dawes being determined that she should not surfer
for his acts, early this morning accompanied the
lady To the Treasury, where he had very pialn
tall with Mr. Richardson ard demanded that the
lady should be restored threatening to tell the story
in the House this evening L + needless 70 say anas
This afternoon he was notified that the lady would
be restored to her place She has been IN the De-
partment for a long time, and was recommended by
Charles Sumner.
| ATTEMPTS TO AMEND THE TARIFF AND REVENUE
| The House spent three hours of the night in q
struggle over the bill to change the Tariff and In
| ternal Revenue laws in few particulars. 1t
required all the solemn energy of protest which the
| Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means
could bring to bear to prevent the opening of the
sluices and the inflow Of food OF
propositions to change the whole tariff sys-
| ten. The session opened with a discussion
Of the Hop question, including the interests Of
the farmers on the one SIDE and of the brewers on
the other. The Committee OF Ways and Means how
ever prevailed over both parties, and the item was
| left in the bill as reported that Isl "On hops 10
cents per pound" An effort was made by Mr..
Woodford of New York to have the specific duty of
q cents pound fixed all grades of steel, but his
argument was met by a cOunterblast from Mr.
Kelley. who argued that the effect would be
to reduce the duty on the higher grades
! Of foreign steel, and 10 increase 1t on the
I,,,a, D,,da. That ctiur. .sS f.i u. NJ. k.-.a.l