The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-20

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presented by General Washington to Lafayette
such purchase and presentation to he made under
tde direction OF the speaker o. the House.
State would be the more appropriate medium.
the suggestion was generally assenIed to and
the resolution was modified accordingly.
Mr.. HOOPER sent TO the clerks desk and had read
q newspaper paragraph relating the history and
giving description OF the watch, which Is now
owned by Mr.. Ward, OF Texas, who bought 10 at a
pawnbroker,s shop in Louisville for SIS. some
OF Mr.. Hooper, and was inspected with great inter-
est by many members.
Mr.. MAYNARD, rep.) OF Tenn. mentioned that
the watch had been lost by Genera. LAFAYETTE at
Nashville Tenn, on his last visit TO America, and
expressed the opinion that II the matter was
brought TO the attention OF the Tennessee Leglsia
ture mat body would gladly make the restoration.
Mr.. GARFIELD SAID the only question IN the mat
was genuine. which had been somewhat doubted
by one expert, the resolution should pass as
matter oil course
The Joint resolution was passed.
Mr.. sTARKwEATnER, rep.l OF Conn.,, moved TO
proceed to the business on the Speakers table and
dispose thereof under the tw0thirds rule
Mr.. WILSON, NepJ OF Iowa, moved as an amend.
ment to suspend the rules and proceed to the
under the ordinary majority rule. Rejected-yeas
mir. StarKweather's notion was then adopted
without division, and the House proceeded un-
der the two-thrds rule to dispose Of the business
on the Speakers table.
THE POST OFFICE BILL AMENDMENTS.
After dispOsing Of various Executive communi-
cations the business was Interrupted, and Mr.
TYNER, rep.) of Ind. from the Appropriation
Committee, reported back the Senate amendments
to the Post once Appropriation bill The amend
ment restricting letter carriers to towns OF $4,000
tnStead OF 10000 inhabitants was c0nCurred in
The amendment prohibiting advertisements in
Washington papers for post routes except those
in Virginia and Maryland was concurred in. The
amendment TO strike out the pr0viso ior the free
transmission Of agricultural reports was noncon-
cured in.
The amendment prohibiting the publication OF
the revised statutes in the newspapers, at govern
ment expense. was concurred In.
FnlA n Axtn rotn IF
postage at four cents pound, and on single
papers at one cent each and requiring prepay
In the course OF the discussion, Mr.. hAwLEY,
trep.) OF Conn, protested against the partially
SHOWN 70 coantry newspapers IN me counties at
had any advantage from the government should pay
something for II, and then Congress could afford
to put newspaper rates OF postage down to one
cent pound.
Mr. TYNEK remarked that the proposition as it
passed the House a considerable reduction on
the present newspaper postage, but That the
advantage OF prepayment would more than COM
pcnsate Tor the reduction.
Mr. HOLMAN, (denl.) Of Ind, ASKED his col.
league what the effect OF the Senate rates at four
cents pound would be- $50
be to increase the rates ofpostage 200 per cent,
and in some instances, more than that. It's effect
would also be to send the newspapers from the
mails to the express companies
Mr.. HAwLEY, OF Connecticut characterized the
Senate amendment. charging four cents pound,
as most extraordinary and Unreasonable prOpo-
stion and said that the requirement OF prepayment
would throw the whole 6 burden o. tne postage on
ment. on some newspaper publishers the tax
would be as high as $4,000.
NEWSPAPER POSTAGE.
Mr.. GARFIELD referred to an argument made re-
Gently before the Committee ON APPROPRIATIONS IN
regard to the postal telegraph, in which the theory
the Post Office not the transmission OF intelli-
gence, but the transmission OF packages which
since looked into the question historically, and
found that the resolution on which the Post ONCE
cted tna he OF the coones
1t highly necessary to devise ways and means "ior
the speedy and secure conveyance OF intelligence"
That was the corner stone or the whole postal
mitting intelligence. From that standpoint he
approached this question: The statement had
been made that seventy Eight per cent Of all the
weight OF mail matter was newspapers. and yet
the revenue derived from the newspapers was
$780, 0Oo 000 If was the business Of the Post Office
70 carry packages , as an express company, sucn
ever, seemed to nave gone over to some extent to
the express theory OF the Post Office Department.
II that theory were true the postage oil news
papers should be greater than on letters bv eight
or ten times. on that theory the Senate haa not
original theory and the one which ought to be
maintained was that the Post Utfice Department
but Tor the purpose OF disseminating knowledge
throughout the country and that there was some
era importance that preference Was given to 1t.
/ That was the reason why the newspaper should
the BE- M
amounted TO s2,7ls,24l, only sl,o7a,ess OF It had
Mr.. Z. II. ROBERTS, of New York, moved to amend
the amendment by making the postage on daily
and weekly newspapers one cent pound and on
magazines two cents pound. The greater
amount OF business OF the dailles and weekltes
business, and therefore the postage should be less
He informed tine House that newspapers wanted
no sympathy, but only justice. lie was confident
tnpf hn notu tn utalo ta opain Gt
newspapers out OF spite. Great as some pubic
men might be, long as might be their public life,
a great newspaper. There was none great that
he could anora to sneer at it. II the House chose
to legislate from spite the newspapers would be
Mr.. G. F. HoAR (rep) Of Mass, criticised Mr..
Roberts' intlmation that the House was actuafed
in It's legislation by opposition to newspapers
rather than by desire to do what is right and for
the public interest. The gentleman mad stated re-
Gently that II the House expected to curry favor
with the country press by letting the country
news, apers go free 1t was mistaken, and now he
had been warning the House not 10 legislate out
when gentlemen addressed themselves to this i'm
portant question a., Inc newspaper press mao It's
Well as It's honest advocacy OF the public good.
The cure lor the evil that prevailed in the Amer
sion, OF the circulation OF newspapers. the great
newspapers OF New York msrepresented members
ing bow at the very principle OF sell-government,
the cure was to put by its side another newspaper
OF equal CIRCULATION, ana sooner or later the people
would learn to pick out the truth He therefore
favored the lowest possible rate OF postage on
newspapers, ana he trusted that mis- friend from
New York (Mr E. Ii. Roberrs) whom he honored
very highly, would not attribute to him either the
desire to curry avor with the country newspapers
or to wreak spite against the city newspapers.
MI. L. ii. ROBERTS replied that newspapers were
made by men, aud must therefore represent human
iraIltes and human passions. The practical ques-
ton was, whether the postage on newspapers was
to be put so high as to be III the interest OF the
richest newspapers or whether 1t was to be put at
such rate would be found best for the interest
OF the government. 1t seemed to him essential to
adopt such rate as would be TOR the interest Of
the government. He wanted the action OF the
fair man could complain OF it. The amendment
which he had offered seemed to him to be fair and
proper, and he hoped thatlt would be adopted.
Mr.. HAwLEY, OF Connecticut, also advocated the
amendment offered by Mr.. Roberts. 1t was OPP
posed by Messrs. Cameron rep), OF ILL.,, and
Cobb trep.) OF Kansas members Of the Post ONCE
Committee.
MY Roherts, amendment was rejected and the