New-York tribune., 1875-02-25
POSTAL TELEGRAPHY.
BUFFERS REPORT ON THE POSTAL TEL
EGRAPH BILL.

ENCE or NEWSPAPERS UPON THE CohfANno'
The Hon. BENJAMIN +. Butler submitted In Dehau
Of the Committee on the Judiciary to the House OF
Representatives on February 4. report upon a Dill
declaring the telegraph lines post-roads' author
izipg the Postmaster General to advertise for pro-
posas for the transmission of messages concerning
Government business over tho lines, establishing
rules regarding rates to be charged private ctzons
and forbidding telegraph companies to engage IN
the collection and sale Of commercial or other news
Below are given extracts from the report
IT will NOT be denied that every civilized government
anciont or modern has taken in charge ana unur Us
I cinsive control the transmission OF It's own commnn
e4ylusNo to ond ~ General Intelligence. Th5
was found to be necessity as In time or war anu punS
commotion the convenience an" not ONLY OF
hostile movements without the territory oI
aso OF the movements OF the defenders OF the naton
have been considered paramount thaJ TINS rSh, nas
been ever Welded 10 the Government anu ony ~ o
despoc mas eyer Oer Was no pro-
vision OF Constitution so tIle 0nloteu 70, S S
unanimously passed oon og .a .o sevenh clause
Congress Shall have power 10 estaohen, ppI pph,
Offices and posroad ana Snd W sS be exclusively in Con-
gress, and has been guarded 10 tne OuLseu .,n "a
most stringent legislation from tne very very v S@aI IN
making the general grant OF power WIN SUI" ,an a.
meaus of transmission OF intelligence as were tne1 al
common use and commonly understood; ana heIetorv
the general phrase was "post-oLices ana postr,aiS
meaning thereby all the means OF genefhd RAJ e cn
a ra 1beo known or could be used. Nobody has ever
contended for strict Limitation OF tns , ,ow Inc
ing TO the exact words because that would not allow tu9
establishment of p0strOads over the gleas rseaS a
their tributaries and the canals OF tne county S
road in its sense. cannot be predicateu Oh
BY American invention 10 later years. new ,eto
system OF Transmission OF integence 1 % S all matters
OF blsne ~ relations and governmental aeuon ~ 10 ouo
sSniy ~ the mas In the infancy of this system.
Prof Morse called upon the Government ior its au W
enable him 70 make the experiments necessary 10 estaD
ira mil
without which is than probable tnat many years
wnuId nave epsed before the system would have come
into vogue The telegraph line ever built was con
structed between Washington and BALTIMORE, anu .o
cost of s c9nstr9con and T6oss Sr who
hold 70 the stricest construction Of the Constitution
an only say that the telegraph being in the
States mnst be left to the control Of the states But
the impossibillty OF controllng the r one
spark which, ghtBinglike, trayerses oa,e ere on
can say 1t gbtens" shows the utter llaDlity OF any
State 10 make regulation or control OF tne te
i'm its own borders which wIl be either useiui Vi e
cient. -,
Again, the construction contend for may well ne be
tested In another way. II the control ot teegrapI,c
"a against everybody and the Government as well.
Now would it be coDtended for moment tnat any o,a
OF teegrapnc communication lor the use OF tue Gov
ernment across its borders Has IL nos oeen asSoa S
Inv universal assent that the General GoVernmenG mas
the control OF the landing OF every cable upon It's snores
although must be landed upon those SHORES "hcn @ are
within the control OF the States and moro OF lesS Ine
properly OF the States themselves. -.
Your Committee are not nna%aTe e th o tne So con-
clusion that Government shond ana ought 10 otao
sh postal telegraph, and take exoilsye eontro .. 'o
transulsson OF telegrdphc communication Tor mre as
rho ordinary means Of It's communication ahd tne
ordinary method OF communication OF tne people Will
zach other aud your Committee do by no means shrink
from the ogc results Of what we have heretofore SUD
n,itted Whe thus claiming the power We are hoe'
howeyer called upon by tho resolution ana tne ol re
ferred {, us TO insist upon the full exercise OF tnat
power. II there were no other grant era Go0 OF
hover I'm the Constitution but that canse OF the Con
itu,ion concerning Post-Ofiaes aud Post tROads your
Committee have no DOUBT OF tne power VI cno uVv
ftInfa4 4hn trans
telegraph But there is another power IN thc Gonstt
ton. This grant OF power IL iounu 10 ,ne
same Article l. with Section, Clause 3D. IL Is tno
power to regulate commerce with foreign nat'ons anu
among the several States" This power ot tue reggld
tion Of commerce has been aud over again decided
to embrace within grasp all the incidents OF commerce
everything that is necessary or Is commonly sed as
%ercei Il viii not be cOnended that the
telegraph is of the most efficient agents Dy Wnen
comInree ia carried There industry, no lnGer-
change OF commodity no value that DOL az ts mercy
anu @ n inntoS or increase OF value to the OF
most astounding frauds familiar and late example Is
nns m ,ng Message Of the President OF United STATES
regard to relations with Spain, by which an az
tempted raid upon securities IN ElSiand WAS mace
That the telegraph companies not only arrOgate 10
themselves the right OF monopoly OF the transmission
OF intelligence whether IN the form or social intercourse
between the people commercial and general news
but that they have joined with portion OF the press 70
make the publication Of that news monopoly IS appa
rent to all VINO have observed the workings OF the tele
graph aud Associated Press In evidence OF TINS your
commttee find facts to bc SUBSTANTIALLY as folows
and they have made part OF this report feW or Tue
specmen acts which have been brought TO their notice
OF the telegraph companies In conjunction Win tAe
Associated Press, TO how complete, CONTROLLING
burdensOme, oppressive and dangerous 20 tue puohc
welfare the Lee graph monopoly has become.
The New-York Associated Press, which collects nine
tenths of these reports was formed nearly thrty years
ago TO obtain forward the European news from Hal
fax to Cape Race From small beginnings its opera
tons have extended until ITS agents are found In every
| Important place IN the Old and New Worlds. These
agents collect and transmit the news 10 the office OF the
Association in NewYork there Is collected and pre-
n1red for the PRESS and sold TO the secondary AsS0
cations which nave been formed to receive ana diriD
ute these reports the different sections OF the coun
try. These arc the New England inc new YORK STATE
the Western the North Western the tnsas and Mis-
souri, the California, and tho southern Press Associa
tons. Each large city also has It's own subordinate as
sociaton Their agents receive and distribute the AS
sociaed Press news and collect the local news which
| they furnish 10 tho New-fork Associated Press
| IL is an InyaIiabe and fundamental rule IN
| all these associations that no additional mem
shall be admitted without the consent OF every Ote
Tic result IL organization formed OF the loading
daily papers the country into whcn no new associate
| is easily admitted The advantages enjoyed OBTAIN
permanent position and influence But not only Is the
report furnished TO papers the same seoOn out
any member that obtains reports from other sources
must II required share them Win all the others.
| EitOrs are not allowed to eritciso these reports;
AS this feature generally known aud Il OF vital
importance to the freedom OF the press the acts VIII
be stated distinctly. The Inder OF Petersburg Vl then
member Of the Southern Association criticised their
reports and was deprived of them; Inc ag5ns OF
| the Associated Press then Issued & circular 20
ts customers gvnS us version OF the case anu expa
ing its action. 1t says The Ider rushed into print
with violent denunciaIions OF tue Associated fress an
an invocation to away Win TINS hnmDus' Oar news
service that journal suspended by INV order 1t
been revoked nor IS IL lkely 10 oe, IT III Wncn
you will infer that it is approved ard sustained here
conditions or service Is tnat supposed
causes plant shall be presented Dy letter 10 the
executive committee general agent In lieu OF public
assault The simplest, easiest anu only proper metnOu
of bringing dic ules to notice ID by private letter
| What we do object pubic attack They set up
| q rule OF action for themselves wMch they would not
tolerate In another There Is not branch or service,
governmental or private not single officer Of Govern
| ment or corporation, nor any individual, puoIc
| attack, save the NewYork Associated Press IL Is
said all papers entering into the Association agree
| 10 it's terms and If dissatisfied at any time with
draw and obtain dispatches Of the American Press
Association The reports are OF two kinds, general aud
| com wercial Tue former furnished BY the AssO-
cated Press the latter by the telegraph company but
as the foreign commercial is collected Oy tho AS
sociated Press only be furnished To the papers