Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1876-01-26

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Debate i'll the House on
Third Class Mail
/. Matter.
Garfield Favors Excluding
Merchandise from the
Mails.
Resignation Of the Journal Clerk
Of the House.
B.-lef Do1nx~ in the sem
CONGRESSIONAL.
House.

Mr.. Clarke, Of Missouri, from the
post office committee, called up the
bill regulating postage on third class
mail matter. 1t provides that all
mailablc matter of the third class re.
ferrcd to in sections 3s7S and 391l Of
the ..rssiscd statutes, may weigh
not cxcec;!ing 4 pounds for each pack
age, aud postage thereon to be one
cent for every two ounces or fraction
thereof. He explained that this was
designed to repeal the law passed ina
manner Saloutatcd the
house last session. Cannon addressed
the house, advocating the bill.
Mr.. Garfield said the bill which it.
was proposed to repeal had originated
in the post Office department., in the
shape Of letter to the chairman Of
the senate, post Office committee
suggesting that the rate of postage on
merchandise be doubled. The civil
sundry appropriation bill came from
the senate to the house, at two on the
morning Of the last day Of the session
with over hundred amendments
among which was the amendment sup
posed to be in pursuance of the post
mastergcncral's recommendation. In
trhat idea it tt-il,.,aall,..eaa .aimauslx
] adopted'by the committee on appro.
miations OF which he was then chair
man.
1 No member OF the committee un-
derstood that the language of the
amendment included anything else
than merchandise. After the bill had
passed it was asccrtained that the
4 language Of the amendment covered
not only merchandise but also tran
sient newspapers and pamphlets. In
!, that all were surprised. The amend
? mcut covered the whole Of the third
|, class instead Of the merchandise por-
ton. He deeply regretted it for it
] was against all his notions proper
: postal legislation TO double the rate
]. on printed matter. He had been and
Still was in favor of-thiis Legislation,
] and said in reference TO the merch,
r andise that il was wrong to say it had
J, been smuggled in. It was intended
e to be put inas q recommendation o
a the postotficc department.. Mr.. Gar
e field then went on 70 argue on the
e propriety Of excluding merchandise
' from the mails. There was no limit
! to such mail transportation. Th.
n postofficc was established to, trans:
n nit intelligence alone. 4shis merch
e andise transmission would soon alb
sorb all transportation lines Of this
country.
Mr.. Lawrence advocated .thc bill
and said the last sessions legislation OF
mail matter was doubtless at the in
stance Of express companies, aud det
rimental toipublic interest. The mail
reach every village in the land, apt
express companies don't; thus man,
people were cut off from, receiving
: packages Of seeds, books, etc. Thcs
, packages could be carried withou
: loss to the post Office department
$ Matter could be carried all around th
globe ats cents per pound. :
No merchant in New York woul,
[c send hundred pounds in package
y through tile mails and -psy cts pc
% pound for them, because the expires
,,c companies would carry them cheape,
z. That was an answer to his colleague
k, (Garfeld) argument. ".
yo senate.
= WAsuIsGroS, Jan. 2G.-The chair
man laid before the S mate a CON
munication4 from the secretary {
ID Treasury, in response toa,he senat
K, resolution Of the twentieth inst, cr
closing q report Of action taken b
u q . " F. .