The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-27
WASHINGTON january 20, ls7C.

favored this bill because the mails reach
every village in the land and the express
companies do not, and il the people ol
those remote places were cut off from the
privilege OF receiving packages Of seeds
and books and merchandise by mail they
could not receive them ut all. lie also
favored it because these merchandise
packages could be carried without loss to
the POstoilice Department. Merchandise
could be carried all around the globe at
s cents u pound or less. No merchant
in New York would send 100 pound
packages through the mails and pay s
cents II pound for them, because the ex.
press companies would carry them cheap.
or. That was M answer to his colleague
Gariield's argument. a.ls.
Mr.. Garfield gave the history Of the
legislation Of last session which it was
now proposed to repeal. 1t had origin.
ated in the PostofIice Department in the
shape OF d letter to the chairman Of the
Senate Postotlice' Committee, suggesting
tliatthe rate OF postage on merchandise
be doubled. The sundry civil appropri'
alton bills came from the Senate 10 the
House at 2 o'clock on the morning OF the
last day OF the session with over hun
dred amendments, among which was ar
amendment supposed to be in pursuance
OF the Postmaster Generals recommends
tion and in that idea il had been unani'
mously adopted by the Committee on Ap'
priations, OF which he was chairman. Nc
member OF the committee understood
the language Of the amendment. 1t in
cluded anything else than merchandise
After the amendment had passed il was
asccrtained that the language Of the
amendment covered not only merchandise
but also Transient newspapers and
pamphlets. In that all were surprised
The amendment covered the whole OF the
third-claSs instead OF the merchandise
portion Of it. He deeply regretted il for
it was against all his notions Of proper
postal legislation to double the ratcs for
printed matter. He had been there, and
still was in favor OF legislation: that had
no reference 10 merchandise. 1t was
wrong to say, however, that it had been
smuggled in, it had been put in, or in
tended TO he put In openly on the recon-.
mendation Of the Postoilice Department
Mr.. Randall-Why was not that COM
munication sent to the Committee on Ap'
preparations Of this House?
Mr.. Garfield Because the bill was then
in the Senate.
Mr.. .Randall-Why did the Postmaster
General wait till the last hour OF the ses'
sion to put such a matter on the country
when he had anentirc session TO come 10
a conclusion about it yp
Mr.. Garfield cannot answer for the
Postmaster Generals reasons. | am moi
keeper OF his discretion nor one OF his
counsel. -4t''I.a
Mr.. Garfield then went on 10 argue
against carrying merchandise in the mails
and said that il any one would show him
any logical place to stop at In that bnsi'
ness until railroad car was loaded with
goods and had its sides posted with
stamps he could do. more than he Gar
feldj could. The Postofiice Department
in entering on that business Of merehan.
die transportation was ultimately bound
to absorb the entire freight transportation
Of the country.
Mr.. Clarke-Is not merchandise car
ried in the mails in every other coun.
try? 80,
Mr.. Garfeld-Perhaps am not inform.
ed. The postotfice was established to
transmit intelligence, and anything else is
departure from the original idea. BIO
Mr. Randall also supported the bill
and expressed his qualification that those
who had any connection with the legis.
lation Of last year (now to be repealed,
discovered II. Even the Postmaster Gen
eral had suggested a repeal Of the law
which he had been clearly found guilty o.
having inaugurated. It was remarkable
that all the blnnders which were commit.
ted in the haste Of legislation at the end
OF the session, were sure TO be In behalf o.
monopolies and agaihst the interests o.
the people. The result Of the law Of las
session had been to the Inconvenience o.
the! people, andl to augment the receipts
Of express companies a quarter OF mil
lion dollars.
=, MI %a S"Id S tho Committee Comm M % on Snnronria
u ,ions NJ ~ %f tbs lac. Honse reSnnnsible 70,
,G ',o;., " s,r;1,r @ ~ ;rf.mo',u tLSngs in con.
"Oo,,s "o.rs S.s;, ,s;;I ,bis III % ia";siot;on '
''s Nr Randall saiJ tbat he held the Con
for"n:o , Committec tee md Tho Committee or
'srs"e" sr,.ons;O,;oms ~ ,hs las, Tonse "n;lt,
Hpp,o'; nt,po i"nros";o,, ~ II sscnr;tv IN tI,e mai
y, a. ."o onJ h" m;Smfss6 that ihe Cotnmitte,
"n 'e, "n mmronr MN I",;nms of tbe nresent Hons,
Om ,"a,,I9 SPl"VpI nv, ~ rn;Ieo ,1ys6ing of III,
EnI ESGI" "'''' 'ss"
NJ Garfield sugucsted IN Mr.. Randall
,ho au ncn';dor,,ion ~ The Scr;ntural advice
tIe T ~ tU rot him who, ,nnItetI on ths harms
boa', eH N.Y. " he new who taEeth Il off,
Nj NJ Randall renIied that he had no
,,ooa,:d w. hn, hal s;mnly condemned wber
OoaS O"s"mrot;on wos, railed for. He Iir
rO NO, nronose to net in the interest Of III,
"vnresS "T, comnanies. or in any interest
eXdor, eXpo ,boos n the neople.
Tbs Iii was Then passed without diyi