The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-05-08
Forty Fourth Congress-First Session.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, May g.
No legislative business was transacted, the
day being spent On the impeachment business.
Adjourned till Monday.
HOUSE.
The official oath Of Office was administered
to j. V. Lemone as representative from Hi
nois, in place of Farwell,
MIR. Hurlbut of illinois, from the military
committee, reported bill authorizing the use
OF tents and camps and garrison equipage for
veterans of 1872 and of the Mexican war at the
Centennial. Passed
The House went into committee of the whole
on the post Office appropriation bill, and was
eral defence of the bill against the attacks
made upon it some days ago, especially in con-
nection with the postal car service.
A proposition to increase the item for COM
pensation of Post Office clerks from 1928, 900 to
$685., 000,. made on the Republican side was re-
sisted on the Democratic side and rejected.
Mr.. Mutchler of Pennsylvania, made point
of order on the paragraph appropriating $780,
600 for the letter carriers, which contains a
provision abolishing the letter carrier system
in all cities of less than 10000 inhabitants.
He argued that the question of economy as
presented in that provision was one of argu-
ment and inference in as much as the abolition
of the letter carrier system would necessitate
the appointment of additional clerks.
Mr.. Banks of Massachusetts enlarged on the
ioea anu taxing Lynn LOT an eXampe) cOnten-
ded that IT the carrier system was abolished
the $4,000 people of that town would have to
go daily to the post Office, thereby necessitating
an enlargement of the post office accommoda-
tons, increase of post office clerks, and dimin-
iShing the amount of mail cOrrespondence
He also intimated that it would throw business
into the hands of express companies He
therefore commended that the diminution of the
carrier system would not be in the interest of
public economy.
Mr.. Holman replied to Mr.. Banks and (also
taking the town of Lynn as an iluStration)
showed that the local postage of that town
amounts to only $499, while the expenses of
the office are $6302. A part OF the deficien
cies arose from the free delivery system, so that
that very example showed there would be an
absolute reduction of expenditure in the abOl.
ition of the free delivery system.
Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvania, pointed to the
fact appearing in the report of the Postmaster
General that in fifty-five towns there had been
last year expenditures of 100000 in excess of
the post office receipts. By the abolition of the
inhabitants, the cost of that system could be
reduced from $4,000 to $165, 900.
In the course OF the discussion Mr.. Douglass
of Virginia contended that the point of order
was we'll taken. 1t was the province of the
post office committee to recommend charges of
the committee on appropriations, of the COM
mittee on ways and means to provide means of
supplying the revenue.
The discussion closed and the chairman (Mr.
Springer) proceeded to decide on the point He
said that although two cities in his own district
would be affected by the provision he trusted
he would be able to divest himself of all per-
sonal considerations in deciding a question of
SO much importance to great many cities of
the country. 1t seemed plain to him that the
abolition of the office was prna facie re-
trenchment of expenditure and therefore he
overrued the point of order.
Mr.. Mueller then moved to strike out the
provision abolishing the free delivery system in
cities of less than 10000 inhabitants. He ar.
gued that the free delivery system was more
for the benefit of laboring classes who could
not spare the time to go to the post office than
of the mercantile class whose clerks could be
sent there, and that the proposition was aimed
The committee rose and the House at
o'clock adjourned.