The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-01-21

change was proposed. The rules should
never have been allowed to exist and he
wished it to be destroyed now; although
he knew the party with which he was in
political affiliation had power under 1t to
delegate who should be next president
and vice president of the United States.
they had no right to any such power ex.
cept as provided by the Constitution.
Mr.. Edmunds said he would favor the
substitute of the Senator from Delaware
as an independent resolution. He hoped
the amendment of the Senator from In
diana, except the twenty second joint
rule, would be adopted now and all other
joint rules be agreed to.
1.-The substitute of Mr.. Bayard was re-
jected. the amendment of Mr.. Morton
was agreed to, and the resolution contin-
uing in force the joint rules as amended
by Mr.. Morton was adopted.
Mr.. Bayard then submitted a resolu-
tion instructing the Committees on Rules
of the Senate and House of Representa-
tives to examine and, after conference,
report whether any and what legislation
is expedient in regard to matters consid-
cred in the twebty-second joint rue.
Laid over.
Mr.. Sargent introduceda bill in regard
to postal routes, postotfices and post roads.
1t provides that every railroad in the
United States and territories, shall be
considered in law to be a postal route,
and that every person or association de-
n. t, do krs NTH railroad
company or along the line of any rail-
road, shall enjoy the same rig hts and
privileges as may now or hereafter be
enjoyed by a railroad, or conceded to any
other corporation, association, firm or
person.
Mr.. Sargent introduced bill confer
ring certain privileges upon telegraph
companies. 1Lprovides for the establish
ment of
New Postal Telegraph System
of which the following are the features:
Every postotiice in the United States
situated at point on any telegraph line,
shall also be telegraph station at which
any te egraph company maintaining such
line may establish and operate its instru-
ments. Ii in any case it Is apparent
that the duties of the postmaster and
telegraph operator could be performed by
one person the Postmaster-General
may appoint a suitable person for both
duties. and all postmasters shall receive
messages for transmission, by tele.
graph, and cause them to be delivered.
The telegraph company paying the gov
ernment postage of one cent on each.
The charges for telegraphing all mess
ages to be received at or delivered from
postotiices shall be fixed by the Post
master General, but must not exceed
the following rates: For ten word
message, less than 250 miles, ten cents;
for distances between $50 and 500 miles,
fifteen cents; from 500 to 1000 miles,
twenty-five cents, and for all greater
distances fifty cents, the address and sig
nature to be free of cnarge. and addition
al W rds rates to be IN like proportion.
The bill, however, authorized any
such telegraph company to main
tain other Offices in important
cities or places for the receipt, transmits
sion and delivery of messages Of urgent
character and to charge rates for them
higher than foregoing; provided that the
Government business shall have prece-
dence whenever the head of an executive
department so requests, and that it shall
be done at the lowest rates fixed
bv this bill. The Government
is to have right to purchase any line
excepting private ones, under this bill at
any time within three years after COM
mencing operations under it, and at the
actual cost with six per cent interest
added. The last section directs the
Postmaster General to advertise
forthwith for proposals, and to
award the contract to respon.
sible party undertaking to form
a telegraph connection and carry out the
object Of this bill test not exceeding the
prices above named. The contract to be
for twenty years unless the government
shall during the period purchase the
lines. Adjourned.