New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-08-12


Icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
r.s,,xcroN. Aug. 1.-THE Senate did good
49,, to-day and bad one. l; passed an amend
'u's % the Postal hill restoring the franking privi-
ond also one Establishing the fast mail ser
80 The former bill is opposed by the people, but
sa,ardca by the politicians the latter is demanded
-. ,ho citizens and business men in all the great
-; and olop, al the great lines of travel, and is
osd nv those who live far in the interior as to
ta'ontside the benefits of speedy mail communlca-
- The imposition to the fast mail clause III the
Sanote today was very weak and trivial. Some OF
49, western Senators opposed the bill because they
s;d II benefited only the managers OF railroads ana
o,l, a small portion of the American people but
,boy must have forgotten that the people are taxed
,uiions of dollars every year To iulmsh man ser
1-,ces in the West when no equivalent whatever Is
i,od and where indeed, in some cases II is estl-
r,o.ed that 1t costs hundreds of dollars 10 carry
eyory letter. Senator Hamln wanted orginany
so00 OOO 10 reGstablish the fast mals' but IL was
materially reduced. The amount gwen the trunk
lines from New-York was $4,000; to The fhiiadei-
pba Wilmington and Baltimore and the Baltimore
and Ohio, So, 900; to the route to New-orieohs
from Washington via Richmond, SlOV'oVO' ana ioi
the service between Chicago and the eastern 'erlhl
nus of the Union Pacific, $4,000. These sums may
he somewhat reduced IN the house 'Ne o'ii Is
passed at all by that body. g.,
OF the franking privilege not much may De saiu'
Certainly the people were not asking for It's Testora-
zion and the citizen paid bis postage on letters to
Co,,,yess,nen without grumble and immense sums,
veocb;uc # il said. INTO the millions, were yearly
eoro5 IN the matter Of the transportation OF the
o,,ls and the prntins of documents by the Govern
mont which were never read by the people. The
restoration Of the franl.ng privilege was, however,
demanded By the politicians. The postage on cam
pai.,n documents during the pending canvass would
lie a severe burden on the party organization, ana
the leaders have determined to shift 1T on the shout
ders of the Government. The scheme TO restore the
privilege has been under careful preparation Tor
long time and THE TRIBUNE has hitherto called at
teption to the fact. Ii cannot be said that II IS
wholly Democratic measure, although the Demo-
Gratis were the most prominent i'll organizing ana
pcrfectng the scheme. 1t was thought
desirable TO have ii originate in the Sen
ate. SO that the Democratic House might
not receive the entire odium OF the measure.
The vote closely, considered, rather more Demo-
cratic than Republican. The entire vote was-l cas-
30; Nays II and politically considered 1t stood
Yeas, Democrats 10 Republicans. 10; Nays, Dem
ocrats 5 ; Republicans, TO- 1t is minated that
some of the Democrats and some of the Republicans
who voted in the negative would have voted Other-
Wise had il been necessary. The manner III when IL
passed was substantially restoration OF the Ola
law although it will probably not be construed that
mcmbers have the right to frank their washing
home nor send their boots through tine mail for re-
pair. and it will not even embrace apple-paring
machines such as were sent through the mails
under the frank of J. H. Platt of Virginia, under
The old law one of them finding its way to the Dead
Letter Office The bill as passed by the Senate
Simply permits Senators, members and delegates,
also the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the
Senate to send and receive free of postage letters
and documents to be franked with their name. The
opiniol expressed By those interested that IT will
pass the House by a two-thIrds vote.