The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-04-07
f0RTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, April 8.
SENATE.

SENATE,
Mr.. Thurman from the Committee 'on
Judiciary reported with amendments
House bill to correct an error in the re.
vised statutes in regard to warrants and
arrests in extradition cases. The amend
ments were agreed to and the bill passed.
Mr.. Wright from the same Committee
reported Radversly on the Senate bill to
abolish capital punishment and it was
indefinitely postponed.
Mr.. Edmunds of the same committee
reported bill to further proyide for the
administering of the oath in the Senate.
Calandered. Said bill was submitted in
response to an order of the Senate yes.
terdsy lnstructing the committee to in
quire Into the expediency of reporting
such bill.
Bills were introduced and referred as
follows:
BY Mr.. Boutwell-Making an appro-
priation to defray the expenses of the
committee appointed by the Senate to in
vestigate the recent elections in Missis-
sippi. Referred
BY Mr.. Sargent-To amend the act of
Congress creating Court of Commits.
sioners, approved January 2Sd, 1874.
Referred.
MIR, Bogy spoke against making the
postotlices self-sustainlng. He doubted
the policy of reducing the postage on
letters TO two cents. Newspapers and
periodicals ought to be scattered through
out the land, and if there must be tax
to transport them, the people could not
pay for q better or more useful objec'.
He favored an increase OF the rates on
merchandise but no increase on the rate
Oh newspapers and periodicals. lie ap-
proved of the amendment of the Senator
IRON Kansas Harvey.
Mr.. Maxey spoke in support Of the
bill! and said if the Senate would sustain
the committee and pass the bill the gov
ernment would save about 81 900, 600 per
annum.
Pending discussion Mr.. Wright with
drew his motion to reconsider the vote
by which the bill to authorize the sale OF
the Pawnee reservation was passed.
Mr.. Ednunds called up a House bill
reported by the Judiciary Committee
this morning, TO amend section ,O44 OF
the revised statutes In regard to llmlta-
tions in prosecutions for crime.
The amendments proposed by the
committee of verbal character were
agreed to and the bill passed.
Mr.. Sauis bury spoke in favor OF bill
fixing the rate Of postage on third Class
matter. and said there was deficiency
of eight or nine million dollars
in the postoffce department, which must
be. supplied from the national treasury,
unless some measure be adopted to make
the department :el!-sustainIng. One cause
for the deficiency was the excessive
amounts paid tor contracts, and another
cause was the large number number of
employees in the postal service. There
might be material reduction IN both
clerks and letter carriers.
Mr. Window said he could not sec how
the Government sustained 4 less by car
rvinp At one cent an ounce when he com
nored the amount collected from the peo-
ne on third-class mail matter with the
demands of railroad companies. lie
was unable to see how any loss was sus-
tanned by the department for transpor-
tst;on of sheet matters. Newspap-
els and periodicals sent from the
office of publication to actual sub
scribers were not touched by the bin.
If persons, rs Il matter of convenience,
desired to send merchandise by mail
which should be sent by express, such
merchandise should pay the cost OF trans
porta,ion. Express companies charged
according to the distance which pack
age was conveyed and it WIS perfectly
proper for the government to do SO, rs
proposed in the bill.
MIR. Merrlman submitted an amend
ment to strike out OF the first section the
following clause, inserted alter the arti-
cles enumerated as constituting third
class matter and other matter which
NAV 1c declared msilable by law and all
other articles not above the weight pre-
scribed by law, which are not from this
form or nature liable to destroy deiace
or otherwise iniure the contents of mail
bags or the person of any one engaged
in the postal service. lie then submitted
another amendment providing for the
fourth class OF mail matters for articles
not enumerated in the first,
second or third class to be
transmitted 1000 miles or less at -
cents for each ounce or fractional part
thereof and for all distances over 1000
miles - cents for each ounce or frac-
tional part thereof.
II was ordered that both amendments
be printed. ..
MIR Cockrell presented memorial of
the Kansas City, Missouri, Board OF trade,
asking the passage Of bill to establish
terms OF The Circuit and District courts
of the United States for the western dis
tric. of Missouri at Kansas City. Refer
red to the Committee on Judiciary.
Mr.. Harvey presented joint rrsoiu-
ton of the Kansas Legislature, asking
the passage of law donating Fort
Hsrker military reservation to that state
for educational purposes. A.so resolu-
tion demonstrating against any reduction
of the army, and in favor OF stationing
troops on the frontier, to protect settlers
aoajnst anticipated depredstions OF the
SON, and other tribes of Indians, both OF
wbic1 were referred to the COMMITTEE on
Military atiairs.
MIR. Wright, from the Committee on
Judiciary. reported adversely on the oiI!
To make persons chargeab!e with crimes
and Offences witnesses in courts OF tne
limited States. Indefinitely postponed
After executive session, the Senate sd
iourned until Monday.
HOUSE.