Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-14
Blouse of REPRESENTATIVES..

WASHINGTON, Mdrcn Ao.--AAteC lAe A0VloAuC~
ton and reference of few bills the House |
went into committee Of the whole, MIR. Cox, OF
New York, in the chair, on the diplomatic ap-
preparation bill. The committee having pro
oeeded to consideration of the bill by sections
Mr. Hale moved to increase the salaries to
Great Britain, France Germany and Russia to
@l7, 500, instead of fixing them at $4,000, as
contemplated by the bill. After considerable
debate Mr. Reagan, by unanimous consent,
made en- explanation on the subject Of the pro-
posed payment Of mail route contractors IN the
Confederate States for services rendered pre-
vious to the war and sent to the clerks desk
and had read an extract from his first report as
postmaster general of the Confederacy. The
object of the reading was to show that he had
been correct in stating that he had, as post
master general, directed mail contractors to
continue their service under contract with the
United States, and directed the postmastera to
turn over their postage stamps and money to
the United States before control of the service
was assumed by the Confederacy. He con-
fessed to having forgotten subsequent legisla-
ton on the subject. He hoped the House
would not consider he had been dealing unfair
" or desingenuously with it.
MIR. Conger replied to MIR. Reagan: He dis
tleman in the matter Of the bill to pay South
ern mail contractors. That gentleman had con-
tradicted statement that he (Conger) had
| made as to these contractors having been paid
! by the confederate government, and he Con-
| ger) had met him and overthrown him with his
| proclamation. The gentleman from Texas had
also denied that these contractors had been paid
by the confederacy, but his (Conger's) colleague
| (Willets) had presented the proof that they had
been. He did not wish to say anything per
sonal about the gentleman from Texas. He
accepted his explanation for whatever that
! gentleman might consider it worth. Still the
| charge remained unanswered that the gentle
| men on the other side who were familiar with
the legislation of the confederate congress, and
| who must have known that over eight hundred
thousand dollars had been appropriated by that
congress to pay these contractors, were silent
upon that fact.
Mr.. Douglas at this point rose to ask ques-
ton Of Conger.
/ Conger declined to yield for that purpose,
but Douglas persisted and refused to take his
seat as requested by the chairman. proceedc
ings were thus interrupted, until Mr.. Wood, of
N. Y, raised the question of order, that the
whole discussion was irrelevant to the bill be-
fore the committee and therefore out of order,
and the chairman sustained the point.
Mr.. Conger then moved for an amendment to
the bill, and proceeded again to discuss the
question Of Southern mail contractors. when
similar point of order was made by MIR. Lut-
trell, and was again sustained.
Mr.. Atkins, chairman of the appropriation
committee, expressed his regret that thegen-
tleman from Michigan had not been allowed to
20 on in his own way. It would not have done
q particle of harm. A false impression had
been made on the country. He was here in.
: sterrupted by q like point Of order by Mr.. Reed
{ which was also sustained by the chair. HI
thought it very upkind in the gentleman from
/ Maine to make the point, but he (Atkins) hae
) way Of paying debts and would probably b,
. able TO pay that debt during their inter
course.
) Mr.. Reed defended his course in raising th,
!, noint of order, and intimated that the position
held by the gentleman from Tennessee CAV
: him no more right to the floor than any othe
4 member, -
z MIR. Atkins declared with some warmth tha
t the insinuation was d:screditable to the gentle
3 mans candor. rt.zs
: Mr., Reed have made no insinuation what
e ever.
i. MIR. Atkins-The insinuation was, that
e thought had right to OCCUPY the floor t
the exclusion Of any other member. # it di
l. not mean that it was dribble and nonsense.
l. 4 Mt, Frye objected to any further discqssio
2 of the question.
Mr.. Atkins then proceeded to argue again
le Mr.. Hale's amendment, increasing the appr.
e. priation for the four principal members
rs EUROPE.
Mr. Luttrel stated that most Of the Anne,