National Republican., 1878-12-18
HOUSE or REPREsEyTlTIyEs.

The House resumed the consideration of the
Gencya award bill and was addressed by Mr.
teifer in favor of the majority report.
Mr.. HUMPHREY argued In favor OF the minority
sport
Mr. BuRcuARD opposed the bill of the majority.
because II did not submit the case on It's whole
merits to the tribunal.
Mr.. MOSROE favored the minority report Il
would be absurd for the United States TO be GOV.
erncd IN the work of distribution by the Diplomatic
influences which made themselves felt nt Geneva.
Mr. CnirTENDES said that he represented In this
distribution of the award and he himself was in.
terestcd In II. From 1873 till the present hour he
had been directly or indirectly II part of the At.
lantic Mutual Insurance Company, than which no
more beneicent or better insurance company ever
existed. Its profits aud dividends had never been
as large as they were during the war;
Mr. LuTTRELL favored the bill Of the minority
because he wanted TO cgislate for the actual sui.
fercrs, and iorCe the insurance companies, repre-
sentcd by lobbyists. to stand back.
At ljO o'clock further consideration of the bill
was postponed and the House went into Commit.
tee OF the Whole (Mr. Carlisle In the chair) on the
bill appropriatiug sijO0OO TO meet q deficiency In
the Appropriation for postal mail service aud pro-
hibtng any increase In the postalcar service dur,
ing the present year.
Mr.. BlOuNT, member of tho ApproprIatlou
Committee, explained the bill, and showed the in.
crease In the cost of the poslal'car service. That
on tho postal car service itself but on the whole
railway service. Since January, 1873 II had In.
creased u per cent on the postalSar service itelC
OF the Department against the will of Congress
that that service should be increased. Congress
had been ignorant that there had been growing up
In silence this system OF pOstal-Car service Con.
grcss had not been treated with common courtesy
by the Post Once department. The deficiency was
chagcable 10 the Department, and now the oiliCCrs
Of the Post'Ofice Department spoke triumphamlly
Of their victory over Congress oil this question.
Mr.. HALE defended the action Of the Depart.
menL The Postmaster. General could not have
done anything else than report 10 Congress that
there was u deficiency, He could not stop the ser.
vice; nll he could do whs to notify Congress The
weight OF the mails was constantly increasing and
the law was pitIlcss on the Postmaster General 10
pay for the postal service.
Mr. FosTER said that IL the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr, BOunt) did not know of the increase
In the postal.car service he should have known IT,
The department had estimated last year s0,7 O0C
the cost for mail service and but 80 10000 had
been appropriated, thus giving rise 10 the def.
cheney. II the derellctiOn rested anywhere II
rested on the House and the Committee of Appro.
priaton. The deficiency was the result OF the
general system OF economy" as pTactlced by the
Appropriation Committee
give every dollar that was necessary TO pIoInuit
and maintain the efficiency Of the service
Mr. PHILLlPs opposed the provision which pIo
hibts any increase 10 the service,
Mr. BiOrNT called attention to the fact tha
neither the gentleman from Ohio nor his polllica
friends had opposed the reduction In the cost o.
the postal service last year, but had on The con
trary, nssented to II.
Mr. CLYMER stated that he was last year on tn,
prOprlntinn bill relating TO the Post Oliice Depart
mcnt and no bill had been more carefully COnsid
cred. But there had been ConCealment on the pur
OF the Department, aud either the Postmaster Gen
ela or his subVrdinatcs had been deTeliCt In thci
duty,
Recurring to the remark made by Mr. Foster II
regard TO Democratic economy, he said. "lI no
for those successful ecOnomies there would have
been to-day deficiency In the Treasury wh.cl
would have had TO be nude up by Increasing taxa
u1l or making new loans"
Ie proceeded 10 compare the appropriation
made by the Republicans In the Thirty ninth anl
succeeding Congresses, up 10 the Forty third aHC
the reductions made In the succeeding CongTrsse
alter the Democrats had gained control OF tn,
House. lie declared that the average saving 10 tn
Government by the Democratic party was well ol
10 thirty millions year; and II II had not been 70
that ecOhomytAe Treasury would have been bank
rupt.
Mr. FOSTER expressed his amazemcnt at tn
statement made by Mr. Cymer lie admitted tina
the saving In 1877 over 1875 was SlOOOOOOO; al,
That the saving the next year was 81 ,69J,0OO bu
laid that the current year would show an inereM