Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-19
and frequency, the commerce of thu
country would be greatly benefited.

and frequency, the commerce of thu
country would be greatly benefited.
believe that a general law should be passed au
thorizing contracts for carrying mails between
the United States and West Indian and South
American points in American built steamers
carrying the American flag, at fixed minimum
and maximum price, the amount to be ex
pended regulated by annual appropriations, o.
the service might be thrown open to competi
ton the same as the "star' service. The adop
ton of such service by Congress would enable
this country to control the profitable commerce
with South America and sthe West Indies
which is now almost monopolized by Great
Britain.
In regard to the use of the mails by lottery
companies, the postmaster general suggest,
that sections 8, 229 and 4,04l, revised statutes
lent" preceding the word lottery" in each
section, which will make legislation more har.
monious and effective It would aid the de.
partrnent in the execution of the intent of the
law, if the provision of 2, 1889, requiring q re.
turn to writer's of registered letters, addressed
| to such schemes, were in terms extended to in.
| clude all letters so addressed.
The circulars recently issued upon this sub.
ject are given, and reference is made to the
case now pending in the q. s. circuit court ct
Louisville, which, when decided, says Gen.
Key, will avail myself of the decision to
communicate the further views of this depart
ment on the question. Whether an individual
may forfeit his right to- use the mails for
| legitimate purposes by voluntary miagling
| such correspondence with other matters 30
| that the department must carry both or neith-
or, is question on which additional legisla-
ton might render the purpose of the statute
| altogether unouestionable. The carriage by
mail of newspapers containing lottery advertise
| ments is a violation of the postal laws, and
tenders the successful enforcement of the stat
ute now in force still more difficult.
| Gen. Key reports that the law providing for
a new classification of mail matter and adjust
ing rates of postage thereon, passed at the late
session of the Forty-dfth Congress, has given
universal satisfaction.
Under the heading of ''protection to post
masters in person and property" the report
| says: II desire respectfully to call your atten-
! ton to the fact that there ia no United States
statute imposing penalty on any one for as
| charge Of his official duties. as in the case of
revenue officers. 1 earnestly request that Con-
gress be urged to pass such a statute"
In connection with the suit recently decided
against Postmaster James, of New York, for
alleged infringement of the letter patent in the
use of canoelling stamps, Gen. Key says: An
accounting in the case is now being taken, bnt
as other pOstmasters are liable TO be subjected
to expense in the same manner, because these
stamps have been in use at all the principal
postofices of the country for the last ten years,
he desires to call attention to the fact that
cure certificates of probable cause to United
States officials, other than treasury officials, in
case of adverse Judgment for acts done in
their official capacity. In the present instance
Mr.. James, as postmaster of the United
States, and cancelling stamps furnished
by this department, the court ad Judges him to
have infringed patent by such nse. The
Judgment for damages is against him person.
ally. In like cases the property of treasury
officials is protected by law from levy. 1 sub
nit that similar protection is due to all gov
eminent employees when acting in the line of
their duty.
The report recommends that the provision of
section of the act of March Sd, 1879, author
izing the secretary of the treasury and post
master general to adopt regulations for deliv-
cry to addresses in the United States of dutia-
BILE books with the collection of custom duties
thereon, be extended to embrace all articles
OF dutiable matter received in mails from for
eign countries.
The postmaster general recommends legisla-
ton to enable the department to adopt the
general regulation of the postal union relative
to the payment of limited indemnity for regis
tered articles lost or destroyed in the postal
service. The report goes on to say that the in
creasing demands of the postal service call for
large increase in the appropriation for the
payment of clerks in the postoffices. The es-
innate, $50 900, for this item is greatly below
the actual need for the service. 1 have so
estimated, however, because I did not desire
to increase the growing disparity between rev.
enues and expenditures of the department.. To
provide less sum for the employment of
clerks than have estimated for will cripple
the work of postoffices and in many instances
delay the transmission of mails
The free delivery service is mentioned as
having attained great success, but the post
master remarks with larger appropriations
more frequent deliveries could be secured, and
such Improvement he believes would meet
with universal comm endation in the larger
cities.
A deficiency of about s24 900 is reported in
the funds available to pay the letter carriers
| increased salaries authorized by the act of last
February, and Congress is requested to supply
it.
The other recommendations of interest made
are in brief that Congress should provide at the
next session for superseding, at the earliest
possible date. the mail locks now in use by
others of new and improved patterns, for
which purpose an estimate of $3.50, 900 is sub
mitted: that the public printersbe authorized
to print new edition of the codifed postal
| laws and regulatians, to be sold to the public
| at cost; that authority be given to the depart
| ment to contract for the publication of q
monthly postal guide for term of five years.
TRADE MARKS.
sideration was given to the choice of topics for
| the Presidents annual message and the char
acter of recommendations to be made in forth
coming reports of various heads of depart
ments. Yesterdays decision of the supreme
court that the federal trade m ark law i. un-
constitutional, was referred to- and in view of
| the existence of treaties with several foreign
nations under which have guaranteed trade
mark protection in this country to their sub
| jects, it was agreed that the President should
| request Congress to enact some legislation on
this subject, which shall be free from obiec-
tions of unconstitutionality, but afford pro-
lection to foreign trade marks.
Testing the Ruling of Rebel BrIgadier
New YORK, Nov. 15.-Judge Dittendorfer
has begun an action on behalf of Wachsman &
Co. against Thos. L. James, postmaster of this
city, for damages caused by the detention of
their letters, registered aad ordinary, under
orders from the postmaster general, based on a
law authorizing him to detain letters concern
ing lotteries, etc. 1t is claimed by the coun-
sci that the law is unconstitutional. las it makes