Morning journal and courier., 1880-02-27
Forty-Sixth Congress.
WASHINGTON, Feb

possession of the department in relation to the present condition of affairs in Alaska. Adopted.
 Mir. Rollins, from the committee on civil service and retrenchment, presented mi norlty report on certain memorials relative to alleged violations of civil service rules in the Providence custom house. Ordered to be printed and laid on the table.
 The hour of one o'clock having arrived the Senate laid aside business and listened to eulogies on the late Senator Houston from Alabama, and at 2:20 p. m. adjourned.
 HoUsE.-Mr. Warner introduced a joint resolution reafirming the Monroe doctrine as follows
 Whereas, The doctrine thus announced has been accepted by the American people and has become Q cardinal principle in our national polity;
 And whereas, It is now proposed to con struct, under guaranties to be given by for eign Governments, canal across the Isth- mus of Darien
 Therefore be it resolved, etc., that the doc- Urine announced to the world more than half 8 century ago by President Monroe, and known as the Monroe doctrine, be, and the same is hereby reasserted. And in accord herewith, in behalf of the people of the United States, we affirm that the control of any interoceanic canal across the Isthmus of Darien, while open to us and all nations equally, must, in the interest of ourselves and the world, be kept under the special protec- tion of the United States.
 Resolved, That the United States, sensible to the importance to the trade of the world of opening water passage-way between the two oceans, will cordially promote, by such means as may be deemed proper and judicious such an undertaking.
 The joint resolution was referred to the Interoceanic Canal Committee
 Mir. Reagan, of Texas, chairman of the Committee on Commerce, reported the bill to commerce. Also the following bills which he stated would be offered as substitutes for that bill: The regular inter State commerce. To amend the act of 1866 to facilitate the com munication between the States. The three bills were ordered printed and made special order for the fourth Wednesday in March.
 The House then went into Committee of the Whole on the star service. The debate on the star route deficiency bill was continued all the afternoon. Mir. Hiscock, of New York, said he would not attack the postoffice officials, but any man who thought that the law had not been violated must misconstrue the spirit of the statutes which prohibits making contracts beyond the appropriation.
 MT. Clymer, of Pennsylvania argued that there was no necessity for this deficiency. The department asked for $5 900, 900 for the current fiscal year and Congress gave the de- partment every cent that was asked for. At the very time that the Postmaster General said $5, O,000 was sufficient for the service he knew he was running the depart ment at the rate of over $6, 900, 900. He knew there must be deficiency, and yet he never called the attention of Congress to the fact. The postofice officials claim that they can take the entire appropriation made by Congress and in their discretion spend it in thirty days if they choose to do so. The Sec ond Assistant Postmaster General says there is no limitation to his discretion, but this was assuming too much. A man who defeats this plain intention of Congress is violator of the law. and if it was in his (Mr. Olymer's) power he should suffer.
 MT. Page offered an amendment to strike out proviso of the first section, the effect of which would be to leave the appropriation for defciences without any conditions.
 MT. Blount offered substitute for the whole first section, which was to appropriate $97O, GOO, or So much as would be necessary, for inland mail transportation. It also pro vides that compensation shall be reduced on routes where there has been an increase of the original contract price during the last or cur rent fiscal year exceeding $25, 900.
 A vote was then taken on Mir. Pages amend ment to strike out the proviso in the first sec- tion, and it was rejected, 90 to 119.
 The substitute offered by MT. Blount was then adopted MT. Blount then offered sub stitute for the second section, to strike out enable the Postmaster General to place new services as authorized by law. Adopted.
 The committee then rose, and the bill as amended was reported to the House and passed.
 The House at 4:4O adjourned