Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-03-01
THE CoNanEssIoNAL LIBRARY

THE CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY.
Annual Repor; Of Its Custodian.
Special Correspondence OF the Register.
WAsHiSGroN, February %.
The annual rel orr Of the Congression-
al Librarian went 10 the Senate Com
mittee to-day. The Librarian dwells on
the oyeT-crOw led condition Of the Libra
~, aud urges the necessity Of additional
accommodations. II was originally con-
struct,d for $4,000 volumes, but that
numb,r was long ago exceeded. Now
there are or volumes Of books and
10000 pamphlets. The Law books
number ~, Sa3 volumes. During the
year OF 1879 there were added to the IL
brary u ,361 volumes ami l2,O5O pam
phlets The present copyright system
greatly increases the aid tiOns, and from
il were received during the year 1857
books and Z, ,622 pamphlets. The Smith
sOnian contribution amounted To 2,2l9
volumes. The donations were not lib
eral, a. the entire country only
contributed i2O books The pur-
chases reached G,524 volumes
The feeling is general in Congress that
adequate provisions should be made for
the books, pamphlets, Sc., now piled up
aud practically inaceessI ble I'm the alcuyes,
and also Tor future additions. The only
trouble il To- get the members To agree
upon plan and location. Senator
Worries, chairman Of the Senate Library
Committee, is taking lively interest ia
the subject ami II Is 10 be hoped that hIs
energy will speedily accomplish some
thing. Senator Morrill, is also a strong
advOcate for early action. There ~ a
bill on the Senate calendar Ia provide
additional accommodations, Nc., Tor the
library, which will come up soon.
The Postoffice Department and Congress
The House last week discussed the
Star Seryiye and the Postmsster.t ieneral
and his assistants, aud this week the
Senate will devote itself 10 them. The
Democrats, except those from Texas AMI
some OF the Wetern States, will adyo-
cate the House bill, which spproplates a
million 90 the Star Service tu keep II mp
until July, while Mr.. Teller, by his
amendment to make the appropriation
81 l,7OO,OOO instead Oi a million, has al
really indicated that the Republicans
will desire Ia give Mr.. hey what he
wants While the Subcommittee Oi the
Appropriation Committee OF the senate,
consisting II Senator's Book, Wallace and
Booth, Were 10 day considering the
House Star Service bi!l with closed
doors, | asked Democrat oi national
reputation what hr thought Ot the mat
tor. lie replied, 1T would take a mem-
Der Of Congress years tO understand
fully the working of this DE
partment Congress calls for reports
said he, "aud they are furnished, !
hut who understands them, and who |
can, except IN expert aud trained ac-
cOuntant familiar with the methods and |
management Oi the POstotlice Depart |
ment, expose their iallaCies Why ln |
the system oi bidding Tor the routes |
there are combinations which no one !
can understand until he has thoroughly |
mastered the triCkery OF IL. For eX- |
ample, said he, "lOok at the route from
Fort Worth, in Texas, To Fort Yuma, IN /
Arizona, and he thercupOn explained |
10 me how the contractor, who was then
testiiying before the committee, hy the /
Kindness of Messrs. hey, Brady ~ Co., |
who were there with him, had gotten
great many thousands of the money OF |
the government to which he was not /
entitled. lie took the contract Tor kl3S,- /
900, and made the trip IN seventeen /
days subsequently the department
gave him Sl65, 900 more 10 DO It in thir-
teen DAYS. How said |, do you
propose to remedy all the evils you CON-
plain of2" "Why," he replied, lit can
only be done by changing the admins
tratiOn, and placing an honest, indepen-
dent and capable officer at the head of
the department, who will never stop |
until he has abolished all corrupt prsc-
tlces, and placed the system on
an honest basis. The present /
Postmaster General, no added, is
good enough man for some purposes, |
but is only a figure head, who is Obliged |
tO carry out the wishes Of his superiors. |
81 was very sorry, said he, TO see that |
he has endorsed Mr.. Brady, whom | be- |
lieve is the worst of all the lot. Tie |
had hardly gotten through before the |
doors of the committee room were /
thrown open and the subcommittee all |
i0urned. | ascertained that they had |
heard MessTs Key and Brady and Mr.. |
Salisbury, the contractor between forts /
Worth and Yuma They did not reach 1
any conclusion, but ordered the testl- |
mOny tn be at once printed, So that Il |
NAV he laid before the full Comm ittee |
on Appropriations, which meets on /
Monday morning. Senator Davis, OF |
West Virginia, the chairman, will pre- |
side, and senator Beck SAYS he will rig- |
OrOusly oppose any increase OF the |
amount appropriated by the House ball. |
The Condition Of House Business
TIE House will ON Tuesday complete !
the consideration Of the rules and will !
then 90 To work ON the appropriation |
bills. These will be pushed forward |
with all possible speed, and the dispOsi- !
tiOn Of the House 10 work rapidly en-
courages those Who contend that there |
will be an early adjournment Judge |
Harris says he expects 10 get up the |
Virginia war claim tor advances maize 20 |
the U. 5. Government during the war Of |
1872, amounting 70 nearly S2,OOO,OOO, at /
an early day.
Alaska 10 Have q Government
The Territorial Committee Of the Sen
ate will next week report ball giving /
Alaska not full territorial oFgsniEstion, |
but quasi territorial government, in |
cluding a governor and courts, but no
legislature. The population will not
warrant the former, but the distance
from other portions Of the United States
requires that steps should be taken to
protect its people and maintain the
authority OF the Federal Government
within its limits. Collector NJ. ID. Ball
has given the COMMITTEES very full par
tieulars a. 10 the wants and condition OF