Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-03-04

action Of the Post Oaice Department auda-
cious and unprecedented. They had deliber-
ately and in violation of law, made contracts
amounting to sl,7OO,OOO, and then pretended
to submit to Congress the question whether
service should be continued or not, when to
refuse to continue it, would be to destroy the
Star Service of the country. He trusted
that without reference to party, but regard
ing the just administration of laws, the House
would resort to such means as would drive
such miserable sophists out of place here.
after. The money, however, must be given.
1t, therefore, became Congress to retain in
the present bill its restrictions, tying the
hands Of the Departments. He hoped the
bill would pass in its present shape. Mr..
Blackburn, member of the Appropriations
Committee, advocated the bill while critici-
sing some ofits details The money should
be appropriated ; nobody wanted to deprive
the country Of mail service on these ten thou
sand Star Routes. He also favored limiting
the discretion of the department and so pre-
venting abuses, but he did not think the bill
as framed would accomplish that. Mr.. Can.
non, of Illinois, advocated the bill, and Mr..
Haskell, of Kansas, opposed it. Mr.. Haw-
ley, of Connecticut, severely criticised the &C.
ton of the Department as an open, defiant
and shameless infraction of the statutes which
warranted the impeachment of the officers.
Messrs. Blackbu and Baker had the clerk
read amendments which they proposed to
offer to the bill. The committee then rose
and the House adjourned.
In the Senate on the 26th, at the expira-
ton of the morning hour, eulogies we're pro,
nounced by different Senators upon the late
Senator Houston, of Alabama, after which
the Senate adjourned. a-E ,..
In the House, the star mail service occupied
the greater part of the session. Mr.. Page, of
California, opposed the bill Mr.. Blount intro
duced the day before, on the ground that it
favored some sections of the South at the ex.
pense of the West. The service had been
increased, he said, on nineteen routes in the
Sixth Georgia District, not one Of which this
bill would touch, while it struck at one hun.
dred and seven routes in the West. After
considerable, discussion, Mr.. Baker, of Indi.
ana, in behalf of the Appropriations Commit
tee, submitted as substitute for the whole
bill a bill, the first section of which appropri-
ates $970,000 for inland star routes during
the remainder of the current fiscal year, at
contract prices existing February 1st, 1880,
providing that increased compensation in
excess of twenty FIVE hundred dollars, on any
route, for expediting the service, shall be re-
duced, March 1st, to the terms of the original
contract that there shall be no reduction Of
the number oftrips per week, and that hence
forth there shall be no expediting of the SER
vice on any star route Mr.. Blount moved
as substitute for the first section of the pend
ing bill, the corresponding section of Mr.;
Bakers bill, introduced to day summarized
above). Agreed to. Mr.. Blount then moved
to amend the second section of the bill by
striking out the appropriation of one hundred
thousand dollars to increase the service on
existing routes Agreed to. The committee
then rose and reported the bill to the House,
and it was passed. The House adjourned.
In the Senate on the 9th, Mr.. Cameron of
Wisconsin, presented a joint resolution of the
Wisconsin Legislature, deprecating any 6nan.
cial legislation by Congress, as likely to en-
danger the prosperity Of the Country. A num-
Der of other bills were introduced among them
the following, which was passed BY Mr..
voorhees,, of Indiana, admitting free of duty
clothing and other charitable contributions
from abroad for therelief of colored emigrants
in Kansas. Adjourned till Monday.
In the House a number of private bills
were presented, when, in committee of the
whole, the revision of the rules consumed the
remainder of the session, and the House ad-
journed till Monday.