Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-26

assistant postmaster general for their violation
of law in making contracts to the amount of
81, 100000 beyond the appropriations and
titude either of intorsing their &C.
ton or leaving the country without
such mail service for three months. If this
was to be the manner in which public funds
were to be used, he trusted the House. without
reference to party, with due regard to the
laws of the land, and with due regard to the
good administration of them, would resort to
such an example would drive such miserable
sophists out of place hereafter.
MIR. Blackburn, member of the committee on
appropriations, while advocating the main
features of the bill, made criticism on some of
its details. The estimates of the postoffice de-
partment had not been pruned or cut down to
the extent of single dollar, and yet the ap-
preparation WAS about exhausted, and
Congress was told that on the 10th
of March next there wouldn't be dollar left
to carry on the great postal service Of the
country unless this or some sther deficit bill
was passed. In the meantime the main fea-
lures of the bill were. first to provide such
sum of money as was necessary to meet the de-
fciency. With that purpose he fully concurred,
1T mattered not whether it should be found
hereafter that there had existed abuses in the
pOstoffiee department. and that the money had
beeG i'd udiciously and extravagantly expend-
ed. That wasn't the present issue. No one
wanted to deprive the country
OF mall service on these
10000 star routes. The second main object of
the bill was to put limitations on what the
committee on appropriations believed was an
abuse of discretion on the part of the postof-
fee department. With that, too, he was
strongly and heartily in sympathy. But he
didn't believe the bill had been carefully
enough drawn to accomplish that second pur-
and hat US ha nal Ohiecfiou IN
the bill. He knew exactly what the commit
tee would be met with when its report
came into the House, but he
would say that when the time came
and when the report would be brought
into the House no man would go farther than
he in indicating the postothce department if
it had been honest, or in Furnishing it even by
prosecution to Impeachment of its head had he
been dishonest. He saw before him to-day on
the floor of the House the heads of that de-
partment plying their vocation, and actively
attempting to influence the votes of members.
He had seen them here yesterday. He protest.
ed that whatever contest might arise in
regard to this investigation it shall net
be thrust upon US before the report of the COM
mittee has been made to the House and its
labors concluded. l don't see that that matter
has any connection with this bill. l believe
that the purpose of the House is fixed not to
let the star service of the country be stopped,
uOI W lct IL Ut slIiChcu uOWu ny Oue leu plOW
as the pastoffice department proposes to do. l
don't want that done myself.
MIR. Cannon agreed with Mr.. Blackburn,
though adding that the increased service came
from west of the Mississippi, and gentlemen
east of the Mississippi were pressed to vote for
the star service in order to get lite service
their routes.
Mr. Haskell denounced the action of the
committee on appropriations, calculated to
cripple and kill the star service.
Mr.. Cox inquired what remedy Congress
could apply when the postoffice department
exceeded appropriations in defiance of law.
Mr.. Haskell-When the Both of June comes
the law. punish him.
MIR. Cox-There is no penalty attached to this
law. l wished there was.
Mr.. Hawley closed the day debate by Sc
verely crticising the action of the postoffice
department relative to the star service. He
(Hawley) wanted to call attention to the open,
defiant snd shameless infraction Of solemn
statutes Of the United States. HeT said it
deliberately that was what it
was. There was deficiency amounting to 81
per cent. of the amount of the original apprO-
priation which the postmaster general had
been ordered to remain within. Could any
officer escape Impeachment by that course. He
thought not. To act in that way was to insult
the legislative body and to put the thumbscrew
every member of Congress. He did not
charge corruption or theving. He simply ap-
pealed for reasonable and honorable ODE
dies of statutes. As it was Congress was act
ing under duress.
The servants of Congress hadn't obeyed its
orders, and Congress must mend the matter
without hurting the people, and then deal
with them it pleased.
MIR. Blackburn had read for information an
amendment, which he proposed to offer,
providing that the appropriations made by the
bill shall not exceed 100000.
Mr.. Baker had read substitute which he
proposed to offer for the first section of the
bill appropriating 100000 to meet the de-
fciency in the star service, and providing that
compensation shall be reduced to the terms of
the original contract on any route ON which
the price had been increased, and further pro-
viding that nothing herein contained shall be
construed to lessen the number of trips per
week on any one route. The committee then
rose and the House adjourned.