The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-05-18
LATEST TELEGRAMS.
FORTY.SIXrH CONGRESS.
REGULAR SESSION.
SENATE

Washington, 1.-THE president
pro TEN laid before the Senate a COM
munication from the secretary of the
treasury, transmitting in compliance
with the Senate resolution, copies of
Captain John W. Whites report upon
Alaskan affairs, toglher With papers
relating to the transfer of jurisdiction
over Alaska, from the war to the
treasury department. Referred.
The postofice appropriation bill
was taken up. The committee
increase the appropriation for rail
road transportation $500 GOO, by
steamboats, $4,000, By messengers
$50, 000, fox mail locks and taxes
S75, GOO. st.ike out the provision
authorizing the postmaster general to
remit in favor OF the colonies of New
Zealand ard New South Wales as
much Of the cost of overland trans
portation of the Australian closed
mails as he may deem Just, and
strikes out the prCviso that all Star
routes shall be reies after thirty days
advertisement as now provided by
law On the 1st OF October 1880, for
which pay for expedition Of schedule
ordered during the fiscal year ending
June 30th, 1879, or June 80, 1880,
shall not exceed 50per centum Of the
contract price before suoh expedition,
provided that this proviso snail not
prevail when the present contractor
desires TO continue the contract as
reduced.
Wallace said all the amend
ments increasing appropriations
were recommended by the post
Office department. Ia proposing
the last-nsmed amendment, the com,
mittee was governed by the following
consideration: The language was con-
Trajectory and almost unintelligibls;
the effect of the proviso vas to strike
down the Star services west of toe Mis-.
sissipi River upon at least seventy
routes, and they believed it was both
improvilent and unwise, for when
the service was once given it woald
be unwise to take it away again.
These contracts were let for four
years; nearly all of them have run
eighteen months or two years. By
the pToviso they would have but
about eighteen months to run from
the date of the relettiug. The com
miltee think that if Congress annuls
these contracts, the contractors Will
have good claim for damages. Even
if they assent to the amendment and
accept the one months extra pay pro-
vided for in the contract, 1t would
cost government S277, 900; but the
contracts DO not provide for annul-
ment for any other reason than the
fault of the contractor. There is no
provision for annulment, and large
damages for such annulment could
De obtained from government.
Beck moved to amend the text
before the committee amend
ment was voted on; by adding to the
provIso the following: "And provided
further, that there shall be no de-
crease in the present number OF trips,
nor in the expedition now existing on
any of the routes above referred to in
the reletting herein provided for"
He referred to the extrsvsgsnt IN.
crease in contracts on some promi-
nent routes, and said that the neces-
sary service should not be Withdrawn
while we we're retrsnching extrsva-
gsnce.
Garland offered the following as
substitute TOR Beck's amendment
And provided tba! the contractors
herein referred to may, at any time
after the passage of this act, abandon
their contracts without damage to
themselves or their surieties,
Teller thought the proviso most
extraordinary one. Il proposed that
Congress should violate the faith OF
government.
After a long debate concerning the
obligation of contracts and the work.
ing of the Star Service generally, the
amendments proposed by Garland
aud Beck were rejected and the COM
miitse amendment striking out the
House prOviso vas agreed to.
The other committee amendments
we're agreed to and the bill passed.
Presiding officer Ferry laid before
the Senate q message from the Presi
dent, Transmitting the report of the
secretary of state upon the Fortune
Bay fisheries question. Ordered
printed.
Adjourned.