Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-02-26
HOUSE.
hOBsE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. rs.

presented by Mr.. McLane (Md.)
and appropriately referred: The
memorial of E. Whitman, praying
for removal of the tax on paper,
and the repeal Of the duty on print
ing type; the memorial of wholesale
grocers, praying for q law to pre-
vent the adulteration of food. i
'-~ Mr.. Beale (Va.), from the com
mittee on manufactures, reported a
bill to prevent the adulteration of
articles of food and drink. Ordered
printed and recommitted.
Mr.. Bicknell INDY, chairman of
the committee on presidential elec,
ton, reported back the joint reso-
luton amending the constitution as
to the election of president and vice
president. Ordered printed and
recommitted. eq Fqg -
Mr.. Blount (Ga.), from the CONS
mittee on appropriations, reported
back the "star" service deficiency
bill. and it was referred tn a oo.-
mittee of the whole. Accordingly,
the house, at 1890, went into such
committee on that bill.
Mr.. Blount (Ga.) proceeded to
explain the bill: The amount ap-
propriated for that service, for the
present fiscal year, was $5,900,0O0,
The cost Of the service, at the pres
ent rates, without any increase,
would be $7,59O,00O. II was ap-
parent that the second assistant
postmaster general had made con>
tracts in excess of the appropria-
tions and brought about large
deficit. That official had announced
that, if he saw fit, he could spend
the whole appropriation in any one
month. 'S'''' 500 ~
Mr.. Blackburn (Ky:) raised the
point of order that Mr.. Blount was
quoting from the testimony taken by
the appropriation committee before
the report had been made on
the question. The point of order
was sustained. 4f - x ''asA "
Mr.. Blount (Ga.) continued and
pronounced the action of the posts
office department audacious and uns
precedented /; they had deliberately
and in violation Of the law made
contracts amounting to $17, 100000
and then pretended to submit to
congress the question whether the
service should be continued or not.
When to refuse to continue it would
be to destroy the s'star'' service of
the country. lie trusted that
without reference to party, but re
garding the just administration Of
the laws, the house would resort to
such means as would drive
such miserable sophists r out
Of the place. Hereafter money,
however, must be given, and it
therefore becomes congress to re,
tain in the present bill its restrica
tons, tying the hands of the de-
partment. He hoped the bill
would pass in its present shape.
Mr.. Blackburn (Ky.), a member
of the appropriation committee, ads
yocated the bill, while criticising
some of its details, Money, he said,
should be appropriated y Nobody
wanted to deprive the country of its
mail service on these, 10000 "star"
routes. He also favored limiting
the discretion Of the department and
so prevent abuses, but he did not
think the bill, as framed, would ac-
complish that. es
Mr.. Cannon (Tll.) advocated the
bill and Mr.. Haskell (Ks.) opposed it.
Mr.. Hawley (Conn. severely
criticised the action Of the depart
ment as an open, defiant and
shameless infraction of the stat
utes, which warranted the impeach-
ment of the officers. 7s1SNea M
Messrs. Blackburn and Baker
had the clerk to read the amends
ments which they proposed to offer
to the bill, go ~, n -gz 60
! The committee then arose and
the house adjourned.