Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-18
FORTY SIXTH CONGRESS-.
(SecOnd SESSION.
The House.

WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE president pr,
Eea,. laid before the Senate communication
from the secretary of the treasury transmit
ting in compliance with Senate resolution
copies of Captain John w. Whites repor
upon Alaska affairs, together with papers re-
latiug to the transfer of Jurisdiction ove
Alaska from the war to the treasury depart
ment. Referred Also, a communication
from the secretary of war transmitting pc
ttion of officers of the army for the enact
ment of such legislation as will entitle al
lieutenants of the army who have served
fourteen years in the grade of lieutenant to
the rank of captains. Referred.
The bill passed for the construction of a
public building at Peoria, Illinois.
Mr.. Bayarj, from the committee on iddi-
ciary, reported the bill lately introduced by
him regulating the pay and appointment of
deputy marshals. Calendar. Mr.. Bayard
will ask the Senate TO consider it tomorrow.
Mr.. Vance submitted resolution direct
ing the secretary of the treasury to inform
the Senate what method is observed in the
revenue service in substracting tare on for4
eign sugars, imported in boxes, and whether
said tare be greater or less than the actual
weight of the boxes, together with the reasons
therefor if such be the case. Adopted.
Senator Morgan announced that on Thurs
day he will ask the Senate to consider the
joint resolution introduced by him and re-
ported favorably from the select committee,
on the subject providing joint rule for
counting the electoral vote.
On motion of Senator Pendleton, the SEN
10 is,fn Al.
secretary of war to furnish artillery, tents
otc., for use at the soldiers and sailors re-
union at Columbus, Ohio, in August, 1880.
The morning hour having expired, the
pending order being the Kellogg -Spofford re-
solutions were laid aside informally, and on
motion of Senator Wallace, the postoffics
appropriation bill was taken up. The bill
was read for action on the committees
amendments. The committees recommen-
dations are as follows: Increasing the ap-
priation for transportation cn railroad in the
South, from $780, 900 to $9,S4O,OO0; by
steamboat routes, from $850,OOO to $780,
900; for mail messengers, from 100000 to
S725,O00; for mail locks and bags, from
$4,000 70 $l00,000 striking out the pro-
vision authorizing the postmaster general
to remit in favor of the colonies of
New Zealand and New South Wales, SO much
OF tue cost of overland transportation of
Australian closed mail, as he may deem Just,
and striking out tho proviso that all star
routes shall be re-let after thirty DAYS adVer-
tisement, as now provided by law, on the
first of October, 1880, on which pay for the
expedition of the schedule ordered during
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1880, shall
exceed 80 per centum of the contract price
before such expedition, provided that this
proviso shall not prevail when the present
contractor desires to continue the contract
as reduced.
Mr.. Wallace said that all the amendments
increasing the appropriations were recon-
mended by the postoffice department. In
proposing the last named amendment, the
committee was governed by the following
considerations: The language was contra
dictOry and almost unintelligible, but, aside
from that, the committee held that the effect
of the proviso was to strike down the star
service west of the Mississippi river upon at
least seventy routes, and they believed it was
both improyldent and unWise, for when the
star service was once given it would be un-
wise to take it away again. These
contracts were let for four wears.
Neatly all of them have run eighteen
months or two years. By the proviso they
would have but about eighteen months to
run from the date of reletting. The COM
mittee think that if Congress annuls these
contracts the contractors will have q good
claim for damages even if they assent to the
annulment and accept the one months extra
pay provided for in the contract. 1t would
cost the fort $4,000, but the contract does
not provide for annulment for any other
reason than the fault of the contractor.
There is no provision for annulment and
large damages for such aunulment could be
obtained from the suit. These were the
principal reasons for the committees action
in striking out this proviso.
Senator Beck moved to amend the text be-
fore the committee amendment was voted on
by adding to the provisO the following
And provided further, that there shall be
no decrease in tho present number of trips
nor in the expedition now existing on any
of the routes above referred to in the re-
letting herein provided for. He referred to
the extravagant increase in contracts on
some of the prominent routes, and said that
the necessary serVice should not be with
drawn while we were retrenchlpg extrava-
gauce.
Senator Garland offered the following as
substitute for Senator Beck's amendment
"And provided, that contractors herein re
ferred to may at any time after the passage
of this act abandon their contracts without
damage to themselves or their sureties''
Senator Teller thought the proviso most
extraordinary one. It proposed that Con-
gress should violate the faith of the govern
ment. After long debate concerning
the obligations of contract and the
workings of the star service generally
the amendments proposed by Garland and
Beck were rejected and the committee
amendment striking out the House proviso
was agreed to. Senator Booth spoke against
the amendment striking out the provision
relative to the Australian mails committee
The amendment to strike ont the House
clause was rejected. Yeas, 20; nays, %. The
other commandments we're agreed to and
the bill passed.
The presiding officer, Ferry, laid before
the Senate message from the President,
transmitting the report of the secretary of
state upon the Fortune Bay fisheries ques-
ton. Ordered printed. After an executive
session adjourned.
The House.
WASHINGTON, May 17.--Bills were intro
duced and referred as follows:
By Mr.. Cox-Requesting the President to
communicate to the House all correspond
anae in regard IN the parSacntion of Javvs bx