The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-13
CONGRESSIONAL,
PROCEEDINGS IN BOTH TIE HOUSES
YEaIERDAY.
PrankinE Privileges and Abuses COnaid-
cred in the SenRte-LOng and
Earnest Debate In the HOuSe
ON PeFuRudO Woods
ReTundInE Bill.
SENATE,

WASHINGTON, January l2,-Mr, Davis
Of West Virginia, submittee resolution
instructing the Committee on Finance Ia
inquire into the adyisRbllity Of a change
in the organization Of the Treasury and
other departments of the Government Sc
as to divide the accounts, ETC., for the col
lection, receipt and safe keeping oi reven'
ues from disbursement accounts; to trans.
fer from the Treasury to the War or Ma
w Department steamboat inspection, life
saving and other services, and 10 place
under the State Department matters con.
nected with our domestic and foreign com.
merce. Tabled and ordered printed.
Mr.. Logan called up the joint resolu.
tion extending the ranking privilege to
all official business, business sent through
the mails by Senators, Representatives and
Delegates In Congress in all other respects
TO be under the limitations Of existing
laws.
Mr.. Logan explained that the resolution
was designCd to cover onl y the letters, &C.,
sent from the Departments through the
hands al COHRraSsmen to the people at
large. He said that under the present law,
while the Department Clerks could frank
official business, this privilege was denied
to members Of Congress,
A discussion followed upon the expedi.
ency OF restoring the Thanking system, In
which some Of the abuses which. caused
its abolition, were referred 10.
Mr.. Edmunds expressed himself In IA.
vor OF the general extension OF the frank.
ing privilege, He thought the idea Of
taxing the representatives Of the people
for communication with their constituents
about any matter oil public concern was
wrong, and the more the people were en-.
Couraged by carrying their letters to Con
gressmen free, the more good was done to
the Republican government. He a..
tributed the main cause OF the abolition oI
the privilege as 1t formerly existed
to the outCry made by o few newspapers
In the belief that by the cutting eli Of com.
municatiol between Congressman in dis
tRnt parts OF the country they would In.
crease their circulation. Tho Chairmen oil
the committees Of Congress particularly,
were subject IN considerable expense for
postage. Mr.. Thurman said the frsnking
pIlNldkd wan ptupNlly hOt plNllUku W
members, but a privilege OF the people,
and that 1t had been taken away because
It had been fraudulentlY abused. In say.
ing this, he said he spoke with some
knowledge on the subject, and proceeded
10 detail the results ul his examination.
some years SgO, OF q bundle OF franked
documents which b been handed to him
from am9ug q number ol guCh bundles
by one Of party Of men employed In
recess preceding o Presidential election.
In preparing matter for the mails In the
Capitol basement ho found q bundle that
contained not oBeline Of frankable matter;
that the frank appeared on different pa.
pers Ia four different handWritings, show.
Ing that four different clerks had been
writing the mans name, and that the
man himself was at the time not less than
500 miles distant from the capitol. Abuses
Of this kind had given color to coarse and
uniounded jokes INDUCED In at the ex.
pOnse OF congressman, such as the one
that they had 1rauked home their shirts
tO be washed.
Mr.. Logan said tue irankiHg privilege
had been done away with because Of the
declaration OF few newspapers and the
activity OF a few Of the poslmasters
throughout the country In getting up To-.
atruCllons. The Postmaster General peti.
toned to Congress for the repeal. He de.
sired to say this 10 answer to what had
been charged about the abuse OF privilege
having caused its abolition.