National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-12
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
ILL DISCUSSING THE BILL.
A SuarI in the Senate ON the Amendment freHl
the Post.Onlce Committee Relative to
American Iron Stcam-Yessels-
Substitute Offered.

Consideration of the postal appropria
ton bill was resumed in Committee of the Whole IL
the Senate yesterday. The bill appropriates, as re
ported from the committee 81. HI. i32.
The Chair stated that at the adjournment on the
previous day the pending amendment was the
one previously reported from the Committee on
Post Offices, appropriating Ito be expended under
the direction of the Postmaster GcncraD 81 600 0G(
in aid OF additional foreign postal service in Amer
lean iron steam vessels, and that the question was
upon an appeal taken by Mr. Maxey from the de-
cision of the Chair, ruling the amendment out oil
order, as in violation of the twenty ninth rule
which prohibits general legislation upon al ap-
preparation bill.
A discussion followed, in which Mr.. Morgan
argued that the amendment was not in violation
ofthe rule, and Mr.. Beck maintained the contrary
the latter incidentally remarking that Ill his opin-
ion the only vessels to which tine appropriation
would be applicable we're those of the BRAZILIAN
line. He charged that the Post Office Committee
had deliberately held back the amendment IN Or
der to avoid adverse report upon it If submitted
in time to be considered by the Appropriations
Committee before reporting the bill, which ad-
| verse reDort they feared might have been fatal
! to it.
Messrs Hamlin and Ferry, Of the Post-Ofiice
Committee, and Mr. Maxey, its chairman, denied
that the delay had been intentional, and explained
| that the amendment had not been earlier reported
because of the absence from Washington of Mr.
| Maxey and Mr.. Bailey, of the subcommittee in
charge of the matter, but that meeting had been
! held and action taken Immediately upon their re-
| turn.
Mr. Wallace, in support Of the ruling of the Chair,
maintained that the amendment did not contain
an appropriation forthe transportation of the mails
on established mail-routeS, which was the usual
eDnr0priatiOO bills
Mr. Morgan replied that as under the law the
ocean was a post-route, like every navigable
stream contract by the Postmaster General for the
carrying of the mail upon the ocean did not in
yolve the creation of a new route.
Mr. Wallace insisted that correct Interpretation
of the words of the amendment in the direction for
| "the establishment OF mail-steamship lines" in
| volved general legislation.
Mr.. Garland argued that the pivotal point of the
inquiry as to whether the amendment could be
entertained under the ruling of the Chair was the
word general" as applied to the legislation
which it proposed. He construed it to be special,
not general, in lis character. The Geneva award
bill, or measure OF that character, would be an
amendment involving general legislation but that
now proposed presented no such feature, and was
not obnoxious to the twenty ninth rule. He quoted
various items of the pending bill to show that ac
cording to the Interpretation of Mr.. Wallace the
measure was filed with general legislation. lie
| then showed by the journal Of the Forty fifth
| Congress that the question of order now pending
had been urged against an exactly similar amend
ment dhe Brazilian line subsidy, and had been
overruled by vote of So to %.
Mr. Ferry referred to number of instances in
which the question Of order had been decided ia
yOTably to the amendment, in one of these regu-
lation of the election laws being inserted in the
sundry civil appropriation bill. He regarded the
proposition itself simply q restriction upon the
Postmaster General that in providing, not for the
establishment of ofsteamship lines, but for addi
tional postal facilities he shall equiably distribute
the amount indicated to certain lines and to vessels
owned and manned by American citizens.
Mr.. Whyte, in reply to iIr. Garland, admitted
that the bill contained general legislation, but in
sisted that the prohibition of the rule made dis
tinction between an appropriation bill and an
amendment Offered to an appropriation bill. The
appropriations contained in the bill were properly
there, as they were to cover expenditures regu-
lated by existing laws and the general legislation
which the rule struck at was that which proposed
to change the existing law. He read from the
statute on the subject to show that in the present
instance thela expressly limited the amount to
be paid for carrying the foreign mail the language
of the limitation being, ANY sum not exceeding
sea or inland postage" &c. This requirement
lieu of the law, distribution, a gift enterprise,
would be established in the Post Office Department
and 81 900 would be distributed between such
steamship lines as the Postmaster General might
choose to establish, the only restriction upon him
being that he should find iron ships, owned and
manned by American sailors.
Mr. Morgan said he desired 10 remind the SEN
atGr from Maryland that he had lost sight of the
question of order and gone into the merits of the
proposition.
Mr.. Whyte replied that he would not now dis
cuss the question upon its merits, but that at the
proper time he would do so to the full extent Of his
ability and would exert himself TO defeat what he
regarded as subsidy of the most pronounced
character. If il came before the Senate he would
oppose il with all The power he possessed, because
he believed it to be not only revival of apolicy
which had been tried and had proven disastrous
failure in the past, but that it was opening the
door of the Treasury to schemes for its depletion
in all manner of enterprises, whose only
object was to secure to their projectors
a chance to handle the public money. The Sen
ator from Arkansas [3ir. Garlandl had spoken of
the decision of the question of order in favor
of the Brazilian subsidy in the last Congress. He
OR. Whyte) well remembered it, and he also re-
membered that the project was carried through
the Senate But he would remind the Senator of
the consequences of that action and would ask
him to bear them in mind at this time, when the
same effort in another direction was being re-
ncwed. The success of that subsidy in the Senate
had caused the appropriation bill to which it was
attached to fall into the hands of the conference
committee and this had necessitated an extra ses-
sion OF Congress.
Mr. Conkling said ne ,yould vote that the amend
ment was admissible under the rule, as the
same motion had been decided in that way again
opd tlla and nv thn pnrl,pnif tnaS
including the Committee on Appropriations. The
Senator from Maryland [AIr. Whytel had argued
that the general legislation" on appropriation
bills which the rule prohibited was legislation
alien 10 that contained in the bill, and pertaining
TO topics not therein set forth; but the answer to
that was that the Committee on Appropriations
had repeatedly upon all appropriation bills, as
also upon the pending bill, disregarded the rule.
\ vote was then taken upon sustaining the de-
ciSion ofthe Chair in overruling the amendment,
the affirmative Of the question being that the
amendment is not admissible under the rule The
vote resulted adverse TO the decision and in favor
Of the anendment-ayes, Is; noes, 20.
Mr. Hanllin said the pending amendment, hay
ing been hastily drawn, was not sufficiently
guarded, and he had prepared a substitute cover
ing precisely the same ground but more carefully
worded which he would now submit.
The substitute was read as follows:
For additional postal service to foreign couu-
tries 81 100000, TO be expended under the direction
of the Postmaster General; and the Postmaster
General is authorized, afterdue public competition
10 enter into contracts with the lowest responsible
bidders for terms of ten years. for such transporta
ton between such home and foreign ports as he
may in his discretion, designate in order best to
promote the postal and commercial interests of
the United States, iron steamships wholly owned
by American citizens and registered under Ameri-
registry such ships to be duly inspected under
the direction ofthe PoStmaster-G and the Sec
Rotary of the Navy, and be equal in construction,
Odation, safety. and speed to the best YES
sells on the ocean carrying mails to the ports,
at a rate of compensation not exceeding $50 per
mile one way, for twelve round trips per annum,
or the same proporionatc rate fora quarter or less