, 1882-12-22
HOUSE,

In the House, Pound OF Wisconsin,
chairman of the committee on public
lands, reported back a resolution calling
on the Secretary Of the Interior for ID
formation as to whether any lands here
.0fore granted by Congress to any rail
road company to aid i'll construction OF
It's road-and to which such company
was not entitled to patents at the time
the period expired within which such
railroad was required to be completed
have been patented to such company
since the expiration of that period, and
by whose authority such patents were is
sued. Adopted,
The House then considered the post
oifi,e bill C)swal explained that the
total appropriation was $43,949,OO0, be-
ing 80, ,793,0O0 below that of last year,
and 1884, 900 less appropriated for post
masters than the estimates
Mcmillan noticed the Star Route SER
vice was reduced S2,700,0O0 from the bill
of last year, which was o reprehensible
parsimony, unless the other bill was ex.
trayagant.
Caswell said the present service cost
&,756,000, and the bill made an appro-
priatlon OF S5,OUO,UUO.
Blount said he objected il the amount
was not sufficient but merely an econo-
nical dodge.
Cannon defended the action Of the
Committee on Appropriations in failing
in make provision for special facilities.
Anderson suggested that Massachu-
sets was getting something out of the
special facilities.
Robinson of Massachusetts,, stated that
sixteen States paid their own pos
tai bills and the bills of all the rest The
first ten ON the list include New England
and the four Middle States.
Ryan-We have given the Postmaster
General money and We have given him
power to use it in securing special mail
facilities, and he has not chosen to do
so.
Robeson said the. reason the facility
fund had not been expended on the ten
lines running west, was because three
lines which ran out of Chicago west re-
fused to contract at reasonable rates 4,
and the Postmaster General was not able
to put them in competition against each
other, because they pooled their issues.
Bingham delivered speech on the
subject OF the reduction in the rate Of
postage.
Reagan entered protest against the
reduction OF the rate of postage, He
believed postal cards furnished all the
needed facilities for cheap postage.
Adjourned.
Inc postoifice bill reducing postage,
was discussed at length.
A debate was held on the amount of
the appropriations for fast mails. His
cocks amendment makes the fmount
$4,000; Robinson, Of Massachusetts,
S600,OUU.
Hiscock charges an attempt TO making
turn in the question OF the war adainst
railroads and newspapers, and urged the
committee use the above under such
considerations.
Robson said he did not move at the
coach whip Of railroads, and was not
sensitive to press criticisms The de-
bate that followed was spicy.
The proposition for special mail facil-
tiles was rejected by vote of 81 to 20.
WASHINGTON, Dec 15.-The House
Committee on Foreign Affairs considered
the Hawaiian sugar question this morn
ing, and after adopting a resolution ask
ing for information from the State and
War Departments, postponed further
consideration Of the matter until the frat
meeting OF the committee after the holi.
days There was no hearing OF interested
parties at the meeting this morning,
though there are present several gentle.
men vino desire to be heard for the sugar
trade.