Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-18

from the Committee Rooms
Especial Telegram to the Globe.
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 17.-The advocates of
cheaper postage believe the only way to
secure reduction is by attaching rider
to the postoffice appropriation bill and not
pass an independent measure. 1t is very
doubtful whether bill of such character
could get through. Its friends are divided
upon several important points, the prin-
cipal one being the time when the reduction
shall go into effect. The plan of the house
committee is that the reduction shall com
mence Jan. 1, 1884. Senator Plumb, who
will have the opening of the bill when it
reaches the senate committee, insists upon
the time as July l., claiming that the re-
duction is demanded by the people, and they
ought to have it as soon as possible. The
house committee, however, are anxious to
avoid the apparent deficiency in the post
office accounts that would result if the re-
duction should take effect July 1. The
three months following are the poorest in
the year for postofice business, and
member of the house committee gives his
| opinion that there would be a defcie ncy
of $1,009,000 on the 1st of October,
although the deficiency would be made up
by the increased business of the remainder
of the year. The fact would still remain
that a deficiency had been created, and
that would be injurious to the Republican
party in tho campaign of 1884. A de-
fciency would make the measure unpopu-
lar. and bring reproach upon
the party that created it.
Mr.Caswell, of Wisconsin, who had charge
of the bill in the house, says the differences
between the house and senate will un-
doubtedly have to be settled by confer
ence committee, and result in compro-
mise which will fix upon October 1, as the
date.
A DENIAL.
Senator Frye denies emphatically the
report sent out from here that he had
made the charge that the American COM
missioner to the Halifax arbitration was
drunk most of the time, and drunk when
he signed the award. Mr.. Frye says that
he had never even met the American COM
missioner. a Mr.. Kellogg, of Massachu-
setts, but that he believed it was
the general opinion of the New England
people that Mr.. Kellogg was
very weak and inefficient man. He knew
nothing of his moral conduct, but did be-
ieve that some other man could better
have represented the United States than
Mr.. Kellogg did. after the award was
made" said Mr.. Frye, "we had nothing to
do but to step up like men and pay it, af-
ter we had submitted the matter to arb1-
tration, but, in my opinion, this govern
ment owed Canada nothing on account of
few fish we took. The American fisher
men took about 400 barrels of mackerel
for which this country not only paid the
award of $5,50O,OOO but has remitted duties
to the amount of 100000 every year for
fish sold in the United States by
the Canadians. The United States allowed
these men to bring their fish into
the United States free of duty
and sell them in the American market.T he
usual, cheated in this arbitration. If we
had been allowed little more time we
might have agreed upon some other per-
son or umpire than the one we did, who
early in the settlement of the question
took sides with the Canadian commission,
and the two fixed the thing as they saw
fit" Continuing, Mr.. Frye said: eve
allowed the Canadians to fish the waters
above the Both parallel of latitude and this
with the remitted dues allowed them every
year for fish brought and sold in our mar
kets should have been considered sufficient
for the 490 barrels of fish taken by Ameri-
cans" He concluded by reiterating
his denial of the report, and stated that he
would hardly make the charge that Mr..
Kellogg was drunk when he signed the
award, as it is a fact, known to all New
England men at least, that Kellogg did
not sign the award at all.
THE SOUTH CARoLINA CONTEST.
In the Lee-Richardson case from South
Carolina the committee stood eight to
seven in favor of Lee, who is mulatto. It
was found that large number of tissue
ballots had been cast, presumably by the
Democrats, and that there had been intim-
idation, but some of the eight majority
thought that while Lee apparently had
the better claim to the seat, there was
evidence that the Republicans in the
district had not endeavored as they
should have done to exercise the right of
suffrage. In view of this fact majority
of the committee adopted a resolution that
Lee be permitted to withdraw his contest
without prejudice. This is polite parlia-
mentary device for informing him that he
has not fully made out his claim. 1t will
be observed that the position of the com
mittee is somewhat equ1vocal. But this is
an unimportant matter to them if they
may be judged by their record during the
last session of congress.
MANNING's SEAT.
In the case of Buchanan against Man
ming the committee voted to to declare
Manninc's seat vacant and the majority