National Republican., 1883-01-20

would have a much more marked and
striking effect upon the revenue. The orig-
nal theory of the postoice in Great Britain
from which our system was borrowed), was
that every letter committed to. the mail
should be carried to the person TO whom il
was addressed. It had not vet been found
possible to carry this out fully in practice,
but more than 80 per cent. of the letters pass
ing through the English postoilice were de-
livered. Mr.. Hawley reviewed the history of
the American postoilicc, showing that the de-
livery of the mails had always been tho
theory of the department, and assigned as one
reason which had prevented the general
adoption of the free-delivcry system tho fact
that tho postmasters had discouraged it, be-
cause it could reduce their perquisites.
Postmaster General Blair seemed to have un-
derstood this when he secured the passage of
law giving postmasters fixed salaries, in
stead of perquisitcs. This law, however, was
soon evaded; for, although the postmasters
still received salaries, the salaries were based
upon the receipts from box rents, &c.
Mr.. Plumb said that the committee on APP
preparations had not undertaken to deal with
the entire administration of the Postollice de-
partment, but only with the provision in
serted by the house for the reduction of the
letter postage. As to the free delivery sys-
ten, IL was now in operation in 112 cities, in
all but twelve of which it was carried on at u
to be made up out of the general revenues of
tho department, and he did not think it fair
that the people in country places should pay
more than the cost of delivering their mails
in order that other people might receive
theirs at less than cost.
Mr.. Hoar suggested that if man living in
the country wrote to man living in New
York, and had his letter promptly delivered
and answered, by reason of the efficiency of
the mail service in that city, the countryman
got the benefit of that service as we'll as the
man in New York.
Mr.. Plumb said he did not object to the
existing delivery, nor did he desire now to
go into discussion of the general question.
Mr.. Salisbury thought that the smaller
towns did now bear additional burdens, re-
sulting from the free delivery system in tho
large cities
Mr.. Lapham offered an amendment provid-
ing that thepostage on flower seeds should
be half q cent an ounce. The amendment
was ruled out on point of order, as new
legislation.
Mr.. Lapham called for the regular order,
the tariff bill.
Mr. Plumb moved to postpone the bill in
order to proceed with the postofllce appropria-
tion bill. Lost-ayes 2S, noes %.
The senate proceeded with the considera-
tion Of tho
TARIFF BILL.
The question was on Mr.. Miller's (of New
York; amendment making the duty on filled
bottles one and u half cents pound instead
Of 80 per cent ad valorem, as in the bill.
The amendment was lost, and the duty was
left at 80 per cent. ad valorem.
Mr.. Vance said the bill proposed much
higher rates of duty upon cheap glass than
upon that which was more costly, and he
asked the reason for this discrimination.
Mr.. Morrill, asked, and obtained unanimous
consent, to reserve the paragraph covering
unpolished cylinders crown and common
window glass for further consideration by the
committee.
This matter gave rise to q protracted and
proftless discussion in which Senators Vance,
Beck, Williams, Dawes, Voorhees,, Morgan
Hawley, NIaxey, and others took part. The
talk covered a very wide range, extending
from hair pins to grand pianos
Mr.. Harrison offered an amendment to the
bill fixing the duty on rough plate glass at the
same rate as in the present tariff. Adopted.
Mr.. Morrill, offered q resolution, which went
over until to-day, providing for daily recess
at $50 and evening sessions beginning at 7:3O
on after Monday next.
The president laid before the senate Mr.
| Harris's resignation as n regent of the Smith
sonian institute and appointed Mr.. Edmund:
in his place.
At $40 o'clock the senate adjourned.