New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-21
GENERAL WASHINGTON NEWS

THE POST. OFFICE BILL IN THE SENATE.
MP SHERMAN AND Mr.. EDMUNDs ON POSTAL rElEG-
RAPHY--THE BILL PASSED WITH HE Arf"o'
pRIAIIoN FOR FAST MAILS.
u.suxeroy. Jan. 2O-The Post Office Appro-
AVIATION bill was taken mp in the Senate To-Day a1
D. o,osc Of the morning hour The pending ques-
tion WAS on the amendment changing the date wheh
t,e reduction of letter postage to cents shall take
effect from January l, 1884, to July l, 1883 MI
sherman said he would vote against the aineId-
ment because he was utterly opposed to this kind
of legislation upon an appropriation DILL 40
IN the reduction of letter postage, he wou'u
he clad to see it made at the proper uihc.
Everybody would be glad to have reductioh %
letter postage If it could be wisely mace pu' "o
thought that burdens might be rcuuceu 'n o.",
directions which would give the peopo 'n,"i'0iy
greater relief without involving any larger io'e "a
revenue If any reduction of postage was W NC
made il ugbt not to be confined to letters siohe
INT this important change should be pos'poneo
until the matter should have been more luuiy con-
s;dered by the people and until IL coaio po pro
So,,,od 20 The Senate IN form which would admit
of a careful consideration OF the "hoio suoIoI'
ue would rather consider the question whether the
,ir,s has NOT arrived when the Government of the
Irnitod States should undertake to transmit intel
Eoenca nv electricity. Not that il should assume
control of existing telegraph lines but that 1t
should construct its own lines. The government
conld duplicate the existing lines for from SZoooo'-
600 to $25 000, 900, yet tax OF $lO,OOooo year
was now levied upon the people for telegraph mes
sages: so that by an expenditure OF not more than
SOD 600 600 the Government could confer I'M
mense benefits upon the people, save them large
sum yearly, and at the same time increase It's own
revenues.
Mr. Edmunds said that, as to the postal service,
what the United States needed now moro than any
thing else was the construction of the postal tee'
graph ut first between the great cities and interne-
date points and extended gradually until every
post-ofce In the country should have or be within
immediate reach Of postal telegraph. This ought
to be done and it would be done within very few
years and he hoped to move in the matter al inc
next session of Congress, if no one else ana sooner.
But he begged the stock-operators IN New-fofX
not to suppose that he for one was In FAVOR OF tue
United States buying out any telegraph company.
He wished the Government to build Its own postal
telegraph and manage it in its own way; leaving
those engaged in the same business as private
pursuit to continue it as such. When the United
States provided for the carriage or merchandise by
the postal service it not thought necessary to
buy ont the express companies; neither should the
Transmission Of interference o pes Eeo
trcty was Just as much part OF thc Ioreos oI ma
nre and of the resources of the world for the trans
mission of intelligence :. as i ."o I'VE
or a post-horse and I was too tate
to say that this agency was n0t as p1uon s.s aiy
other at the command of the Post Office Department
under the Constitution of the United states.
The amendment of the committee changing the
date when the reduction of letter postage 10
GENTS should 90 iuto effect from January l, 1884,
as proposed by the House. TO July l, 1885, was
Mr. Edmunds them to test the sense of the Senate
on the question of general legislation upon appro-
nratjon bills moved TO strike out the whole pro-
vision reducing letter postage. The motion was
lost yeas 10, nays 40. A.. ,a
ments adopted IN the Committee OF the Whole were
agreed to in bulk except the one approprii:atng
$ls50o0 for necessary and sPeosi 1aci,les on
separate vote He had read by the secretary an ar
tcle from The Albany Argus stating IN substance
that the fast mail service was merely ior tDe oenenI
OF the New-Yor papers. oo
The appropriation was agreed 10 by Voto Vi o.
to 20, and the bill was then passed
THE MEXICAN COMMERCIAL TREATY.
GENERAL GRANT REPLIES TO STATEMENTS RE-
spEoTING ITS INTENT AND EFFECTS.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.-The attention of General
Grant was to-day called to the statements OF
New-YOrk paper. 70 the effect that his oDJect IN
negotiating the Mexican commercial treaty was SO
to reduce the revenues of the Mexican Government
ms to make it impossible for that Government TO
nav the subsidies pledged to the railroads now be-
ing constructed in that country and thereby place
them on an equaIly WIN tHC OOuIN
projected lines.
General Grant said the stateme nts were entirely
incorrect; that he spoke to Gould on the SUBJ
tect and that his belief is that should the treaty be
carried into operation the effect would be rather to
increase than to diminish the Mexican revenues by
the Increased trade 1t would develop The Gould
road he said, 10 one of the subsidized lines, ana
would be as much affected by the reduction of the
Mexican revenues any of the subsidized hines
General Grant said he has acted Ill this matter In
the interests and as the representative OF the
American people, and he expected that the results
OF the treaty would be highly advantageous to the
commercial interests of both countries There is
no probability that 1t will Interfere with the sugar
producing interests of the United States, as Mexico
does not produce enough sugar for her own con-
sumption, and will not for years to come he able 10
raise a surplus for expectation He Is fully salts
fed that If ratified the treaty will give our country
a decided advantage over Germany France and
England in the competition for the Mexican trade.
CENSUS WORK WELL ADVANCED.
lBY TELEGRAPH 10 THE TRIBUHEl