The Portland daily press., 1884-03-10
FORTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS-.
HOUSE.

WASHINGTON, Mar. 8.
The Speaker laid before the House a letter
from the Secretary of the Treasury transmit
ting a statement of the earnings of each Unit.
Under the call of committees the following
reports were submitted:
By Mr.. Turner of Georgia, from the COM
mittee on elections, a resolution confirming
the right of Thomas G. Skinner of North Car
olina, to seat in the House. Laid over
BY Mr.. Slocum of New York, from the COM
mittee on military affairs, granGng permission
to dig for treasure on government lands at
West Point, New York Laid on the table.
BY Mr.. Oates of Alabama, from the commit
tee on revision of the laws, prescribing the
hours of labor to be required of persons sem
fenced to imprisonment with hard labor by
United States courts. House calendar.
By Mr.. Mutchler of Pennsylvania, from the
committee on reform in the civil service, to re-
peal sections of the Revised Statutes restrict
ing the terms Of certain officers to four years.
House calendar.
By Mr.. Dingley of Maine adversely, from
the committee on shipping, authorizing the
purchase of foreign-built ships by United
States citizens, for use in the foreign carrying
trade House calendar.
Mr.. Slocum of New York, presented the
views of the minority, which were ordered
printed.
By Mr.. Dunn of Arkansas, from the COM
mittee on commerce, adopting international
regulations for the prevention OF collisions at
sea. House calendar.
Mr.. Morrison of Illinois, moved that the
House go into committee of the whole on the
revenue bills, pending which Mr.. Townsend of
Illinois, moved that the House 60 into COM
mittee on the general appropriation bills.
The Speaker stated that a vote would first
be taken on Mr.. Morrison's motion, and Mr..
Randall of Pennsylvania, demanded the yeas
and nays.
Mr.. Reed of Maine. inquired whether. if
the motion were carried, the committee would
hn nNTP fn fnfnr nj Pax M
bills.
The Speaker replied tn at it would be re-
quired to consider the bills raising the revenue,
If there we're any such on the calendar. The
Chair did n OF decide whether there were any
such bills or not
The object of Mr.. Morrison's motion was to
take up for consideration the bonded extension
BILL The House, however, refused to adopt it,,
yeas 1l6, nays 1877, in strictly party vote.
The House then went into committee OF the
whole on the post office bill
Mr.. Horr of Michigan thought that the bill
was drawn, not in the interest of the public
service, but in many respects for the purpose
of running the character of the mail service.
1t ap Sropriated to pay the salaries of postmas-
ters $780, 600 less than it took to pay them this
year, and there would be undoubtedly def
cheney of $2,500,00O if the bill passed in its
present shape; ana the only Offset which the
committee provided was a cutting down OF
$4,000 in the salaries of poStmasterS in nine
cities. He was opposed to this provision, con-
tending that postmasters in large cities fully
earned the salaries they were now receiving.
Mr.. Simmer of Californ a, advocated the es-
tablisbing of postal telegraph, asserting its
consttutonality and maintaining the advisa-
biity of such step. He declared that if
there had oeen postal telegraph in 1876,
Samuel j. Tilden wond have taken possession
OF the position to. which he had been elected
then, and to which it was likely he would be
elected again in 1884.
The committee, without further action, arose
and the House adjourned.