Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-19
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON. March ls.-A petition
was presented by Cullom from the
members of the Wyoming Legislature,
praying for additional compensation.
Hawley introduced bill authorizing
the Secretary of the Navy to offer a re-
ward of $4,000 for the rescue or ascer-
tanning of the fate of the Greedy arctic
| expedition. Hawley said that such a
reward might induce ships cruising in
or about the arctic seas to keep look
out for the exploring party, or to turn
occasionally out of their course in order
to gather information about il.
The above il the plan suggested by
George Vernon, the arctic traveller,
when called before the Greedy Relief
Board, to give his views concerning the
rescue of Greedy and his comrades.
The bill to aid the establishment and
temporary support of common schools
was taken up. 1t spprOpriates the first
year $l5 100000, the second $l4.OO.OS0,
the third $l3, OOO go. and 80 Or for ten
years. decreasing one million yearly, to
be divided IN aid Of common school ed
ucat.On, the expenditure in each State
to be on the basis of illiteracy.
Blair addressed the Senate, and at the
conclusion of his speech the Senate
went into executive session and soon
adjourned.
At the expiration of the morning hour
Townshend moved that the House go
into Committee of the Whole gu the
post office appropriation bill. and de-
clined to yield 10 Curtin, who wished An
oppor unity to submit the report Of the
Foreign Affairs Committee upon the
Lasker resolution. ThereupOn the mem
bers of that COMMITTEE mustered their
forces and attempted to vote down the
motion, but though they made a good
fight the Appropriation Committee came
out successful, and the House went
into Committee Of the Whole, Blount in
the chair, on the bill stated.
Cannon raised a point of order against
the second section, which amends the
Revised Statutes 50 as to prohibit the
weighing of mails more than once in
four years. Cannon and keifer argued
in support of the point, and Holman,
Randall and TOwnshend in opposition
the retO but the chair ruled against his
party friends and sustained the point
of order.
In speaking on the amendment. Aiken
reviewed and severely criticised the va
riOus features of the bill, declaring that
it made the most niggardly apprOpria-
tons of any bill he had ever considered.
He WAS opposed to the prOviso limiting
the compensation for mail service to
land grant roads, and said that in spite
of himself, the thought would rise up
that there was vicious legislation be-
hind the clause. After the committee
bad discussed tho matter some hours,
the great objectOr from Indiana had
risen and offered an amendment to his
own bill. He took in then the very
roads that he had excluded in framing
his bill, though he (Aiken) did not
charge anybody with having u job until
that action had excited the suspicion in
his mind. The next thing in the bill
which attracted bis attention was the
appropriation of $4.6OO,OOO for Star
route service and an additional imagin-
airy appropriation of 100000. Where
was that 100000 which the Postmaster
General has said something about-an
unexpendsd balance Of 100000? Why
had not the Committee reapprOpriated
the whole of that sum? What was to
become of the 100000? In his mind
there was covert legislation right there.
He criticized the committee for making
no provision for special mail facilities,
and ridiculed the excuse presented that
it had not been estimated for. If the
committee refused to give because the
Postmaster General did not ask, why in
the name of common sense did it OBJ
jet to giving what he did ask for The
species of niggardly legislation which
was manifest on every page of the bill
showed cOnspicuously to any right
minded. thinking man that the purpose
" the bill was to get up cheap nOtOriety
for grand economy. applause on the
Republican side.)
Holman denied Indignantly that there
was anything covert in the bill. and
hoped the gentleman would spec fically
point ont wherein the Committee on
Appropriations, or any member, had
sought to deceive the House or the
country.
Reagan offered an amendment eX-
tending to members of Congress the
right to use franked envelopes in the
transaction of official business. Town
shsnd, White of Kentucky and Ran
dali opposed t e amei dment, and Bel
ford advocated it.
Randall said that those who stood
here for economy stood regardless
either of sneers or applause, having the
consciousness of performing their pub
lie duty in an intelligent and honest
manner.
Reagan's amendment Was lost by 81
to 93.
The committee hen rose and reported
the bill to the House, and the. PREVIOUS
question being ordered, Bisbee expressed
his objection to the bill. whicd he char
acterized as cheap bill framed by a
cheap party through Its cheap CON-
mittee.
Townshend took the floor to close the
debate ia defense of the bill. He had
AN opportunity yesterday of cOnversinR
| with leading member Of the Senate.
who said he had read the bill and that
it was a fair aud liberal one. He said
| further that he was glad to know that
he (rownshend) bad exposed the by
pocricy practised by the Republican
party in the House of the last Congress
in cutting down appropriations. The
Senator was himself Republican.
There were several shouts of Name
him" from the Republican side, but
Tovnshend declined to do so. He went
on to say that since the bill had come
into the House every clown on every
side had been brought to the front to
ridicule it, every advocate of extravs
canoe, every defender of jobs and
| 4 haA ko~,, k,