The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-04-10
FORTY-ElGHTH CONGRESS
SENATE.

Washinp ton, Chill, from tht
committee on postofices and pos
roads, reported favorably an erigina
bill to establish postal telegraph
system. Hill remarked that the
committee were unanimous as to
the fret ten sections of the bill
which relate to doing the work by
contracts with existing companies
tut that q minority of The commit
tee were opposed to the section re-
lating to the construction or pur
chase Of lines by government. The
provision relating to the liability OF
the contracting company for failure
ID promptly and correctly transmit
messages has been amended, and
limiting such liability to $40 times
the amount paid for transmission.
Two new features have been added
to the bill. The first author zed the
contracting company to employ post
employ as its agent and oper>
ator at any postal telegraph
Office where telegraph receipts are
insufficient 10 pay the salary of the
operator and to pay him a commits
sion not exceeding so per cent. of
the charges on messages trans NIT
ted from the office. The second re-
qulred the Postmaster General to
secure provisions in the contract
which shall protect postal kilograms
against discrimination in order of
transmission, in favor of kilograms
received at such of the com panY's
offices as are not operated under the
provisions of the bill. The contract
system remains the most prominent
feature of the bill and is not widely
different from the scheme Of the
postal telegraph company except
that 1t empowers the Postmaster
General in receiving bids from any
telegraph com pany for contract.
A provision relating to the estab.
Hshment Of a government system
pure and simple, in the event of no
satisfactory contract with estab>
listed companies is secured. There
ls a combination of the features of
the Hill and Edmunds bills.
The Senate resumed consideration
OF the naval appropriation bill and
Vest continued his remarks.
West made point that the de-
cline of our shipping did not, as was
generally supposed, begin with cur
civil War; it began yesrs before. 1t
declined nearly 161a per cent. be-
tween 1910 and 1861. American
shipowners should be- permitted to
buy ships wherever they might
choose. But this was not the only
thing. He would reform the whole t
protective system which had struck
down the American marine.
Mcpherson sail that while the
government persisted on keeping
the present Secretary of the Navy,
it could not wonder at the lack Of
confidence in the Navy Depart
ment.
Hale defended the Secretary.
Vest thought the Secretary I'M
luly Influenced by party bias, but in {
'eply to Hale admitted he could not ]
pat bis finger on any one act of that '
)ffi GERS administration that would
'abjeot him to criticism. Vest ar. L
aligned the Republican party as be- t
ng responsible for the non-existence /
It an American navy. Hale said
Turing the past twelve years the
Democrats had control of the House
,alf the time, and of the Senate
TART Of the time.
Vest replied they had little t
poradic control Of the Senate and 6
House for about three m nths. il
Beck said the records of naval i
the last twenty years !;
would prove fottenness and corrup- l
ion In the administration Of the 2
unds. e
Edmunds stated he had been L
ouch lnteres ed in sco1unts given +
q the Senate of the furnishing con- a
ition OF the navy before the war. o
lie read letter from James Bus 81
hanan. datef September, 1865, ad. q
ressed to Hon. Henry Wise, Of s
in which he said: GIVE cl
americans boasted much Of our Q
avy, but what was it in compar. T
ION with the navies of England or
rance. Suppose these powers
hould determine to prevent us
ON interfering in Cuba, In case ::
me suUulu arrive Wu6H we OuSQG
} interfere, they had the naval "
over 10 carry out their determine. VI
on. We should at least have navy al
1Ough to command our own coast" &c
Buchanan further recommended Ie
lat part Of the surplus p
the Treasury should be y
expended in constructing a navy. ~
dmGnds said that was all the m
9nate wanted to do. Buchanan W
ad also expressed the conviction OF
lat work had better be put out VI
nder contract, which Edmunds We
lded was what was proposed in oe
lis instsnce. After an executiye
sion the Senate adj burned.
iSa