Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-28
HILLS SUSPICIOUS IGNORANCE.


A Bogus Committee Report Sent to the
Printing Office to be Set Up.
WASHINGTON, March 2T.-The Senate
Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads
has to-day been investigating the publi-
cation at the Government Printing Office
Of an alleged report Of the committee and
its circulation through channels provided
for public documents. The document.
which made its first appearance yester-
day, bears the usual formal Senate head
ing, and is numbered "RepOrt 577. part
3" The members of the committee were
at a loss 10 understand how this dOcu-
ment, of which none OF them had ever
heard before, could have worked its way
through the Secretary's office, where
alone formal headings are affixed.
THE CLERKS EXPLANATION.
The clerk whose duty it is to record
and TO put heads upon documents of this
character as they are received from the
Senate, being called upon to explain,
said that the paper bad never passed
through his hands. The manuscript,
having been sent for, was found to have
been received from another clerk in the
Secretary's Office, whose duty it is TO
order such extra work as may be required
BY the committees and Senators at the
also found that an order for 200 extra
copies for the use of the committee ac-
cOmpanied It.. This clerk explained that
the paper was brought to his desk on
March 10, of this year, by the late clerk
of the Committee on Post Offices and Post
Roads, bearing the usual Senate headings
in due form, with an order for 200
extra copies to be printed for the use
OF the committee. The printing clerk, sup
inc naN tn hnN
through the regular channels, and the
order in itself being proper one, sent the
manuscript TO the printing Office, where
it was set up and printed.
NATURE OF THE DOCUMENT.
The document is entitled "a report on
postal telegraph in the Senate of the
United States" The first five pages con-
sist Of Questions prOpOunded to the
President Of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company ard the remaining
thirty-one pages are devoted to '.Press
comments on the action OF the Associated
Press in furnishing reports of the Presi-
Dental election
1t is not intimated that any of the ques-
tiOns to the President Of the Western
Union were answered, nor does the dOeu-
ment state any reasons for the repubhca-
tiOns Of attacks upon the Associated
Press. which are in a large part from the
columns OF papers which have never been
able to secure the facilities of the AssO-
ciated Press. The line of the printed
heading indicates that the documents
were printed under authority received
May 81, 1884, six months before the publi-
cation Of the press comments which form
its chief part.
HILLS HANDIWORK.
The eX-clerk Of the committee who
acted as private secretary for its late
Chairman, Senator Hill of Colorado, was
sent for to-day by the members of the
committee, and in reply to their inquiries
said that he had acted in the matter at
the instance of MIR. Hill. A motion will
be made in the Senate in behalf of the
committee to have this alleged report
suppressed. The members Of the COM
mittee charitably assume that Mr.. Hill
was ignorant of the fact that he had no
right to make report as from the Senate
committee twelve days after he had ceased
to be a member of the Senate.