New-York tribune., 1885-02-14
NATIONAL CAPITAL TOPICS.
DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY" IN THE HOUSE.
onEorIvG TO THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FOREIGN
MAIL sERvICE-MR. PHELPS DEFbNDs lhh
PROPOSITION.

,.o ro THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FOREIGN
,,.u srRvIcE-MR PHELPS DEFENDS THE
PROPOSITION.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
w ,suxGToN Feb. 13.-The House in Committee
,he Whole to-day finished the consideration OF the fost
Office BILL and it will be passed tomorrow ine IVAN
Ceature Of to.day's discussion the provision
authorizing the PosmasterGenerai to enter in'o co-
tracts with American steamship mpanes for the car
; t tho mails between domestic and foreign ports
and betweep the Atlantic and Pacific ports OF the
limited States aud the apprOpriatng OF $6oO'ooo
therefor This provision has been the cause OF great
deal of ndiscrimnate if not wholly senseess ciamor
against subsidies and to that clamor rather thah 10
the dcmerits of the proposition was due Its reecuoh
by tho Committee of the hole to-day by the h"Iro"
majority of eight votes The opponents ol the Pr IN
vision first tried to have II eliminated from ,i H.;
raising questions of against IT, they sncccouou
mart after debate which consumed all oi iaet hIs"V
session and about two hours OF time TO-DAY InoIe
was brisk debate the merits OF tne FIoIIiSitpn t
which renamed IN the bill Ii was advocated oy
Messrs Phelps A. s. Hewitt. Hunt tlndlay ana
Money and opposed by Messrs. Holman Blount Miiis
The remarks of Mr. Phelps, which commanded the
close attention of the House. made considerable I'M
preston. lie said that if the motion oil Mr hoIon 70
strike out the item should be rejected ho would move 10
increase II from $500 600 TO $1,7000O0, the net
amount Of revenue derived from foreign postage ast
wear He would advocate this as a proposition 90 90
something to encourage American commeice as wel as
to pay American steamship companies fair compsnsa,
tion for services rendered by them lie Gontas'eu Wv,
niggardly shortsighted policy of the United Stsies
toward its foreign mnl service with that pursued py
other Nations as well with the treatment ol inc
coastwse and inland mail service of the United states
Great Britain last year gave to British steamships ior
carrying foreign mails sum equal to the gross receipts
from foreign postage plus $1.50O,OOo France g@aye @
s4 500 600 Italy, $2O00,000; Spain 81 600 600
and the United States 1925 600. The United States
paid American steamships last year $1,000 i0r the
West Indian and Mexican mail service. while Great
Britain paid $42OO 900 for like service and the United
States paid for carrying the mails between Brashear
La and Galveston. Texas $4,000. 4he 1Dited
States last year paid for the mail service Win ena @
japan and Australia the munifcent sum OF SZ3'Ooo;
Great Britain paid for her mail service with these
countries 81 100000.
ssThe most effective speech against the provision was
by Colonel Bayne of Penn. whose remarks about sup
sides AID the responsibility OF the Democrats shond
this provision become a law did much 10 create
stampede among the Democrats. On vote by telers
the provision was rejected by vote OF lO5 to 81 re-
suit which was hailed with applause on the Democratc
side Mr. Horr gave notice that he will demand yea
and nav vote in the House. There was considerable
skrnshng against the sections providing tor the I'M
mediate delivery of letters bearing special stamps Dut
they we're retained.