The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-02-25
CONGRESSIONAL
HOUSE.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2O.--Bingham
from the committee on pest roads, re-
ported resolution calling on the post.
master gen eral for information rela.
tive to supplying inferior envelopes
to the postofice department and an
nulling the contract with Kellogg &
Co.. Springfield, Mass.
The house proceeded to the consid-
Grafton of business under special
! rules. On motion of Willis the bill
was passed increasing to 81 ,OOO, 900
the limit of theappropriation for pub
lie buildings at Louisville, KY. The
house went ntO committee of the
whole on the naval appropriation bill.
The second section which relates to
an increase of the navy, and
contains what is known as the Ran
dali bill. Having been read, it was
agreed that a four hours debate
should be allowed upon it.
Keiter opposed the plan contained
in the bill because he believed it
would not give the country a single
vessel which it would dare to put
into water. He likened the situa-
tion of the United States to that of an
overgrown child who was hurt when
ever touched, and was without power
to strike back. He made a detailed
criticism of the section, and ridiculed
the constitution of the proposed
board characterized it as an her,
maphrodite assembly of naval men
and civilians, and predicting that
the country would never get a ship
from such board,
Long said the position of the
gentleman from Ohio (Keifer) in
favoring an increase of the navy and
in opposing the means proposed to
secure that increase reminded him of
the story of q man who was in favor
of the Maine law but against its exc
cution. The plan proposed might be
faulty in detail. but he favored its
general features. Our navy was an
alphabet of wooden wash tub. There
was scarcely nation so poor to do 1T
reverence. There was not on these
wooden ships piece of ordnance of
more value in war that child's pop
gun. The people laughed at the navy
relished .he joke of the Tallapoosa
being run down by q coal barge.
They laughed at it as a kind of
Fallstaffian burlesque.
Pending further debate the COM
mittee rose and the house took a |
recess until the o'clock evening
session for the consideration of the |
pension bills.
SENATE.
On motion Of Plumb the pOstoffice
bill was taken up. |
Hawley hoped the senate would dis
agree to the senate committees
reducing the amount for
clerks in postoffices from S., 300, 900 to
IS 10000. A section of the bill as it
came from the house provided that
letters shall be charged at the rate of
t' o cents an ounce instead of two
cents half ounce; Drop letters,
where there is no free delivery one
cent an ounce; and newspapsrs in
bulk to regular subscribers, one cent
q pound, but sample copies at one
cent per four ounce. After further
as to the operation of SEN
ate rules, which was participated in
by Williams, Sherman, Miller, IN.
~ Miller, (Cal.,) Plumb, Hawley,
Hoar, Mitchell, Cockrell and Ed
nunds, the senate disagreed to the
amendment by q vote of
g yeas to 80 navs, 90 far as the
related to letter postage,
eaving the newspaper provision yet
. be acted on. The senate went into
session and when the doors
we're reopened it adjourned till to-
morrow at one o'clock d. M.