Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-14

Among the bills introduced and re-
ferred was one by Mr.. Plat to pay ior
the passage OF General Lafayette and
his family from France TO the United
States as guests of the nation in 1924.
By MIR. Vest; To fix the number OF
documents printed by Congress, and
known as "the usual number, at seven
hundred, and to specify the number of
certain documents TO he printed.
Mr.. Morgan offered resolution,
which was laid over, instructing the Ju'
dietary Committee to inquire and report
whether Congress has the power 10 enact
laws to prohibit within the States the
aduieratlOn of food, and whether, II
such power exists, it is a part OF the
power of taxation or results from the
power to regulate commerce between the
States.
The Senate then proceeded TO the con-
sideration Of the Blair educational bill,
and was addressed by Mr.. Plumb in OPP
position TO it.
The bill was laid aside. and the resolu-
ton in regard to the inefliciency OF the
postal service was taken up.
Mr.. Regain addressed the Senate III
defence OF the administration OF the
Post-Ollice Department, and argued
that senators who had arraigned
that administration had been mlsled
by false clamor, or that in con-
sequence OF the economy and con
spIcuously good management Of the
department 1t had been thought ncces'
sary for political purposes to Offset ITS
effect by getting up charges of III
efficiency. I'm the course OF his argument
be undertook to repel the assertion that
very numerous removals from Office III
the department had been made fer
political motives, and he gave number
of postmasters who had left office by
"resignation.
Mr.. Hoar asked Mr.. Reagan whether
he really claimed or believed that those
designations were voluntary-were not
commanded by the President.
Mr. Reagan repliedthat his only source
OF information on the subject was the re-
port of the Postmaster General, in which
he spoke OF these as voluntary resigna-
tons" There had been very few re-
moyals for political reasons, and these
few were for active offensive partisan
ship
Mr. Hoar remarked that the statement
showed a very extraordinary instance OF
voluntary designations of Office.
Mr. Reagan "NO doubt the Post
master-GenerM has done a great many
things which seem very extraordinary TO
the Senator from Massachusetts.
Mr.. Hoar a great many"
Senators Chase and Aldrich endeav-
ored without success to get Mr.. Reagan
to state why the postmaster of Proyi-
dence, Il. l., had been removed from
Office in the face of the fact that the
management Of that post-oflice had been
highly approved by the Postmaster'Gen-
eul.
The resolution went over.
Adjourned.
House Of Representatives.
MIR. Brewer. Of North Carolina, intro
duced resolution instructing the Com
mittee on Ways and Means to report
what progress 1t has made in the cOnsidc-
ration of bills repeating intcrnal-revenue
taxes and TO state at what tinc such bills
are likely TO be reported TO the House. In
case the committee IS unable 10 agree
upon these bills it is instructed to report
that fact to the House. and the bills
shall be placed on the calendar.
Bills were introduced by Mr.. Towns
bend permitting farmers and producers
of tobacco to sell leaf tobacco in any
quantity to unlicensed dealers or to any
person without restriction, and repeal
ing all laws inconsistent Herewith. a
number of public-building bills were in
trOduced among them one for Pensacola,
Fla.
The House then proceeded to the con-
sidoration of bills relating to the District
of Columbia.
The first bill called up WAS one pun
ishing the advertising OF lottery tickets
in the District OF Columbia.
1t was opposed by Mr.. Rogers, of Ar
kansas. upon constitutional grounds.
"The bill would" he said, prevent
any papers, no matter where published,
from coming into the District, and would
infringe the liberty of the press.
Mr.. Hemphill, of South Carolina, did
not agree that the provisions of the bill
applied to any paper published outside
the District, but admitted that that was
a question upon which the best lawyers
might differ.
Mr.. Compton declared that he was not
an advocate of lotteries, but he did not
believe that souls could be sent to Rea
ven by compulsory legislation. Society
could only be regenerated by principles
inculcated by Christian mothers.
Mr.. Browne, of Indiana, said that ac-
cording to his Interpretation of the bill
its provisions applied as much to papers
published in Maryland or New York CIR
culating in the District of Columbia as
to papers Published i'll the District; but
with that Interpretation he endorsed the
bill fully and without reservation.
Mr.. Grain. of Texas, took issue with the
argument that every scheme of chance
was necessarily a crime. He did not
believe that a lottery which was au-
thorized by the organic law Of State Of
the Union belonged to the category of
crime.
Mr.. Cummings, of New York, looking
at the bill not as lawyer, but as a man
who pretended to have a moiicum of
common sense. thought that there was
too much law in it. In trying to correct
an admitted evil the House was opening
the doors TO a greater evil. The bill APP
peared to contain some of the ashes of the
old alien and sedition laws. These laws not
only interfered with the liberty of the
press. but also interfercd-as the pend
ing bill did-with the liberty of the per-
son. Nor was this the first time that
these ashes had been stirred up by Con-
gress. They had been stirred under the
of Grant, when the
United States Senate had passed a bill
to abridge the freedom OF the press.
Under the provisions OF that bill the
editor of a most obscure newspaper in
the most obscure corner OF the most OBJ
scure State could be dragged TO the Dis
trict of Columbia and subjected to fine
and imprisonment by petty local trbu
nails. There was the same seed In this
bill 1t not only trampled ON the free
dom of tine press and the person, but 1t
on the rights of States. The
bill was clear in its provisions. 1t APP
piled undoubtedly to papers published