The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-06
AN EYE ON THE WIRES.
The Senate Handles the Telegraph
Matter Very Cautiously

Matter Very Cautiously.
WASHINGTON, March 5.-In the Senate
to-day among the bills reported from COM
mittee and placed on the calendar was the
following:
To regulate commerce carried on by tele-
graph with adverse report on the bills in
troduced by Senators Cullom and Edmunds).
Mr. Cullom asked Mr.. Reagan who had
reported the bill from the Post Office Com
mittee, and whether it was the regulation
bill.
Mr. Reagan-It is the regulation bill.
Mr.. Culom-Then it should go to the
Committee on Interstate Commerce, which
has had like bill already referred to it, the
one introduced by Mr.. Spooner.
Mr.. Reagan-The Post Office Committee
has had several bills before it for the estab-
lishment of postal telegraph, and in lieu
of any of them, thought it best to report a
bill regulating the telegraph system of the
country. The two committees might well
have simultaneous jurisdiction of the sub
Ject, but it would be hardly just to the
Post Office Committee to refuse to consider
bill W hich it has reported.
AN INTERSTATE MEASURE.
Mr.. Platt argued that the bill reported by
Mr.. Reagan should be referred to the Inter
state Commerce Committee. He would
feel anxious either to have that committee,
of which he was a member, discharged
from further consideration of the subject,
or let 1t have its untrammeled and unem-
barrassed consideration. He presumed the
bill reported was not a bill in the interest Of
the postal service but in the interest of
commerce.
Mr.. Beck thought it hardly the fair thing
to take the control of the bill from the Post
Office Committee and give it to the Inter
state Commerce Committee The Senate
ought certainly to have a chance to see the
bill on its calendar, and then if the Senate
thought it should be sent to the Committee
on Interstate Commerce that might be dono
hereafter.
The discussion was further continued by
Senators Cullom, Chace, Blair, Reagan,
Salisbury, Hoar and German.
A DANGEROUS EXPERIMENT.
Mr.. Reagan said the Post Office Commit
tee, in order to avoid a dangerous expert
lating telegraphy and the transmission of
news. The purport of the bill was to pro-
vide means of regulating rates for the
transmission of intelligence. The object of
the committee had been to frame bill that
would not do injustice to telegraph com
panes, but would leave them secure in their
rights, while at the same time it would
secure Jne people against improper dlS-
elimination and unjust charges.
Mr.. German expressed his regret that the
Post Office Committee had not confined
itself to the subject referred to it, that of
establishing a postal telegraph system.
Rapid transmission of intelligence was now
in the hands of single corporation, which
had wiped out all competition heretofore
attempted. And yet that great
question, referred to the Post Office
Committee, had been set aside and
a bill to regulate telegraphy with which
the Post Office Committee had nothing to
do was substituted for it. The Post Office
Committee had gone beyond anything re-
ferred to it, and he therefore hoped that the
bill would be sent to the Committee on In
terstate Commerce.
Mr. Cullom consented to withdraw his
motion to refer the bill to the Committee
on Interstate Commerce and to have the
bill and reports laid on the table for the
present