The National tribune., 1888-01-26
CONGRESS.
An Abstract of the More ImpOrtar
Proceedings in Both Houses.
TUESDAY. JAN. Il.

TUESDAY, JAN. IL
In the Senate. Senator Blair presented me-
mortal from the Legislature of New Hampshire
asking for the passage of his educational bill.
Senator Sabin presented a petition from the
Fifth District of Minnesota asking for prohlbl-
fion in the District Of Columbia.
Senator platt offered a resolution, which was
adopted instructiHg the Committee on Post
Offices and Postroads to inquire whether any
mail matter addressed to Senators IS detained
in the Washin gton Postotiice. Ii so, whether
the same Is legally or illegally detained; and II
ILLEGALLY. who is responsible. The effect Of tins
resolution is 10 make an issue on the course OF
The Postoffice Department in subjectlng thlrd
and f0urth-class matter, the envelopes Of when
may contain advertisements or other printed
matter, TO first-clsss postage.
Senator Platt supported his resolution with
speech. In which he held that the course OF the
Postofice Department was unwarrantab!e.
Senator Sawyer called up the Honse BAH re-
hating to permissible marks on mail matter,
and the Senate passed lt.
This bin provides that the sender of mail Of
second class matter may write or print ON the
envelope the name and address OF the person 10
whom the matter Is sent: his own name, resi-
dence occupation and business address; also,
the correction Of typographical error ana 2
mark TO designate word or passage 10 Whlch
II is desired to cali attention. and the words
sample copy or marked copy"
A message from The President was received,
giving the results Of the investigation o. the
Pacific Railroad Commission. 1t was referred
to q special committee Of five Senators.
Senator Plumb offered a resolution, which
was agreed to. asking the Secretary OF the
Treasury what sums Of money were PAID 10
the States and Territories as 10 per cent. OF the
sales Of public lands.
He also offered another resolution, which
was agreed TO, asking the Secretary Of the IN
as 10 lands granted IN Kansas t. railroads; with
the correspondence OF the General Land Office
with the roads maps of the lands, etc.
The Senate went into Committee Of the Whole
to consider the Blair educational bill.
Senator Bowen supported the bill, and an
gWerod some Of the arguments Tor lliiteracy
made by Senator Vest. The constitutional OBJ
sections. which seemed 10 be the main ones
that those opposed 10 the bill urged, were old
straw which had been thrashed over, not only
until all the grain was out. but the straw itself
was shreds. 1t was the old Statesrights doc
trinc which went down in the bitterness and
terror ii war. and vet strange TO say, still
RAISED its head IN opposition TO the grand idea
that this is q union and lot mere eontedera-
tiOn Of States.
Senator Vest had consoled himself with the
reflection that even If The bill passed both
Houses it may not become law, because Of
the great man." as he terms him, ar the other
threat-G0t very covert one either-oi e1ecu-
tive veto Wen. Jet the veto come aud it VIII
b. received by the people as the crowning scene
IL the last act Of The great drama OF retrOgres-
sion, after which the curtain viii fail and the
play be withdrawn.
Further consideration Of the bill was inter
rupted for a short while in order to pass bills
relating 70 the inspection Of steam vessels and
fo regulate marriages between white men and
l..lan women.
Tie Senate resumed the consideration Of the
educational bin, and Senator Blair obtained
the f09r.
lie reminded the Senate that since the close
Of the war there had been contributed to edu-
Gallon IN the South by people outside OF that
section between So Coo 600 and $50, 100000, the
most important contribution being known as
TIE Peabody fund. The Blair educational bill
WAS not a new idea in legislation, rs there had
been number 81 schemes looking toward the
same end: among them being bills 10 use part
81 the proceeds cf the sales of public lands and
the annual surplus income Of the Patent Office
Merry every religions Organization in the
country had az one time or another memorial
lied Congress 10 pass this or some similar bin
Nearly all the religious deuominations-the
Methodist, Pres3y terian, Iegationallst, etc
had expressed their emphatic appreciation
Tie Teachers Association %! the country. rep
Te5eutiuE nearly 100000 teachers, had done the
same thing. and innumerable petitions had
come mp from the country, from every class q
citizens. the Knights Of Labor. the Federation
Ct Labor, the Women's Christian Temperance
Union, etc.
Suat0r Harris denied that the Legislature
O. Tennessee had ever passed resolutions favor
inc the passage IF the bill.
senator Blair admitted that possibly there
might BE aH iuadveTtcnCs ~ making this state
IleDf. But that there bad been very strong sen
fimcats from the citizens or that State. Th'
S tate 81 Louisiana had twice BemOrialized Con
grcss through the Legislature and the state O
Eissi=sipFi twice OF three times. The Legis
lature a. Alabama had twice passed concurTen
resolutions iHdgrsiug the bIl. Georgia hat
c0uc the same. and So. he thought, had Florida
South Carolina and North Carolina had done il
the latter by both Democratic and Republican
Legislatures The last political platform Of tin
Democrats Of Virginia had Endorsed the bin
il the North nearly al the Legistures had IN
dOlsed j. The need q the ban in the NOTtl
was very great. Illiteracy was increasing 10
day ia Massachusetts,. and in some portions @
Connecticut The Senator read a letter fTol
Hon. Niliiam Q. Roger, recently Superintend
eBt ~ Pu-iic instruction - New Orleans an
q distinguished Southern edlcat0r 10 wLic
lie stated that The schools H Louisiana Heye
had averaged three moatls .n the wear. II
condition a education iu that States wretch I'd
Only = 00l o. the - 900 children IN the Stat
between the ages ol and l5 are in the publ
schools There arc large parishes III which u
public schools were held last year IN cousl
sUeuce o. tie insufselency Of the fund.
Senator Dawes asked II there were any ST.
tistics 70 show that ilIilgEacy II on tie il
crease ID ihis country.
Senator Blair replied that he was inf0rmc
by tie Burc2u u Education that the actual i
literacy Of The country was Increasing. and
not confined ~ the Southern States. He rea
communication Showing the amount Ct i'll
eTacy in particular cities ia Massachusetts
This WAS least ID Boston. where the pgrceuta.
q ililteratcs was seven, and most ia Fall Rive
where the percentage was Z0.65. OF the tot
Iileraies GI3 Per cent. were born IN Mass
chusctts. 90 per cent. In other parts Of Il
country. aud 80 per cent abroad.
Senator Dawes called attention 10 the f.
that the increase OF illiteacy IN Massach
setts is due 20 tie increase Of foreign popui
ton
Senator Blair went on 10 say that simil
condition existed IN the State Of CoBnecticl
and quoted from the messsg &c Of Gov. L0uu
bury 10 sustain his position.
Senator Piatt mentioned that many Of Il
children 81 Connecticut were educated IN r
rocAiai schools. and consequently did not a
pear IN the returns for public schools.
Senator Biair read a letter from j. c. Sc.
borough, II Summer, y. O.. Superintendent
Public Instruction in North Carolina, givi
statistics % rgueFlt 10 tgc runG ttion Of Clut