Morning journal and courier., 1888-01-31
Fiftieth Congress--First Session.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 80. SENArE.--The proposition to reduce letter postage to one cent was reported ad- yersely by MT. Sawyer. He stated in reply to MT. Beck that the com mittee had made no written report, but that it did not think it prudent to attempt to re- duce postage at present. The Postofice de- partment was still running behind and 1t was thought better to wait until it was self sustaining before any further reduction of postage was attempted.
 Mr Hoar desired to have put on record his belief that it was the duty of the govern ment and the interest of the people to have postage reduced to one cent. He believed that the Postofice department would rapidly become self-sustaining at thatgrate; but even if not, the direct benefit in binding the country closer together would more than compensate for any deficit.
 Mir. Beck, of Kentucky, said he could not understand how the.govsrnment could afford to carry bonnets and harness and merchan- disc all over the country for @ cent an ounce and not be able to carry the intelligence of the people at the same rate.
 Mir. Platt, of Connecticut, expressed his dissent from the proposition that the rate of postate ought to be considered at all with reference to the question whether the Post office department was self supporting or not. The people desired the best and cheapest postal service and did not insist upon the de- partment being self-sustainiug.
 The adverse report was placed on the cal endar in order that it might be discussed.
 The Senate took up the Blair educational bill and Mr. Morgan addressed the Senate in opposition to it.
 MT. Edmunds offered a resolution, which was adopted, calling on the commissioner of agriculture for the reports made on the sub ject of sugar making.
 At 4:30 the Senate went into executive session and at 5:20 ad journed.
 HoUsE-Under the call of States the fol- lowing among other bills were introduced: By MT. Cutcheon, of Michigan, calling on the Secretary of War for information as to what progress has been made in the exami nation and adjudication of claims for remus- ter of officers of the volunteer forces and how long it will be before the adjudication of those claims can be completed with the present clerical force of the adjutant gener- al's office; also resolution declaring it to be the sense of the House that in any purposed revision of the tariff the prin- eiple of protection to Ameri- can industry and the maintenance of the wages of the American workman at the American standard ought to be distinctly recognized and firmly adhered to; that duties ought not to be imposed for revenue only, but the production of those articles which the United States has abundant raw material and labor to produce ought to be protected sufficiently to enable American producers to maintain free competition in the American market and that articles on the free list should be selected from among such necessa- saries of life as are not produced in adequate quanties in this country.
 By MT. Martin, of Texas, instructing the committee on ways and means to report 8 bill repeating the internal revenue laws and revising the tariff so as to abolish specific duties.
 By Mr. Bland, of Missouri, for the further coinage of silver and for the redemption of national bank notes.
 Mr. Barry of Mississippi. from the commit tee on elections, submitted the majority re- port on the Lowrey-Whit Indiana contested election case, declaring the seat vacant; and the minority report, confirming Whites title, was presented by MT Powell, of Illinois Both reports were ordered printed and MT. Barry gave notice that he would ask action upon them on Thursday.
 The Speaker pro tenn. laid before the House a letter from the public printer in response to resolution calling upon him for informa- tion to discharges made by him. The public printer makes statement in regard to the discharges justifying and explaining them, defending the administration ot his office and emphatically denying the charge that the congressional work of the office is largely in arrears. He calls attention to the fact that during the forty-fve da, s of the Fiftieth Congress the printing ordered by Congress has increased forty-six per cent over that ordered during similar period of the Forty ninth Congress, but states that the work has been promptly handled with working force of three hundred less em- ployes than were on the rolls of the office at the beginning of the Forty-ninth Congress.
 Mir. Cutcheon, of Michigan, said that he was the author of the resolution to which the letter was answer. He had been impelled to draw up the resolution by the story of soldier who had been discharged with sixty other employees from the printing office in the middle of winter without cause, at time, too, when the printing ordered by Con- gress was greatly in arrears. MT. Cutcheon said the public printers letter gave informa- tion about everything except what Congress wanted information on. He didn't care how much paper he had used or anything about the price of ink, but just now he would like to know why the public printer selected the middle of January to turn these men and women into the street in order that he might put climax to the proceedings of the House in refusing to investigate the claims of workiDgman who was contesting a seat in the House.
 MT. Henderson, of Iowa, declared his dis- belief in the statement of the public printer that there were more Union soldiers em- ployed at the office to-day than had ever been employed at any previous period. He denounced the statement as false. A lady had come to him at his hotel Daughter on the Democratic side)-gentlemen might sheer if they desired because the widow of a dead comrade visited him. A lady called upon him-gentlemen on the other side might not be able to make that statement and told him she was the widow of 8 soldier with two children, one a young lady, ac- companied by her mother-did gentleme en wish to sheer again The son, young man. had been an employe of the printing office, but had been dropped from the rolls and his place filled from that great fountain of Dem ocratic officials, Baltimore, Qaughter) by one of the nimble fingers of the Democratic lead CT of Maryland.
 MT. Compton, of Maryland, inquired the name of the discharged emploYe.
 MT. Henderson declined to give it, but de- clared that names would be given if an in- vestigation of the office was ordered. The young lady had been employed in the treas- ury, but had been discharged about the same discharged her told her that she had no rec. ommendation but her efficiency, which was undisputed, and her place was wanted for 8 man who could help the Democracy. Those two children-the support of their mother were left without means of support in dead of winter, and he steod here proclaiming that it was not in the power of himself or any other Republican representative to se- cure the pettiest place in Washington even to save the widow and children of dead Union soldier from starvation.
 After further debate MT. sCutcheon off, fered resolution for the appointment of a special committee to investigate the present administration of the office
 Mr. Springer offered as a substitute rsso- lution instructing the committee on printing with the addition of two members, one from each side of the House, to investigate the adA ministration of the printing office during the incumbeney of the present public printer and his immediate predecessor.
 MT. Reed suggested that the investigation of man who is dead could hardly help members to get their documents quicker and he appealed to Mir. Springer not to make 8 partisan thing out of the inquiry.
 MT. Springer denied that there was any thing partisan in his inquiry. He wanted to institute comparison of the office under the present administration and that of the former public printer.
 The substitute was then agreed to-
 MT. Hatch, of Missouri, called up the bill making provision for agricultural experiment stations and on his motion the Senate amend ments were concurred in.
 MT. Breckenridge, of Arkansas, introduced Il