Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-06
General Congressional News.

a vote the House adjourned.
General Congressional News.
/ The hearing on the bills to prevent men-
haden fishing within three miles of the coast
was continued before the House committee
on fisheries this morning. A number of
practical fishermen protested against the
passage of the bill, saying that it attacked
the interest of fishermen on the whole coast.
They contended that if Canada desired to
destroy the fishing industries of this country,
it could not accomplish it more thoroughly
than by securing the enactment of such a
law as was now proposed.
Mr.. Phelps, for the bill, said it was only
question of whether the menhaden fishery
destroyed the food fish. If it did, it must
go. The interests of the fishermen who
caught the fish and of the people who ate
them was greater interest than that of the
guano and oil made from menhaden. There
was certain facts generally accepted in the
public opinion of New Jersey The food
fish had decreased in quantity. The de-
crease kept equal pace with the energy of
the menhaden catch. How enormous this
catch now was, was evidenced by the fact
that the opponents of the bill had admitted
incidentally that at one time they had 5000
barrels of fish at single point The fishing
diminished the quantity of food fish, not SO
much by the quantity of them caught in the
nets and mixed with the menhaden, but by
the fact that the menhaden were destroyed
or driven away, so that there were none to
supply food for the bluefish, the weaktish
and other food fish. There was the great
objection. The menhaden fishing exhausted
the supply Of menhaden or drove them off
where the food fish could not find them. 1t
was idle to to claim that the menhaden sup
ply was inexhaustble. The fishing was
yearly driven farther south to find them.
The northern fishing was already exhausted.
Congressman Spooner made strong argu-
ment against the bill. He claimed that the
menhaden fishermen could not catch food
enough for their own use on the cruise that
the infinite supply of the menhaden could
never be exhausted; that the menhaden was
not the food of the bluefish, only its relish,
like liquor to man.
Several captains were afterward heard.
One from Massachusetts and one from
Maine strenuously protested against the bill
on the ground that it would kill the New
England fisheries, as they needed to take
their fish in nets to supply the demand for
bait, which was great industry
In its report upon the Grain joint resolu-
substituting the lst of December for the
18th of March as the commencement and ter
mination of the official term of members of
House of Representatives, the committee on
the election of President, Vice-president and
representatives to Congress says: The
necessity for such change is obvious from a
consideration of the evils which flow from
our present system of representation. The
House, chosen in November, does not begin
its work for l3 months after its election, al
though its members draw their salaries from
March next succeeding. For nine months
there is no speaker of the House. Before
its members have served their full term
their successors are chosen. The certain
termination of the second session at II NJ.
on the 4th of March, often prevents the pas
sage of important measures, either from
lack of time, as in the case of the deficiency
bill at the second session of the 49th Con-
gress, or because the President has not had
an opportunity to examine them, as happened
with the river and harbor bill at the close of
the same session.
"The efficiency of the representatives
during the short session is sometimes inn
paired because they have failed of reelection.
Representatives are chosen upon issues
which may have been settled when they
come to the capital to enter actively upon
the performance of their duties The peo-
pie in many instances are not represented
by the men whom they have chosen to re-
present them, but defeated candidates hold
over. and the month of December in the
first session is practically wasted by the
House on account of holiday adjournments.
Should the proposed amendment be adopted,
the members of the House elected in Nov
k,r hax aI,n,,t I,..a xx-ht oh tn
receive their certificates # election, to pre-
pare for contests, to arrange their private
affairs in contemplation of a protracted ab
sence from home, and to reach the capital.
There would be no holiday adjournment.
The House would only be eight days without
a speaker.
The theory of the founders of the con-
stitution that the representatives should
come fresh from the people would be car
ried out. and they would be engaged in the
settlement of the issues upon which they
were chosen within 60 days after their
election. The House chosen at the presiden-
tial election would assist in the counting of
the presidential vote. and elect the president
in case the election should devolye upon the
House. There would be two long sessions
without any fixed time for adjournment ex-
cept such as might be agreed upon by both
houses, and there would consequently be no
failure to important bills for want of time.
There would be no election between the
sessions. and therefore each member would
be as efficient during the second session as he
was during the first. Representatives would
not be placed in the dilemma of choosing
between a temporary abandonment of their
post of duty and the alternative of defeat at
home, and they would have an opportunity
between the sessions to visit their constitu-
ents and " discuss pending measures with
them. The first session would not be a
game of chess between the two parties, with
the fall elections as the wager, and there
would be no necessity for extra sessions"
| Notes.
| 1t is said at the Post-Office Department tha
a statement has been put in circulation byi
many fourth-class postmasters in different
sections of the country. to the effect that let
tiers mailed in postal cars are put off the train
at the next station. in order that the stamps
may be cancelled by the postmaster there,
thus delaying such letters at least one train.
The post-office department officials denounce
this statement as absolutely false, and de-
clare that the purpose of post-masters in Civ
ing currency to this report is to compel the
abandonment of the practice of mailing let.
tiers on the cars. by which local post-masters
are deprived of the revenue derived from
canceling these stamps.
The Postmaster General has submitted fol
incorporation in the urgent deficiency appro
priatiou bill, deficiency estimates of sl00, ,oot
for clerk hire in post-ofiices and S25,0oo fol
rent, fuel and light for post-offiees. In e1
PLANTATION of the deficiency in the appropria
ton for clerk hire, the Postmaster-Genera
saws that il has resulted from the consolida
ton of the money order work with The ordi
nary work of the post-office clerks. but he i
prepared to submit data showing that tbs
money order commissions collected at first
and sacoud class posf-ot3icas Amounted n