The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-09-26
TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
Legislation Caused by SlIcott's De-
falcafinn- The Anusa pnstnffica

falcatIon-Th House Postoffice.
WASHINGTON, September 25.-The House
today agreed to the conference report on the
bill granted a pension to the widow
of Gen. Hartranfdt. The amount granted is
800 month.
Mr.. Enloe brought up resolution which
recites that it is alleged the postmaster of
the House, j. l.. Wheat, whose duty it is to
let contracts for carrying the mails, let a
contract to Samuel Culbertson for $4,000 a
year on condition that Culbertson should
pay Wheat $3.50 a month out of the money
received from the government for his SER
vices; that Wheat did receive that sum five
months, and that the committee on post
offices and post roads investigate the charges
and such other matters as pertain to Wheat's
administration of the postoffice of the House
of Representatives
Mr.. Bingham of Pennsylvania, Sugg ested
the difficulty of procuring quorum of the
committee on postofices and post roads and
advised that the committee on accounts be
substituted as the investigation committee
Mr. Enloe changed the resolution accord
ingly.
that the resolution be made broad enough to
include an investigation of the last post
master in regard to the same matter.
Mr.. Enloe remarked that if any gentleman
had evidence of anything wrong in the action
of the late postmaster he would have no OBJ
lection.
Mr.. Hopkins remarked that he understood
that this contract which the gentleman
claimed was unlawful came down from the
postmaster of the last Congress.
Mr.. CaSwell of Wisconsin, said his inform
alton was that this practice on the part Of
the postmaster had obtained during several
Congresses. The postmaster had become
satisfied that this money was not proper
and legitimate perquisite and had therefore,
turned every dollar into the treasury
Mr.. Hopkins offered an amendment ex-
tending the investigation to the practice of
postmasters of the 49th and 50th Congresses.
The previous question was ordered and
Mr.. Hopkins's amendment adopted. The
resolutions, as amended, was agreed to.
Mr.. Payne of New York, chairman of the
special committee appointed to investigate
timing the duties of the sergeant-at-arms. 1t
enables the sergeant-at-arms to make requi-
sition directly upon the treasury for the pay
and mileage of members and constitutes him,
in explicit terms, the disbursing officer, lin
iting his compensation to his present salary.
Under the present system, members are re-
quired to give written receipts in advance of
the actual payment of their salaries by the
treasury. This custom is an ancient one ut
terly at variance with any sound business
principle. Upon the recent defalcation of
Silcott an attempt was made to give these
receipts an effect unknown to any previous
announced principle of law. 1t was claimed
that they were not like ordinary receipts in
commercial transactions subject to explana-
ton and even contradiction but the members
by giving them, were stopped from claiming
thereafter the unpaid salaries. True the
courts promptly decided the question in favor
OF the members, and in accordance with well
established and time honored principles of
law, decreed the payment of the salaries to
the members who had given these receipts.
The present bill authorizes and requires the
payment to the sergeant-at-arms upoc his
reQuisition. Only when payment is actually
made by this officer to member can any re-
ceipt be required. A bond of $4,000 is re-
quired. The bill passed.
Mr.. Boutelle, chairman of the committee
on naval affairs, reported the bill appr0priat-
ing 81, 900, 900 to enable the Secretary of the
Navy TO purchase nickel ore or nickel matte
for the manufacture of nickel steel armour
and asked unanimous consent for its consid-
Grafton. The bill passed. The House ad-
| journed at $40.