The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-17

cipal cities of the United States was in session /
last week. discussing various matters brought |
to their attention by Postmaster. General Wanna |
maker. On Thursday, March 10, the confer |
ence was entertained by the Postmaster-Gen-
eral at q noon breakfast at his residence, at
which President Harrison. Vice President Nor
ton, the members of the Cabinet, the members
of the Postoffice Committees of both Houses of
Congress- several ex-Postmasters- General, and
postal officials were also guests. After the
breakfast which a very enjoyable affair,
the members of the Conference repaired to the
Postofice Department and resumed their
labors. Measures to expedite the business of
the postal-service at the least possible expense
were discussed and many recommendations
were made to the Postmaster-G General, who will
transmit them to Congress, hoping for favorable
action upon them by the Senate and House.
One of the projects favored by the conference
q system of pneumatic tubes or other
mechanical device, to be used in large cities,
whereby the transportation of mails between
tho dIpots and postoffices and the various
stations and postoffices may be performed more
rapidly than has heretofore been possible by
the use of wagons or street railways, and that
Congress be requested to appropriate $4,000 for
the employment of experts to report upon the
means and devices to that end. They also rec
Ommend the modification of existing laws and
regulations so to permit examination by
Civil Service Boards of applicants for letter
carrier positions of Is years Of age. They also
adopted resolution recommending the organ
ization of County or District associations of Post
masters, for the observation and study of the best
methods available to them for the rapid trans
action of postal business. They recomme nded
the enactment Of law by Congress regulating
the carrying of second class matter in the
mails, embodying the following: That list Of
Subscribers to newspaper shall in no case be
considered bona ide that does not contain 100
| names. All sample copies of newspapers en-
titled to second-class rates shall have the words
sample copies" marked on the wrappers.
Subscriptions to a newspaper shall not be con-
sidered legitimate when paid for by advertisers,
and papers mailed under such conditions shall
| be charged az frst-class matter. Subscriptions
| to be bona fde shall not cover less period
| than three months for weeklies, semi weekles,
and tri-weeklies; six months for monthlies,
| semi monthlies, and bi-monthlies, and one year
| for quarterlies.
| @ss
The Military Academy appropriation bill, ss
reported from the Senate Committee on Appro-
| priations on Friday March IL, by Senator Gull
lom, of Illinois, carries an appropriation of
$436 827, an increase Of $23, 1872 over the amount
appropriated and passed by the House some
weeks ago. The principal item of increase is
| for charging and increasing the gas plant at
| the Academy. Some of the sums appropriated
| by the House reduced. If the bill passes the
Senate in its present shape there will be strug-
| gle between the Conference Committees of the
| two Houses.
The Senate Committee on Military Affairs
examined ON Friday, March II. newly pat
| ented machine firing gun, which the inventor
/ claims is superior to all other rapid-fring guns
| in existence. The inventor exhibited the work
| ing of the gun to Senators HawIey, Frye, and
| Blackburn, Maj. Martin Maginnis, of Montana,
| and A. W. Lyman. Instead of being fed from
the top, as in most other rapid firing guns, the
| cartridges fed from below by simple con-
| trivance something like chain. 1t is said that
| from $50 to 300 shots can be fired in minute.
| Gen. Arson McCook, who was also present, il
| regarded, like Senator Hawley, as expert on
this subject, and both were greatly pleased with
| the performance of the new feldpiece, which
| even in its crude shape gives promise of beeom-
| ing remarkable implement of warfare
So
| Abuses have been practiced heretofore By
saddling upon the Government the heavy ex-
| penses of Congressional funerals, and some Of
| these unsavory transactions are about to be
| brought to the attention of the public. It ap-
pears that the funeral of the late Congressman
| L. C. Houk, of Tennessee, cost over 81 O00 and
| included brass coffin or casket which cost
| $4,000, besides photographs, hat bands, SER
| vices of stenographer, and any number of
| lunches. These facts are now made public by
| the House Committee on Accounts, whose duty
| it is to pass upon the funeral bills. The Com
| mittee contemplate the introduction of bill
| to limit such expenditures in the future.
majority of the public, who pay the taxes, can
not see any good reason why the Government
should pay the funeral expenses of Senators
and Members of Congress, and it would be in
| order to enact a law doing away with such a
| practice altogether. The funeral of the late
| Senator Hearst, of California, was perhaps the
| most expensive one Cnat tnS Governments has
been called upon to pay for years. as it included
| railway fares for the Congressional Committee
which conveyed the body to San Francisco an
| well as the expense of carrying the corpse and
the Senator's family, who were abundantly
able to have paid all the expenses of the funeral
themselves.
xss
| Quite brisk little breeze was created in the
Senate one day last week, occasioned by con-
troversy between Mr.. Dolph of Oregon, and
Mr.. Berry, of Arkansas. The bill to provide
| for the repayment of purchase money and COM
missions paid on void entries of land was up
for consideration, and Mr.. Berry objected with
considerable vehemence to its consideration
under the FIVE minute rule. Mr.. Dolph had
charge of the bill, and remarked that there was
no necessity for the Senator from Arkansas to
| lose his temper. To this Mr.. Berry replied that
he had perfect right to make the remark that
he did, and that so far as his temper was con-
cerned, it was not under the control of the
Oregon Senator Mr.. Dolph then said that If
his remarks had given offense to Mr. Berry, he
| would withdraw them, which was entirely
| satisfactory to that gentleman; but the waters
| were again disturbed by Mr.. Dolph remarking
Il IL, hrno h Al.