The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-30
A DIVIDED HOUSE.
Our Congressman on the
Silver Question.
NO UNANIMITY OF VIEWS.
Mr.. Mcguire Will Introduce a Bill
Providing for Government Own.
ership of Telegraph Lines.

Congressman Geart is in Washington
doing all in his power to induce the exec
utive to enforce the Chinese registration
act. Congressman Caminetti started on
his way to tina national capital on Friday
evening. and Senator Perkins and Repre-
sentative Mcguire leave for Washington
tomorrow night.
Mr.. Mcguire was asked by CALL man
yesterday afternoo whether he aud his
colleagues in the national legislature had
conferred upon any matter of interest to
the State.
1--WE have not" he replied. "Geary is
apparently in favor Of protection to Cali
fornia. Every one knows how ] stand
with regard TO the question. and with the
exception of Geary do not know the posi-
lion of the other members of the delega-
ton.
'.As to silver? Well, 1 can say some
thing about that. Caminetti is opposed to
the repeal of the Sherman act. In his
opinion. the repeal would do away With
silver as coin. L do not know how Hill
born and Bowers stand. Cannon is OPP
posed to repeating the act. 1 am In favor
of repeating it. because do not believe we
should favor the producers Of silver IN
preference TO other producers"
The first bill that Mr.. Mcguire will in
trOduce provides for the acquisition by the
Government of postal telegraph system
The bill is substantially the same as that
which CONGRESSMAN Charles Sumner intro
duced in 1889.
Ii PROVIDES that the postal system OF the
United States shall include and embrace
postal telegraph. and authorizes the Post
master-General to construct the lines at as
early date as possible. Every post0ffice
for 400 inhabitants or more is to have
wire.
The bill provides that q skilled electri-
clan shall be appointed to exercise a gen.
erai power of management and control
over the administration OF the telegraph,
and to make an annual report to the Post
master-General, which shall show the
amount oil the receipts and expenditures
OF the office. the number of dispatches
transmitted during the year. the number
OF miles OF new lines constructed, the num-
Der of new offices opened. and such in
formation as the Postmaster-G General may
require.
The third section of the act provides
that the construction of the line shall be
begun as near as practicable simu,ane-
onsly at the following places: Portland.
Me-. Seattle, Wash. Boston. Mass. Port
land. Or; New York. Philadelphia. Balti-
more, Washington. Richmond; Newbern,
n. c.; Savannah. Ga; Jacksonville, Fla;
Mobile, Ala; New Orleans, Galveston,
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit. Chicago.
Minneapolis. Omaha, st. Louis. Kansas
City, Denver, Salt Lake. Yreka, Sacra-
mento. San Francisco, Los Angeles and
San Diego.
Another section provides that the local
offices OF the postal telegraph shall be es-
tatlished in the postoffices and villages
designated and that the compensation of
the operators and messengers shall be
paid from the receipts of the offices.
Section OF the bill provides that the
rates for the transmission of messages
shall be 10 cents for each ten words or
less, exclusive of the address and sigma
ture, and cents for each additional ten
words or less. News associations aud pa.
pers are to be charged at rate not ex-
ceeding 90 cents for 100 words. The Post
masfer-General must secure impartiality
In the transmission Of Press dispatches.
The bill gives the Postmaster General
authority to issue postal telegraph cards
OF 10, Is and 20 cents, which may be de-
posted in any postbox.
1t authorizes the Secretary of the Treas
ury to issue bonds not exceeding $50 each
and not exceeding in the aggregate value
So, 600, 600, redeemable within twenty
years and payable within thirty years.
bearing interest at 8 per cent per annum.
The proceeds of the sale of these bonds
are to be devoted 10 the construction of
the postal telegraph.
Section Is provides that the Postmaster
General shall as soon as desirable and
practicable enter into negotiations and ar
engagements with the proprie,Ors of tele
graph lines or cables which extend from
the United States into foreign countries
by which messages may be transmitted
from this country TO foreign States.
The last section provides that all per-
sons shall be given the right to use the
postal telegraph. kilograms shall be priv
legged communications in law as private
letters now are. They may be written in
secret letters or cipher.
The advocates of the postal telegraph
assert that eighty members of the Con-
gress which is about TO assemble will vote
TOR Maguire's bill.