The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-07

WASHINGTON, March 6.-At the
opening of the session of the house to-
day a bill was passed on motion of
MIR. Overstreet CRep.. Ind.) to abolish
the cash payment of pensions. The pur-
pose of the bill is to prevent the sWind-
ling of old veterans who draw their
pension money at the agencies on the
quarterly pay days. Correspondence
with the agencies show that many
pensioners draw their pensions in cash
and their families complain that they
get no benefit from the money. This
bill requires all pensions to be paid
in checks, sent to the home of the
pensioners.
Mr.. Hull (Rep., Iowa) asked unani-
nous consent for the consideration of
bill to relieve General Carlin of la
bility for 81, 100 expended by Captain ].
NJ. Clyde in the rescue of a party
of students who were snowbound in the
Bitter Root mountains in 1898.
Mr.. Wilson (Rep., Idaho) objected,
saying that the party had deserted a
citizen of Idaho and had left him to
die
The house then resumed the consider
alton of the remaining features of the
amendment to the legislative bill to
abolish the fee system in the case of
United States attorneys and marshals.
After some unimportant amendments
had been adopted the legislative bill
was passed.
The house then took up the consider
alton of the postoffice appropriation
bill. Mr.. Loud Rep., CALI, chairman
of the committee which was in charge
of the bill, explained its provisions. The
bill is the largest of the annual sup
ply bills. 1t carries $91, 943. SIT, $2,S4 ,142
less than the estimates, but S2,377, 760
more than the current law carried.
Mr.. Quigg Rep., n. " asked
whether it would be possible under the
provisions of the present bill for the
postoffice department to continEe
what he denominated
1.-THE SPY SYSTEM"
for the surveillance over carriers, etc.
Mr. Loud, in reply, explained that
the committee did not desire any Off
cial of the government to embark in
new enterprises, and therefore the APP
preparation used by the first assistant
postmaster general to employ inspec-
tors had been segregated so that money
could not be used by him for that
purpose. But Mr.. Loud said he agreed
with the first assistant postmaster gem
eral fully as to the principle of ade-
Quate supervision of the postal SER
vice. He thought it would benefit the
whole service, but the committee had
decided that it was not desirable to
divide the inspecting force, and had
therefore cut off the force under the
first assistant postmaster general and
increased the regular force under the
fourth assistant postmaster general by
making provision for thirty additional
inspectors
In further explaining the bill Mr.
Loud said: "The amount for railroad
transportation of mails had been re-
duced from 500 1000 900 to $27, 900 and
the reduction had been made in the
hope and expectation that his bill to
amend the postal laws relating to sec
ond class mail matter, which had been
extensively discussed shall become a
law. In answer to a question he stated
he would press that BILL il possible, to
a vote"
Without completing the general de-
bate the committee rose and at ) o'clock
a recess was taken until o'clock, the
evening session to be devoted to the con-
sideration of private pension bills.
The night session of the house was
without incident. About a dozen bills
were favorably acted upon.