The record-union., 1896-04-08
The PoStoflce Appropriation Bill Being the
Subject Under Consideration.
An Amendment Restricting the Con-
solidation System.
Eighty Thousand Dollars Appropri.
ated as Additional Compensation to
the Oceanic Steamship Company for
Ocean Mail Service From San Fran
cisco to New Zealand and New
South WaIes-House Proceedings.

cisco to New Zealand and New
South waIes-House Proceedings.
WASHINGTON, April THE Senate
rad a long and important session to-
day, the postoffice appropriation bill
being the subject of consideration and
action. There was quite an extended
discussion over the question of conSoli-
Gation of fourth-class postoffices in the
vicinity of large towns and cities, and
the substitution for them of stations,
sub-stations and branch offices. The
opponents of the system were success
full in having it's extension restricted
AN amendment offered by Wolcott of
Colorado favorable to the system hav-
ing been laid upon the table by a vote
OF AZ to Z. That decisive vote was fol-
lowed by the adoption CT an amendment
Offered by Pasco of Tiorida-yeas 36,
nays 2o-which restricts the consolida-
ton system to the limits of corporate
towns and cities.
The committee amendment appropri-
ating SS0,0 as additional compensa-
tion to the Oceanic Steamship Company
for ocean mail service from San Fran
cisco to New Zealand and New South
w Nales was agreed to-yeas 32, nays p.
The item of $196,61f for necessary and
special mail facilities on trunk lines
from Boston to Atlanta and New Or
leans by way of New York and Wash
1ngton was retained in the bill, the mo-
ton by Villas of Wisconsin to strike it
out having been voted down-yeas 13
mays 80.
An amendment requiring the expendi-
fure of $4,000 for experiments in rural
free delivery was offered by Butler of
North Carolina, and was agreed to
yeas q, nays %.
Teller presented resolutions from rep
resentatives of the American Fedora
tlon of Labor in various States for the
tree and unlimited coinage of silver,
without waiting for the aid of any other
nation, one of them declaring that the
members of the branch would not assist
any candidate who was not in favor of
free coinage, no matter TO what political
party he might belong.
The Senate bill to pay to Edward Rice
of Denver Col, 81, 700 for United States
coupon bonds lost by him in July, 1886,
was passed.
Butler Pop.) of North Carolina intro
duced a joint resolution proposing an
United States limiting the Presidents s
veto power. 1t proposes that a Presi-
dental veto may be overruled by a ma
jority vote Gnstead of two-thirds vote
fl both houses; also that all orders, res
olutions and votes to which a concur
renee of both houses may be necessary,
except on the question of adjourn
,nent, shall be presented to the Presi-
tta cb hsa hxr n he,
fore they take effect.
The postoffice appropriation bill was
taken up, the pending question being on
the proposition as to the compensation
of clerks at postal stations and sub
stations. involving the matter of the
consolidation of postoffices throughout
the country.
Villas Dem.) of Wisconsin made an
explanation of the points at issue. He
said that the proposition was mere
provision that the Postmasters who
would be payable out of the appropria-
tion for PostmasterS' salaries might be
paid out of the appropriation for clerks
when the offices of such Postmasters
We're discontinued and incorporated
with some other office.
Villas said the advantages of the
postal consolidation system were so OBJ
vious that no opposition would have
been made to ii had not the Senator
from Maryland (Gorman) uncorked the
bottle and let out the genius of opposi-
ton to civil service reform. And" he
added, civil service advancement in
this country owes it's success to the man
now at the head of this Government"
Allen Pop.) Of Nebraska challenged
Villas to point out any benefits derived
from civil service reform.
If nothing else had been gained, %
Villas replied, than the decency and
cleanliness of political conduct on a
change of administration, that would
nave been enough to make a civil serv-
ce reform a great triumph. The re-
def that has been afforded to Senators
and Representatives is of itself an
TEN of great consequence"
Allen pointed out the absurdities of
many of the questions that might be
put TO Postoffice applicants by the Civil
Service Examiners, and asked what
earthly bearing such questions had on
the fitness of somebody to run a little
fourth-class Postoffice in a village fif-
teen or twenty miles from large town.
The rank and file of the people. many of
whom had done service for the country
in it's hour of peril. were to be set aside,
ignored, and practically disfranchised
by the adoption of such silly and non
sensical rules" and by that means the
people were to be isolated from their
own Postoffices-
In the course of a colloquy between
Senators Allen, Hoar (Rep) OF Massa-
chusetts and Villas Dem.) of Wisconsin
on the subject of civil service, Hoar re-
ferred to Mr.. Roosevelt as having been
a bold, courageous, intelligent and most
efficient administrator of the civil serv-
ice law. He did not think Mr. Cleve-
land. who had done great many good
things, deserved to be written up very
high on that score. The reform. how
ever, had come to stay Hoar inveighed
against a state of things that existed
before civil service reform was inaugur-
ated. That state of things had been, he
said, the running sore of the country
the offensive stencil in the nostriis; the
disgrace, the degradation, the shame
the infamy of the American people. The
men who undertook the reform had de-
termined to put stop to that evil, and
- they did not get the best possible sub
H.