Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-16
HOUSE rAvoRs POSTAL REFORM.
Loud mn to withdraw Many Present

IouJ mn Tn withdraw Many Present
Privileges Finds support.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-The house today
entered upon the consideration OF the Loud
bill to amend the law relating to the trans
mission OF socond-class mail matter. The
bill has been widely discussed in the public
press and has met with the most intense op-
position from certain quarters 1t denies the
right of serial novels to the mails at the
newspaper rate of | cent per pound, denies
to newspapers the sample copy privilege,
prohibits the return Of unsOld publications
at the pound rates, and makes some other
changes in the present law designed to cor
rect existing abuses. a change In the sec
ond class matter law has been repeatedly
urged by successive postmaster generals. 1t
was estimated that the abuses of tho law
had cost the government $2iO,OOO,OOO in the
last ten years. Mr. Loud of California, the
author of the measure, brought it forward
today quite Unexpectedly to a majority of the
members of the house The opposition, led
by Mr.. Quigg Of New York, inaugurated y
filbuster and attempted to prevent its con
sidoratiOn by adjOurning, but the house stood
by Mr. Loud in two votes, defeating the Op~
position 1874 to l02 and lil to SO. The op-
position, however, is hopeful of defeating
the measure when it Is put on its final pas
sage. Mr.. Loud made an opening speech on
the measure, during which he declared the
bill would save the government S2O,OOO,O00
annually. He also said that 1t had received
the Endorsement of the Newspaper Publish
ers' association, and was only opposed by
those who participated in the bounty OBJ
tained under the present law. The exact
status of the bill is questionable. Tomorrow
the appropriation bills will be brought for
ward to delay 1t.
Before this bill was brought up bill to
reorganiZe the Atlantic and Pacific railroad
was called up and passed with some amend
ments aftc' an hours debate The bill, as
passed, gives to the purchasers under fore
closure sale all these rights of the old com
pany under its government charter, but II
provides that 1t shall assume all the debts
and obligations Of the old company and that
the lands unearned July 6, 1895. along the
then uncOnpleted portions of the road, shall.
as condition prerequisite to reorganization,
be relinquished in writing by the purchas-
ers. Mr.. McRae democrat, of Arkansas at
tackled the bill on the ground that 1t did
not sufficiently protect the interests of the
government, the settlers and the creditors Of
the company. He proposed a substitute for
II, which was defeated 20 to 1863. MIR Nc
Rae then declared that the history of the
Atlantic and Pacific railroad showed it had
violated its pledges and obligations, and that
therefore all the obligations the new cor
poration was to assume should be nominat-
ed in the bond. Several minor amendments
were adopted. One of them, offered by Mr.
Mitchell, republican, of New York, proyid-
ed that the new corporation should assume
all the legal obligations of the Old company.
MI fIluCt, republican, OF Illinois. proposed
an amendment providing that as a condition
precedent to the reorganization of the road
the purchasers should, in writing, relinquish
all claims TO land granted by the government
adjacent to those portions of the road un-
completed July 6, 1896. He explained that
this amendment would simply forfeit to the
government all unearnCd lands. Mr.. Pow
ers said suit was pending for the forfeit
ure of these lands and this amendment would
be practically blGCkmal, The amendment
was adopted and the bill passed without di-
vision. The house adjourned at 1852 p. m.