, 1896-12-16
NATIONAL CONGRESS.
LIQUIDS BILL TO AMEND THE SEC
OND CLASS MAIL MAT
TER LAW.
Mr.. Loud Declares That the Passage OF
His Bill Will Save the People $780,
600, 900 Annually-Exact Status oil
the Bill Questionable-Delay Will
Be Attempted.

GRAFTON OF the Loud bill to amend the
law relating to the transmission of sec
ond class mail matter. The bill has
been widely discussed in the public
press and met with the most intense
opposition from certain quarters. 1t
denies the right Of serial novels to ad.
mission to the mails at the newspaper
rate of one cent per pound, denies to
newspapers the sample copy present.
prohibits the return of unsold publica-
ton at pound rates and makes other
changes in the present law designed to
correct existing abuses. A chars e in
this second class mail matter law has
been repeatedly urged by successive
postmaster generals. It Is estimated
that abuses of the law had cost the
government S240, 600, 900 in the last 10
years. MI. Loud of California, the au,
thor of the measure. brought 1t for
ward today, quite Unexpectedly to the
majority of the members OF the house.
The opposition was led by M. Quigg
u A<S" AoIh wiz IdIcu d ull-
buster and attempted to prevent its
consideration by adjourning, but the
house stood by Mr.. Loud in two votes,
defeating the opposition, 134-142 and
1873. The opposition. however, are
hopeful of defeating the measure when
1t is put on its final passage.
Mr.. Loud made the opening speech
On the measure, during which he de.
clared the bill would ave the govern
ment $40, 900, 900 annually. He also said
it had received the endorsement of the
Newspaper Publishers association and
was only opposed by those who parti-
cipated in the bounty obtained under
the present law. The exact status of
the bill Is questionable. Tomorrow the
appropriation bills will be brought for
ward to delay It.
Before this bill was brought up, a
bill to recognize the Atlantic and Pa
cific railroad company was called up
and passed with some ameedments, aft,
er an hours debate. The bill, as pass
ed, gives the purchasers under fore,
closure sale all the right Of the old
company under its government char
ter, but it provides that it shall as
sumo all the debts and obligations OF
the old company and the land unearn-
ed July 6. 1886, along the then uncom-
pleted portions of the road, shall, as a
condition, precedent to reorganization.
be relinquished in writing by the pur-
chasers.
Mr. McRae, democrat Of Arkansas.
attacked the bill on the ground that
it did not sufficiently protect the III
terests Of the government, the settlers
and creditors OF the company. He op.
posed a substitute for it, which was de-
feated 70-163. Mr.. McRae then declar-
ed that the history of the Atlantic and
Pacific railroad showed 1t had violated
Its pledges and obligations and there
fore all the obligations Of the new cor
poration was to assume should be NOM
mated in the bond. Several minol
amendments were adopted. One offer,
ed by Mitchell, republican, OF New
York, provided that the new corpora
ton should assume all the legal obj.
cations OF the company.
Mr.. Prince, republican, OF Illinois,
proposed an amendment providing that
as a condition precedent to reorganixa>
tion OF the road, the purchasers should,
in writing, r%elinquish all claim to land
granted by the government adjacent to
those portions OF the road unoompleted
on July 6, 1886. He explained that this
amendment would simply forfeit to the
government all the unearned lands.
MI. Powers said a suit was pending
for forfeiture of these lands and this
amendment would be practically black
mail. The amendment was adopted
and the bill passed without division.
The house adjourned al 1872 p. m.
SENATOR ALIENS BILL.
Washington. D. c.. Dec. 15-Senatoe
Allen Of Nebraska today introduced a
bill ap~propriating q million dollars for
. survey Of the head waters Of the prin-
cipal rivers Of tire country for the hcn-
ton Of available sites for reservoirs fer
irrigation purposes. Tho survey pro-
posed u not to be co06ned to the arid
regions but to include all sections q
the country.
IRRIGATION CONGRESS.
Phoanfx. Aria.. Dec 16.-The Nation.