Evening star., 1897-04-09
International Postal Congress to Be
Held There.
AN AUGUST ASSEMBLAGE
Sessions to Be Secret and Discus
sions in French.
FITTING UP THE BUILDING

| The Post Office Department has leased
| the old Corcoran Art Gallery building for
| an indefinite period of time to accommodate
| the international postal congress, which is
| to assemble on the first Wednesday in May,
| the 5th of that month. For a time it was
| intended to hold the congress in the new
public library building but the aversion in
Congress to the use of that building for
| other than library purposes prevented.
1t Is expected that the congress will be In
| session six or eight weeks. The entire
building will be furnished and fitted ex
pressly for the convenience of the congress.
The main hall OH the second floor will be
equipped with seats and desks for the dele
gates, and at the north end will be placed
large platform and desks for the convent
ence of the president and the secretaries.
Hanging about the chamber, which will be
| beautifully decorated, will be elaborate
coats Of arms of each of the nations repre-
sented.
The union embraces the whole world, ex-
cepting the Chinese empire, Corea and the
Orange Free State. These latter countries
are expected to join the union during this
congress- and will be represented by dele
gates. Each nation can send many dele
gates as 1t desires to, but will have but one
vote.
Delegates to BE Chosen.
The United States has usually sent two
delegates On this occasion, however, 1t
| Is likely that more than that number will
be designated.
The delegates to the last convention were
Capt. N. NJ. Brooks, superintendent Of for
eign mails, and Mr.. Charles Potter of Phil
adelphia, personal friend of eX-Postmas-
ter General Wananaker. Postmaster Cen
eral Gary has framed the order appointing
delegates to the coming convention, and it
| Is understood that Capt Brooks will be one
o. them, but the other selections are not
date
first and second floors of the gallery build
ing will be used for the general offices and
committee rooms for the congress, and one
of the larger rooms will be devoted TO the
exhibition of postal appliances which may
be brought to the attention Of the congress
by inventors and contractors from all
parts of the world.
With Closed Doors.
The convention will be held with closed
doors, and the proceedings will he in the
French language, according to the usual
custom. The first topic of importance to
| be considered will be that of transit rates
by intermediary countries mails re-
ceived from other countries
1t Is likely that the result will be 4 gen.
eraf reduction of these rates, circum-
stance which would he Instantaneous to
the United States. as we carry vast guam
titles OF European mail across the entire
breadth OF TIE country to go to oriental
by the United States to other countries
travels but short distances through inter-
medary countries. There will probably be
but seven or eight sessions of the full con-
greSs. The princial work Is done in the
committees, of which there are usually
four. They meet in their rooms and take
up one subject after another until they
have transacted considerable amount of
work, when they report 10 the president of
the congress that they are ready to sub
NIT the result of their deliberations, and
the congress is assembled to consider the
full report of that committee, and firal
action is taken.
Social Features.
The social feature of the congress usually
includes banquet by the sovereign of the
country in which the congress meets, and
by the mayor in the city where its ses-
sions are held. Here. undoubtedly, Presi-
dent Mckinley will entertain the congress
at the White House, and a number of ex-
cursions will be made not only to places
of historical interest, but for the purpose
of studying various features of the postal
system of this country and the various
methods. devices and appliances in use.
The appropriation for the congress has
the sundry civil bill. Nevertheless the
gallery building has been leased and the
short interval of time before the 9th of
May will be used to the very best purpose
ments. the department being able to do
this by means vi special funds at its COM
mand The usual cost of one of these
conventions is about $250.0O0. Congress
has allowed 100000 for this occasion.
The delegates defray all their hotel bills
and other personal and necessary expenses.
1t is matter of fact that the original
postal urit n was suggested in the course
of official business by Mr.. John A. Kasson
of Iowa when he was first assistant post
master general during the Lincoln admin
istration in 1862.
Montgomery Blair. upon Mr.. Cassons
suggestion, framed letter suggesting an
International postal union, and setting
forth, under fourteen heads. the various
subjects to be considered by a congress,
embracing all the leading nations of the
earth, which he sent to Secretary Seward.
then at the head OF the State Department.
This letter was transmitted to all the
leading nations of Europe and South
America, and resulted in the now famous
International congress, held in Paris in
1862 and from which resulted the inter-
national postal union. or, as it is now
called, the universal postal union.