The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-19
WILL INTRODUCE A
NEW POSTAL SYSTEM
Bill TO Extend the Mail Service Passed
ia the Senate.
AN EXPERIMENT TO BE MADE
House Reverses the Decision of the
Committee on Elections in Com
tested Cnse--Bill Passed to Admit
Needlework Imported by the New
York Association of Sewing schools
for Exhibition Purposes.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1S..-The senate
passed today without a word of eXpla-
nation, a bill which If ii becomes a
law will introduce a new postal card
system. 1t is "a bill to extend the use
of the mail service" 1t was introduced
in the early part of last session by Mr..
Villas, of Wisconsin, and was referred
to the postOifce committee from Whlch
it was reported back with amendments
on the 18th of last month. A week ago
an attempt was made to have 1t passed
by unanimous consent; but objection
was then made by Mr.. Allen of Nebras-
ka, who said that from the reading Oh
the bill it appeared to propose the con-
ferring of a monopoly. Mr. Villas ad-
mitted that it did confer Il monopoly,
but he said, that as the company con-
cerned owned the patent for the lnVen-
tion, there must necessarily be a mon
opoly. Mr.. Allen promised to look into
the matter and when Mr.. Villas asked
unanimous consent today for the pass
age of the bill he said that Mr.. Allen
was satisfied with it, No objection was
made. and the bill was passed, without
it's being even read, except by title.
Its purpose is to allow the circulation
by mall of the postal cards and envel-
and owned by West Virginia corpora
ton at regular postal card and letter
rates, paid on presentation of the
coupons from the said cards and envel-
opes when detached at the office Of
delivery"
The postmaster general is to test the
practical operation of the plan in two
or more cities and to suspend its oper-
alton if the test prove unfaVOrable
There We're nine sections to the BILL
but they do not convey clear idea OF
the Ilan.
The senate also passed, without
amendment house bill for the admis-
sion of needle work imported by the
Now York association of Sewing Schools
for exhibition purposes.
The senate had spent only twenty
minutes IN legislative session, when on
motion of Mr.. Sherman the galleries
were cleared, the doors closed and the
consideration of executive business en-
tered upon.
CONTESTED ELECTION CASE.
In the contested case of Hopkins Gre
publican) VS.. Kendall CDemocraD, from
the tenth Kentucky district, the house
today for the first time this, session
on q QlGeCt issue Ol luCl IeNcIStu lllE
decision of its committee on elections
and seated a contestant whom the COM
mittee had declared not elected. The
case turned up on the action of the
county clerk of Clark county, Ken
lucky, Who without authority, had sub
stituted what was called in the debate
IAN odous thieving coon" on the Of
fetal ballots in place of the eagle, the
chosen emblem of the Republican party
of Kentucky. 1t was admitted by the
committee that this was a transparent
fraud" and that it was done with in
tent to deceive but it was contended
that the number of colored votes lost in
this manner was not enough to over
come the sitting members majority of
253 over his contestant. The minority
report contended that fraud vitiated
everything, and that the entire vote
of the county must be thrown out.
After an exceedingly animated discus
sion the house sustained this view by
q vote of 1877 to 81.
The rest of the session was given up
to passage of bills by consent, which
lead the leaders to consent to speedy
adjournment.