The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-13
SPECIAL MAIL FACILITIES.
CUSTOMARY FIGHT MADE ON THE
SERVICE WITH THE USUAL
RESULT.
ALL PRIVATE BILLS HEADED OFF
Listened to the Sundry Civil Act
Text.

of Abraham Lincoln in the old hall
Of representatives was draped today
in the American flag and wreatheG
with flowers in honor Of the anniversa-
ry Of his birth, but the house did not
suspend business. On the contrary, it
celebrated the anniversary by discuss
ing the necessities of the postal serv-
ice, and passing the posto1f1ce appro-
priation bill. The perennial fight was
made to strike out the appropriation of
$196,000 for special mail facilities from
Boston to New Orleans, but it was
defeated-46 to 107, although that por-
tion of the appropriation providing
special facilities for Boston to New
York was stricken out after it had
been shown that this part Of the ap-
preparation had not been expended for
several years. The bill as passed car
ries 96,435,71
The house resumed consideration Of
the bill, Immediately after the reading
Of the journal. 1t was arranged that
the general debate should close in one
hour. Mr.. Cromwell (Rep., o. resumed
his argument against the apprOpria-
ton Of $196,000 for special mail facil-
ties from Boston to New Orleans. Re
plying to Mr.. Swanson's remarks, Of
yesterday, he declared it was absurd
to say that the Southern railroad car
ried more mail than any other trunk
line in the country. There was, he
said, twenty-five trunk lines which
carried more mail than the Southern.
He referred to the advantage gained
by the New York papers by this special
mail train, and pointed out that news
paper specials run out of Chicago, st.
Louis, Cincinnati and other centers OBJ
tanned no special compensation.
Mr.. Gardiner Rep., N. j. and Mr..
Pearson (Rep., N. O. defended the ap-
preparation. The latter called attention
to the fact that the bill appropriated
$4,000 for expediting the mails to the
islands of the Pacific. Were not the
Democrats and Republicans Of the
South, and even the Populists, he
asked, entitled to as much considera-
ton as the residents of the South Sea
islands.
Mr.. Simpkins Rep., Mass) opposed
the appropriation. After some further
remarks, the general debate closed and
the bill was taken up for amendment
under the fiveminute rule.
MIR. Southland (Rep., o. moved to
strike out the proviso to the apprcpria-
ton for marine delivery at Detroit,
designed to abolish the use of a steam
launch and to confine the service to
rCwboats. He said the proviso would
seriously cripple this important SER
vice at Detroit. Mr.. Belknap Rep.
Ill) and other representatives of the
cities Of the Great Lakes, supported
the amendment The amendment was
agreed to.
On motion of Mr. Talbot Oem.. S.
c. the appropriation for experimental
rural free delivery, was increased from
$50, 0G0 to 100000.
Mr. Williams offered as an amend
ment to the appropriation for the trans
portation of the mails, a proviso to
reduce the compensation to non-aided
roads to the amount paid land grant
reads. In support Of his amendment,
he recalled Mr.. LIQUIDS statement yes
terday, that the land grant railroads
made good profit in carrying the mails
at the reduced rates.
The amendment was ruled out on
point Of order. While a discussion was
in progress as to the rate Of compen-
sation allowed street car mail service,
Mr.. Hepburn Rep., Iowa) asked what
luGSG CdIS pSIIOIIIIGO
cit has been intinlaIted,' said Mr.
Terry Dem, Ark), that these cars are
put on street car lines so that they
can be filed with federal bayonets to
suppress strikers"
When the item appropriating $4,000
for special mail facilities from Boston
to New Orleans was reached. Mr..
Cromwell (Rep., o. moved to strike 1T
out The house Immediately divided,
and the Bromwell motion was lost, 46
to 107.
Mr. Simpkins Rep., Mass.) then NOV
vision as related to the special facili-
and to reduce the appropriation to
Sill ,208. The amendment was adopted
without division.
the per diem of railway postal service
day. Without further amendment the
bill was reported to the house, where,
on the appeal of Mr. Loud, the amend
ment adopted in committee to increase
the appropriation for rural free delivery
was rejected, and the bill was passed.
The remainder of the day until 4:45
o'clock, was devoted to reading the
sundry civil bill. The formal first
reading of bill is usually dispensed
with, but this expedient was adopted to
prevent the consideration Of private
bills, which is the regular order for
Friday. At 4:45 p. M, the house adj
journed until tomorrow, thus dispens-
ing with the regular Friday night ses-
sion.