Evening star., 1898-01-19

i
declared that 1t would be a blot on the
| name of the House Of Representatives If it
prevented vote on the question of war
In Cuba; blot comparable only to that
Of law written In blood. and of the law
| written so high that 1t could not be read.
Mr.. Hits point of order disposed of this
last amendment.
little later Mr.. Sulzer again got the
| floor with pro forma amendment and
taunted the other side with having aban-
| doned Its platform, for Mr.. McKinleys
message to Congress at the opening of this
session, in which the President said the
recognition of the insurgents was ''unwise
and inadmissible' at this time.
THAT is what has made towards of you
all!' shouted Mr.. Sulzer.
AT the conclusion of the reading of the
bill the general debate by the terms of
the agreement Elade yesterday was to fol-
low.
Chairman Hits Statement.
Chairman Hit of the committee on for
e2gn affairs made extended statement
| on the Cuban situation when the general
debate on the diplomatic bill opened. He
reviewed the course of the administra ton,
the successful demands for the release of
American citizens, the protest against the
1nhumane methods of war resulting in the
recall of Weyler; the efforts to overcome
the conc entration of the Cubans in towns.
Ihese firm steps had met with signal sue
cess.
They showed what spirit animated the
President and what might be expected of
him. Mr.. Hit spoke of the autonomy plan
and the disposition of the executive to give
1t fair trial, notwithstanding the many
doubts heard throughout the country
against the sincerity of the plan.
SENATE.
After the reading of the journal in the
Senate Mr.. Vest CMo) gave notice that he
would, at the conclusion of morning busi-
ness. move to take up the Teller resolu-
| ton, which was reported by the finance
committee yesterday.
bill authorizing c. r. Dobbins, keeper
of the light house at Moose Peak, Me-, to
accept a gold watch from the Canadian
government for gallant services rendered
the British schooner Ashton was passed.
A bill authorizing the Attorney General
the Secretary Of the Treasury and the
Secretary of War to compromise and ad-
just certain claims of the United States
against the state of Tennessee and the
state of Tennessee against the United
States was favorably reported by the
committee on claims and passed.
A joint resolution providing for the ap-
pointment of a commission to make a sur
vey of ship canal from the lower part Of
Lake Michigan to the Wabash river was
offered by Mr.. Turpie Und.) and referred
to the committee on commerce.
Cutting Down Letter Carriers
Mr.. Hear offered a resolution relative to
the recent order of the Postmaster General
reducing the number of letter carriers in
some of the large cities on account of a
deficiency in the free delivery appropria-
tion 'the resolution providing that the COM
mittee on post offices and post roads should
Immediately ascertain what amount was
necessary to preserve the postal free de-
livery service of the country For his
resolution Mr.. Hoar asked immediate con-
sderation.
Mr.. Wolcott. chairman of the post offices
and post roads committee, objected to the
reference of the resolution to his commit
tee. He said that the committee was ut
terly powerless to afford relief for the trou-
Bile at which the resolution was directed.
He thought the resolution ought by all
means to go to the committee on appro-
prs stions.
The committee on post offices and post
roads, he added. lis anxious to extend
ard make more efficient the letter carrier
system, but We are powerless.'
Mr.. Hoar thought the question was a
most important one, affecting. as it does,
hundreds Of thousands of persons who re-
celVe mail. By the order of the Postmaster
General his own city of 100000 population
was startled by a reduction of ten in its
force of carriers. New York, Boston and
other cities throughout the country had
suffered reduction in their forces of letter
carriers in about the same proportion.
This order of the Postmaster General,
declared Mr.. Hoar, created consterna-
tion among business men. The order was
based upon a deficiency in the appropriation
for free delivery of about $15O.ODO. All
that is needed to remedy the difficulty
countered by the Post Office Department.
and which confronts the business men of
the country, is small additional appro-
priation.'
Mr.. Carter (Mont.). member of the post
off oil hal fha toe
had this subject under consideration this
morning, the discussion being provoked by
some communications from New York
business men.
"The committee reached the conclusion
said Mr. Carter, that there is no defect
in the law pertaining to the postal service
which requires action upon the part of our
committee. What IS needed is simply an
increase In the appropriation for the car
rier branch of the service. and naturally
the pending resolution ought to go to the
appropriations committee"
1T is absolutely intolerable,'' said Mr..
Hoar. resuming his statement. that this
great branch of the public service should
stop be crippled. Many of the smaller
cities of the country are to be deprived
practically Of mail delivery facilities, and
it is time that something be done to avoid
serious business embarrassment.
Mr.. Allison, chairman of the appropria-
tions committee, said that he had reason
to believe there was a defect in the free
delivery system. The question involved.
however, SAID he, Is dIu IIOl
necessarily legislative. Congress, 1t is per-
fectIy evident, cannot say how many letter
carriers shall be assigned to the various
cities. That is solely within the province
of the Postmaster General.
The Postmaster General Blamed.
1.-The Postmaster General is anxious to
give the people of the United States good
carrier service" interrupted Mr.. Hoar,
but he hasn't the money
The point is" resumed Mr.. Allison. that
the Postmaster General has presented esti-
n ates to Congress too low to cover the ex-
per ses of his department"
Mr.. Allison urged that the Postmaster
General be sent resolution inquiring why
the issuance of such an order as had pro-
voked this discussion was necessary, and
what remedy was necessary. No sugges-
ton had been made to the committee on
appropriations that the Postmaster Gen
eral has not at his disposal sufficient funds
to meet the needs of his department.
I'VE must not here" said Mr.. Allison,
attempt investigation which reflects
upon the Postmaster General without first
having all the facts before U.S. Let us get
some definite information from the Post
master General as to defects, if such exist