The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-20
PASSED BY THE HOUSE
POSTOFFICE APPROPRIATION BILL
NOW READY FOR THE SENATE.
FruitIess Efforts to- Strike Out Mail
S8bsidies-A Loyal seutherner
Choked on.

WASHINGTON March 19.--The House to-
day passed the postoffice appropriation bill,
which has been under consideration since
Wednesday. The main points of attack to-
day were the appropriations of $50 100000
for railway transportation of rails and
$l7l,OOO for special facilities betw.p New
York and New Orleans and $4,000 or spe-
cial facilities from Kansas City to Newton,
Kan. These Items annually attract more or
less of contest. This year the opposition
seemed to be less insistent. All efforts to
reduce the appropriation for railroad trans
portation sgnally failed and the vote on
the Southern mail subsidy was II to SO
against striking out BY neat parliamentary
maneuvering the opponents of the subsidy
We're prevented from getting direct vote
on motion to recommit with instructions.
AT the opening of the session Mr. Ding
ley, the floor leader of the majority, offered
the Dill reported from the ways and means
committee providing for the free entry into
this country of guns, ammunition and other
naval supplies and war material purchased
abroad until Jan. /, 1889 He explained that
the committee had unanimously reported the
bill. 1t was asked for by the secretaries of
war and navy. Some of the Democrats
undertook to poke fun at Mr.. Dingley by
asking him why these supplies should be
admitted free of duty If the foreigner paid
the tax Mr. Dingley replied rather sharp
ly that it was perfectly understood that
where articles were purchased abroad and
imported the purchaser paid the duty.
This is a bill to indemnify the tax pay
err observed Mr.. Dockery Dem, Mo-
Mr.. McMiilin said he believed that the
government should always have the right to
import, and he thought there should be a
general statute for that purpose. The bill
was passed without division.
Mr.. Henry Dem, Miss.), claimed the
moor as question of personal privilege
and sent to the clerks desk for the purpose
OF having it read to the House. quota
ton from an interview with the Spanish
ambassador at Vienna, contained in an
Associated Press dispatch, in which the
ambassador said that if the United States,
in the event OF war, should incite the Phil
ippine islands to revolt, Spain could revenge
herself by raising revolts in the American
Southern States.
concluded, Mr.. Dingley made the point that
1t did not constitute question of privilege.
It contains reflection against a por-
ton of the people of the United States
which | desire to repel,' said Mr.. Henry,
but the speaker held that it had not pre-
sented a question of privilege and he was
The House then went into committee of
the whole and resumed consideration of
the pOStOIHce appropriation Dill. III was
agreed that there should be an hours de-
bate on the paragraph appropriating $780,
100000 for inland transportation OF mails:
The debate was rather lively. Mr.. Bland
(Dem., Mo-, championed a reduction of
the rates paid the railroads for transmit
ting the mails. The rates on all other
classes of freight had been greatly reduced
since 1878, yet there had been no reduction
in twenty years. He thought there should
be reduction of at least 20 per cent.
Several amendments were then ofered
and rejected. The paragraph appropriating
Sill 23S for special mail facilities from New
York and Washington to Atlanta and New
Orleans precipitated the annual fight against
the appropriation. Mr. Bromweil (Rep.,
O.. moved to strike it out. This appropria-
similar appropriation of $25 900 for special
facilities from Kansas City to Newton, KAN
The debate on both paragraphs was limited
by agreement to one hour. No change was
made.
The bill was reported to the House with
cut further amendm ent. The friends of the
appropriation for special mail facilities
then, by an adroit move, prevented vote
in the House on a motion to recOmmit the
bill with instructions to strike out several
appropriations. Only one motion to recon-
nit is in order, and Mr.. Livingston Dem.,
GAP, a friend of the appropriation. made
this motion and Immediately demanded the
previous question. This put off the motion
to recomn1it with instructions and then the
motion to, rccommit was promptly voted
down. The opponents of the subsidy there
upon demanded record vote on the pas
sage of tile bill to emphasize their opposi-
tioa The bill was passed-119 to Gland, at
O'clock, the House adjourned.