The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-21
THE PosToFFtcE APPROPRIATION.
Six Hours of the senate's Time Devoted


Six Hours of the Senate's Time Devoted
| to II. .".
Washington, Feb. 2O-During almos.
six hours this afternoon the postoffice
appropriation bill was considered in the
senate, the time being consumed largely
by Mr.. Butler of North Carolina and
| Mr.. PettigreW of South Dakota, in an
amendment providing that the postal
commission should present its final re-
! port to congress March l, l90O. Failing,
after many trials, t. obtain unanimous
consent for the insertion OF the amend
ment in the bill, MI Butler permitted it
to come to vote / was defeated, % to
10. An agreement was reached to vote
on the bill and amendments at o'clock
tomorrow.
At o'clock Mr. HaWlay, chairman of
the military affairs committee, moved
to take up the army reorganization
bill, unanimous consent having been re-
fused to take up the measure without
displacing the unfinished business-the
anti-scalping bill Hawley's motion pre-
vailed, A to &c, thus making the army
bill the unfinished business. 1t is agreed
that tthise action dspOses finally of the
anti-sca1ping bill for the present SEES
sion.
Mr.. Chandler of New Hampshire. OPP
| posing the amendment Mr.. Butler Of
| fered, said he could see no wisdom in
/ Withholding from the railroads the
amount they are to be paid under ex-
| listing laws, thus creating deficiency
| which would have to be paid. He was
| inclined to believe that the sum paid
railroads for mail transportation was
| TOO nigh, but that the point should be
established before action.
In a brief reply to Mr. Butler, Mr..
| Allison said that after a pretty careful
examination of the subject he was con-
WINGED that many railroads of the coun-
try actually received less for the trans
portation of mails than they ought to
receive. He believed this applied to a
majority of the railroad mileage of the
/ country, although it might be true that
some of the lines received too large an
amount. He declared the adoption of
| the amendment would be great injus-
| tice to many railroads.
AT this point Mr.. Chandler withdrew
his motion to reconsider the naval per-
sonnet bill.
The unfinished business (the anti
scalping bilD was then put before the
house. Mr.. Hawley, chairman of the
committee on military affairs, asked
| unanimous consent to proceed with the
army reorganization bill. without dis
placing the unfinished business. To this
| Mr.. Pettigrew objected. Mr.. Hawley
| then moved to take up the army bill,
the effect of the motion, if carried, be-
| ing to displace the unfinished business.
Mr.. Cullom made an appeal to the senate
| not to displace the unfinished business,
but again Mr.. Pettigrew objected. The
! senate then voted, A to rs, to proceed
with the army reorganization bill, the
detailed vote being as follows:
Yeas-Allison, Baker, Carter. Chand-
Ter, Davis, Deboe, Elkins, Foraker, Gal
| linger, Gear, Hanna Hansbrough, Har-
ris. Hawley, Hoar, Kenney, Lindsay,
| Lodge, Mcbride, Mcmillan, Mallory,
| Mantle, Mason, Morgan Murphy, Nell
| Connecticut, Plaltt of New York, Pritch-
ard, Proctor, Ross, tSewell, Shoup, ST.
mon, Spooner, Stewart, Thurston. War
rem, Wellington, Wilson, Wolcott-44.
Nays-Allen, Bate, Berry, Butler.
Chiffon, Clay, Cockrell, Daniel, Cor
man, Heitfeld, Jones of Arkansas, Nc
Emery. Martin, Mills, Mitchell, Money,
Pettigrew, Pettus, Quay, Rawlins,
Roach, Sullivan, Teller, Tillman, Tur-
ley Whites.
| The reading of the Hull Hawley bill
began after the president had decided
| that Mr.. Butler, who had been address,
! ing the senate, lost his right to the floor
by the action of the senate. Mr. Haw-
| ley insisted on proceeding with the bill,
as 1t was a measure of immense import
ance. He announced that he proposed
TO accept no conditions except those of
unconditional surrender
AT the conclusion of the reading of
| the bill, Mr.. Quay asked unanimous
| consent that the army bill be laid aside
| temporarily and that the consideration
OF the postoftice appropriation bill be
| resumed. There was no objection.
| Mr.. Tillman offered an amendment
| providing that star route contractors be
required to collect from and deposit in
boxes erected along their routes mail
matter the boxes to be maintained by
the people along the route. The amend
ment was agreed to.
Mr.. Butler again resumed his argu-
ment against the large amounts paid
railroads for mail transportation. After
| speaking for an hour Mr.. Butler yield
ed to Mr.. Pettigrew, who addressed the
| senate In favor of Mr.. Buffers amend
ment, directing the postal commission
ito make final report on March l. 1900.
He said this amendment was objected to
because it was desired to extend the
commissions existence beyond the next
presidential campaign. He declared
that this was to be done in order that
millions of dollars for republican cam
| palgn purposes might be gotten from
the railroad corporations
At 6 o'clock Mr. Butler again asked
unanimous consent for the accepting of
his amendment terminating the exist
| ence of the postal commission by March
| l, 1900. Objection was made and Mr.
| Butler moved the amendment, thus
bringing it to a vote. 1t was defeated
| 27 to 10. An agreement was reached
that consideration of the bill should be
| resumed not later than l o'clock to-mor-
row and that final vote upon the
| measure and pending amendment be
| taken at o'clock without displacins
| the unfinished business-the army reor-
| ganizaltion bill.
Mr.. Frye of Maine gave notice that
! he would call up the river and harbor
bill on Thursday. Mr. Frye presented
an amendment to the sundry civil bill
providing for the laying of a Pacific
cable. At the request of Mr.. Chandler
Mr. Frye explained briefly the provis-
| ions of the amendment.
The house bill authorizing the secre-
| tary of the interior to rent or lease GER
| tain portions of the government re-
| serves adjacent to mineral or medicinal