Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-08
POSTOFFlCE BILL PASSES
House Take, Action After Nearly Week,
Discussion.
NO CHANGES MADE IN THE MEASURE
Fight on Pneumatic Tube Service 10
Abandoned TO lie Renewed In the
senate-Othcr Amend
ments Defeated.

WASHINGTON, Feb. THE postoftice
appropriation bill, debate on which has
consumed almost an entire week in the
house, was passed today.
The debate hovered about three topics
railway mail pay pneumatic tube service
and special fast mail facilities-but 1t bore
no fruit. The amendment to reduce the
rate OF railway mail pay was ruled out on
point Of order the amendment to continue
the pneumatic tube service in New York,
Boston and Philadelphia was abandoned,
with the purpose of making the fight In
the senate, and motions to strike out the
appropriations for special mail facilities
were defeated.
The session was opened with a speech by
Mr.. Moon of Tennessee against the special
facilities proposition. lie said that IL the
people OF his district should deliberately
and knowingly Instruct him to vote fer this
subsidy he would throw down his commits
sion and walk out OF the house (Applause.)
Mr.. Fleming of Georgia. a member OF the
Joint postal commission. favored certain
notifications and reductions in the rates of
railway mail pay This closed the general
debate. The chair ruled the Joy am end
ment to appropriate s265, 900 for pneumatic
tube service out Of order on the ground that
the current law contained a provision
against the extension OF the service beyond
New York, Philadelphia and Boston.
Mr.. Scudden of New York withdrew his
amendment to appropriate s225.0O for the
continuation OF the service in New York,
Boston and Philadelphia. He explained
later that he had taken this action to avoid
a possible adverse vote in the house, which
might complicate the situation when the
amendment was offered In the senate.
Mr.. Mann then insisted upon his point OF
order against the amendment OF III. c. Smith
OF Michigan to reduce railway mail pay and
the point Of order was sustained.
Voting on Amendments.
The first vote was taken upon the motion
of Mr.. Burke OF Texas to strike out the
appropriation OF sl93 900 for special mail
facilities between New York and New Or
leans. II was defeated-73 to 123-and then
the motion to strike out the appropriation
of $4,000 for special facilities between
Kansas City and Newton Kan. was beaten
without division. The opponents of the
appropriations for special facilities carried
the fight into the house, where there could
be record vote. but were beaten by votes
Of 60 to so and 33 to 10 .dd the bill was
passed.
The speaker laid before the house certi-
fled copies of the electoral vote in the sew
eral states. excepting those OF Colorado
and Tennessee. The vote will be counted
at Joint session of the house and senate
February 49, The speaker appointed Mr..
Grosvenor OF Ohio and Mr.. Richardson OF
Tennessee to act as tellers on behalf OF
the house upon that occasion.
The senate bill to allow travel pay to
certain officers and men who re-enlisted in
the Philippines upon their discharge from
the volunteer service was passed.
The military academy bill and the bill
for the adjudication Of the Spanish war
claims were sent to conference. Confer
ence reports upon the bills providing for
the abolition OF grade crossings in the Dis
trct of Columbia and construction OF sta
tions by the Pennsylvania and Baltimore &
Ohio railways were adopted.
The house then took up the diploma tic
and consular appropriation bill. Mr.. Hit,
chairman of the committee on foreign af-
fairs, explained that the bill carries 81, sos
sos, being ssS.S30 less than the estimates
and s37,640 more than the current law.
without action on II the house at 5 :25 p. "a.
adjourned.