The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-25
Republicans Oppose Further Air.
 ing of POstOflcs Affairs
WILLIAMS FORCES TIE VOTE
overstreet Stands Rigidly on His Point of Order and Refuses to
 Yield-Same Salaries
 for Rural Carriers.

1 Nashlngton, March 4-The house or representatives today again put itself on record against any investigation of the postoffice department, Eight pages of the postoffice appropriation bill were disposed of. The question of an investigation of the postoffice department was brought up l by MT. Williams, the minority leader, who proposed an amendment providing for select committee of five members of the house and three senators, to make complete investigation into the alleged frauds In that department.
 He taunted the republicans for their failure to order an investigation. and said the party was opposed to 1t. The chair sustained a point of order by MT. Overstreet against the amendment, and when Mir Williams appealed the chair was sustained, 1sS to 99.
 Consideration of the postoffice appropri- atiou bill was resumed at the opening of the session. Mir Robinson of Indiana att tackled the appropriation of s45,000 for carrying the mails from San Francisco to the island of Tahiti, and offered an amendment to strike 1t from the bill. He referred to previous appropriations and said the item had been inserted by "a fine Italian hand, undisclosed.'
 Has Been sneaked Through.
 No one knew of it's birth he said, which led him to believe this appropriation has been sneaked through congress In cowardly manner" The island of Tahiti, he asserted stood like pinhead in the Pacific. MT. Overstreet chairman of the postoffice committed declared that the 1 item was not strange, and that the trace of Tahiti and nearby islands justined the appropriation. The amendment was agreed l to and the provision was stricken from the bill
 MT. Scott of Kansas criticised the post | ofrico department for it's pernicious policy of paternalism in permitting contractors furnishing stamped envelopes ana news paper wrappers to print the names of indl- vidual firms and corporations on the re turn" cards on stamped envelopes lie offered an amendment to correct what ne termed the abuse. A point of order against l it was sustained.
 With the view of securing a complete investigation of the postoffce department, MT. Williams of Mississippi, the minority Header. offered an amendment to the bill providing for the appointment or Join se- feet committee of eight, five members and three senators ''to exercise all func- lions necessary to a complete investga- lion of all frauds and irregularities al- legged to exist in said department
 MT. Overstreet promptly made the point that the amendment was not ger mane, and was new legislation which the chair sustained.
 1 Makes Appeal to overstreet. I MT. Williams appealed to MT. overstreet to withdraw his point of order "hlch MT Overstreet refused to do.
 "Then the gentleman has perlectiy stonev heart" said MT. Williams. lie stands in between this investigation or inc postoffice department by congress with his point of order.
 rhereupon MT. Williams appealed from fhe decision of the chair, which brought from MT Oyerstreet an appeal to the house to uphold the chair. To do other- wise, he said, would be reflection on the chair and the dignity of the house
 Mr. Williams inquired what does ,,,,sarabIe little rule of the house amount | to when YOU consider 1t Is the only op- struction lying between you and rlehl- eousness far greater than the righteous ness of technical decision? The only ,.'ar, we can secure honesty in the post off,ce Is either by the gentleman With dra wing his point of order or by the house | marching over the point bodily.
 He was loudly applauded by his col | 1eaeues on the democratic slue. he iin- | nlored Mir Overstreet to wlthurd" ms | tut to sfQaVp the country rum SoJ he | tbat rather than have an investigation or snttanness the house will stand upon a | hara little parliamentary technicanty that amounts to nothing in any citizen ro,nd ! He said the public can secure an | investigation by an outside auehoiley mot intermingled with the corrup.iohs ''s existing in the postoffice department os the two ways I have suggested. l "There Is a power greater than the ho,,se :, he declared "and it Is the peo- nla of inc Tinted States. When a gen 1 tleman makes a point of order as repre- 1 sentative of his party. It is because ms party don't want the postofnce inVes'- | gated" . .,r Williams was the first gentleman openly to advocate a violation of rule or the house for the purpose of making a party play. -
 Would Not Disguise object.
 To this MT. Williams replied that he was not hypocrite enough to disguise ms purpose and object and said he had not | sworn to obey the rules of the house
 eve have sworn on the contrary" he said. "to do our duty to the country, and when 1t cannot be done under the rules | If can be done only by temporarily up- setting one of your rules
 On vote by tellers, the decision or the | chair was sustained, l3S to 9e.
 | Al | Messrs Livernash of Calafornia and Sul- ger of New York to increase the appro- priation for pay of letter carriers rom | s20. .250oo0 to $23,250,000. Mir. Lever or | South Carolina criticized the admnistra- | ton for its discrimination and palpapie | favoritism against the south In the estao- | lishment of rural delivery routes. | Mir. Davidson of Wisconsin entered | vigorous defense of Postmaster General | Payne and General Bristow. lie salo ne hoped discussion of the bill would be prolonged long enough to enable those members who in the heat of passion had made unjust references to them to ac- knowledge that these two men were not | to blame for the recent postoffce de- | partment report.
 The chair sustained point Of order | by MT. Mann of Illinois against the pro- hibition in the bill that rural carriers, after July 1, 1904. shall not solicit busi- ness or receive orders of any kind during l their hours of employment nor carry any merchandise for hire.
 M- av.~ss~~~s dAcIarsd that hA would