Show XLVH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION SENATE I Washington 20 Blair presented a large number of petitions for national aid to common schools Yoorhees presented a resolution of the Indiana Board of Agriculture favoring the transfer of the signal service to the department of agriculture agri-culture where the subject of climate clim-ate naturally belongs Robbins introduced a bill for the relief of Emma DeLong At the close of the morning business busi-ness the postoffice appropriation bill was taken up the pending question being on the amendment changing the date when the reduction of letter let-ter postage from 3 to 2 cents shall take effect from January 1st 1884 to the 1st of July next Sherman said he would vote against the amendment not because he disapproved the proposed reduction reduc-tion but because he was utterly opposed to this kind of legislation upon appropriation bills The debate continued till 1 oclock when a vote was taken upon the amendment offered by Edmunds to strike out as new legislation legis-lation the provision m the bill for the reduction of letter postage to 2 cents The motion to strike out was lost j ayes 15 nays 40 The section of the hill directing investigation by the postmaster ter general into railway mail service ser-vice was amended so as to extend the investigation to questions of the advisability of general fast mail service The bill was then reported to the Senate and4he amendments made by the committee agreed to including inclu-ding that of fixing the date at July 1st next when the reduction of letter postage shall take effect The bill was passed and the tariff bill taken up Morrill by direction of the financecommittee moved to reduce the duty on unpolished cylinder crown and common window glass atM cent per pound Agreea to HOUSE Washington 20 Ducker of MIssouri Mis-souri introduced a bill ameading the act authorizing the construction of a bridge across the Missouri River near St Charles Mo so as tonrovide that no higher charge shall be made for the transportation of mails and army supplies to cross the bridge than made upon railway lines running thereto Referred After the passage jof two private bills the House in committee of the whole resumed the consideration L of the naval appropriation bill Calkin objected to the bill in its present shape During the course of his remarks he said he was tired as an American of seeing his country coun-try snubbed laughed at and derided by other nations on account of its weak navy |