^.:m:%.: IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) / o Zo f/.' fe < ^ /€^-- i/i ^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 -IM ^1^ IM |||2.2 ||M III 1.8 1.4 1.6 6" ^m ^y„ '' ^>. >^ .^3 m^. / w /A Photographic Sciences Corpordtion # iP ^> V \ \ ^9> V o \ o' '«L^<> 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 B'< CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut canadiim de microreproductions historiques ^ i ©1987 Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques I'he Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change rhe usual method of filming, are checked below. L'Institut a microfilme le meillaur exemplaire qu'il lui a ets possible de se rirocurer Les details de cat exemplaire qui sont peut-^tre uniques du poinv de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier una image reproduite. ou lui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiqu^s ci-dessous. □ Coloured covers/ Couvarture de coulaur □ Covers damaged/ Couvnrture endornmagee □ Cove Couvarture restaur^a at/ou pallicul^a D n Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couvarture restaur^f Cover title mis:/ ig/ □ Cover title mis:/ ig/ Le titre de couvarture D manque □ Coloured maps/ Cartes gAographiquas an coulaur ni^ Coloured ink lie. other than blue or black)/ era da coulaur li.a. autre qua bleue ou noire) □ Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en coulaur E Bound with other material/ RaliA avac d'autres documents Tight binding may causa shadows or distortion along interior margin/ Lareliure ssrree peut causer de I'ombra ou da la distorsion le long de la marge interieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout^es lors dune restauration apparaissent dans le taxta, mais. lorsqua cela Atait possible, ces pages n'ont pas iti film^es. Additional comments / Commentairas suppl^mentairas- D D n n Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur l~~n Pages damaged/ Pages endommagees Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurees et/ou pelliculetss Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d^coloreas. tachet^es ou piquees Pages detachet]/ Pagds detachbes HShowthrough/ Transparence □ Quality of print varie Qualite in^gale de I'i as/ mprassion □ Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel supplementaira □ Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc.. have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure. etc., cnt m fiim^es i nouveau de facon a obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction rsitio checked below/ Ca document est filmA au taux da reduction indiqu^ ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X ! ! I I 1 1 ^ II II! 12X 1«X 20X 24X 2IX 32X Th« copy filmed h«r« has b««n reproduced thanks to tha ganaroaity of: University of British Columbia Library L'axamplaira film* fut ranroduit grAca A la gAnirosit* da: University of British Columbia Library Tha images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Las images suivantos ont AtA reproduites avac la plus grand soin, compta tenu de la condition et de la nattetA de Taxemplaira film*, et en conformity avac las conditions du contrat de filmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impraa- sion, or tha back cover when appropriate. All other original copies «re filmed beginning on tha first paia with a printed or ilkistrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couvarture en papier est imprimAe sent filmAs en commengant par la premier plat et en terminant soit par la darniire page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par la second plat, salon la cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmAs en commandant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impretsion ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The iast recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un dos symboles suivants apparaitra sur la derniAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — »- signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed et different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A dee taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque !e document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film6 A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la inAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 y :ii SPEECH ov HON. CHARLES H. ALLEN, IN THR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Thursday, March 29, 1888, ON THE RECENT POSTAL TRP^ATY WITH CANADA . SHOWING ITS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST AMERICAN FARMERS AND MERCHANTS, AND ITS IMPAIRMENT OF THE UNITED aTATiiS POSTAL REVENUES. WASHINGTON, 1888. L .».i , ^ HI ii- SPEECH HON. CH MILKS H. ALLEN, OF MASSACHUSETTS, la IHE House of Eepueseni atives, Thursday, March 29, 1887, On the recent poMnl treaty with Caiiadii, sliowinjj its dinorimination apninst AniuricHii farujers uiiil lueiuliuiitM, and its iiupairiuLiit uftliu United States postal revenues — Mr. ALLEN, of Masssichusetts, said: Mr. Speakkr: I have been lor some time a member of this body, and dnring that period I have witnessed many strange transactions here, but the spectacle of a majority of a leading committee of this House coming before this body with an adverse report on a request for ofSclal information from the head of a great Department of this Gov- ernment, and asV-'ng this Honse to sustain them in sending the minority to seek for information to tlie newspapers as the of^cial sonrce of that information, is a spectacle, 1 take it, unequaled in Federal legislation. This resolution, Mr. Speaker, si mply calls for specific information from the head of the Post-OfBce Department respecting a certain order alleged to have been issued by that official, directing subordinate offi- cers of that Department to mark up certain articles of postage, which have been mailed by citizens of the United States in Canada under the provisions of the postal treaty of IBS'?, when directed to inhabitants within the United States. That is all there is to it; and I imagine this House will not authorize any adverse report on any such request for that simple information, when the information to be derived will bear upon the interests of thousands of patient farmers and agriculturi.sts all over this country, who are seeking to know what the Congress of the United States is going to do on this question. 3 Now. such a decliii.ition on the part of Coiinrdss to authorize the calling for this iulormation would very proiMS.Iy l»e construed by the people, who have the right to kuow the reasous for the action of their Represeutjitives ou all such niiitters, .-w e put in passession of thw information and should be in full possession of all the facts. Let me state a little more specifically what I mean by that. There is a largo proportion of our people who are interested, in one w.iy or another, in this matter of cheap postage. As fiir back as 1873, Congress recognized the wisdom of giving to the farmers of this land reduced postage on agricultural seeds and plants, bulbs and cuttings, and authorized the passage of an act in that year placing the rate of those articles at 1 cent for every 2 ounces. This was further rec.gnized in the act of June, 1874, and the farmers en- joyed the reduced postage until the legislation of 1875, when the rate was put at 1 cent an ounce. From that time to this, there has been continual di-scussion over this question of reduced fxistage, but owing to the c>omparatively unorganized conditionof the farmers, tljis remedial legislation has never been effected. Rut last year this matter was taken in charge by the National Grange, and in November, by vote, it demanded a reduction. This action has been followed by the .State granges of Colorado. Con- necticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana. Iowa, Kansa.s, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Ma,<«achusetts, Michigan, Minnesota. Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ncrth Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania. Rhode 'Oand, Scnth Carolina, Vprmont, Virginia, and VViHc-onsin, at their auiiual meetings, since the National Grange (twenty-eight States). Thit; rodncoa ,<08tage has been demanded, also, from the Farmers' AIlia.jje of the Northwest. incUidiug Minne.sota, Dakota, Iowa, Ne- bra.ska. with a large meniberwhip in adjoining .;»ate8. The National FarnarH' Ailiiiice of T..'Xi>.s, i^oi-i. ii.r.i, Mifsiwipp;, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Fiorida, and South Carolina have also joined in the movement. The National Agricultural Wheel, a [wwerful organiza- tion in Mis.souri. Arkansis. and Tennessee, hiw voiced similar senti- ments thrnugh its liead. Ti.' .State boards of agriculture of New Jer- sey, Pennsylvania, Veiniont, Sew Hampshire, Maine, and several other States, together with ali:iost innunerablt other State, county, and local horticnltiir.il .'.nd ajiiicultural societies, lUs.uere' clubs, granges, alliances, etc., have voted in favor of this object, and in so doing they have simply rejire-icnted the wishes of the ^reat hcdy of people who make up their v;wt membership. I state this, Mr. .Sp,-aher, to the House, t» show thflt this desire for reduced postage does not come Irouithe seedsmen, who aienot to prolit by that reduction, but from the people them-elvea, wlio make up in vast numbers the organizations of the character wliich I have men- tioned, and who pay the postage, and these people will see to it, that they get the l)enelit of tlie rethution. I do not propose to stand here at this ■ tue, sir, to discuss the merits of a bill for the reduction of postage on seeds, bulbs, and cuttings from the jiresent rate to 4 cents a i>.iiind, but I trust that a measure of that iiuportauce and niagiiituileXviil receive at an early date favorable action in this body, and that the House may so >u liave an. /i)p.)rt unity of voting uiwn it. I come now to the consideration of the question pre- sented by the pendini; re.solution itself. Not long ago the honorable Postmaster-General of the United States, tilled with a desire ofsignalizing hi-; administration of that great Depart- ment in some notable way possibly, or feeling that, ptrhaps, his name would achieve a higher notoriety if it could be linked with some great treaty, which, in its beneticial resultswould outlive the mere transitory fame which comes to the ordia;'ry Cabinet office.-, and being tilled with a desire to emulate, if he could not excel, the example of his colleague, 6 the head of the Dei^rtment of State, entered into neKotiutions with the English Govuniiuent as repreiinted in the Dominion of Cauiwia, by which he was willing to make certain conc«88ious to the people who dwell in that beautifully pictureaque province, by which tliey were to eiyoy certain posted privileges with the iieople of the United States, which up to thin tirae had been denied them. Witb this patriotic im- pulse in mind, the Vilas postal treaty with Canada was conceived. The time of approachint; labor drew near; the nurses' and midwivea of the Department were ou hand; they may have lacked somewhat in experience, but were full of eutliusiiwin, and what they lacked in skill they made up in this quality; the approaching moment of labor was at hand; it drew nearer and at last the supreme moment arrived, and amid a;eneral rejoiiiun the poor little postal treaty of the United Slates of Aniericii and the Dominion of Canada opened its little weak, watery eyes upth day of .Tanuary, 1888, and ou the question of this treaty, hangs the whole story of this reso- lution. Now, what were the terms of this most remarkable treaty, and what were the benelits the people of the United States were to gain from it? Well, uow, briefly, the terms of the treaty were these: Anyone could place in the domestic mails that were to be exchanged under this treaty, any article which was admitted to the domestic mails of either coun- try. The postal rates on those articles were to be paid in the country of origin, and the rate of posta|j;e tixed in the country of origin. That is to say, each country was to have absolute control of all the postal revenues so collected; and there were to be no postal accounts kept as between the two countries on such matter. This convention went into eflfect on the Ist day of March — that is, the present month — of this year. About that time many observant and shrewd business men of this country, knowing that the postage on seeds, bulbs, cuttings, etc., in thia ■Aiiaa conntry was 10 cents a pcnml, while in Canada It wos hut 4 cents a pound, when it Wiis ascertaint'd that this treaty was koIiik into eflfi'ct, I am credibly inrormed, there were gathered on the Canadian bor- ders a large amount of seetls, plants, bulbs, etc., whlcl. were promptly mailed in the Canadian |}<).it-(>ffices, the postajje paid, and the revenues went into the Canadian (Jovi^rninent, while the I'nited States simply furnished thctrains for their transportation through the United States, thas furnishing; transportation and delivering them all over this country, wherever directed, for nothing;. The postal revenues were paid in Car>ada, and belonged to Canada, while the Uuitey iiinil, i.HM poiinda *e«l8. bulb*, etc. Shipped by m«ll, 1,IU) cataloKurx. Now. 8upposin>? these one hundred and sixty 8eerincipal elTict being to tnm over to the Canmlian Government .something like two or three millions of revenue, throw into the hands of tlie Ciinadian printers much of the vast advertising business of the large patent-medicine men of this country, with all the indirect benefits and profits which follow in the lead of these gieat enterprises. But not only that, there i.s this advantage to those seedsmen who avail themselves of the termsof this treaty. There is the diiiadvaDtage of the ditVerence lietween 4 cents and 10 cents to those seedsmen who are so unfortunate as to be situated so far from the froutier that the cost of transportation and the establ ishment of a branch house on the other side of the border, would be an insurmountable ob- stacle. Let me illustrate, to show how this treaty operates to the disadvan- tage of Americans and the advantage of Canadians. If I can give a practical illustration on this point, what I mean will be recognized bet- ter by those who honor me with their attention. It is a matter of fact that nearly all the garden peiis sold in this country are raised in Can- ada. The United States dnty is only 10 cents a bushel, simply nothing. The Canadian seedsman charges his customer, wherever he may be, 20 cents a quart for those peas. A <{nart is figured out iis being ehe American seedHmau alao charKOH 20 centx a quart, and, under the terniH of our poHtal arrangenientit, pays 16 cents a pound. On 2 pouudii that is 32 cents. Re wants to sell to my friend from New York [Mr. Cox], who, as a shrewd mun, will not pay r>2 ceuU when he can i^et the Hnuic article at 2N centM. That gives the Canadian (government 24 cents advantage on every quart. Now, sir, I do not understand what this can mean. Why this con* ' tinual deference on the part of our Adniinistration to the English Gov- ernment V It can not l>e that they intend to deliver this people over, bound hand and foot, to that Government; especially after ha\iug started out with that hlaze of red light and that tizz of pin-wheels as the curtain uro.se upon what we were led to helieve \vum to he u real drama of " .Jacksoni.-jn simplicity" and n true ' business" adminis- tration. [LiiU){hter.] Why, sir, I am afraid if we had one more ses- sion of an English tnmniission in this city, we should tind the membei's of this Admiui»ehiad hang-tailed thorough- breds, or walking about in our streets with orchid blossoms in their button-holes and their trousers turned up at the bottoms as if they were just ofl' Tall Mall, Loudon, or sporting huge ca..es and bull ter- riers. [Laughter.] Bat, Mr. S{ieuker, this is only a fanoifnl sketch, and we do not, of course, expect to see anything of the kind. I am afraid, sir, that I have taken more time than I ought, for I have promised time to others, but what 1 w.HUted to emphasize is the fact that under any construction which you can put upon this postal treaty with Canada, it places our American seedsmen nt a disadvantage com- pared with the .seedsmen in that country — a disadvantage which, uuder the pre.sent condition of things, can not be stated in actual tignres. And more than that, it opens the field to the great advertisers, the patent- mcdicine men, the dealers in articles that are widely advertised in cook- books, in calendars, in books of games, and various things which are used in ad^-ertising. If tht. owners of those enterprises can not have their books printed here, then, under the terms of this treaty, they can have it done in Canada and mail them from theve at a saving of one- half the postage. The editions of works of that kind are simply enor- 10 mons, and these men can ^o into Canada and have the work done there and give the Canadians the lar^e prutits wiiich arc made upon sach work, and also the inuidental profite which always follow in the train of those enterprises. They can do that, and there is no way to help it, except under the terms of the treaty itself our Government can have it abrogated after giving six months' notice. There is no other remedy unless this Government, in a spirit of fairness to its own citizens, will come into Congress with a bill to arrange postal rates which will pat our people on a par with their competitors on the other side of the lino, line, instead of leaving them in the position in which the Department — no doubt unwittingly — has placed them by this treaty. Mr. LONG. You think they did not know any better? Mr. ALLEN, of Iilassachusetts. I have no doubt that it has been done unwittingly, but these are the facts as I see them. Mr. HATCH. Will the gentleman permit a question? Mr. ALLEN, of Maasachusetts. Certainly. Mr. HATCH. Is there not a bill reported from the Committee en the Post-Office and Post- Roads, and on the Calendar, providing tor this re- duction ? Mr. ALLEN, of Massachusetts. There isa bill on the Calendar which provides for a reduction. Then there is a minority report accompa- nying that bill, which recommends a still further reduction to a rate which would be probably fair and reasonable. Mr. HATCH. But there is a bill pending that will give the House jurisdiction over the subject-matter, and upon which we can act? Mr. ALLEN, of Massachusetts. I think there is. Mr. BOUTELLE. And we are getting a little information now, which will enable us to act intelligently. Mr. ALLEN, of Massachusetts. Now, let me go back to the question suggested by the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Enlok]. He claims that there is relief for all this in the treaty itself, and he quotes article 4, which states that in ca.se any correspondence is tendered for mailing in either country, obviously with the intent of evading the higher post- age rate applicable to it in the other country, it shall be refused unless payment is made of such higher rate. Now, I want to dwell on this point only for a moment, because I think the gentleman answered his own argument in reading from the treaties. If his reading meant any- 11 thing at all, it meant tbat there was difficulty in detTniining what was included under the term "correspondence" unless the articles were specified, and in each of the treaties that he read, it was specified what were to be covered by the word ' ' correspondence. ' ' Now, Mr. Speaker, the only thing for the House to do is to pass this resolution, ignoring the report of the majority of the committee, and thus giving the De- partment an opportunity to come in and put its own construction on this treaty, in order that the committee and the House may know just what the Department's constrnclion is, and may be enabled to enact such legislation as will correct the evils arising under it. It is the only fair thing to do, and it will cend to relieve the Admin- tetration of the charges, continually made, of a small, stingy, cheese- paring policy, which saves at the spigot while it lets waste run loose at the bung. Mr. PERKINS. As I understand the gentleman, he holds that the effect of this arrangement is to give the revenue to the Canadian post- office department while it imposes the labor upon our own mail serv- Mr. ALLEN, of Massachusetts. There is not the slightest doubt about that, because it is expressly provided that the postage shall be paid and collected where the rantter is mailed. Mr. PERKINS. And that revenue amounts to about two million dollars. Mr. ALLEN, of Mas, achusetts. At least. Mr. LONG. Is my colleague satisfied that the term "correspond- ence'' would not i elude seeds, bulbs, and plants? Mr. ALLEN, of Massachusetts. I am willing to take the construc- tion of the gentleman fiom Tennessee [Mr. Exloe]. In those treaties which he quoted the term "correspondence" is construed to cover cer- tain things which are specified by name, so that there may be no mis- take. Mr, EXLOE. The gentleman will find in Paragraph A, article 1, an enumeration of what may be embraced under the term "correspond- ence" as used in that treaty. I refer lue gentleman to that provision. If he will read it, I will let him do so as an answer to himself; if not, I will ask to read it 13 Mr. ALLEN, of Massachusetts. The gentleman from Tennessee can have it read at the desk. Mr. ENLOE. I will read it myself. Mr. ALLEN, of Mas-sachusetts. Not in my time. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of iuy time. Mr. ENLOE. 1 will occupy only time enough to read from the ar- ticle to which I have just referred. It provides that— Articles of every kind or nature admitted to the domestic mails of either country, exi«pt as herein prohibited, shall be admitted to the mails exihanged under this convention, subject, however, to such regulations a.s the postal ad- minisl-ation of the country' of deMtination may deem necessary to protect its customs revenues. As an answer to the gentleman from Massachusetts, 1 call attention to this provision .showing what is embraced under the term "corre- spondence " in this treaty. * ♦*•»»* M' . ALLEN, of Ma,ssachusett8. I simply want to say that the ques- tion of the passage of this resolution is so interwoven with the question of cheap agricultural postage, that the people will find it difficult to sep- arate tne two. I want, in a word, to warn the House to make no mip ■ take in voting on this question, lest the farmers, who are so profoundly interested, shall misconstrue its action. And I also desire to say, in conclusion, that even if the term "cor- respondence" comprehends seeds, bulbs, plants, and cuttings, as my friend from Tenne.ssee [Mr. Enloe] seems to think it does, still it does not affect my proposition, because under the terms of the treaty branch houses can be established in Canada, and this discrimination against American merchants can be legitimately carried on in this way. I now yield fifteen minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. White.] A