FIFTY-FIFTH CON GRESS. Sess. II. Cns. 446, 447. 1898. 445 Sec. 5. That a commission consisting of the chairmen of the Com- Q¤z¤sr;>¤¤i<·¤3=·1s><·¤t; mittees on Post-Offices and Post—Boads of the Senate and House of 3E2E5in eiglrtiiiiis, Representatives, and three members of the Senate, to be appointed by **3*,; t 966 the President of the Senate, and three members of the House of Repre- N ’ P' ` sentatives, to be appointed by the Speaker, is hereby created to investigate the question whether or not excessive prices are paid to the railroad companies for the transportation of the mails and as compensation for postal-car service, and all sources of revenue and all expenditures of the postal service, and rates of postage upon all postal matter. ' Said commission is authorized to employ experts to aid in the work C*¤*k¤·•>*¤- of inquiry and examination; also to employ a clerk and stenographer and such other clerical assistance as may be necessary, said experts and clerks to be paid such compensation as the said commission may deem just and reasonable. ` The Postmaster-General shall detail, from time to time, such officers pix? °‘ P°*****·* °***· andemployees as may be requested by said commission in its investi- ` gation. ‘ _ For the purposes of the investigation, said commission is authorized s,f;,‘f"°'° °‘ °"'“‘“’*" to send rbr persons and papers, and, through the chairman of the commission or the chairman of any subcommittee thereof to administer oaths and to examine witnesses and papers respecting all matters pertaining to the duties of said commission, and to sit during the recess of Congress. / Said commission shall, on or before February first, eighteen hundred Rev""- and ninety-nine, make report to Congress, which report shall embrace the testimony and evidence taken in the course of the investigation,
- also the conclusions reached by said commission on the several sub—
jects examined, and any recommendations said commission may see proper to make by bill orotherwise with the view of correcting any abuses or deuciencies that may be found to exist. _ _ _ The sum of twenty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be 6x·;g*I{*;§*”“**°” ‘°’ necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to pay the necessary expenses of said commission, such payments to be made on the certificate of the chairman of said commission. · Y _ Any vacancy occurring in the membership of said commission, by ,,,f6g°““°‘°°· ""‘" resignation or otherwise, shall be tilled by the presiding officer of the Senate or House, respectively, according as the vacancy occurs in the Senate or House representation on said committee._ _ Sec. 6. That if the revenues of the Post-Oiiice Department shall be ,,,,‘,}§§;‘f,YQ°*,‘,‘Q“ ,,§;},’ insufficient to meet the appropriations made by this Act, a sum equal ¤¤¤¤· to such deficiency of the revenues of said Department is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to supply said deficiencies in the revenues for the Post- Omce Department for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-nine. Approved, June 13, 1898. CHAP. 447.-An Act To authorize the extension eastwardly of the Columbia Rail- A mw l3~ *89** `Wily. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Columbia Railway Company, incorporated under an Act of Congress approved May Columbia main;. twenty-fourth, eighteen hundred and seventy, be, and it is hereby, V°‘· 1** P· *3* authorized to extend its lines and to locate, construct, equip, and maintain and operate a single or double track railway, and all necessary depots, stations, sidings, switches, and turn·outs, and to run cars thereon propelled by cable, electric, compressed air, or other mechan-
