Mr. ALLEY. I think it had better come in as a separate bill. I think on the whole I must object to allowing the amendment of my colleague upon the committee to be offered, inas much as gentlemen all around me who are interested feel that it would embarrass the bill. I think to this bill there cannot be the slightest objection, and there might be to the other proposition. I supposed that no explanation would be required on this subject. I supposed that every gentleman in the House understood the nature and character of this service of route agents. I presume nearly all the route agents are appointed upon the recommendation of members, and they are therefore certainly conversant with the duties of this service. I think all will agree in the statement I shall make, that this service is the most poorly paid of any that is rendered to the Government. The present route agents get only $800 a year as a general rule. Some of them, I believe, are paid $900, but in no instance does their pay exceed $1,000, and the PostMGenl is not authorized to pay any larger sum than $1,000; and I confess, Mr. Speaker, that I can hardly reconcile it to my sense of justice for the government to refuse to pay any of these men over $1,000, many of whom, as we all know, are persons of the greatest efficiency, energy, and capacity. he circumstances of the service of these route agents are these: they are obliged, as all members of the House I suppose are aware, to leave their homes a great part of the time, to be away from their families, and be subject to extra expense. Now, they must necessarily be very competent and intelligent men. The service they are required to perform is in its nature somewhat hard, and having to perform such service requiring so much ability for such a small compensation, and being obliged to incur extra expenses, the committee were unanimously of the opinion that their pay should be raised to a sum not exceeding $1, 200 per annum. I think it should be even larger than that, but the committee agreed upon this sum as the maximum and $900 as the minimum; and as the members of the House are all so well acquainted with the nature of the service, and as it is of such a character that I think no reasonable opposition can be made to the bill, I therefore, if no further explanation is required, will call the previous question.