• 

160 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. DECEl\IBER 21' 

Mr. G. F. HOAR moved to reconsider the vote by which the reso- lution wa-s passed; and also moved that the motion to reconsider be 

laid on the table. 

The latter motion waa agreed to. 

DEATH OF HON. JOHN B. RICE, OF ILLINOIS. 

Mr. FORT. Mr. Spe.aker, I rise to perform the painful duty of 

announcing to this House that the public press brings to us the sad 

intelligence of the death last night, at Norfolk, Viqpnia, of the Hon. ~ToHN B. RicE, of illinois. I move, therefore, that a. committee of 

five members of this House be appointe(l by the Speaker to attend 

the funeral of my deceased colleague, and convey hls remains to the 

grave near hls home in Illinois. . The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Illinois announces to the 

House t.he death of his colleague, and moves that a committee of five 

be appointed by the Chair to attend the remains to their last restingplace. 

The motion was agreed to. 

The SPEAKER. In announcing the committee, as the Chair has 

not had time to consult gentlemen whet.her it will be convenient for 

them to leave, he asks the privilege of the House, as it has agreed to 

adjourn over until Monday next, that if any gentleman he announces shall decline to serve he may fill the vacancy without making the 

announcement to the Honse. 

There was no objection. 

Mr. GARFIELD. I again ask unanimous consent, in behalf of a number of gentlemen who desire to make speeches, that we shall 

meet to-morrow for debate only, no business whatever to be transacted. 

.M:r. YOUNG, of Georgia. I object. 

The SPEAKER announced, as the committee ordered by the reso- lut.ion just adopted, Mr. FORT of Illinois, Mr. CLYMER of Pennsylvania, Mr. WARD of Illinois, MI:· BuRROWS of Michigan, and Mr. 

SouTHARD of Ohio. 

1\Ir. FORT. I now move, as a further m::trk of respect to the memory 

of my deceased colleague, that the Honse adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; and (at four o'clock and forty-five min- ~tes p.m.) the Honse adjourned till Monday next. 

PETITIONS, ETC. 

The followin~ memorials, petitions, and other papers were presented at the Clerk's desk, under the rule, and referred as stated: 

By Mr. BLAND: The petition of citizens of Benton County, Arkansas, for est::Lblishment of certrun post-routes, to the Committee on the 

Post-Office and Post-Roads. 

By Mr. DANFORD: The petition of Thomas Parry, formerly of 

Thirtieth Ohio Volunteers, for a pension, to the Committee on Invalid 

Pensions. 

By Mr. FARWELL : The petition of citizens of Chicago, for a further extension of the pier at Marquette, to the Committee on Com- merce. 

By :Mr. LYNCH: The petition of John R. Reynolds, of Dayton, Ohio, 

to be compensated for supplies furnished the United States Army in 

Mississippi, to the Committee on War Claims. 

By 1\Ir. NIBLACK: The petition of the heirs at law of Kenneth B. 

Rowe, deceased, late second lieutenant One hundred andforty-fourth 

Indiana Volunteers, for a pension, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 

By Mr. NILES: Papers relating to the claims of Turner Bobbitt 

and Jonathan Summers, of Scott Connty, Mississippi, to the Committee on War Claims. 

By Mr. PARSONS: The petition of Harvey Crittenton, for a pension, to the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions and War of 1812. 

By Mr. PERRY: The petiti<fn of Horace L. Emery, for extension of 

letters-patent, to the Committee on Patents. 

By Mr. PHILLIPS: ?tjemorial of citizens of Kansas, in relation t.o 

the currency and taxation, to the· Committee on Ways and Means. 

Also, resolutiollS' of the Legislature of Kansas, in relation to settlers on Miami Indian lands, to the Committee on Indian A.ffaiJ;s. 

Also, resolutions of the Legislature of Kansas, recommending a cl1ange in the management of Indian affairs. 

Also, resolutions of the Legislature of Kansas, in favor of postponing payments on public lands in the State of Kansas, to the Committee on the Public Lands. 

Also, resolutions of the Legislature of Kansas, asking that homestead settlers in Kansas may be absent from their lands one year, to 

tho Committee on the Public Lands. 

Also, resolutions of the Legislature of Kansas, for postponing time 

of payment to settlers on Kansas Indian reserve and trust lands, to 

tho Committee on the Public Lands. 

By Mr. STANDIFORD : The petition of tobacco manufa-cturers, 

warehousemen, and leaf-tobacco dealers, for the repeal of the import 

duty on licorice paste, to the Committee on Ways and Means. 

By Mr. STONE: Memorial of the Urn on Merchants' Exchange and 

Board of Trade of Saint Louis, Missouri, for aid to the Texas and 

Pacific and the Atlantic and Pacific Railroads, to the Committee on the Pacific Rai.lro8.d. 

By Mr. THORNBURGH: The petition ofColonelF. Yonng,for a pension, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 

By Mr. YOUNG, of Georgia: The petition of John Mcintire, for a pension. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 

IN SENATE. 

MONDAY, D~cembe't 21, 1874. 

Prayer by the Chapla.in, Rev. BYRON SUNDERLAND, D. D. 

Hon. THOMAS W. TIPTON, from the .State of Nebraska, appeared in his seat to-day. 

The Journal of the proceedings of J;ri.day last was read and 

approyed. 

PETITIO~S A...L."'D MEMORIALS. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT presented the memorial of the senate and 

house of representatives of the Legislature of the State of Arkansas, 

in favor of the repeal of the law imposing penalties on any person 

selling leaf-tobacco to any one except a licensed tobacco dealer; 

which was referred to the Committee on }umnce. 

lli. CONOVER presented the petition of Mrs. Margaret E. Johnson, widow of Charles M. Johnson, late master of the schooner Pickering, praying to be allowed a pension; which was referred to the 

Committee on Pensions. 

Mr. HAGER. I present the memorial of certain citizens of California, in regard to Alaska. These memorialists have gone to considerable expense in fitting out an exploring party to examine timber 

lands in that Territory so far as it may be adapted to ship-building. 

They have obtained valuable st:;t>tistics from the explorations thn.t 

have been made, and they now memorialize Congress for the privilege 

of buying a tract of timber land with a view to establishing ship-yards 

there for the construction of ships. In California there has been great 

difficulty hitherto in getting sufficient ships to carry our grain to the 

markets of the world, and the idea is that if our people engage in 

ship-building a great many of the farmers there will unite to buy the 

ships in order to transport their grain. I move that the memorial be 

printed and referred to the Committee on Pnblic Lands, as it relates 

to the purchase of a tract of land, and I think should more properly 

go to that committee than any other. 

The motion was agreed to. 

Mr. BOUTWELL presented a memorial of the Massachusetts State 

Temperance Alliance, signed by Rev. A. A. Miner, president, and 

Rev. W. M. Thayer, secretary ; the memorial of the ministers' meeting of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Boston ami of a large 

number of clergymen, praying for the prohibition by appropriate 

legislation, of the manufacture, importation, andsa.le of all alcoholic 

beverages in the District of Columbia and in the Territories of the 

United States; which were referred to the Committee on Finance. 

Mr. HOWE presented the petition and accompanying papers of 

Harry E. Eastman, late of the Second Wisconsin Cavalry, praying to be 

allowed the pay and allowances of a lieutenant-colonel of that regiment from May 1, 1864, to February 1, 1865; which was referred to 

the Committee on Claims. 

Mr. SCOTT. I present the memorial of the preachers' meeting of 

the Methodist Episcopal Church of Philadelphia, asking Congress, 

by appropriate legislation, to prohibit the manufacture, importation, 

and salo of all alcoholic beverages in the District of Columbia and 

in the Territories of the United States. These memorials, I believe, 

at the last session were referred to the Committee on }mance, and 

that committee reported a bill on the general subject, which I believe 

is yet on the Calendar. I suppose the petitions may aa well go bn.ck 

to that committee. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT. The memorial will be referred to the 

Committee on Finance. 

Mr. PRATT presented the memorial of the Pennsylvania State Temperance Union, signed by James Black, president, and Rev. D. C. Babcock, secretary, praying for the prohibition by appropriate legislation 

of the manufacture, importation, and sale of all alcoholic beverages 

in the Territories of the United States and tho District of Columbia; 

which was referred to the Committee on Finance. 

He also presented the petition of R. L. Laws, commander in the 

United States Navy, praying to be restored to the position in the Navy 

that he occupied prior to July, 1866, next below Captain W. W. Low; 

which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. 

He :tlso presented the petition of James Ballard, of Madison County, 

North Carolina, praying to be restored to the pension-rolls; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. 

Mr. SPENCER presented the memorial of the Grand Lodge of Good 

Templars of the State of Alabama, signed by the officers, representing 

fifteen thousand members, praying for the prohibition by appropriate 

legislation of the manufacture, importation, and sale of all alcoholic 

beverages in the Territories of the United States and in the District 

of Columbia; whjch ·was referred to the Committee on Finance. . Mr. EDMUNDS. I ask leave to present a memorial styled the "national prohibition memorial/' addressed to this body and the House 

of Representatives, setting forth that the memorialists believe tho 

alcoholic-liquor traffic to be the chief cause of a large proportion of 

the prevailing pauperism, crime, and disease, and that it is inimical 

to morality, religion, and the general welfare, and they ask Congress 

to prohibit, by appropriate legislation, the manufacture, importation..l 

and sale of all alcoholic beverages in the District of Columbia ana throughout the Territories of the United States under the immediate 

jnrisdiction of the National Government. This memorial is signed by Mr. H. P. Cushing, Hon. J obn B. Mead, and other distinguished citizens 
1874. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. 161 

uf the State of V ei'IDont. I move that it be referred to the Committee · on Finance. 

The motion wa-s agreed to. 

Mr. FLANAGAN presented the memorial of members of the 

order of Sons of Temperan<~e of the District of Columbia, signed by 

the officers, praying for the prohibition by appropriate legisl.'ttion of 

the manufacture, importation, and sale of all alcoholic be,-erages in 

the United States Territories and the District of Columbia; which was referred to the Committee on Finance. 

Mr. STEVENSON presented the petition of John W. Magowan, 

Dennis A. Walker Robert Owings, Daniel Furgerson, Eli Henry, 

Richard Clay, and Dennis Bradshaw, trustees of the colored Methodist church at Mount Sterling, Montgomery County, Kentucky, 

praying compensation for the use of their church by United States 

troops as a hospital during the late war; which was referred to the 

Committee on Claims. 

Mr. JOHNSTON presented the petition of William Sharp, of Norfolk, Virginia, praying for the removal of his political disabilities; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. 

Mr. BORE~ presented a petition of citizens of West Virginia, 

praying the establishment of a post-route from Cove Creek to Logan 

Court House; which was referred to the Committee on Post-Offices 

and Post-Roads. 

He also presented the petition of J. F. Caldwell, of w·est Virgini:l., 

praying a pension for service as a soldier in the United State!:! Army 

in the war of 1812; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. 

He also presented apaper of J.F. Caldwell, in regard to his invention for tr~nsporting railroad cars over rivers in the absence of 

bridges; which was referred to the Committee on Patents. 

Mr. MORRILL, of Maine. I present the petition of James G. 

Berret and several other persons, residents and property-holders 

in the District of Columbia, representing that the proposed tax of 2 

per cent. on property in this District is too high, and proposing in 

lieu thereof 1 per cent. As that bill has been reported from a com- mittee and is under consideration, I move that the petition lie on the table. 

The motion was agreed to. 

Mr. CAMERON presented a memorial of citizens of Chester County, 

Pennsylvania, praying Congress to prohibit by appropriate legislation the manufacture, importation, and sale of all alcoholic beverages in the District of Columbia and in the Territories of the United 

States; which wa-s referred to the Committee on Finance. 

He also presented a petition.of merchants, ship-owners, and shippers of the port of New Orleans, in regard to hospitals for the com- mercial marine of the country; which was referred to the C9mmittee on Commerce. . Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN presented the memorial of the Grand 

Lodge of Good Tentpla.rs of the State of New Jersey, signed by the 

officers, representing eight thousand members, asking Congress to 

prohibit by appropriate legislation the manufacture, importation, 

and sale of all alcoholic beverages in the District of Columbia and 

in the Territories of the United States; which was referred to the 

Committee on Finance. 

He also presented the petition of hardware dealers of Hoboken, 

New Jer ey, praying the extension of Harvey Lull's patent for shutter-hinges; which was referred to the Committee on Patents. . Mr. DENNIS presei).ted the petition of Elizabeth L. White, mother 

of James T. White, late of Company B, Elevent.h Maryland Volunteers, praying to be allowed a. pension; which was referred to the 

Committee on Pensions. 

Mr. HAMILTON, of Maryland, presented a petition on behalf of the 

State of Maryland, to be reimbursed for arms and ammunition issued 

during the late war; which was referred to the Committee on Claims. 

He also presented the petition of Moore N. Falls, president of the 

Baltimore Steam Packet Company, praying compensation for the use of a steamer belonging to that company in keeping the harbor of 

BaltJmore clear of obstruction to navigation by ice in the winter of 

1862, under a contract with Major Belger, assistant quartermaster 

United States Army; which was referred to the Committee on Claims. 

Mr. LEWIS presented the petition of Levi Washington, of Yorktowu, Virginia, praying relief for services rendered by him i11 June, 

1862; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. 

He also presented the petition of Governor Dogans, praying rent 

for oeTtain buildings occupied by the United Sta.tes Army; which was referred to the Committee on Claims. 

He also presented the petition of Mrs. Ann Toliver, mother of Davicl 

Toliver, late a soldier in the One hundred and nineteenth Regimeut 

United States Colored Volunteer Infantry, praying to be allowed a pension; which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. 

Mr. LOGAN presented a petition of certain members of the United 

States Marine Corps during the late war, praying for an equalization 

of bounties, in accordance with the provisions of the bill equaliziug 

l10nnties of soldiers; which was 'referred to tP,.e Committee on Military Affairs. 

Mr. WASHBURN presented t.he memorial of the Grace Methodli.1i 

Episcopal church of Springfield, Massachusetts, signed by its pastor 

and officers, asking Congress to prohibit by appropriate legislation the manufacture, importation, and ·Sale of all alcoholic beverages in 

the District of Columbia and the Territories of the United States; 

which was referred to the Committee on l<~inanco. 

III-11 

Mr. SPRAGUE presented the petition of Samuel Crapiu, praying 

compensation for services rendered as a soldier in the war of 1 12 ; 

which was referred to the Committee on Claims. 

Mr. NORWOOD presented t.he petition of A. C. Davenport, praying 

compensation as deputy collector, abstract and debenture clerk at 

the custom-house in Savannah, Georgia, in the months of August, 

September, and October, 1854, during the prevalence of the cholera; 

which was referred to the Committee on Claims. 

EXECUTIVE COMMtJit.-,:CATIO~S .. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT laid before the Senate a letter of the Secretary· of War, transmitting copies of the reports and recomm~ndations of Generals Pope and Ord relative to the bill introduced by the 

Hon. P. W. HITCHCOCK fOl' the relief of persons suffering from the 

ravages of grasshoppers; which was referred to the Collliiiitt.ee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. 

PAPERS WITHDRAWN Al\'1> REFERRED. 

Mr. MERRIMON. Senate bill No. 407, being a bill forth~ relief 

of Enos J. Pennypacker, was referred to the Committee on Claims 

ancl au adverse report was made and that report was concurred iu by 

the Senate. There are papers important to Mr. Pennypacker filed 

with the bill. He asks leave to withdraw those papers. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT. If the1·e be no objection, leav-e will be 

granted. . Mr. EDMUNDS. They should not be withdrawn without copies being retained. We never allow that in any case of an adverse report. 

The Secretary should retain copies. 

Mr. MERRIMON. I concur 'in the Senator's suggestion, and the ·copies will be left. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT. The order will be made with that understanding. 

Mr. BAYARD. I ask that an order be made for the withdrawal of 

the petition and accompanying papers of Niel Nielson, praying to be 

placed on the pension-rolls. The case was reported upon adversely 

at the last session. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT. Leave will be granted., copies being left 

with the Secretary. 

REPORTS OF COl\IMlTTEES. 

Mr. SHERMAN, from the Committee on Finance, reported a bill 

(S. No. 1044) to provide for there umptiou of specie payments; which was read and passed to the second reading. ~·SHERMAN. I give notice that to-morrow, if there ·shall be no more pressing busine f-11 I will a k the Senate to take up this .bill with a view to present action. 

Mr. PRATT. The Committee on Pensions, to whom wa.s referred 

the bill (H. R. No. 1946) re toring the uame of Mary Byrd Dallas to 

the pension-rolls, have had the same under consideration and have 

directed me to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation. that the bill be indefinitely postponed, and for this reason·: That Rince 

the bill has been in the Senate action has been taken, by the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, at the Pension Office, and her name is already restored to the pension-rolls, accomplishing therefore 

all the House bill seeks to do. I move the indefinite postponement 

of the bill. 

The motion was agreed to. 

Mr. PRATT. The same committee, to whom was referred the petition of Miriam Ward, of Johnson County, Iowa, praying to be allowed a pension, have had the same under consideration and have directed me to report it back to the Senate and to ask that the committee may 

be discharged from its further consideration, because the CommisRioner of Pensions informs the committee that the claim is still pending in his office awaiting the reception of further evidence. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT. The committee will be discharged from 

the further consideration of the petition, if there be no objection. 

Mr. CHANDLER, from the Committee on Commerce, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. No. 33i9) for the further security of navigation on the Mississippi River, reported it without amendment. 

He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred the bill 

(H. R. No. 3474) to establi h Atlanta, in the State of Georgia, v. port 

-of delivery, reported ¥Iverselythereon, a.nd moved its indefinite postponement; which was agreed to. · He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred the bill 

(H. R. No. 3592) to create a stevedores' and other maritime liens on sea-going vessels, reported adversely thereon, and moved its indefinite 

postponement; which was agreed to. . Mr. NORWOOD, from the Committee on Pensions, to whom was referred the petition of George McCoy, praying for a pension, submitted an adverse report thereon; which was ordered to be printed, 

and the committee was discharged from the further consideration of 

the petition. LIBRARIA..~ S REPORT. 

Mr. ANTHONY. The Committee on Printing, to whom was re- ferred a resolution to print extra copies of the Report of the Librarian of Congress, have djrected me to report it back and recommend 

itR passage. I ask for its present consideration. 

The resolutiuu was considered by unanimous consent, and agreed 

to, as follows : Resolved, That five hundred extra copies of the Annual Report of the Librarian · of Congress for the year 1874 be printed for distribution by the LilJrarian. 
162 CONGR,ESSIONAL RECORD. DECE~ffiER 21, 

THE REVISED STATUTES. 

.Mr. ANTHONY. The Committee on Printing instruct me to report a. bill and to a.sk for its present consideration. A concurrent resolution was ~assed last week to bind one hundred and fifty copies of the 

Revised Statutes without waiting for the index, they being wanted 

for immediate use; but it appears that the act of Congress which 

places those volumes in the custody of the Secretary of State is so iron-bound and copper-fastened that he has no right to deliver them. 

T4erefore it is necessary to pass an act in order to cover the resolution of the two Houses. I believe the books have already been 

bound and a-ctually delivered to the committees. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT. Is there objection to the p1·esent consideration of the bill t 

Mr. EDMUNDS. Let us hear it read fi:rst. 

The blll (S. No.1054) reserving for the use of Congress one hundred 

a.nd :fifty copies of the Revised Statutes authorized to be printed by 

the act of June 20, 1874, was read twice and considered as in Committee of the Whole. 

The bill provides that the one hundred and :fifty copies of the Revised Statutes of the United States bound and delivered to the two 

Houses of Congress by the Congressional Printer under the concur- rent resolution agreed to on the 11th of December, 1874, be taken and 

reserved from the number ordered by the Secretary of State under 

the act of Congress passed the 20th day of June, 187 4. 

The bill wa.s reported to the Senate, ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, read the third time, and passed. 

REPORTS OF COM}fiSSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 

Mr. ANTHONY. The Committee on Printing instruct me to re- port back the resolution of the House of Representatives requiring 

that copies of the Agricultural Reports for 1872 and 1873 which 

ha.ve been printed for 1Jhe use of the Commissioner shall be taken 

from him and distributed, two-thirds to the House and one-third to 

the Senate. The committee recommend that the Senn,te do not concur with the House in that resolution. I therefore move its indefinite postponel?-ent, and I desire to &'ly that the greater portion 

of the reports which are proposed to be taken from the Commissioner have already been dist1·ibuted, and they were absolutely neces- sary for his correspondents, and they were given to him for that 

purpose. 

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I should like to ask the Senator from 

Rhode Island whether the appropriation for printing for Congress 

made at the last session, would not authorize Congress to direct th~ publication of copies of the reports of 1872 and 1trr3 for the use of 

Congress. Six hundred and fifty thousand dollars was appropriated 

I think. I understand that that would be sufficient to authorize th~ publication of the reports of 1872 and 1873. I notice that $'25 000 was appropriated for the folding of these reports, and I think it ~as an omission that a number of the reports for the use of Congress were not directE>.d to be published. 

Mr. ANTHONY. It was an omission that Congress deliberatelv 

made, and which the Committee on Printing cannot very well supply. 

Doubtless there was money enough appropriated, but it cannot be 

tlirected to that pmpose without the order of Congress. 

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. That I understand, but I nnderstancl 

there waa money enough appropriated. Therefore, if a resolution is 

brought in for that purpo e, I hope Congress will ente~ain it. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT. The question is on the inuefinite postponement of the resolution, which will be rea-d. 

The concurrent resolution of the House of Representatives waa read, as follows : 

Resolved by the House of J?,eprescntatives, (the Senate concurring) That one-thhd 

of tbe report-s of the Commissioner of Agriculture for the ye.;~'S 1872 and 1873 

printeu upon the appropriation of $50,000 by the act of June 23. :1'174, be delivered to the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, and that two-thirds of the said reports be 

delivered to the Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives for distribution 

among the peollle by Senators and Representatives. ' 

Mr. DAVIS. I could not hear all that took place between the 

Senators on the other side of the Chamber; and I rise to a.sk whether 

any of these agricultural reports were ordered to be printed for the u e of Congress, or whether they are to be consumed entirelv by the 

Depa,rtment. Did not the last Congress order some reports~ for the use of Congress as well as of the Agricultural Department t 

Mr. ANTHONY. It did not. 

Ml'. DAVIS. Then we are to understand that the sixty or seventy 

thousand copies that ha,ve been printed are all for the use of the 

A~ricultural Department, and not for the use of Congress. 

1\~r. ~HONY. It was so specified in the order to print, that the 

copies prmted should be for the use of the Commissioner of Agricul- t~ue. None were printed for distribution by Congress. This resolutlon proposed to take from the Commissioner of Agriculture reports 

t J.at bad been assigned to him, and to distribute them to the two 

H.ouses of Congress. Most of them have already been distributed by 

hrm. 

Mr. DAVIS. I would suggest that the resolution go on the Calendar instead of being indefinitely postponed. . MI:·J!RELINGHUYSE~. I wonlu snggestto my friend from West 

V1rg.m1a that I do ~ot t.hmfr that is necessary, unles he sees some spccml rea 'On for It. I unuerstand that the chairman of the Committee on Printing says the appro-priation was sufficient to have had 

enough printed for the use of Congress, and all that will be necessary 

will be for our committee to report a resolution and then the printing can be done. 

Mr. ANTHONY. I do not know the state of the appropriation. I 

presume there was money enough appropriated for that purpose, be- cause the amount of public printing for Congress has been very small; 

but I think this resolution had better be indefinitely postponed for this reason: that the Commissioner may feel bound, if this resolution is 

pending in Congress, to hold up the few remaining copies that he has. 

It will be of no use to distribute them to us because there are so few 

of them, and it might subject him to inconvenience not to be able to 

distribute them to his correspondents. He might, out of respect to 

the supposed will of Congress, withhold the distribution of the re- maining copies. 

Mr. DAVIS. I withdraw the objection. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT. The question is on the indefinite postponement of the resolution of the House of Representatives. 

The resolution was postponed indefinitely. 

BILLS L~TRODUCED. 

Mr. BOG~ asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to introduce a bill (S. No. 1045) to amend and explain the provisions of 

the act of June 10, 1872, relating to land titles; which was read twice 

by its title, referred to the Committee on Public Lands, and ordered 

to be printed. 

Mr. HAMILTON, of Maryland, asked, and by unanimous consent 

obtained, leave to introduce a bill (S. No.1046) for the benefit of Moore 

N. Falls; which wa.s read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on Claims. 

He also a.sked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to introduce a bill (S. No. 1047) to reimburse the St.ate of Maryland for arms and munitions of war furnished durin~ the war; which was read 

twice by its title, referred to the Committee on C1'lims, and ordered 

to be printed. 

Mr. WASHBURN asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave 

to introduce a bill (S. No. 104d) for the construction of a fire-alarm 

telegraph in the District of Columbia; which was read twice by its 

title, referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia, and 

ordered to be printed. 

Mr. DENNIS asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to 

introduce a bill (S. No. 1049) for the relief of F. 0. Wyse, late lieutenant-colonel, &c.; which was read twice by its title, and referred to 

the Committee on Military Affairs. 

Mr. OGLESBY a.sked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave 

to introduce a bill (S. No. 1050) to fix the date of entry into the military service of colonel aud brevet Major-General Benjamin H. Grierson, United States Army, anti to correct his record on the Army 

Register; which was read twice by it.s title, and, mth the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. 

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to introduce a bill (S. No. 1051) authorizing the extension of the patent granted to Harvey Lull, of Hoboken, New Jersey, 

for a self-locking shutter-hinge; which wa.sread twice by its title, 

referred ~o the Committee on Patents, ancl ordered to be printed. 

Mr. CARPENTER asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, 

leave to introduce a bill (S. No. 1052) in relation to affixing stamps 

upon vessels containing fermented liquors; which was read twice 

by its title, and1 with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Finance. 

Mr. ANTHONY asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave 

to introduce a bill (S. No. 105:3) t{) amend chapt-er 7 of titlo 33 of 

the Revised Statutes; which was read twice by its title, referred to 

the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be printed. 

Mr. PRATT (by request) asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to introduce a bill (S. No. 1055) granting a pension to 

Charles H. Crippin; which was read twice by its title, and referred 

to the Committee on Pensions. 

He also (by quest) asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, 

leave to introduce a bill (S. No. 1056) granting a pension to Emily 

L. Heron, of Obion County, Tennessee; which was read twice by its 

title, and referred to the Committee on Pensions. 

He alRo asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to introduce a bill (S. No.1057) amending an act granting pensions to certain 

soldiers and sailors of the war of 1812 an<l the widows of decea ·ed 

soldiers, approved February 14, 1871; which was read twice by it 

title, referred to the Committee on Pensions, and ordered to bo 

printed. 

Mr. MITCHELL a.sked, and by lmanimous consent obtained, lP.ave 

to introduce a bill (S. No.1058) to legalize assignments of pay of otn- cers and others in the Government service; which was read twice by 

its title, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered 

to be printed. Mr. RAMSEY asked, and l)y unanimous consent obtained, leave to 

introduce a bill (S. No. 10G9) to incorporate the Dakota and Montana. 

Railroad Compauy; which was read twice by its title, referred to tho 

Committee on Public Lands, and ordered to be printed . Mr. CONOVER asked, and by unanimous con ent obtained, leavo 

to introduce a bill (S. No. 1060) granting a pension to Mr . Mar<raret 

E. Johnson; which was read twice by its title, and refenccl tZ the 

Committee on Pelliiions. 
1874. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. 163 

MESSAGE FROt\1 THE HOUSE. 

A message from the House of Representatives, by_ :Mr. McPHERSON, 

its Clerk announced that the House had passed a btH (H. R. No. ) 

making ~ppropriations for the legislative, ~xecu~ive, and ,judicial ex- penses of the Government for the year endmg June 30, 1876, and for 

ot.her purposes; in which the concurrence of the Senate was requested. 

'l'be messaO'e also announced that the House had passed the bill 

(S. No. 10'23) for the relief of certain settlers on the public lands. 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION-TEXAS APPOINTMENTS. 

~fr."FLANAGAN. Mr. President, I rise to a pei'Sonal explanation. 

I propo e to read from the New York Herald of the. 19th an article to 

which I invite particularly the attention of the chrn.rman of the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads [Mr. RAMSEY] and of my colleague, [Mr. HAMILTON.] The article commencesIn the Senate "everything is" not "lovely." While the Administration Senators are advisin~ to"ether about a policy, the President ~ nominations are pretty sharply 

scrutinized and' do not alwa.Y.s paas muster. For mstance, about four yeaTs ago Congresa passed a law prohibiting further promotions in certain of the staff corps 

of tho Army. Laat session this prohibition waa repealed. At the beginning of 

this le88ion forty or fifty nominat1ons for promotions in the corps were sent to the 

Senate. These nominations were so worded aa to take effect four years back, 

which would give the back-pay for that time to all the nominees. Tho Sen!l'te 

Committee on .Military .A.ffa.ira have concluded not to recommend the confirmation 

of theae appointments until the nominations are made to take effect from t.bis date. 

Now, here is the immediate point that I call attention to: 

Again Senator FLANAGAN bas adopted a queer method of delaying action on the 

Texas p~st-office nominations sent into the Senato at the beginrung of the session. 

By the usage of the Senate tho ~mmittees to which the nominations f~r o!fice are rderred consult with the republican Senator for whose State the nommations are made before actin~ on them. The nominations aforesaid were r.eferred to the 9ommittee on Post-Offices, and on the same day Mr. FLANAOA."'i wentmto the committee- room, put the nominations in his pocket, and they have not been seen since." 

Mr. President, I call upon my friend the chairman of the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads, a. member of which I have 

been for several years, to bear me out in the statement I will make. 

I have not conferred with him upon the subject. When these nominations wero pre~ented t.o the Senate they properly went to the 

chairman, and while I was occupying my seat here the chairman 

brought and delivered them to me. Up to that day Ihad not been 

in the colllinittee-room this session. Indeed, we have only held one meeting, and that was at a subsequent date. He brought them to me and handed them to me, as had been his custom for many yea.rs, 

not only for the State of Texas but frequently for other southern 

8tates; and in my de know are several nominations for the State of 

North Carolina, held np precisely on the same ground that the two 

nontinations for Texas that I have now are held up. There were three nominations for Texas. In regard to one of them, I looked at 

it at once and went directly over to my colleague in regard to it, so that it is not true, as this article states, that I did not consult him. I 

went to him at once. There was one of these nominees that there was no. objection to-I refer to the San Antonio postmaster. I reported 

him, and he was confirmed without a word. The others, upon con- sultation, were held up. I was advised and requested to do that by 

the parties interested, so that they could come on here and have an investi~ation to vindicate their characters ; nothin~ else. There was no spir1t of opposition on my part to having action upon them at 

any moment. There were no personal conl'iderations actuating me. I cared but little about it one way or the ot.her. I consulted my colleague and he approved my course, and upon that coprse I acted. I 

have never gone into the Post-Office Committee-room, first or last, 

and taken ho1d of a nomination there from my State or any other. 

I have never touched any that have not been directly handed to me by the chairman of the committee. 

Then again, sir, I find another little matter going the rounds. I 

noticed in the Chronicle of Saturday last this item: 

FLANAGAN, of Flanagan's Mills, haa lifted. high his brawny hand and by the 

nino gods sworn that the bead of the proud Jewell, sla.yer of Te:ma postmaaters, shall be brought low in the dust. · 

Mr. President, FLANAGAN swears by only one God. The writer 

of this may enumerate nine or ninety for aught I care; and I suppose one would be about as solenm with him as any of the others. One 

and a living God is the only one that I invoke. So far as Mr. Jewell 

is concerned I do not know him.. I have nothing against him. There 

have been only three removals of postmasters by him in Texas all 

told. That is not a very large number. There is an immense area, 

there are many postmasters there. I find, too, that Texas is not alone 

in the removal of postmasters. Removals loom up here like blackbirds from all the States in this groat nation. I suppose there are some objections to Postmaster-General Jewell; but I have nothing to do 

with hlm in a.ny way, manner, or shape. I think it was an unhappy 

lick for the republican party to have made some of these removalsperhaps the two that are upon my desk. That be has been misinformed I have no hesitancy in saying ; but individually I care not 

two baubees about it. I have no war to make on Mr. Jewell. I 

nttend to my own purposes and nothing else. He is the Postmast.erGeneral, and I take it for granted that he will discharge his duties. 

He is a ''new broom" likewise, and it is said that "new br(loms sweep 

clean," and I presume he has swept as he thought very well and 

cleanly through different States, not only in Texas. There are only 

two po tmasters there that there is any squabble about that I am aware of. On the whole, it is a small matter, one way or the other. 

STREET-CAR CONDGCTORS. 

Mr. THURMA....~. I offer the following resolution ; and, as it is a mere resolution of inquiry, I ask its present consideration: 

Resolved, That tho Committee on tho District of Columbia is hereby instructed to 

inquire whether any le~slation is necesaary for the protection of the conductors of ~treet railroad comparnes in saill District against regulations o~ the railroad com- panies requiring such condnc.t~rs to work ~n unr.easona.bleportion of OOC?h twenty. 

four hours, if any such regui..>tio.ns or practice o:nst; and ~t the committee have 

leave to report by bill or otherWise. 

Mr. EDMUMDS. I rise to suggest to the Senator from Ohio that I am. very sure a bill on that subject or a petition was referred to 

the Committee on the Judiciary at the last session and is now pend- in~ down stall-s before our committee. I do not care which committee 

th1s goes to. 

.M1·. THURMAN. I was not aware of that. I h.ave received vari- ous communications, some from conductors themselves, others from 

citizens complaining that these conductors are required to work 

from s~venteen to eighteen hours out of twenty-four. The statement seems almost incredible, but it is made to me and I have been 

urged to introduce a resolution of this chara-cter. I was not aware that there was any such matter before the Judiciary Committee. It 

seems to me the proper committee would be the District Committee. 

Mr. EDMUNDS. I think so too; and if there be a bill before our committee it can be reported back and sent to the Committee on the 

District of Columbia. So I think this resolution had better be 

adopted. 

Mr. THURMAN. I hope this resolution, which is one of inquiry, 

may be ad.o~ted, and then. w~ can sen~ the petition before the Judiciary Comm1ttee to the DlBtrlCt CoiDIDittee. 

The resolution waa considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to. 

CONTRACT SURGEONS. 

Mr. LOGAN. I ask the consent of the Senate to have action now on Senate bill No. 1043, suspending so much of the act entitled "An 

act to reorganize the several statl' corps of the .Army," approved June 

23 1874 as applies to contract surgeons. It suspends the act until F~brnacy1,1875. Iwillstatethereasonforthe bill. TheMilitaryCommittees of the House and Senate are informed that it will be impossible 

for that department of the Army to carry this law into execution on th~ 1st day of January; and inasmuch as there is a probability that 

there will be legislation increasing this number, or regulating it differently from what it is, I thought it proper to introduce a bill 

suspending that act so far as it applies to contract surgeons until the 

1st day of February, to see whether Congress will take action or not. 

If not, then the law will be executed. 

I think it very important, because the proper authorities tell me that it is impossible to carry into execution what the law requires to 

be done, for many reaaons which I do not care to take up the time of 

the Senate by stating. 

The VICE-PRESIDENT. The Senator from Illinois moves to proceed to the consideration of the bill (S. No. 1043) suspending so much 

of the act entiUed "An act reorganizing the several staff corps of 

the Army," approved June 23, 1874, as applies to contract surgeons. 

The motion waa agreed to; and t.he bill was considered as in Committee of the Whole. It suspends until the 1st day of February, 1875, so much of the act ~ntitled "An act reorganizing the several stafl 

corps of the Army,'' approved June 23, H:!74, as applies to contract 

surgeons. 

Mr. LOGAN. The Surgeon-General states to me and to the Military Committee of the House that it is impossible to carry out the 

law by tbe 1st of January. It reduces the number of contract sur- geons, and it is impossible to make the transfer of articles which is 

required in time for the law to go into effect on that day. The 

Department ask for further legislation on the subject. Whether that 

will be agreed on I do not know; but we ask that the law be sus- pended, so far as it applies to contract surgeo1;1s, until the 1st day of 

February, and then if no. action is to be taken of course the law will 

be carried out. 

Mr. THURMAN. What are the provisions of the law that the Sen· 

ator asks to have suspended f 

Mr. LOGAN. That thereshallbenomorethanseventy-fiveoontra-ct 

surgeons after the lstofJanuary, 1875. The bill proposes to suspend 

that provision until the 1st day of February, to see whether Congress. will in the mean time 'take such action aa the Department requests, If not, then the law will go into full force and effect. 

The bill was reported to the Senate without amendment, ordered 

to be engrossed for a third reading, read the third time, and pa.ssed. 

PRESIDENTIAL APPROVALS. 

A message from the President of the United States, by Mr. 0. E. 

BABCOCK, his Secretary, announced that the President had on the 18th 

instant approved and signed the following bill and joint resolution: 

An act (S. No. 781) for the relief of James L. Pugh; and 

A"joint resolution (S. R. No. 11) filling an existing vacancy in the 

Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. 

REVISION OF RULES. 

Mr. FERRY, of Michigan, submitted the following resolution; which waa considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to : 

Resolved, That the Committee on Rules be instructed to consider the propriety of 

revising a.nd reclassifying the rules of the Senate, and that they report accordingly at the earliest dny practiL".a.ble. 
164 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. DECE],ffiER 21, 

ACTION OF DISBURSING OFFICERS. 

Mr. HOWE submitted the following resolution; which was considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to: 

Resolved, That the Com.mittoo on ~h~Ju';lici~be instruct* to inqui;e whether 

any legislation is necessary to proh1b1t disbursm~; officers of the Umted States 

from paying moneys to persons or corporations, or to the order of ~uch persons or corporations, who b.we been duly enjo!-z!ed by the <:<Jurt8 of the Umted States from 

receiving the same, and tQ report by b~ or otbennse. 

BUSL~SS OF CO!\Il\1ITTEE ON CLAIMS. 

:Mr. SCOTT. Mr. President, I ri e to give notice that I shall ask 

that an early day be fixed for the consid~ration of case~ reported 

from the Committee on Claims, and I desrre the attentiOn o~ the 

Senate for one moment while !'state the condition of that busrness as a reason why I shall ask that to be done. . There are now on the Calendar some .twenty-fiv~ or t~y r?ports 

from that committee, many of them cl3.lmS of parties resuf~g m the 

late insurrectionary ~tates, and some of th~m o~ a class which have 

hitherto elicited considerable debat.e. I nnght mstance the. case of 

J. :Milton Best, which is now on the Calenda.r. I do not desire. that 

these cases shall be pressed over into the latt.er part of the sess~on so 

that they shall be taken up on. motion and. pass~ throng~ h~rrnedly, 

but I wish them to receive deliberate consideration; and if It be the 

sense of the Senate, when I ask that day to ~e fixe~ to I?r~ceed. to 

consider them and deliberately act on them WI.th a VI~w of dispos~g 

of them, it may be then worth while for Senators to mtroduce '~?ills 

involving claims of this character, as they have alread.v: been dorng. 

But if it be not the sense of the Senate to proceed w1th and con- sider them I tmnk it due to all Senators to say that the members of 

the Committee on Clainls will hardly deem it their duty to ta}re up 

time in examining and reporting upon cases of that character m addition to those which are already on the .Calendar. . I am ·not prepared to make the motwn to ~ a day at present, 

owin(J' to the uncertainty as to whether there will be a re.ces~ or not; 

but fgive this notice, so that when I do make that motion Its purpose mav be understood. ~lr. S'i'EVENSON. I hope the chairman of the Committee on Claims will fix a day. I concur entirely in the justice of the suggestion which he makes. There have been just claims on this Calendar 

for a long time which have never been considered by the Senate, 

though they were reported unanimously, and the claimants have 

l1een loner kept out of what is justly their due. I hope we shall fix a day beyond the recess, and that this Calendar will be -gone through 

with regularly. Then let claims that are controverted be discussed, aud 

let the Senate settle the principle and dispose. of them. I ask t~e 

honorable Senator from Pennsylvania, the chrurman of the Committee on Claims to fix a day early in January. Whether we take are- cess or not let us fix a day, so that everybody may ha~e notice ~hat these claims will be examined, and that the Senate will be adv~sed 

on such examination of the justice or injustice of the various claims, 

and we may dispose of them perhaps without much debate. 

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. 

Mr. MORTON. Mr. President, I desire to give .notice that should 

there be a recess taken until after the holidays I will,· at the expiration of the morning hour on the first day the Senate convenes after 

the recess ask the Senate to proceed to the consideration of the propositio~s to amend t.he Constitution of the United States reported 

bv the Committee on Privileges and Elections. If there be no re- cess, I shall ask the Senate at a very early day to take up that subject. HOUSE DILL REFERRED. 

The bill (H. R. No. 3818) making appropriations for the legislative, 

executive and judicial expenses of the Govermi1ent for the year endin•" June 3o, 1876, and for other purposes, was read twice by its title, 

aJI0d referred to the Committee on Appropriations. 

TERRITORY OF ALGONQUIN. 

Mr. BOREMAN. There was a bill before this body at the last ses- sion, and now on tl1e-Calendar as Senate bill No. 44. The Senate re- fused to order the bill to be engrossed, and a motion was made to re- consider that vote. In view of the adoption of the Revised Statutes, 

in'corjwrating near1y everything that is~ this bill in regard to the 

control of territorial affairs, I think it well to have the bill recom- mitted with a view to its amendment, and therefore I ask that the 

vote be reconsidered and the bill recommitted to the Committee on Territories. 

· The PRESIDING OFFICER, (1\f.r. FERRY, of Michigan, in the 

chair.) The Senator from West Virginia moves to take up the moti~n 

to reconsider the vote refusing to order the bill to a third reading. Mr. EDMUNDS. What bill is it f 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The title of the bill will be read. 

The CHIEF CLERK. A bill (S. No. 44) to establish the Terri14>ry of 

Algonquin and to provide a temporary government therefo~. 

Mr. EDMUNDS. What is the present state of the billY 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The third reading was refused, and a motion to reconsider that vote was m:tde. The Senator from West 

Virginia now de~;ires to recommit the bill. 

Mr. EDMUNDS. What was the last vote f 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. On the question of ordering the bill 

to be engrossed for a third reading it was determined in the negative, 

and a motion to reconsider wa~ entered, and that motion is now 

called up. . . . l\Ir. ED~fUNDS. What is the pendrng motion to reconsider; by 

whom, and when was it entered f 

Mr. BORE}IAN. The Senator from Iowa [Mr. WRIGIIT] m:tde the 

motion to reconsider. · Mr. RAMSEY. It is simply proposed to recommit tho bill to the 

Committee on Territories. 

Mr. EDMlThTDS. I understand that; but the question is on what 

ground it is that this bill, which has been once thoroughly considered 

and defeated, is to be sent back for reconsideration. Is there any new 

light about it.? . . . 

Mr. BOREMAN. I think there IS. I think new facts can be lmd 

before the Senate. My purpose in sendins- it back to the committee 

is what I have stated. This bill, like ali territorial bills, is a long 

one, containing many provision.s of detail in regar';i to t~e orga~ation of the Legislature, the various officers and their duties, salar1es, 

and matters of that sort. The Revised Statutes have made general 

laws in regard to all thes~ m~tters, and it w.o~cl be l?roper, it seems to me to take out of this bill all the proVIsions whiCh are cov~re<l 

by th~ Revised Statutes so as simply to create the Territory, ~ith some provisions of a general character, and then refer to the Re~sed 

Statutes for the provisions which have been made by the Committee on the Judiciary in view of the organization·and administration of 

affairs in all the Territories. 

I think that the circumstances under which the Senate refused to 

pass the bill to its third reading were peculiar, and I believe i~ it was recommitted to the committee and the amendments made which are now contemplated, with still other amendments which were suggested by the Senator from Vermont .at. the last session, az.td which 

the committee no doubt would be willing to make, the b1ll woul<l 

meet with the favorable action of this body. I have therefore asked 

that this vote be reconsidered and the bill recommitted to the · com- mittee so that they maytake action upon it, prepare it as they think 

it ought to be prepared, and then report it to the Senate for future 

action. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The morning hour has expired. 

Mr. BOREMAN. I ask that the vote be taken, if there is no objec- tion. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection! 

Mr. ED~fUNDS. When the Senatorsurrenders the floor, !will see. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont. 

Mt·. EDMUNDS. I wish to submit a few observations on this subject; but :p.ot to occupy the time of the Senate. According t? !llY recol~ection, this bill was not defeated on the groun~ of any triflmg 

difficulties connected with the courts or the mere detailed frame-work 

of the operations of the Territory; but I had the impression that the 

Senate acted upon a broader groUlld, and that was the undesirability, 

under existing conditions of affairs, of creating a. Territory with the 

boundaries, and with the capacities, and with the sort of inhabitants, or rather the want of inhabitants of any kind excepting Indians, to 

any large extent that existed in this region, they being no~ under 

the dominion of the Territory of Dakota. I had the impre swn that 

that was one of the leading objections to the passage of this bifi, and 

upon which it was defeated by a. pretty heavy vote; but I have not 

thou(J'ht of the subject since~ and I may be entirely mistaken. 

Certainly, if the Committee on Territories, for whom I suppose my 

friend speaks, desire to have this bill go back for further consideration I should not be disposed to interpose any objection, particularly 

if they have any new facts which they think may throw a better li~ht upon it in the Sena~e, although. it is not perhap~ the best po s1~le 

practice to report .a bill and have It go throu~h all Its stages of. dLsc.ussion and after It has been defeated to send It back to the committee 

with the purpose of giving them an opportunity to try again upon the same particular topic, because we never should end anything in that 

way. But my respect for the Committee on Territories is so great 

that if its chairman desires that this bill should be reconsidered with a view to correcting what he supposes to ~ave been the. objections to 

it which were not fundamental, I certainly shall not mterpose any 

objection. · 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on the motion to 

reconsider the vote by which the Senate refused to order the bill to a. third reading. 

The motion to reconsider was agreed to. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. It· is now moved to recommit the 

bill to the Committee on Territories. · 

The motion was agreed to. 

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT. 

The Senate, as in Committee of the Whole, resumed the CO!lsideration of the bill (S. No. 963) for the better government of the Di trict 

of Columbia the pending question being on the amendment of .Mr. 

MoRTON to ~trike out in section 3, commencing in line 3, the following words: 

To be -severally appointed by th~ President of the United States, l.Jy and with 

the advice u.ncl consent of the Senate, to be known as the boar!! of commissioner.s of the District of Columbia; and the members first to be appo~~ shall be UOlDl· 

nated and confirmed, reslJectively, to and for the terms folloWlDg, m tho order of 

their appointment, namely: 

And in lieu thereof to insert: 

To be elected by the qualified voters of said District. 
1874. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. 165 

So as to make the section read: 

There shall be at the head of said Department a. board of commisffioners, to con- sist of three members, to be elected by the q'!lnJified voters of said District, &c. 

Ur. SARGENT. Mr. President, I doubt if the Senate has ever re- ceived greater evidence of the industry ot a committee than is shown 

by this bill of one hundred and ninety-eight pages. If in addition to 

the numerous provisions of this bill there had been put in a.~ appendix 

to it Webster's or Worcester's Dictionary, whichever in the judgment · of the committee might be the more authoritative, it wonlu seem to me that everything that could be required in the way of an expansive 

bill would have been furnished the Senate. Some of the provisions 

of this bill have a very extraordinary character; some of them perhap might be characterized as trivial were it not for the zeal and 

intelligence a.nd industry that were brought to bear inits.preparation. 

Let us examine and admire the :::esults of the committee's work. 

I find here in section 5 a very careful exclusion of certain inferences 

to be drawn from langua~e used in the bill; and as it embraces a whole section and is a farr specimen of some other effort-s of the com- mit.t.ee to enlighten all lawyers, judges, and jurors hereafter as to 

what the bill means, I beg the patience of tho Senate while I read it. 

By section 5 it is enjoined thatThe phr:tSe "said District," as use<l herein, means the District of Columbia.. 

That certainlv is valuable information. I did not know but that 

the title of the bill " for the better government of the District of Columbia'' conveyed clearly enough the intention of the committee 

that it should be understood by everybody who might have time and 

patience to read this voluminous book after it should h:.vve become a law thn,t the words "said District" or the word "DistJ:ict" alone re~ 

ferred to the District of Columbia. That point, however, is happily 

placed beyond all dispute; and we know that if Congress enacts this 

bill, wherever the phrase " said District" occurs in it, it mea.ns the 

District of Columbia. And then: 

The phrase" said regents" means the board of regents of the District of Columbia." 

Afterward the word "regents" was changed to "commissioners," 

the committee leaving out that word, which is so honored in the 

Learned societies; that word which we adopt when we speak of the 

governing body of the Smithsonian Institution, and dropping down 

to the word "commissioners." I suppose that an amendment will 

hereafter be nece sary to say that when the word ." commissioners" 

is used in this bill, this bill thereby means the commissioners for the 

District of Columbia! Again: 

The phrase "said government" and "said Department," as herein nsed, mea.n respectively the government and Department herein created. 

It is possible that there might have been some confusion of ideas 

here, a.nd it might have been suppo ed by some one that this referred 

to the Government of the United States or the government of the 

Sandwich Islands, over which we have had some excitement of late, or some other government than the District; ·but happily thn,t point 

is settled! 

· The word "person" will include also, when tbe sense will permitAnd certainly it would not if the sense would not permit itthe significance of the words "persons, firms, and COJ.:Porations; " the word 

'authority" may be held to include power, discretion, and dutyWe certainly shall not need Webster's Dictionary to add any more phra es thereas will best promote the reasonable intent ~f this act ; the word "ordinance " means Do by-la.w or rnle of action t.o be observed by the people subject to said gov- ernmel'tI do not exactly like that phrase "subject to said government," for 

I suppose the people herein residing are citizens;· but nevertheless 

that might be considered hypercritical, and so closely is the dictionary followed in this section tha.t I do not feel disposed to find minor 

faults- · 

ordinari.ly well-received interpretations of that language, than to 

burden the bill with this word-splitting detail. 

But, sir, I pass from this criticism, which applies to pretty much the 

whole bill, to something of very much more importance. We have on page 43 of this bill a provision for an election in this District, and 

it would natmally be supposecl by Senators who ha(l not had the 

opportunity to read this bill through and found life long enough to 

master its details, that when an election really was authorized it 

should be of a sufficient number of officers to have a majority of the 

board which was to be created partly by appointment and partly by 

election. I find that 1he board of education is to consist of eight 

members, four of whom are to be :1ppointed; one of them is to be an ex offici{) member of the board without vote, with the simplo opportunity to advise on certain matters, not even counted in making a quorum; and the other three are those who are to be elected by the 

people of the District. 

I might ask, if in the view of the comulittee elections are trouble- some things here and the people ought not to have the expenso put 

upon them of elections at all; if there is some strong controlling reason ap~lying to this District, separating it from the rule which are applicll by the people themselves to every other Stat.e and Territory in the Union, aml requiring t.hat there should be no elections in 

the Dis rict-no exercise of tho elective franchise in matters vital 

to them; why it is t.hn,t a minority of the hoard of education are to 

be elected by the peoplef Why all the expen e, why all the ferment 

and trouble of an elect.ion, when no effective result can be produced 

by it at all; when those wh9 are elected by this election can never by any means control the action of the board to which they are olected 7 

I ask, Mr. President, why it is that the people of this District a.re deprived of the privilege of the elective franchise except in this en- tirely insignificant, unnecessary, immaterial matterY 1~ it a repudiation of negro suffrage p1·o tanto f If that is what it is, then let it be 

put upon the proper ground and we shall understand it. Is a Congre s with a two-thirds republican vote in each House prepared to 

express that judgment upon negro suffrage f I must say for one that 

I a.m not. I certainly am not in view of the condition of the South- ern Sta.tes at the present time where this very question, whether the 

negro shall have a free and fair opportunity to vote, is being tried 

every day in the year, being tried especially at elections and ev~ry 

other day in the year when there is no election by measures looking 

toward the restriction of that right or privilege. 

The republican party in the South, :ill the negroes who have now a vote in the South, are interested in the decision which the American 

Senate shall make upon the question whether the republican party, 

lmvingthe control and respon ibility of affairs, is prepared to abandon 

the experiment of negro suffrage. If we t:1ke the position that it is 

not desirable that there shall be suffrage in this District for this 

reason, by the most authoritative method we send out word throughout 

tho South to our friends there who have been struggling under adverse 

circumstances to vindicate t.he right and secme the practical exercise 

of ne~o suffrage there, that we have banished it; tha.t we have no. confiuence in it. It seems to me that the condition of that portion 

of the country, the news even through prejudiced channels that 

reaches us day by day, should be a warning to us to carefully move in this matter. Very recently near Vicksburgh men elected by aid 

of negro votes, negroes themselves, to county offices, by stringent ·pressure were compelled to resign their offices, the men who were res1)onsible upon their bonds being first by that pressure required to remove from those bonds; and when there was demur, when there was an attempt to resist the pressure thus brought t.o bear to vindi-. cate the right of these men to hold the offices to which they had been 

thus elected, fifty to one hundred and fifty of them were shot down, one white man hurt by the accidental discharge oi the gun of one of 

his comrades, and the "fight~' ended by fifty colored men being buried 

in a single grave I or by the portion of them to w:hich 'it is m'lde applica.ble,· under the penalty I do not want by my vote the word to go out to ne!!I'oes situated as thereto affi::x:ed; the word "regulation" means a rule to be observed by the officers . th t y· k. b h th t h b d d 0

th' · t or subordinates of said government, or by the portion of them to which it is made ~ere ose a IC s urg ' a . we ~ve a. an one .Is expenmen applicable in the discha.rae of their duties- here, and I do not want to abandon our southern friends who are 

And t~ere we are all reminded of Blackstone's definition of what carrying on a fi~ht which is hopeless w~t.hout our h~p to a usele , law is. It is well always to keep these fundamental considerations stmggle to p~t ill effect laws there whtch we ~epud1ate here. By · 

in mind-always remember what law is. If we forget it, we turn to the same movmg cause we .have had trou~le, disturb~ce, m:urder, 

Blackstone; and if we forget what a "regulation" means as applied govern.ments. oye.rthrown, nots! t~ult, disor~er, wo~king hideous 

t 0 thi ·District by all means tum to this bill so that our memory ?onfus~o~, depnvu?-g men of t~errpgh~s, of therr very lives.by ~cores bs fr h~d ill Loms1ana. We have had, m violation of the local constitutiOn, a may ~ re . c . - government overturned and subverted in Arkansas. We have had, I 

unless many particnl:u- case-. . . . say, day by day, during the past waa.ry months since Congress ad- . And here comes ill a savmg c!-ause, showrng the excesstve cant10n, journed in the summer, evidence tha.t unless the republican party 

mdustry, and zeal of our comnuttee- is prepared to retreat upon the great measure which put the ballot 

unless in any particular ca e afores~d. such ~e:fined meaning is clearly repug· in the hands of the colored man for his protection, we must show 

nanttothecontext.ortothegeneralspmtof this act. here no wavering and no turning; that we mnet stand by it upon 

The bill proceeds withjnst this industry and intelligence all the way principle and show that we mea.u by the legislation of Congress, so through. We turn over page after page and we find the same care, long a8 we control its counsels, that that which we advised and et 

the same minuteness, the same spinning out of spider-webs, more in operation in the Southern States shall have fair trial and shall be 

:fibers put in, in order that the :fly of intelligence shall necessa.rily be enforced. • . caught. I do not be1ieve that a bill thus constructed is really an Sir, I object then to what is done in this bill and what is left 

aid to lawyers or jurors or any one who may be ca.lled upon to pass undone. I object to t.his clause in reference to the election of three u.ron it. I think that it is burdened, crushed down, with these members of a board of eight of education, because it is trivial, 

details, and that it is better to use language which has a general, because it gives all the expense of an election, all the beat and t.urascertained meaning, and let the construction be based upon the moil of one, and nothing is accomplished. I object to th~ other fen. .. 
166 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. DECE~IBER 21 ' 

ture of the bill which forces upon the people of f.his District a voluminous measure like this where in every line, with the trivial exception I h.·we mentioned, they are sedulously excluded from the control 

of their affairs, and the colored man, as well as the whit~, is left outside of the pale of American citizenship. I do not believe there 

would be such a pressure for the abolition of suffrage in this District 

unless this question of negro suffrage were mixed with it. I am unalterably of that opinion, and I think I recognize in the arguments 

which are advanced in favor of this proposition the old flavor of 

prejudice which would deny the colored man any right of protection 

whatever. . Now, sir, if it were a question per se, with the country entirely at 

peace! with no danger of outbreaks in the South, ancl the question was submitted to me whether the better form of suffrage would be 

educated suffrage, intelligent suffrage~ I might assent to that proposition ; but, sir, that' is not the condition of the country and not the 

question which is presented.to us now. It was clearly seen by the 

repn blican party and the republican administration, when we reor- ganized the Southern States and ordained that the colored man should 

h:we the ba.llot, that it wa.s his only chance for life and safety in the 

Southern States; that it was a barrier which we trusted •might be 

ofl"ectual between him and a state of peonage, or perhaps a slavery worse than that in which he suffered before; that it was a barrier a~ainst the selfishness and aggression of the old master on the one side a.nd the otherwise defenseless negro on the other. I believe that 

to a certain extent that barrier has been effectual. I believe that it 

will utterly fn.il, that it will no longer protect the negro, unless the 

republican party shows that there is in the North and in Congress, it 

having the responsibility of legislation, a purpose to maintain it and 

maintain it jealously and guard it, not only in Arkansas and Missis- ·sippi, but here in the District of Columbia, and give it a. fair opportunity for its exercise. So believing and so feeling, I certainly can- not vote for this bill unless it Le amended in this particular. 

Mr. SAULSBURY. Mr. President, I had not expected to say a single word to-day upon this bill, for I have not given to it that care and examinanon which would enable me to discuss the subject intelligently. My object in rising now is simply to say that it is much more easy to criticise a measure before the Senate, and especially a :measure of this chara-cter, than it is to frame a government for this 

District. Now, there may be in the details of this bill much that is 

obj..ectionable, and J have no doubt that some of the features to which 

the Senator from California has referred would, upon proper examination, be sti·icken from the bill under consideration; but I think it 

is our duty, having destroyed the government that waa in existence 

in this District, to set ourselves diligently to work to frame such a governinent for the District as is required by the exigencies of the 

people who are here residin(P. 

In reference to the immediate amendment under consideration and 

the principle of which the Senator from Ca.lifornia has discussed, as it relates to the question of suffrage, I think we ought to take a broader 

view than that which arises from mere partisan. considerations. I 

think in the discussion of this bill we ought not to lug in whatever 

of outrage and whatever of difficulty may have existed in Louisiana 

and Ark..'l.ll.sns, in order to influence the votes that are to be caat on the measure pending before tho Senate; but we should address our- selves calmly and deliberately to the consideration of this measure. In my opinion it rises jnfinitely higher than a mere measure of party 

interest, and it ought not to be controlled and governed by any such 

consideration. 

I do not propose to enter into the discussion of the question whether 

negro suffra~e in this District or in any State of this Union is proper. 

The fifteentn amendment conferred that right upon the negroes in 

the States of this Union, a.nd I am not now going to discuss the question of whether it is proper or not. Let the exrJeriment, if you see proper, be made in the States; and if the public judgment of the 

country is that it is right, let it remain as it now stands. But why 

should we enter upon tha,t discussion in the consideration of this 

measure! 

This bill proposes not to disfranchise the colored people alone; it 

simply proposes, in the orgruilzation of a government in this District, · to place this city under the control of commissioners, not under the 

control of the electors of the District, but tmder the control of com- missioners, and it a.ffects the white people in this District in the sa.me manner that it affects the colored people. 

The Senator from California seems t:> regard this measure a-s one 

~imed at colored suffrage. There is nothing in the provisions of the 

bill that wa.rrruits any such conclusion. The tax-payers, the men of 

property, the men who have to bear the burdens of the government ~f this District, are put upon the same level with the humblest man, 

whether he be white or whether he be black; and therefore the 

point which is sought to be raised by the Senn.tor from California, 

that it is an effort to disfranchise the colored people of this District, ~s •not warranted by any provision of t.his bill. 

Now, sir, I am:in favor of establishing for the District of Columbia ~government which will operato to the advantage of all the people 

of the DistFict, i;he tax-pa,yer and the non-taxpayer, the white man and the colored man. 'l would place them under a government that 

shall protect them from t.he outmges and oppressions to which they 

have been so long subjected. Let us rise above that mere partyinflu- .tmce and party .consideration which would seek to defeat this bill 

simply llec:mse every negro in the District is not ecured the right of 

suffrage under the government proposed toLe established. I was stu- .prised, I confess, very much surprised, at the manifest. effort on the 

part of the Senator from California to raise a party issue in tho clis- .. cussion of a. measure of this character. I think as American Senators we ought to rise above such considerations, and endeavo1· to institnte a. government here that shall be not only a blessing to the people who are to be directly a.flected by it, but that shall do credit to the Senate 

and to the House of Representatives, who a.re charged with the important duty of establishing such a governm!}Dt· 

I simply rose to make this criticism on the remarks of the Senator 

from California, and not to discuss the pending. amendment or any 

other feature connected with the bill. 

:Mr. LOGAN. I desire before the Senator from Delaware takes his 

seat, if he will permit me, to ask him a question in this connection. 

I do not wish to discuss the Lill at all, but I have the same opinions 

about it that have been expressed by the Senator from California. 

Inasmuch as Congress has legislative jurisdiction over this District, 

in my opinion, on the same principle that a State legislature has 

legislative jurisdiction over cities incorporated within the State, if 

the doctrine is correct that you may deprive the citizens of tho District of Columbia of the right of suffrage, does not the same ground 

apply to cities all {\Ver the country f • 

Mr. SAULSBURY. So far as I am concerned, I say very frankly 

that I have not given much examination to the question of how far 

in municipal governments an exercise of unqualified legislative 

power may or may not be proper; but I know that there is a sentiment abroad in the country that in all large cities and large towns 

where there is a floating population not identified properly with the 

people of such cities or towns, the principles which govern and con- trol governments of a different character are not applicable to governments of that nature. I submit no opinion of my own, howevel, on that point. 

Mr. LOGAN. I maintain that the same principle applies as t,o the 

question of the rights of citizens, in reference to the regulation of 

their municipal affuirs, in the city of Washington that applies in all 

other cities. So far as the legislative jurisdiction is concerned, that 

is another question, but so far as the regulation of matters pertaining 

to city affairs is concerned, the rights of the citizens here are the same as the rights of citizens everywhere else, in cities. Hence the proposition I put was .this: Without questioning the authority, if we by 

legislative act can deprive the citizens of the District of Columbia. of 

that right which pertains to citizens all over the country, will uot 

that tend to lead to the exercise of the same power all over this conn· try in municipalities! 

The Senator says there is a sentiment in the different cities of the 

cmmtry that the right of suffrage should be taken away from what 

he calls the floating population; in other words, tba.t the right of suffrage should be taken away from the poor people who perhaps have 

not a. home, or have not property. I am opposed to any such thing as that. I do not believe in property voting. I believe in men votin!?, 

and not propert)lt. I hold that the right to vote belongs to one citi- zen the same as another, unless he deprive himself of that right by some criminal conduct of his own. I do not believe in the hohling 

of a mule conferring the right to. vote, so that if a man owns a mule 

to-day he may vote, and if the niule dies to-morrow he cannot. I do 

not believe in that; but that is his principle, and is the enteringwedge, in my judgment, to the destruction of the right of suffrage 

in the hands of the poor people, whether they be white or black. For 

that reason I shall vote against the bill. Mr. SAULSBURY. I certainly do not propose to a.nswerall the interrogatories propounded by the Senator from Illinois. In fact, I think 

he has made the answer, to a very considerable extent, to the proposition 

he himself suggested. But I wish to call attention to the fact that between the city of ·washington and other cities of the country there lit a very marked difference both in reference to the right of Congre88 a.nd 

in reference to the propriety of the'intervention of Congress in taking charge of the District. In the first place, the Government of the 

United States owns a very large portion of the tJ.xable property of t.his 

District; and I am not certain that even if as a general rule the principle is right that in all municipal governments the people should have an unlimited voice, it is true in reference to this city, in which the Government of the United States and the property of the Government of 

the United States is to be affected so largely by the votes of the people 

of the city. I understand that nearly one-third of the taxable property in the District belongs to the Government; and if it is so, the 

question may well arise whether that property ought to be subjected 

to the control exclusively of the voters of the District, be they white or be they bL'lck. But I do not propose to discuss such matters, for 38 I said before to the question of proper municipal ~overnment and 

the mode by which it shaU be carried on, I have not given such investigation and such consideration as would enable me to express a very intelligent opinion. 

Mr. LOGAN. I will sa.y to the Senator right there that I believe, 

if I understand the theory of otlr Government, the people govern them· 

selves. If this property belongs to the Government and is the property of the Government, the people of the whole United States pay 

taxes on the property of this Government. 

Mr. SAULSBURY. Tlien may I not ask the Senn.tor from lllinois 

why the representatives of the peopl3 of this Government houlunot 
1874. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. 167 

establish a Government for this city independent of the people who 

reside in it f 

Mr. LOGAN. If property belongs to the Government in Chicago, 

and there is quite a lot belonging to the Government there, would it 

not have the same right to deprive the people there of suffrage f 

Mr. SAULSBURY. There is no such proportion of property belonging to the Government in the city of Chicago or any other city in the 

United States. 

Mr. LOGAN. The proportion of property is not the question. It 

is the principle. If the United States have a right to regulate this 

city because there are ten houses here owned by them, they have the same right to regulate it because there is one house. It is not a question of the amount of property, but a question of principle, whether 

the people shall have something to do with the regulation of their 

affairs for themselves. The property belongs to them; it does not 

belong to members of Congress. 

Mr. SAULSBURY. Why are we here to-day considering a bill propo ing a form of government for this Dist1·ict T An investigation 

had by t,his body at the last session revealed the fact that a government here controlled by the citizens of this Dist.rict had involve(l the 

District in an untold amount of debt, that the people had become 

oppressed by heavy taxation, that the whole District was upon the . very verge of bankruptcy under a government carried on by the 

electoral vote of the people of this District. Ancl then, under the 

revelations made by that committee, this Senate, with a unanimity 

almost unparalleled, declareu that such a government shou1d not 

longer exist, and this city was put under the control of commissioners. 

'Vhy, sirs, it was the revelationR which were made by that committee 

of the outrages that had been perpetrated upon the people of this 

District and the oppressions with which they had been afflicted 

which have brought the attention of the Senate at the present time 

to the consideration of this measure. And ye~ the Senator from illinois and the Senator from California propose to go back to a system 

controlled by the same identical population that has controlled the 

government of this District for several years past and involved it in 

such hopeless indebtedness, and which has brought them repeatedly 

to the Senate Chamber to ask appropriations from the public Treasury in order to carry on the government, and which bas depleted the 

Treasury of the United States to the extent of eight or ten milliou dollars in appropriations which have been from time to timomadetomeet 

and defray the expenses which this government hasincurred. Still, we are now called upon to re-establish if not the precise and identical government, yet a government conducted upon the same principles. 

Sir, I am in favor of the general principle of this bill, of puttjng 

the control of a.1l'airs here in charge of commissioners, and let them see to it that the people of this District are not further oppressed, 

and let us at once and as far as we can relieve them from the burdens which they have heretofore borne. I 3.Jil in favor of the general 

principle of the bill, which is aimed to be struck down by the amendment of the Senator from Indiana, [Mr. MORTON,] and I shall vote in 

accordance with it. "\Vhile the details of the bill may not all meet 

my approbation, yet the grand principle of putting this city in the 

charge of commissioners I am in favor of, and I hope therefore that 

the amendment of the Senator from Inuiana! though sustained and 

backed up by the eloquent remm·ks of the Senator from California, 

may not prevail. 

Mr. LOGAN. I "ill not prolong the discussion, but will merely 

ask the Senator from Delaware if he is not mista.ken when he states 

that the Senator from California and the Senator from fudiana were trying to put this District b::wk in the same condition that it was before. So far aa the investigation referred to is concerned, in refer- ence to tl1e conduct of certain persons in the District of Columbia, it 

has nothing to do with the principle of the organiza.tion of this District. I am certainly as far from desiring a repetition of the ex- penditure as any man in the Senate Chamber; but the Senator falls 

inio a very grave error there, and if he will give me his attention I 

think I can point it out to him. 

Ho says the reason why tho whole country was aroused at the ex- position here of great expenditures was on account of suffrage in 

the District. Does he not know that the very men who were inYestigated, and the very expenditures of which he complains and of 

which the country complains, were made by men who were appointed 

by the President of the United States and not elected by the people! Does he not know that this commi sion is to be appointed in 

the same way as the board of public works-not elected by the people, but appointed by the Executive T It seems to me that the Senator's argument is rather against him than for him. 

1\!r. SAULSBURY. Will the Senator from illinois remember that a great many of those appropriations of money were made by the 

Legislature of the District of Columbia, and that some of the loans 

that wero effected to carry on the work were submitted to and voted 

for by the people of the District, and that two-thirds'of those voting 

for tho creation of those debts, for the borrowing ofthe .four millions 

of money, were men who contributed scarcely a dollar toward the 

pnyment of the taxes f 

Mr. LOGAN. The complaint of taxation, and of the large amount 

that the Government expended for doing its part, was in regard to 

expenditures ma{le by the boarll of public works. So far as a Legislature in the Dist.rict is concerned to enact Jaws, I have not heartl of 

any person who desires that. I expressed my view on that qnestion 

at the time the territorial bill was passeil in the other Honso, for I was then a member of the Honse of Hepreseutatives. When tl10 hill was pending there authorizing the appointment of a govrruor for this 

District, providing for a Delegate in Congre8s and for a Legislature to 

enact laws, I opposed it on the ground that it was in violation of the 

ConsUtntion of the United States. I woultl so do again. I believe 

the legislative jurisdiction belongs to the Congress of the United 

States and is not to be delegated to a Legislature of the District. The 

Congress of the United States is to enact the laws, but those laws are to be executed hy whom f Executed by some of the citizens of the 

District; and the cHizens to execute those laws, or at least to tako 

part in the execution of the laws in connection wHh the executive 

power of the Government, should l>e left to the choice of that people, 

the same as the Senator himself occupies his position by the choice 

of his people. 

It is not a question of legislation; it is not a question of the ex- penditure of money, for it beloDgs to Congress to restrict tba.t in any 

way it deems proper and right; but it is a question whether or not 

the people themselves shall have the authority to suggest, appoint, or select the agents who are to execute the laws enacted by Congress 

for their controL The question is on depriving them as citizens of 

the right to have any voice in the municipal affairs of the municipality in which they themselves reside and which belongs to the citizens. 

Mr. HAMiLTON, of Maryland. I desire to ask the Senator from 

Illi:nois a question. Do I understand his position to be that Congress 

shall enact all legislation and then let the people of this District 

execute itT 

Mr. LOGAN. What is that T 

Mr. HAMILTON, of Maryland. Do I understand the honorable 

Senator from Illinois upon this bill to say that he is in favor of and 

believes any other thing to be unconstitutional than that Congress 

should enact all legislation and that then we should let the peoplo 

of this District execute it f 

Mr. LOGAN. No, sir; I did not say that. 

Mr. HAMILTON, of Maryland. I so understood the Senator. 

Mr. LOGAN. No; I was giving my reason for opposing the territorial bill when it passed, and I said that under the Constitution of 

the United States, in my judgment, Congress has the exclusive jurisdiction over the legislation of th~ District; and that is the exact 

language of the Constitution. Now, if you can provide a Legislature 

when the Constitution says that Congress shall have the exclusive 

legislative jurisdiction, then you are a wiser man than I am. So far as mere police regulations are concerned, that is a very difi'erent 

proposition; but Congress has a right to enact general laws for tho 

government of this city, the same as a Legislature does in a State. 

The State Legislature enacts general laws, but the city bas its mu- nicipal regulations in reference to the cleaning of streets and police 

regulations, and many things that are not necessary for the legislative department to take -up its' time in reference to. But I do say 

that when Congress enacts these general laws-for instance, a school 

law in tho District of Columbia-some voice should be given to tho 

people in t.heir execution. Will you provide under a general school 

law that the directors of the schools shall be appointed T What is 

the office of a director of t.he schools! Merely to carry out a law 

that has been enacted hy Congress. I say the people shou1d have a right to choose these men. So in reference to your commissioners. You enact laws in Congress to appoint commissioners to uo what Y You appoint commissioners to observe, obey, and carry out 

the provisions of a law, and they may have men under them who 

transact little affairs belonging to the city even under your bill. 

But that is not the point. The point is not whether you give legislative jurisdiction to a Legislature of this District; but the point is 

whether tho people shall have a right to elect the men who a.re to 

carry out the law the same as the people of a State elect their gov- ernor to execute the law, or the same as a city elects its mayor to 

execute the law. I believe to-day that this city would be J:>etter goYerned if the people were allowed to elect a mayor and a common council to carry out the laws enacted by Congress n,nd then regulate 

their own police affairs through their common counciL 

Mr. FLANAGAN. I do not 1·ise, 'Mr. President, for the purpose of 

criticising this bill. It ha.s been well matured; much thought has 

been expended upon it, and ample justice has been done in its details as far as the ability of the distinguished committee who reported it was able to give to it. And, sir, I might further state that on this 

occasion I shou1d not say one word but cast my vote, as I usually do, 

in silence except for the absence of any Son thorn Senator responding 

to the action already presented or having participated in any way in 

the debate upon the subject. 

The distinguished Senator immediately on my right from Indiana 

[Mr. MORTOX] has offered an amendment here. That amendment I am gratified to see has met the cordial approbation and able support 

of the distinguished Senator from California, [Mr. SARGENT.] I am gratified to see that. The great State of Illinois through her distinguished Senator [Mr. LOGAN] likewise indorses it, as I understand. 

Now, sir, the South through me, so far as I speak, cordially indorses the amendment proposed by the Senator from Indiana. What axe the reasons for doing soT I will briefly submit t hem. In the first place, the action cleprecatecl aucl di ens eel by the Sen- tor from alifornia is oujectell to by my distinguished friend from 
168 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. DECEMBER 21, 

.Delaware [Mr. SAULSBURY] on the ground that a political question 

ought not to be made of this. Why, sir, it is impossible that we can consider it otherwise. It is a political question. This is the 

capital of the nation, and your action in regard to it goes out ~hrough 

. all the avenues and ramifications known to this great Government 

in every one of the States that have an imme<liate at1d direct int.erest 

pertaining to the government of the District of Colnmbia. It can- not be ignored; and how clearly are the positions defined here. In 

the able remarks made the other day by the other SenatOr from Delaware, [1\!r. BAYARD,] he alluded to the fact that he himself was a tax-payer .in this great city, and he seemed to think that the taxpayers and the tax-payers alone were the parties who were properly 

to take this matter into consideration and control it. Mr. President, 

the Constitution of the United States knows no distinction as to taxpayers. It knows the people, and the people only of this nation 

without respect to color. They are all free, for there . are none en- slaved that I am aware of ·now. Then they are all equal upon that 

branch of the subject, and their rights are precis.ely the same. How 

is one to be excluded properly, and in the spirit of the Constitution t 

We know very well that it cannot be, an<l I have no idea that it is 

necessary here to discuss the power of the Government as t.o the legislation that is contemplated. Therefore ! .pass that over. Now, on the score of policy, aside from the absolute rights that 

pertain here, I might instance one fact. It is not infrequent that the 

removal of the capital of this great nation is spoken of. Let the 

tax-payers of the city of Wa.shington take into consideration, as they 

may very well do, that this bill as presented is a fatal stroke to the 

perpetuity of the capital in the city of Washington. So far as a million of colored voters will go, at a very early day when they shall 

speak, I have no hesitancy in saying that they will speak as a unit; 

they would go for any place that might be designated in this broad 

Union rather than the city of Washington, because it had there been 

declared solemnly by act of Congress that the lllack man had no right to vote, had no suffrage. They would visit their revenge, if 

you please to call it so, on the citizens of this great capital for 

excluding them from that right. 

Why, sir, the stand-point-and it is a very prominent one-taken 

by the dist.ingnished Senator from Delaware [Mr. BAYARD] the other 

day was that of a tax-pa.yer. Now, the tax-payers are very conspicu- ous throughout this Union, particularly in the South. There are the 

tax-payers the white-leaguers. What are they doing f They are regulating everything in their own way, and that is the text and the 

pretext, and they are carrying it out in every sense of the word with a deterntination that had better be checked, for the perpetuity of this 

Union, in my humble opinion, at the very earliest day. 

Now, sir; let it be known that the colored men of the city of 

Washingt{)n have no right to vote, are excluded from suffrage, and it 

will go broadcast throu~hout the South in an instant and every State 

in the South will avail1taelf of that sweet spice, and they will look 

upon it as a precedent, and at a very.early day they will live up to 

it. It will grow, and it will continue to grow, I have no hesitancy in 

saying. It is all-important that that privilege should be extend-ed to 

the American citizen in the city of Washington let him be whit~, 

yell9w, black, or as the case may be; and then it will flow out upon 

equal principles throughout this great Union. I would have been 

gratified if the distinguished Senator from In<liana had gone a little 

further in this amendment. Perhaps the period has not yet arrived 

in our history when it will succeed; but I have no hesitancy in saying that the day is not distant when it will. I should have been 

gratified if he had included the women too, and let the ball of woman suffrage start out from the national capitaL It is due to the 

nation, and I believe the day is not distant when it will be recognized and become the law of the land. I woulcl have been very 

much gratified to see it start here to-day. I hope for the good of the 

nation, in every sense of the word, that this amendment will be 

accepted, and I think it will do much good. · :M.r. llERRIMO~ obtained the floor. 

Mr. WEST. If it will not inconvenience the Senator to-day, I 

should like to ask for an executive session. 

Mr. 1tiERRIMON. I have no objection: 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana moves tbat the Senate proceed to the consideration of executive business. 

The motion was agreed to; and the Senate proceeded to the consideration of executive business. After twelve minutes spent in exec- utive session the doors were reopened, and (at two o'clock and ten 

minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned. 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 

·MoNDAY, December 21, 1874. 

The House met at twelve o'clock m. Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. 

J. G. BUTLER, D. D. 

The Journal of Friday last was read and approved. 

ORDER OF BUSTh""ESS. 

The SPEAKER. This being Monday, the first business in order is 

the call of the States and Territories, beginning with the State of 

Maino, for the introduction of bills and joint resolutions for refer- ence to their appropriate committees, not to be brought back on 

motions to reconsider. Under this call memorials andre o1utions of 

State and territorial Legislatures ma;y be presented for r ference and 

printing. The . morning hour begins at seven minutes after twelve 

o'clock. CHARLES F. LARRABEE. 

Mr. BURLEIGH introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4043) authorizing the 

Pre i.dent to reappoint Charles F. Larrabee a first lieutenant in the 

United States Army; which wa.s read a first and secoml time, re- ferred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. 

OFFICERS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE. 

Mr. FRYE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4044) makinS!' valicl the as- sigJ;UDent of the pay of officers and employes in the civil service of the 

United States; which·was read a first and second time, referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary, and orde~ed to be printeir. 

DR. JOHN R. BIGELOW. 

Mr. POLAND introduced a bill(H. R. No. 4045) for the relief of Dr~ 

John R. Bigelow; which was read a first and second J.ime, referred 

to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be prmted . 

PUBLICATIO~ OF TREASURY ACCOUNTS. 

Mr. DAWES introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4046) providing for the 

publication of the Treasury accounts; which was read a first and sec- ond time, referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and ordered · to be printed. 

RIVER AND HARBOR DfPROVE~mNTS. 

Mr. PENDLETON introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4047) for the improvement of Pawcatuck River, R4odelsland; which was read a first 

and second time, referred to the Committee on Commerce, and or- dered to be printed . . He also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4048) continuing the improvement of Wickford Harbor, Rhode Island; which was read a first and 

second time, referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to 

be printed. 

INTERNAL-REVENUE TAXES, ETC. 

Mr. EAMES introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4049) in relation to internal-revenue taxes. and duties on imports; which was read a first and 

seconcl time, referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and 

ordered to be printed. 

NORWICH .lli''D 1\"EW YORK TRANSPORTATIO~ OOMPA.~. 

Mr. STARKWEATHER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4050) for the 

relief of the Norwich and New York Transportation Company; which wa.s read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on War 

Claims, and ordered to be printed. 

IMPROVEMENT OF HARBORS, ETC. 

'Mr. BARNUM introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4051) to continue the improvements in the harbor of Norwalk, Connecticut; which was read a. first ancl second time, referred to the Committee on Commerce, and 

ordered to be printed. 

He also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4052) for the improvement of 

the harbor of Bridgeport, Connecticut; which was read a first ::mel 

second time, referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to 

be printed. 

He nlso introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4053) to repair and preserve the 

breakwater and piers at the entrance to the harbor of Southport, 

Connecticut ; w4ich :was read .a first and second time, referred to the 

Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be printed. 

SIGXAL SERVICE. 

Mr. CROOK introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4054) to provide for the 

signal service; which was read a first and second time, referred to 

the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. 

J, GALWAY AND T. BRUGUIER. . 

Mr. MERRIAM introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4055) for the relief of 

John Galway and Theophila Bruguier; which was read a, first and 

second time, referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, and ordered 

to be printed. 

PUBLIC BUILDING AT AUBUfu~, NEW YORK. 

Mr. MAcDOUGALL introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4056) for the erec- tion of a public building at Auburn, New York; which was read a 

first and second time, referred to the Committee on Public Buildings 

and G~ounds, and ordered to be printed. 

COLLECTION DISTRICT IN NEW JERSEY. 

Mr. SCUDDER1 of New Jersey, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4057) 

to make a collection distric in the State of New Jersey; which was read a first and second time, referred. to the Committee on Ways and 

Means, and ordered to be printed. 

'MATHILDA REIDmBURG. 

Mr. SCUDDER, of New Jersey, also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 4058) 

grantiug a pension to Mathilda. Renneburg, widow of Captain George 

R. Renneburg, deceased ; which was read a first and second time, re- ferred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. 

ISL.Al\"'D OF NAVASSA.. 

Mr. KELLEY introduced. a bill (H. R. No. 4059) in relation to the 

occupancy of the island of Navassa; which was read a first and sec- ond time, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and ordered 

to be printed.