8074 CONGRESSIONAL REOORJ).;-HOUSE~ AUGUST 29, 

CocKRELL] if it would be inconvenient for him to proceed now to 

the consideration of the bill for the relief of women enrolled as a.rmy 

nurses? 

1\fr. COCKRELL. I will say to the Senator from New Hampshire 

that I made inquiries of the Department in order to get some facts which 

I considered necessary in the consideration of that bill, in regard to the 

number and the localities of those persons, and the War Department 

sent me a telegram the other day in reply to my letter, in which they 

say that the Snrgeon-General's Office is making out alist and will furnish it at the very earliest day possible. I have not received that yet, 

and I hope therefore the Senator will not press the bill. . Mr. BLAIR.. I will say to the Senator and to the War Department, 

upon whieh I called some four months ago when this matter came up, 

that there seems to be a dexterity of delay which is quite formidable 

certainly to the army nurses. Life is shol't, time is passing away, and 

these nurses are growing old. I hope the Department will be able to 

coni ply with the Senator's request very soon. M l·. COCKRELL. I hope so, too. 

Mr. BLAIR. Otherwise the Senator) I hope, will join with me in 

having the bill taken npwitbotrt thecommunicationfrom the War Department. 

11EVE.NUE-cDTTER FOR NEW BERNE. 

Mr. FRYE. I ask unanimous consent to call up Order of Business 

1946'. 

The PRESIDENT pro ie'mpore. The Senator from Uaine asks unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Order of 

Business 1946, being the bill (H. R. 5670} fo-r the co-nstruction of a revenue-cutter for New Berne, N. C., to replace the revenue-cutter 

Stevens. No objection being made, the Senate as in Committee of the Whole, 

pro~eded to consider the bill. 

The bill was reported to the Senate without amendment, ordered to a third reading, read the third time, and passed. 

FIRE-ALA..RM: AND TELEPHONE SERYICE. 

Mr. VANCE submitted the following resolution; which was considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to: lUsolved, Tha.t the commissioners of the District or Columbia be directed to transmit to the Senate for its information the recent a.nnualreport of Henry R. Mile!'!, superintendent or the fire-alarm and telephone service, for the year }-888, 

and 1 hat the s~e be referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia and 

bep inted. 

EXECUTIVE SESSIO~. 

Mr. COKE. I move that 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 five minutes spent in executive ses- sion the doors were reopened, and (at 4 o'clock and 45 minutes p.m.) 

the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Thursday, August 3(}, 1888, at 

12 o'clock m. 

NO:!\IINATIONS. 

ET.eeutire 'lwminations received TJy the Sencde Augu.st 29, 1888. 

U~'"ITED STATES CONSULS. 

William Gaston Allen, of South Carolina, now consul a.t Piedras Negras, to be consul of the United Sta.tes at Kingsto~, Jamaica, 'Lice J. 

Hanrey Brigham, deceased. · Vicente M. Baca., of New Mexico, to be consul of the United States 

at Piedras Negras, ,;ice William Gaston Allen, nominated as consul at 

Kin~ston, Jamaica. 

J. G. Cisco, of Jackson, Tenn., to be consul of the United States at 

Nuevo Laredo, to fill a vacancy. 

PROMOTIONS IN THE ARMY. ' 

Fifth Regiment of Cavalry. 

First Lieut. George B. Davis, to be captain, August 21, 1888, 1-i.ce 

Rockwell, deceased. 

Second Lieut. William E. Almy, to be first lieutenant, August 21, 

1888, vice Davis,. promoted. 

. lolinth Regiment of Infantry. 

Lieut. Col. Alfred L. Hough, of the Sixteenth Infantry, to be colonel, 

August 21, 1888, vice !fason, retired from active service. 

Tenth Jle[Jiment of btjantry. 

First Lieut. Clayton S. Bnrbank, to be captain, August 21, 1889, 

'Dice Hampson, promoted to the Twelfth Infantry. 

Second Lieut. Isaac ,V. Littel, to be first lieutenant, August 21, 

1883, vice Burhank, promoted. 

Tt elftl~ lle.qiment of ~tfa.n ry. 

Capt. Jesse A. P. Hampson, of the Tenth Infantry, to be major, 

August 21, 1888, vice Penrose, promoted to the Sixteenth Infantry. 

Sixteenth Regiment of InfantnJ. 

M~. William H. Penrose, of the Twelfth Infantry, to be lieutenant-colonel, Augnst 21, 1888, vice Hough, promoted to the Ninth Infantry. 

Tenth Regiment of Infantry. 

Additional Second Lieut. Alexander W. Perry, of the First InfantryJ 

to be second lieutenant, August 21, 1888, vice Littel, promolied. 

Fifth Regiment of Cavalry; , 

Additional Second Lieut. Andrew G. C. Quay, of the Eighth Cavalry, to be second lieutenant, A ngust 21, 1888, vice Almy, promoted. 

Corps of Engineers. 

Additional Second Lieut. William V. Judson, to be second lieutenant, July 23, 1888, vice Newcomer, promoted. 

Tenth R egim ent of Infantry. 

. Additional Second Lieut. William T. Littebrant, of the Nineteenth 

Infantry, to be second lieutenant, .A.ugtrSt 23, 1888, vice Shollenberger, 

promoted. 

Corps of Engineet·s. 

Capt. Daniel W. Lockwood, to be major, July 23, 1888, vice King, 

promoted. 

First Lieut. Thomas L. Casey, jr., to be captain, July 23, 1888, vice 

Lockwood, promoted. . Second Lieut. Henry C. Newcomer, to be first lieutenant, July 23, 

1888, vice Casey, promoted. 

Tenth Regiment oj Infamry. 

Second Lieut. John H. Shollenberger, to be first lieutenant, August 

23, 1888, vice Cranston, deceased. 

CONFIRMATIONS. 

Executive nominations confirmed by the Senate August 29, 1888.. 

POSTMASTER. 

Robert A. A. Pilcher, to be postmaster a.t Olathe, in the county of 

Johnson and State of Kansas. 

UNITED STATES CONSULS. 

Charles de Blanc, to be consul of the United States at Puerto Cabello. 

Ernest W. Sl¢.th1 of Massachusetts, to be consul of the United States 

at Mozambique. 

J. Russell Parsons, of New York, to be consul of the United States 

at Aix-hi-Chapelle. 

L. Austin Spalding, of New York, now consul at Aix-la.·Chapelle, 

to be consul of the United States at Brunswick. 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 

WEDNESDAY, .A.ugt.tst 2Q, 1888. 

The House met at 12 o'clock m. Prayer by Rev. J .. ll. CUTHBERT, 

D. D. 

The Jomnal of yesterday's proceedings was read and approved. 

LEA. VE OF ABSENCE. 

By unanimous consent, leave of absence was granted as follows: 

To Mr. FITCH, on account of illness in his family. 

To Mr. McKINLEY, indefinitely, on account of serious illness of his 

wife. 

To l\Ir. DARGAN, for six days. 

Mr. HOOKER. I ask leave of absence from :Monday nex t for my 

colleague, Mr. STOCKDALE, who is cnJled home on important business. 

There was no objection. 

EYROLLED BILLS SIG...~ED. 

Mr. KILGORE, from the Comm.itteeonEnrolledBills, reported that 

they had examined and found duly enrolled bills of the following 

titles; when the Speaker signed the same: A bill (H. R. 165) for the relief of H. C. Markham; 

A bill (H. R. 1761) for the relief of the First National Bank of PortJan~ Oregon. for money advanced the Oregon Iron Works, the con- tractor in building the United States revenue-cutter Thomas Corwin; 

. A bill (H. R. 3902) for the relief of Sophia B. Moore; 

A bill (H. R. 6371) granting a pension to Jesse M. Stillwell; 

A bill "(H. R. 7013) to place the name of Delia Newman on the pension-roll; 

A bill (H. n. 8087) for the relief of Thomas Strodder; 

A bill (S. 1880) declaring that certain water-reserve lauds in the 

State of Wisconsin are and have been subject to the provisions of the 

act of Congress entitled "An act wan tina to railroads the right of way 

through the pnblic lands of the _United States," approved March 3, 

1875; 

A bill (S. 3474) amendatory of a.n act authorizing the construction of a. bridge over the Mississippi River a t St. Louis, Mo., approved February 3, 1887; . · A bill (S. 3304) to prohibit the coming of Chinese laborers to the 

United States; 

A bill (S. 32"26) granting the Leavenworth Rapid Transit Railway 

'· 
1888. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD=-HOUSE. 8075 

Company the right to construct and operate its railroad through a por· 

tion of the military reservation at Fort Leavenworth, Kans.; 

A bill (S. 899) for the relief of Mary M. Briggs; 

A bill (S. 3166) granting a pension to William F. Pike; 

A bill (S. 2721) granting a pension to Jackson Chapman; , A bill (S. 1070) granting a pension to Mary R. Armstrong; ·A bill (S. 3076) granting a pension to Mary M. Shattuck; 

A bill (S. 2899) granting a pension to Harriet Welch; 

EXTENSION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

l'!Ir. FORNEY. I ask unanimous consent to offer a joint resolution 

to provide for the pem~es of the GoYernment. I will state that all 

the appropriation bills have passed except the sundry civil and Army 

appropriation bills, a.nd it be(Jf)mes necessary t{) extend the expenses 

under these bills until the 15th of September. 

:The SPEAKER. The Clerk will re-port the resolution. .The Clerk read as follows: 

Joint resolution (H. Res. 219) to conlinne the provisions of a. joint resolution entitled a." Joint resolution to provide temporarily f01·the expenditures of the Government." 

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America 

in Congress assembled, That the prO"'risions of a. joint resolution entitled a. "Joint resolution to continue the provisions of a. joint resolution approved June SO, 

1888, entitled a' Joint resolution to provide temporarily for the expenditures of the Government,"' approved .July 31, 1888, be, a.nd the same are hereby, ~:x:· 

tended a.nd continued in full force and effect to a.nd including the 15th day of September, 1838. 

The SPEAKER. Is there objection? 

Mr. CHEADLE. I object. 

Mr. HENDERSON, of Iowa, and Ur. RYAN. I hope the gentleman 

will not object. 

Mr. CANNON. I was going to say to my colleague on the committee 

that I think the gentleman :from Indiana will not object when he nn· 

derstands the o~ect of this resolution. Unless this resolution pass it 

leaves the Army ancl Navy without provision for their pay. 

Mr. FORNEY. It does not leave the Navy without pay, but it does 

lea\e the Army; without this is passed we ca.n not pay tlie soldiers nor those in the Soldiers' Home. 

Mr. CANNON. Oh, yes, theNavybill is passed, butthereareagreat 

many sundry expenses in tbe sundry civil bill, which is not passed, 

that it is absolutely necessary there should be provision made for. I 

think that it is a pity we should be rolled upon to pass this resolution 

because these appropriatiorf bills ought long ago to have been passed. 

Mr. TOWNSHEND. I desire tO say, as far as the Army bill is con· cerned, that I have Yery strong hopes that it will be finally passed today., so that in respect \to the Army bill I do not see any particular reason for it, but there are necessary expenses under the sundry civil 

bill for which it ought to be passed. 

1\fr. FORNEY (to Mr. TowNSHEm>). Your Army bill could not 

get to the President in time to make provision for the necessary ex:- pemlitures unde1· tha.t bill. 

The SPEAKER. The regular oruer is demanded. The Chair will 

state, however, that if this is a report from the Committee on Appro. 

pria tions it is in order and will go to the Committee of the Whole on the 

state of the Union n.nd can be considered there. It is not in order for 

present consideration if there be objection, and the gentleman from 

Indiana objects. It will therefore go to the Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union. The regular order is tke call of committees 

for reports. 

The committees were called, but no reports were presented. 

ORDEn OF BUSINESS. 

Mr. FORNEY. I move tha.t the Honse now resolve itself into 

Committee of the Whole on. the state of the Union for the purpose of 

considering general a.ppropriation bills. 

Mr. WHEELER. Mr. Speaker~ if that motion is carried, will the 

Committee on Expenditures in the Treasury Department have an hour 

to-morrow? 

The SPEAKER. If this motion is agreed to, and the committee 

rise, and no motion is made and agreed to thereafter to go into Com· 

mit tee of the Whole·for th.e further consideration of appropriation bills or general revenue bills, the hour for the consideration of bills will be 

occupied to-day a!'ter the committee rises. 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. I desire to ask a question for information. After this resolution is disposed of, will it not be in order to have 

the morning hour for the consideration of bills? 

The SPEAKER. The Chair has just stated that even if the motion 

be agreed to to go into Committee of the Whole, after the committee 

rises, nnless some other motion is made having precedence over it under 

the rule, the consideration hour will be in order. 

The motion of Mr. FORNEY was agreed to. 

The Honse accordingly resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, 

Mr. BLOUNT in the chair. 

The CHAIRMAN. The Honse is now in Committee of the Whole 

for the purpose of considering general appropriation bills. 

1\ir. FORNEY. I call up Honse joint resolution 219. 

The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will report the joint resolution. 

The Clerk read as follows: Joint resolution (H. Res. 219) to continue the 'provisions of a joint resolution en· titled a. ".Joint resolution to provide temporarily for the expenditures of the Government." 

Resolved by the Senate and Hot1se of Representatives, etc., That the provisions ot a joint resolution entitled a. ".Joint resolution to continue the provisions of a. joint resolution approved June 30,1888, entitled a. 'Joint resolution to provide 

temporarily for the expenditures of the Government,'" approved July 31, 1888, 

be, and the same are hereby, extended a.nd continued in full force and effect to and including the 15th day of September, 1888. 

:Mr. FORNEY. I move that the committee now rise and report the 

joint resolution to the Honse with the recommendation thatitdopass. 

The question was taken on the motion of Mr. FoRNEY, and the Chair- man declared that the ayes seemed to have it. 

1\-Ir. CHEADLE. I ask for a division. 

The committee divided; and there were-ayes 111, noes 3. 

Mr. CHEADLE. No quorum. 

'I'he CHAIRMAN. The point of no quorum being made, the Chair 

will designate to act as tellers the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. FoRNEY] and the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. CHEADLE]. 

Mr. CHEADLE. Mr. Chairman, I do not wish to waste the valua--

ble time of this House, but I raised the point of no quorum for this reason: This is the first time in the history of our Government when 

any Congress has ever been in session as ~ong as this one has been and 

has failed to make the necessary appropriations to conduct the several 

departments of the Government. 

The CHAIRMAN. Does the gentleman withdraw the point of no 

quorum? 

Mr. CHEADLE. I wish to make a statement· . . Mr. FORNEY. I hope the gentleman will be allowed to make his 

statement. 

Mr. CHEADLE. One hundred and thirty-eight members of this 

Honse have petitioned for the consideration of legislation which di· 

rectly affects the men who saved this Government. Their petition has 

not even been considered. Ten days of valuable time was lately taken 

up in the consideration of claims which are almost a century old, claims 

which have been favorably recommended by forty-four reports from 

committees of Congress, and after that time had been consumed in the 

consideration of those claims they were ruled out upoQ. a point of or· der. I say, :Ur. Chairman, to you, to this Honse, and to the country, 

that there is no justification for the present condition of the appropri· 

ation bills, and I want to emphasize that fact. There is no reason why 

those bills should not have been passed months ago. The second 

month of the new fiscal year is almost ended, and yet the regular ap· 

propriation bills are not disposed of. It was for the purpose of calling 

attention to these facts that I raised the point of "no quorum," and I 

now withdraw it. 

The motion of 1!1r. FoRNEY that t-he committee rise and report the 

ioint resolution favorably to the House was agreed to. 

The committee accordingly rose; and the Speaker having resumed 

the chair, Ur. BLOUNT, from the Committee of the Whole House on.. 

the state of the Union, reported that they had had nnder considera· 

tion the joint resolution (H. Res. 219) to continue the provisions of a joint resolution entitled "Joint resolution to provide temporarily for 

the expenses of the Government,'' and had instructed him to report the same back to the Honse with the recommendation tb,at it do pass. 

The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third 

time; and being engrossed, it was accordingly read the third time, and 

passed. . Mr. FORNEY moved to reconsider the vote by which the joint res· olution was passed; and also moved that the motion to reconsider be 

laid on the table. 

The latter motion was agreed to. 

PRINTING OF GOVERNJ.\IENT SECURITIES. 

The SPEAKER. The hour for the consideration of bills called up 

by committees begins at thirty minutes after 12 o'clock. The call 

rests with the Committee on Expenditures in the Treasury Department. 

Mr. WHEELER. I move that the Hons~ resolve itself into Com· 

mittee of the Whole on the state of the Union to resume the consider· 

ation of the bill (H. R. 9623) to provide for printing Government se· curities in the highest style of art. Pending this motion, I ask that 

debate in Committee of the Whole on this bill and amendments thereto 

be limited to thirty minutes. 

Mr. ROGERS. I object to that. 

Mr. WHEELER. \Vhat time do you want? 

Mr. ROGERS. I want the ~ill considered in its regular order. 

:Mr. WHEELER. Thereis only onehourmorefor its consideration. 

Mr. ROGERS. It does not make any difference whether there is one hour or forty. I want it considered in its regular order. 

The question being taken on the motion of Mr. WHEELER that the 

House resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, it was agreed to. 

The House accordingly resolved itself into Committee of the Whole 

on tho state of the Union (Mr. McCREARY in the chair), and resumed 

the consideration of tho bill (H. R. 9623) to provide for printing Government securities in tho highest style of art. 

, 

. 
8076 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD=HOUSE. AUGUST 29, 

Mr. WHEELER. I yield to the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. 

HEARD] ten minutes. 

1\ir. HEARD. I do :aot expect to consume ten minutes; but I do 

not propose to be limited absolutely by the friends of this bill, nor to 

be put in such a position that I may be cut off arbitrarily. 

Mr. BAYNE. This is an important matter and I think weoughtto 

have order in the Honse. 

A MEMBER. You can not get it. 

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. 

Mr. HEARD. Mr. Chairman, in order that I may not appear in a 

false attitude before the committee, I desire to explain my position. I 

am not here to antagonize this bill unreasonably; but I would like to 

know, before I consent to be limited to any particular time, that the 

opponents of the bill, if the course of discu~on should develop any 

opposition, are to have a fair proportion of the time which is to be devoted to this discussion. 

Mr. BLOUNT. I wish to ask whether the hour rule does not apply 

to the discussion of the bill? 

The CHAIRMAN. The bill is being considered under the hour rule. 

Mr. BLOUNT. Then the gentleman has the floor for an hour. 

Mr. HEARD. I shall not consume an hour. · 

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Alabama [Mr. WHEELER] 

has the floor. and has yielded ten minutes to the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. HEARD]. 

Mr. HEARD. I will ask whether the gentleman from Alabama is 

entitled to the floor. When the committee rose yesterday I had the 

floor. 

The CHAIRMAN. The Chair understood that the gentleman from 

Missouri at that time had not the floor in his own right, but was on 

the floor through the courtesy of the gentleman from Alabama. 

Mr. HEARD. No, sir; I was on the floor, as I understood, in my own 

right; but if it is insisted by the gentleman from Alabama that I was 

on the floor by his courtesy, I do not intend to abuse that courtesy. I 

want the House, however, to understand that if it is expected that the 

consideration of this bill shall be completed to-day there must be a 

fair apportionment of time between those who favor and those who 

oppose it, if anybody desires to oppose it. 

Mr. WHEELER. We are willing to give you all the time you de-

. sire. 

Mr. FARQUHAR. There will not be any trouble about that. 

Mr. HEARD. Mr. Chairman, until this bill was presented to the 

House yesterday, and when the gentleman from Alabama asked that 

the committee rise and report the bill to the House with a recommendation for its passage, I had not had opportunity to give the measure 

the attention which its importance demands. Since that time I have 

given it such examination as has been within my power, and I desire 

to submit very briefly my views and to state the reasons which prompt 

me to oppose some of the features of the bill which are certainly objecti,onable. 

Mr. Chairman, the committee from which this bill has been reporteda committee for which I have very great respect, both on a<X:oant of its 

personnel and by reason of the amount of work which it appears to have 

done-seems to have examined extendedly, if not exhaustively, the quest ion whether or not the Government can be sufficiently protected by 

. the character of work now being done by mechanical means, or to put 

it plainly, by steam-presses as against hand-press work. In view ot 

the fact that these gentlemen of the committee appear to have conscientiously and intelligently examined this subject, I am disposed to defer 

to their judgmentin t hisregardj and to yield whateveropinionsimight 

have had in antagonism to the views which they have submitted, for 

the reason that I think they have had better opportunities for examining the question than I have had, and that therefore their opinion is 

entitled to greater weight. 

I am ready to concede, sir, that in a matter of such importance to 

the American · people as the printing of the currency of the country, 

whether it: be the silver certificates or the national-bank notes, it is a matter of the most vital concern that the work should be p!:operly 

done, so much so in f:1~ as not tv permit the question of cost, if confined within reasonable limits, to enter into the consideration of the 

subject at all 

The Government of the United States reserves to itself the exclusive 

right and power to print all the certificates and notes which it issues 

o do service as a circulating medium for the people; and no private 

corporation or individual can issue paper obligations of its own, or his 

own, to serve for such purpose without being subject to the tax of 10 

per cent. provided in the law-which is therefore practically prohibitory; hence it is not only important to the people, but the imperative 

duty of the Government to see that the work done in the production 

of. such certificates and notes be of the very best quality, in order that 

it may be enduring, as well as for the proper protection of the same again t counterfeiting; and from the examination which I have been 

a.ble to make of the evidence taken by the committee and presented 

in their report accompanying this bill, I agree with them in the con- clusion that the hand-press work is unquestionably superior to that 

done by the steam-presses, and that it is therefore the duty of the Government to discard the use of the steam-presses for this character of 

work. 

I do not intend, M.r. Chairman, to discuss here the point as to whether 

or not the printing of the internal-revenue stamps is sufficiently well 

done on the _steam-presses, or whether hand-work shall be exclusively 

employed there. I am inclined to think from my own examination of 

the matter that it is sufficiently well done now, but I do not wish to 

make any issue with the committee on that point. Substantially, therefore, I stand with the committee in its recommendations so far as the 

discarding of the steam-presses is concerned, in the management of 

that bureau, and adopting exclusively hand-work for such character 

of work as that specified, and the importance of which makes it im· 

proper to permit the question of cost to control, because it should b'"-' 

done in the highest style of art. 

I proceed, therefore, to discuss another feature of the bill which., to 

my mind, is particularly objectionable, and which in its effect, if that 

be not its direct object, will be, if enacted into Jaw, oppressive in regard to an official ofthe Government, who, if! understand the public 

impression· in regard to him, is both conscientious and competent. I 

invite attention, therefore, to the second section of the bill, and give 

notice that at the proper time I shall move to strike it out. It provides as follows: 

SEc. 2. That hereafter the Chief and Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Engrav- ing and Printing sho.ll be either practical engravers or plate printers. 

Now the fact is, as has been developed by inquiry, and is admitted 

by the friends of the bill, that neither the present Chief of the Bureau 

of Engraving and Printing, nor his assistant, is a prMtical engraver or 

plate-printer. This bill, therefore, if enacted into a law will throw 

these gentlemen out of their present positions, which must then be 

.:filled by the appointment of some other men, and no matter how deficient they may be in the higher order of administrative ability necessary for the discharge of the duties of the important positions the:y 

would be required to fill, the only standard of their :fitness for the places. 

as applied by this bill, is a know ledge of one or the other of two branches 

of work, which are but the merest i terns of detail in the general management of that important bureau. 

Mr. SENEY. Does the gentleman commend the chief of the bureau 

for his action in regard to retentions and appointments there? 

Mr. HEARD. I do not propose, Mr. Chairman, to be diverted from 

the line of remarks which I have sought to pursue, to the question of 

the merits or demerits of the chief of the bureau as relating to appointments. I am not here to defend the chief of that bureau, except upon 

the record of his work, but to prevent the enactment of a law which 

limits the Secretary of the Treasury, in the selection of a man to :fill 

that important position, to members ofauy particular trade or calling, 

or tie his hands in regard to a matter in which he is primarily responsible to the people of the country for the result of his action, and.for 

the character of service rendered by his appointee. 

Mr. SENEY. Would it not be a little more satisfactory if be was a 

good Democrat? 

Mr. HEARD. It mi~ht be a little more satisfactory to the gentleman from Ohio and t<r myself if a man possessing the necessary qualifications to discharge the duties of that position should be appointed 

there who was a Democrat, if the present incumbent is not. I do not 

know whether the present incumbent is a Democrat or not, and for the 

purposes of this argument I do not care. It is not a matter of consequence to me. He is selected by the Secretary of t he Treasury, who is 

a Democrat, to discharge the duties of this office; and so far as this House 

is ad vised by the report accompanying this bill, or so far as it has been 

enlightened by any information given to the House by the three gentlemen who have spoken in favor of the bill, and so far as we have been 

able to get any information from the reports of his official superiors or 

even from the partisan press of the country, he stands before the House 

and before the country as a competent and conscientious official. I know 

that the Democrats, of which I am one, in this House and in the country have taken pride in the achievements of this official as a part of our 

administration, in the reduction of expenses and the accomplishment 

of his work, as we claim, at a reduction of about half a million of dolJars in the last three years. 

The CHAIRMAN. The time of the gentleman has expired. 

.Mr. WHEELER. I now yield-- ' 

Mr. HEARD. I should like to have :five minutes more. 

Mr. WHEELER. I yield to the gentleman three minutes. 

Mr. HEARD. No; :five. 

Mr. WHEELER. Very well. 

.Mr. SENEY. Will the gentleman tell us in that time, if he pleases, 

when speaking in justification of the head of the Bureau of Engraving 

and Printing, why it is that he keeps Republicans in office and will not 

let Democrats in? 

Mr. HEARD. I will leave the gentleman from .Ohio to make that 

investigation and inquiry for himself and in his own time. I shall not 

waste the brief time I have in considering it. I repeat, I have no defense to make of the political management of the chief of this department in his discrimination in favor of Republicans as again t DemocTats, if he has made any such dic;criminations. If I knew that he did 

that, other things being equal between the parties on their merits, I 

should vote to " bounce" him. [Laughter.] 

I would say also, in order that I may be perfectly understo1d, that I 

would vote to bounce him if I thon~ht that he lacked fidelity to dnty-

• 
1888. OONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 8077 

that higher qualification to conduct the office which beholds-in such 

degree that he would retain an inefficient Democrat in his office, even if 

it wasnecessarj' to fill his place, if removed, with a competent Republica.n. The work conducted in this bureau is of too high an order and of 

too much importance to the people of this country to have it made a 

mere political machine in favor of the incompetents of any party, or to have it run upon a partisan basis in defense of the rights and in disregard of the interests of the people of the entire country. As a Democrat I prefer to see Democrats fill the o-ffices of the country under a Democratic administration; but as to the selection of workmen to do 

the mechanical work in that bureau, I am willing to trust to the ac- tion of this official under the supervision of his official superior, the 

Secretary of the Treasury, a Democrat who, I am satisfied, would not 

permit unjust discrimination against Democrats. 

Ur. BUTTERWORTH. I want to askyonifyou would then bounce 

him in this indirect way ? .. 

:Mr. HEARD. If I found he discriminated unjustly against Democrats in his bureau, I would bounce him and try to find a competent 

Democrat to fill the place. 

Mr. BUTTERWORTH. But you would not do it in this cowardly 

way? 

Mr. HEARD. No; it would not be necessary or to my taste. The 

power that a])pointed him, however, can remove him if cause for such 

removal appear, and I feel content to lea.ve that duty to the Secretary of the Treasury, in perfect confidence thatbewillsufficient1y con- sider the rights of his party friends, while hewillalsoprotect the pub-- Jic interests committeu to his charge. But I do not care to say anything more on that subject, and I now ask the serious consideration of 

tbe Hoose to a more important feature of the bill under discussion. 

There are 914 persons actually employed in the bureau at this time. 

This number comprises engrav~rs of various kinds, such as portrait, 

scrip, letter, and vignette engravers, transferrers, hardeners, plateprinters and their assistants, perforators, nomberers, binders, typographic printers and pressmen, machinists, carpenters, plumbers,. en- gineers, ink-makers, book-keepers, clerks, and a variety of miscellaneous occupations. If the proposition of the advoeates of this bill, 

that the chief of the bureau must be able to determine of his own knowledge the faults in the work of everyoneoftbesubordinates, and 

be able to point out the best remedy, is true, then a plate-printer or an eugm.ver has but a >ery small part of the information necessary to fulfill the requirement. · , 

The chief of the bureau is charged with the management of the busi- ness of this immense concern. It is his duty to see that its force of 

employes is properly adj osted to the work required of the bureau; that 

the facilities for the execution of this work are adequate, and that the 

interests of the Government a1·e fully protected in all the details of the 

lmsiness, involving an expenditure of nearly $1,000,000 a year. This 

requires an officer of great administrative ability, and it would be folly 

of the :worst kind to limit the selection of an officer for the place to two 

callings in lif6. The Secretary of the Treasury has now the power to 

select from the whole field, including engravers and plate-printers, and 

it would be a restriction upon tbe power to select and appoint to limit 

it as proposed in this bill. 

. Mr. FORAN. Is not that the requirement in the Government Printing Office? 

:Mr. HEARD. I am not prepared to deny that such provision exists 

in the law as applied to the Government :Printing Office, or to admit 

that if it does so exist that it would necessarily follow that it would 

therefore be wise to apply the same rule to this bureau: in which, as I understand, there is a much greater diversity of employments among 

the employes: I am not disputing the wisdom of requiring that the 

Public Printer should bave a practical knowledge of that particular 

kind of work which be is to superintend. I suppose he should. 

Ur. FORAN. That goes without saying. 

Ur. HEARD. But, Mr. Chairman, I object to the argument of the 

committee that this man should necessarily be a plate-printer or an engraver becau~ he' should possess personal knowledge of this work, 

for that presupposes, in order to make this argument effective, that he 

must personally inspect every piece of work issued from the bureau. 

That would be impoW.ble. The Postmaster-General might as well be 

required to examine personally every postage stamp going through his 

Department. 

The CHAIRMAN. The time of the gentleman from Missouri bas 

e~pired. 

Mr. WHEELER. I yield five minutes to the gentleman from :Missouri (Mr. BURNESj. 

Mr. BURNES. I would not be betraved into this debate but for the 

fact that it has been my duty as a member of the Committee on Appropriations to make rather a careful investigation of some of the subjects involved in this bill. I desire simply to call the attention of the 

committee to two propositions. First, the work done on the steampresses is undoubtedly inferior work, and when done it is more readily 

counterfeited tban the work done on the hand-presses by the skilled 

men in that branch of the public service. In proof of the proposition 

I refer to the Government Counterfeit Detector-official organ of the 

Treasury Department-where you find page after page uevoted to ex- posures of new counterfeits of the silver certificates of every denomination and bank-notes of denominations of one dollar up to one thousand 

dollars. In this document, which I hold in my hand, are almost endless proofs that counterfeiting bas become almost universal throughout 

the country, and that our people-especially those who handle but little money ancl are not familiar with the qualities of paper money-are 

suffering on every hand. 

The skilled banker and the skilled men who handle great sums of 

money are not suffering in consequence of this class of work so much, 

perhaps. as the people who deal in small sums of money, and 1:..'\ke it 

often without thoup;bt or power of self-protection. The working people and the poor people of the country are being imposed upon by these 

counterfeits which are now over£l.owing the country. For that reason I think it is right to discard, as far as can be possibly done, the use of 

the steam-presses and to resort to the olu time-honored hand-press, 

which gives American skill au opportunity to present to the country a sound circulating medium, and gives brains an opportunity to combat 

inanimate machinery fur the safety and protection of sixty millions of 

free people. Besides, it will make the safety of our paper money issues 

no longer a contest between the machine and the criminal work of coun- terfeiters, but it will be a contest between intelligent skill and honest 

labor against the machine and criminal work of ,·mains, in which the 

former will triumph, counterfeiting will become a lost art, and the increased skill of our workmen will be a pride of the Republic. 

One ot,her proposition. I have nothing to say as to the second section of 

the pending bill. I know nothing of tbequalificationsof the present incumbent, and it is not my business to know. I know something of the 

good judgment of the President, and am quite content to trust him to 

make appointments and removals, and determine who is fit or unfit to 

be the Superintendent of the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Bnt 

I support this bill because the use of these steam-presses, under all the 

circumstances, is little less than an outrage. I do not care whether such use is a saving or a loss to the Government. It is enough for me that 

the work done by them is unsafe and more easily counterfeited, but 

above all the terms and conditions on which they are used are utterly 

abhorrent to every sense of justice, as I Eee it. 

There is plenty of sworn testimony taken and printed as to which is 

the better of th~ disputed modes of doing the work. 

There is scarcely a question as to the superior work of the handpresses. And it is not cel'tain that the work thereon costs any more 

than when done by ste..'l.m. But if it cost double as much as the latter, 

I would not hesitate a moment to drive these steam-presses (patented) 

out of the service of the Government, because of the extortion, the un- reasonable demand of the patentees of such steam-presses. Let ns consider it. These steam-presses are patented; and the proprietor of the 

patent charges the Government $500 for the privilege of building each 

of these machines. Then the Government is required to take the patterns from the patentee, and for the use of these patterns, $400 additional are paid; and the patterns must be returned immediately after 

the completion of each machine; so that this $4..00 additional, expended 

upon every machine, goes of course into the pockets of the patentee. 

Now there are $900 paid on eacb machine, or rather for the right to 

build it. The Government with $900 paid for the privilege builds the 

machine at a cos(of $1,250. Now, mark you, that machine for the 

building ofwbich the Government pays $1,250 (and which does not 

then become the property of the Government), bas cost the Government $900 for the privilege of building. The· extortion fails to stop 

there. After the machine is completed at the expense of the Government, the Government pays to the patentees a royalty of $1 a tboUEand 

for all the impressions that the machine makes. Upon a careful calculation we find that the patentee gets $1, 700-it may be a little more or 

a little less-every ye..1.r for a machine which costs $1,250 to build. 

Whether under this system we save a little money or not makes but 

little difference to me. I would not stand such ari extortion if the revenues of the Government were made thereby ten times wbattheyare. 

[Here the hammer fel1.] 

Mr. GEAR. I woulrl like to ask tbe gentleman from ll:lissouri a question: What is the capacity of these presses? - Mr. BURNES. From 3,000 to 4,000 impressions a day. 

Mr. GEAR. What proportion of the bills or notes struck on these 

presses are damaged? 

Mr. BURNES. The testimony differs as to that; but it is undoubtedly a fact that the spoilage of paper-expensive paper, too-is a larger 

expense in the use of steam-presses than in the use of baud-presses. 

Mr. WHEELER. l\1r. Chairman, I had not intended occupying any 

time in the discussion of this measure, but inquiries having been propounded I will reply by stating that the Committee on Expenditures of the Treasury Department have given the bill mo~t careful and painstaking consideratio!J.. The committee was confronted with the fact 

tllat the greatest country on earth had by its laws assumed exclusive 

control qf its entire circulating medium. Section 3412 of the He vised 

Statutes reads: 

Every national banking association, State bank, or State banking association 

shall pay a tax of 10 per cent. on the amount of notes of any person, or of any 

State bank, or State banking association, used for circulation and paid out by 

them. 

Section 3413 reads: 

Every national banking association, Stale bank, or banker, or association, 
8078 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD=HOUSE. AUGUST 29, 

shall pay a tax of 10 per cent. on the amount of any town, city, or municipal corporation, paid out; by them. 

Sections 3414, 3415,. and 3416 provide regulations and penalties for 

the violation of this law, and section 3417 provides that the provisions 

for bank tax and returns shall not apply to ·national banks, but as the 

national-bank currency is issued by the Government it follows that 

the 10 per cent. proviso amounts practically to an absolute inhibition 

against the issuance of currency from any source other than the United 

States. 

Having undertaken to supply 65,000,600 of people with such currency as is necessary to their commercial interest, amounting as it now 

does to nearly $1,000,000,000, it certainly devolves upon the la.w-making power to see to it that the currency thus (as it were) forced upon 

the people should be such as to give all possible protection to citizens 

against the spurious paper of the counterfeiters which may be imposed 

upon them. The Government employs men of experience and skill, 

whose special training, constant practice, and thorough familiarity with 

the subject renders it comparatively easy for them to detect counterfeit money immediately upon its presentation. But the great body of 

the people are not familiar with the niceties and technicalities of engraving and printing, ancl to protect them is one of the highest duties 

of sovereignty. 

Certainly it will not be questioned by any one that the assumpbon 

by our Government of the exclusive and supreme control in issuing the 

money of the country involves and carries with it the reciprocal obligation on the part of t.he Government to at least to the fullest possible 

extent give protection to the people against the loss which must fall 

upon the citizen who accepts a counterfeit national-bank or United 

States note. HOW TO PTIOTECT THE PEOPLE. 

Experience has shown that the best way to protect the citizen is to 

execute the currency in such a high style of art as to make the difference in the appearance· of genuine and spurious notes apparent to the 

ordinary civilian. The judgment of those who have had most experience is that to accomplish this purpose the Government should employ ihe highest style of art in engraving and printing its securities, 

bonds, notes, etc. 

The New York Stock Exchange is composed of men who have had 

more experience than any others in dealing in and handling bonds and 

secmities of all kinds, and this distinguished body found it'necessary 

for their own protection to adopt stringent regulations, a few paragraphs 

of which I will read: 

Jt. is required that a sample of each issue 0f stock or bonds shall be shown to the committee (to be left with the committee, if possible) so that it may be a s- certained whether proper precautions have been taken against forgery; and no form of stock certificate or bond will be accepted unless it has been carefully en- graved by some responsible bank-note engraving company whose work is ad- mitted by the exchange. _ • The face of every bond, coupon, or certificate of stock must be print~d from steel plates which have been engraved in the best manner, with such varieties of work as will afford the greatest security against counterfeiting by hand. For each documen.t or instrument there must be at least two steel plates, namely a tint plate, from which will be printed an anti-photographic color so arranged as to underlie important portions of the face printing, and a face plate containing the vignettes and lettering of the descriptive or promissory portion 

of tbe document to be printed in black or in black mixed with a color. Theee two printings must be so made upon the paperthatthecombined effect of the whole, if photographed, would be a confused mass of line.s and forms to effectua.lly secure against counterfeiting by scientific processes. All-signatures upon securities must be written. Stamped signatm·es will not be accepted by 

the committee. 

It will thus pe seen that these experienced gentlemen in guarding 

themselves against forgeries and counterfeiters deemed it essential that 

the printing should be done- From steel plates which have been engraved in the best manner, with such varieties of work as will afford the greatest security against count~rfeiting by 

hand. 

The committee were informed that the meaning intended isthatthe 

printing should be done by hand; that is to say, substantially as is provided in this bill. 

i also find that the New York Legislature at its ·recent regular session was so impressed with the importance of this subject that it adopted 

a resolution which I will read: 

Whereas, t-o prevent counterfeiting, error, and fraud, it is necessary that all issue of bonds, notes, stamps, and securities of the Government should be ex- ecuted in the highest mode of excellence: .Resolved, That all Government securities, such as bonds, notes, stamps, checks, 

etc., should be executed in the highest attainable grade and perfection of the arts of engraving and printing, for the security of the Government and t-he peo- ple against error, fraud, and counterfeiting, and that the Senatol's and Repre- sentatives of this State in Congress be, and they hereby are, requested to use their utmost endeavors to secure legislation to that end. 

I also am informed that the Legislature of New Jersey adopted the 

same or a similar resolution. · 

INFERIORITY OF STEAM-PLATE PRINTING ESTABLISHED. 

It has been asserted upon this floor that the bills priu.t{ld by steampresses are equal to the best plate-printing from hand-roller presses. 

The observations of the committee have led them to a very different, 

and I may say to quite a contrary conclusion, and in this conclusion 

they are ahqndantly sustained by the evidence. 

Mr. Graves, who is c~rtainly an ardent advocate of steam-press printing, in his evidence before the Committee on Banking and Currency, 

says: . The finest work, such as fine ruled lines, vignettes, finely-engraved portraits, and all work of that character, can only be done successfully on a hand-press. 

I can not pretend to give all of Mr. Graves's evidence or by any 

means any considerable portion of the voluminous evidence of the other 

witnesses, most of which was given before the Committee on Banking 

and Currency, but will call attention to· some expressions from witnesse.~ which I recal1 and which tend to show the superiority of hand 

over steam printing. 

David Russell, who stated he had been engaged in printing bank 

notes for twenty-two years, testified: 

Q. Do you mean to say that hand-engraved work can be printed bette1· by 

hand-press than it cau be by machlne-press? • A. Undoubtedly. Q. What is your opinion as to the facility for counterfeiting notes? Can a note of the highest style of art be as easily count~rfeited as a note of n. lower style of art? A. Certa-inly not. Q . Can a note that has the highest style of art on the face and back be as easily counterfeited as a note that has the highest style of art on one side and not on the other? A . Certainly not. · 

Arthur Small, a plate-printer who has been employed in the Bureau 

of Engraving and Printing since 1864, gave the following evidence: 

Q. From your comparative observation as a steam-press printer and a hand- press printer, ean you state your opinion as to which press does the better work? 

A. I haven't any hesitation in saying that the hand-press does decidedly the besliwork. . 

John E. Breitmayer, a plate-printerof twenty-four years' experience, 

who has been engaged in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing since 

1868; testified as follows: 

Q. Have you not been selected as an examiner when tests of steam-press printing were made, to pass on the excellence of work? \Vere you not selected as an 

expert by the head of the bureau? A . Yes, sir; twice. Q. You have had opportunities of comparing the relative excellence of steam and hand-press printing? · A. Yes, sir. Q. Give t,he committee your best judgment on the matter as to which is the more excellent? A. I say by all means the hand-press; not because I am personally in tore ted. 

Charles Neal testified: 

Q.. How long have you been at work for the Government? A. About twenty-seven years. Q. Will you go on and state to the committee what are the advantages or dis- advantages of the st~am-press over the hand-press? A. In the first place, you can not use a& good ink on a st-eam-press as you can on a hand-press. Q. Taking into account the increased wast..'l.ge of paper,.the inferior character of the ink which, as you testify, must necessarily be used, the wear upon the plates, and the character of the work produced upon the stellDl-presses wilh reference to its artistic merit, do you deem it judicious or a matter of economy to make use of steam-pres et~ in printing Government securities or currency? A. I do not. · Q. If the wastage is increased in any marked degree, state whether or not in your judgment it is an indication that the whole character of the work has been lowered. · A. That is my opinion. I think the work turned out now is the worst work ever issued by the Government. - • 

By Mr. GRAVES: 

Q. In what respect do you think it is the worst? A . In the general appearance of it. 

Q. To what; classes of work do you refer ? A. I refer to the notes. Q. The national-bank notes? A. No; I don't have anything to do with them. Q. The United States not-es? A . The United States notes and silver certificates. Q. In what respect are they inferior·; in engraving or printing? A. In tbe printing and paper. Q. Does that apply to the face printing or the back printing? A . Both. 

Thomas H. Little testified: 

Q. From your experience in running a hand-press and u steam-press, stale which produces the best work. A. The hand·press. 

Q. Why? A. Because there is brains used and tbe man has command of his matel"ial, and to a certain extent he can regulate the way in whlch he works his paper. If it is too wet he can work it a little dry. He can fill his plnte in better and take off more ink with a hand-ra-g, and can polish his plate beUer; leavcitfull with the hand and polish it, or wipe it close, as the d emands of the-engraving 

require. • 

Edward Shaffer appeared before the committee, and wns interro_gated 

as follows: 

Q. State from your experience and obsen·ation which does the better work, the hand or the steam press. A. From what I have seen and from what I know of the hand-press I will say that the hand-press does the very best steel-plate printing that can be done. Remember, I say that can be done. It does the very best. If properly done it can not be improved on by any process which they have. '.rhe steam-press 

does not do the very best work. 

Ward Morgan, one of the superintendents in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, appeared before the committee and was interrogated 

as follows: 

Q. I believe you have already said that tho highest work of art in printing can only be secured from hand-printing? A. I said the finest work, such as fine ruled lines, vignettes, finely engraved portraits, and all work of that character, can only be done successfully on a 

hand-press. 
1888. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 8079 

MUST PROTECT AGAINST COID!o'TER.FEITERS. 

During the last two months the attention of the public has been 

ca.lled to notices in the public press of an unusual number of dangerous 

counterfeits. The committee in its anxiety to learn of w:t.at bearing, 

if any, the method o~ engraving now used by the Bureau of. Engraving 

and Printing had upon this ma~r, addressed several letters to John 

S. Bell, chief of the Secret Service division, Treasury Department. In 

his reply, Mr. Bell said: 

UNITED STATES TREASURY DEPABTMElo.""T, 

SECRET SERVICE DIVISION, OFFICE OF CHIEF, 

Washington, D. G., July25, 1888. 

DEAR Sm~ Your several communications relating to the subject now before your committee, i .e., the priuting of the obligations and securities of the Gov- ernment in the highest style of art, reached me during my absence from. the city. 

You request to have my views upon the subject, especially with reference to the method of printing most likely to afford security against the art ot the coun- terfeiter. 1 am not an expert, and therefore can not speak as intelligently upon the subject a.s I would like to; but I believe that the methods of printing, num- bering, sealing, and issuing of the securities of the United States ought to be adopted which will approach the nearest to being absolutely secure against error and fraud, e-.en if such methods should be much more expensi-ve than others having less guaranties of protection. In my judgment the p1·inting can be best done, and in a higher stn.te "of art, when done by hand than that which is printed by the steam-press. 

Respectfully, yours, 

Hon. JosEPn WHEELER, 

Chainnan. 

JOHNS. BELI,, Chief. 

The committee therefore requested Mr. Bell, and the former chief 

of the bureau, Mr. James S. Brooks, to appear before them. 

Their evidence is printed in full in the report of the committee. It 

clearly shows that in their opinion the hand-press produces work very 

superior to that done by the steam-press. 

In his voluminous evidence Mr. Brooks said: 

Q,. Do I understand you to express an opinion that notes printed by hand in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing are a better guaranty of safety to the public than those printed by steam-press? Mr. BROOKS. Everything else being equal, I think it is more of a gua.ranty than the steam-press, but there are other things to be considered, and this I wish to go down. I was going to sn.y this-that, in my judgment·, if you print both sides by band from plates you now have, without depth, in my judgment, there is a very serious defect as compared with former issues. If we print both sides by band nuless you had better paper and deeper engraved plates, we would have similar trouble to that we have with the new series. 

Mr. Bell also gave evidence at great length, from which I read the 

following paragraph: The CH.AnutAN. You are of opinion that the present style of printing of all of our securities that are printed with steam plate presses can be easier coun- terfeited and the counterfeits are more difficult to detect? Mr. BELL. I would like to say in answer to that, that the Government, with sixty millions of people and $140,000,000 of surplus, a rich Government, ought not to use inferior means of work to make Government obligations. They 

ought to use the best paper that can be made, and they ought to have it engraved in the highest style of the art, and from my knowledge, and from seeing bills that have been printed by steam methods of printing and by band, there is no question at all, to my mind, that every bill should be printed by hand. I do not think they can get the depth of printing on a bill by steam, not in any of those I have seen. When a. person that can. sit 10 feet away and discover the differ- ence between those printed by hand and those printed bysteam,asididawhile ago, I think there is quit-e a difference in the bills in regard to printing. Some of the gentlemen in charge of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing might hear my statement and perhaps make one of their best kind of steam bills and a poor kind by band, and a.sk me to show the difference. In that case, I want to have the privilege of going to the bureau, in the printing division, and getting one of them as they usually come out. · 

. 1\Ir. Bell explained at some iength his recent investigations regarding 

counterfeiting in Detroit, New York City, and Pittsburgh to illustrate 

the inferior cbaractet' of the bills recently produced. He said: 

We have a man in our service named Daniel McSweeney, who is stationed at Pittsburgh, Pa., who has had eight or nine years' experience, and is a very care- ful man. Some four months ago Mr. McSweeney learned that there was some counterfeit money pnssed in his district. He called at the banks, and threw out genuine five-dollar silver certificates as counterfeit. So it was printed in the newspapers all over the country, and especially at Washington, Philadelphia, 

Baltimore, and Cincinnati, saying the country was flooded with counterfeit money. Some time afterwards he sent three of these bills in to me to determine whether they were genuine or not. I immediately pronounced them genuine, and telegraphed him so. 

This shows that some of the recent issues are so inferior that a man in the secret service who had eight or nine years' experience pronounced 

them to be counterfeits. 

It is quite true that many of these witnesses qualified their statements, and many of them insisted that steam-press printing was good 

enough for all practical purposes; and some of the witnesses attributed 

the inferior issues to the inferior paper quite as much as to the ma- chine-presses. 

The great weight of the evidence submitted and of the opinions expressed to the committee overwhelmingly establish the proposition 

that the work ~one on the steam-press is not so good as that done on the hand-press, and the only ground upon which it is sought tojustuy 

the continued use of the inferior p ocess is merely tha.t the best printing is only obtainable at an increased cost. 

QUESTION OF ECOXOliY. 

There has been much controversy as to the economy of using steampresses. 

The Chief of' the Bureau of Engraving and Printing shows an aver- age saving of about 18 per cent., and it is alleged that this advantage 

has been partly gained by ignoring some elements of cost which should 

have been charged against the work turned out by the steam-presses. 

In estimating the relative cost it must be remembered that the Government pays, first, $500 fot the construction of each press; second, 

$400 for the cost of patterns for each size (and it is alleged that the 

contrnct stipulates for the return of the patterns after the press is con- structed); third, $1,250 which is paid by the Government for the construction of each press; fourth, a royalty of $1 is paid for every one thousand impressions. 

On this question of the relative cost of steam and band work we can get some information from the repor~ of the Third Assistant PostmasterGeneral of 1885. It appears that advertisements were made for bids to 

print postage-stamps for the year 1880. In the blank form of proposals 

furnished to bidders they were invited to bid upon five different classes 

of work. 

'l'he specifications in these five different classes were as I will read: 

Class No.1: Price per thousand for stamps printed on hand·roner presses. Marked No.1 in accompanying specifications. Class No.2: Price per thousand for stamps printed ou stenm-power presses, with part hand-work. Marked No.2 in accompanying specifications: Class No.3: Price per thous::md for stamps printed wholly by steam-power. 

l\Iarked N0 . 3 in accompanying specifications. Class No. 4 · Price per thousand for stamps printed by steam-power presses which requit-e a portion of the work, such ns wiping and polishing, to be done by band, with theri~treserved to the Postmaster-General to require the work: to be done on band-roller presses. Marked No. 4 in accompanying specifica- tions. 

Class No.5: Price per thousand for stamps printed by presses upon which all the work is done by steam·power, with the right reserved to the Postmaster- General to require the work to be done on hand-roller presses. Marked No.5 in accompanying specifications. 

The report of the Third Assistant Postmaster-General then goes on to say: 

Upon opening the proposals, at ihe time appointed for the purpose, it was found that three bidders had competed for the contract, namely: The Secretary of the Treasury on behalf of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the Treas- ury Department, and the Franklin and .American Bank Note Companies, both of New York. The bid of the Secretary of the Treasury, under class No.1 (for 

printing on hand-roller presses), amounted to $132,545.4\1~ under class No.2 (for 

printing partly by steam and partly by hand) to $114,136.39; and under class 4 (for SniDEi, kind of printing a.s in No.2, with the right reserved to the Post- master-General to require the work to be done on band-roller presses) to $132,-

515.49, being the same amount as the bid under clas!!l No.1. 

It will I suppose be admitted that the bid by the Secretary of the 

Treasury was made under the advice of the Superintendent of the 

Bureau of Engraving and Printing, or at least that the Secretary relied 

upon the j ndgment and experience of that official, and this bid shows 

that the then Chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was thoroughly of the opinion that the postage-stamps executed by the steampresses would not be satisfactorytotheDepartment, and therefore that 

the successful bidder would be required to do the work by hand-press. 

This result was so apparent to those who prepared the bid for the Treasury Department that the bid of the Secretary ofthe Treasury was $).32,-

545. 49 for stamps printed on hand-roller presses, and the bid was precisely 

the same, namely, $132,545.49, for thesameworkdone on steam-presses, 

with the right reserved by the Department to require that the work he 

done by hand-roller presses, provided it should appear that the stamps 

executed by steam-presses were not satisfactory. 

This, I think, may be taken as an admission that one having the 

option to choose between work done on a hand-press and that done on a steam-press, with power, backed by a contraGt, to enforce his choice, 

would be expected to reject work done on a steam-press and only ac- cept that done on a hand-press . 

But even if it were clearly established that there would be a saving 

to the Government by the use of steam-presses, and even admitting 

that the saving would be equal o.r even exceed the amount insisted 

upon by :M:r. Graves, there remains the increased expense of maintaining the Secret Service division of the Treasury Department, which must 

be incurred so long as the obligations and securities of the Government 

can be readily and successfully imitated, an expenditure which can be 

reduced so soon as the Government shall be able to print its securities or obligations in so perfect a manner as to make it impossible to coun- terfeit them. And when this degree of excellence in printing our notes 

and securities shall be reached there will be the further saving of the 

expense attending the pro ecution of captured counterfeiters. 

SECURITY THE PARAMOUNT QUESTION. 

I can not agree, however, that the question of economy merits ·any 

such consideration in this connection as is contended by the advocates 

of steam-press printing. Ill-judged economy ·is sometimes criminal 

extravagance. It seems to me that in considering this bill Congress 

should keep in view that it is the paramount duty of the Government 

to afford the citizen the greatest attainable security against losses by 

counterfeit notes being imposed upon him, and it being quite evident, 

I might say almost undisputed, that this security can be obtained in a greater degree by using the hand-roller presses exclusively, I therefore 

think this House will not hesitate to give this bill their candid support. 

PROMINE::\o"T BA~R'S OPINIOX. 

A prominent banker addressed a letter to !Ir. Bell, an extract from · 

which I will read: 

* * • I read in the New York Times yesterday a criticism of your testimony before tho committee of Congress investigating the engraving of the currency. I have been for twenty~five or thirty years in banking life, and much of that time engaged in handling bills as a teller, and it struck me that your testimony and that of Mr. Brooks was pertinent and con-ect, and in accord with the gen• eral opinion among banks as to the inferior value of the present issue of silver 
8080 CONGRESSIONAL REOORD-HOUSE. AuGUST 29, 

certificates in the matter of engraving and paper. These uotes arc issued to circulate among the general public, who are n·ot expert!!, and should be so designed as to JUake an imitation of them obvious to even the uninitiated. and Lheir true ·value as n. medium is in proportion to the difficulty of successfully pa.'3Sing 

their counterfeits upon f.he public. These plates seem to be designed for lleavy 

and sh·ong effects, such as are customary in modern lithographs, rather than the 

delicate band steel work: of former times. In the lattet· the h•ast. impression in 

acounterfeit destroyed the symmetry and harmony of the note and attracted at- tention at once. In this issue the eye is caught and retained by the bold and striking point . and imperfectious escape observation, consequently a fair imitation h~s a good 

chance of passing with those not expert .. The pnper eems to be too soft and thick, and docs not weRT well. and the 

eng-raving seems to break down upon it much earlier than in former issues. Both the paper and engraving of this issue were condemned by many banking experts wllen they were first issued as notsnited to the purpose. and !think your opinions and tllosc of :1\'lr. Brooks as expressed to tlle committee will be 

generally indorsed by banks and those who understand what is necessary to protect the puhlic, nnd whose years of experience have shown them the best means of doing so. I thought it might interest you to know this, otherwise I should not llavc intruded upon your valuable time. * * * 

I think thisYolnntary expression of a banker who has handled money 

for thirty years is well worth our consideration. 

I have-in my hand a book containing an immense number of notices 

cutfrompapersdnringthepresentmonthgivingaccountsoftheexistence 

and uttering of large amounts of counterfeit money, and the arrest of 

a number of counterfeiters. I can not allude to them all but I will call 

your attention to an editorial in the last copy of the "American Banker 

and Financial Examiner 1' of August 25, 1888, which I will read: 

We recently saw a counterfeit $5 silver certificate and were surprised at the 

excellence of its e.xecution. The points of difference between it and the legiti- mate certificate at·e so infinitesimal that they must surely escape the observation 

of ordinary people. The counterfeiter has done his work so well that we are constrained to admit tbat his accomplishment is a work of art and that he himself is a person of no mean ability. It will soon be a question (if be continues to improv~:) n.s to whether the engraver employed by the Government is indeed 

the more accomplished artist. 

And right here we pause to reflect whether in its pathetic striving after econ- omy, the Admini-tration might not save more money by taking this distinguished criminal into its employ. He might be induced to accept a posiLion 

which would place his talents upon a basis of legitimacy, for a very small com- ' petency, seeing that such a position would relieve his artistic activities from ' legal interference. Thus the exalted :p:1ediocrity which appears to have taken 

possession of the Engraving and Printing Department might be returned to the statesman who dragged it from its native obscurity, or it might be qnietly 

dropped into the Potomac; and we are sure that either procedure would be 

acceptable to lhat good-natured fellow, the American people. But yet it is fearfully possible that this obscure artist is making more money by llis admirable 

productions than an economical Government might care to pay for his services. Is it too much to request n. patriotic o.nd well-fed Congress to quit filibustering 

and appropriate funds for advertising for this able engraver and beg him to come to terms? The currency is endangered because the Administration imagines it sa,·es 11 per cent. on the cost of the work as now produced. lf this is economy, pray let us have a. period of extravagance by all means. 

In conclusion, I will state that this Administration is quite alive to 

the importance of the question which is now arresting our attention, 

and I f~el justifieg in stating that the Administration and the officials 

of the Government (excepting perhaps one or two subordinates) are 

anxious for a ~;~peedy remedy of the evil which is becoming apparent. 

The inferior execution of Government securities was not inaugurated 

by this Administration. It commenced before it came into power, 

and i~ is as solicitous as any of us for such legislation as is necessary 

to enable the officials to make the changes. We have only to do our duty and enact the bill into a law and you can rely upon it the evil 

of which we complain will receive prompt correction at the bands of 

the Administrat-ion. 

As I understand, the main objection to this bill rests on the second sec- tion. I therefore ask unauimous consent that this section be struck 

out. 

Mr. HEARD. That will be satisfactory to me. :Mr. WHEELER. In order to avoid any further discussion on that 

part of the bill, I ask unanimous consent that the second section be 

struck out. 

.M.r. CARUTH. I object: 

Mr. WHEELER. Then I move to amend by striking out the second 

section. 

The motion was agreed to; 

Mr. WILKINS. .Mr. Chairman, yesterday I opposed this bill; but now that the seconu section has been struck out, all my objections to the 

bill have vanished, and I am quite willing it shall pass. 

The CHAIRMAN. The question is now on the amendments reported by tbe committee. The first amendment will be read. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

In line 4 strike out tlle word "check" o.nd insert" and internal revenue." 

The amendment was agreed to. 

The next amendment reported by the committee was read, as follows: 

In line 4 strike out U1e words "n.nd drafts." 

The amendment was agreed to. 

Mr. WHEELER. I now move that the committee rise and report the 

bill as amended to the House with the recommendation that it dQpa.s~. 

The motion was agreed to. 

The committee accordingly rose; and Mr. CRISP having taken the 

chair as Speaker pro tempore, Mr. McCREARY reported that the Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union had had under con- sideration tile bill {H. R. 9623) to provide for printing Government se- j 

curities in the highest style of art, and harlllirected him to report the same back with the recommendation that it be passed as amended. 

1\fr. ·wHEELER. I move the previous question upon the amendments and the bill. . 

The previous question was ordered. 

The amendments reported from the Committee of tho Whole on the 

state of the Union were agreed to. 

The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed n.nd read a third 

time; and being engro~sed, it was accon1ingly reau the third time, and 

pas ed. 

Mr. WHEELER moved to reconsider the vote by which the bill was 

passed; and also mo>ed that the motion to reconsider be laid on the 

tahle. 

The latter motion was agreed to. 

ORDER OF BUSINESS. 

Ur. WHEELER. On account of this bill being under consideration 

when we adjourned, the Committee on Expenditures in the Treasury 

Department has had no opportunity to present other bills for con- sideration, and I now ask unanimous consent that Saturday next be 

set apart for the consideration of bills reported from that committee. 

:Mr. BUTTERWORTH. Will the gentleman indicate the character 

of the bills which he desires to present for consideration? 

Mr. WHEELER. One is the bill to grant leave of absence to per 

diem employes in the Treasmy Department. 

Mr. BUTTERWORTH. That is good. 

Ur. WHEELER. Another one is a bill providing for a new division 

of" balances" in the Treasury Department, a matter which ha.s been 

recommended by the Treasurer. I believe those a.re all the bills that 

I shall call up. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of 

the gentleman from .Alabama [Mr. WHEELER}? 

Mr. PAYSON. UnleS3 the request can be modified so thata portion 

of the time can be devoted to the consideration of bills relating to general pension legislation, I must object. 

The SPEAKER pro ~emporc. Objection is made. 

:Mr. SPRINGER. I ask unanimous consent that this consideration 

llour may now be considered as having expired, if no other committee 

desires to call up a bill. 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. I object. 

The- SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is made. The regular order 

is the continuation of the call of committees for the consideration of 

bills under the rule. The call rests with the Committee on Expenditures in the War Department. 

MEDICAL DIVISION, PENSION DURE.AU. 

Mr. WASHINGTON (when the Committee on Expenditures in the 

Interior Department was called). I cn.U up the bill (H. H. 154R) to 

increase the efficiency of the medical division of the Pension Bureau. . The bill was read, a~ follows: 

Be i( enacted, etc., That the medical staff of the Pension Office shall consist of one medical referee, one assistant medical referee, three surgeons, and twenty- four medical examiners. SEC. 2. That the medical referee shall be a man of pre-eminent professional 

ability, and shall receive the sum of $4,000 annually. He shall be the chief of 

the medical division, and as such shall oversee and arrange the work: of said 

division. 

SEc. 3. That t\le assistant medical referee shall also be of pre-eminent pro- fessional ability, and shall receive an annual salary of $3,600. SEc. 4. That the three surgeons shall be experts in their profession, and shall 

receive each an annual salary of S3,000. SEc. 5. That the medical examiners shall be surgeons of education, skill and 

experience, and shall receive each an annual salary of $2,500. ' SEC. 6. That all former acts or portions of acts conflicting with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed. SEc. 7. That this act shall take immediate effect. 

·Mr. ROGERS. Ur. Speaker, I desire to ask whether that is not a bill which should be considered in the Committee of the Whole on the 

state of the Union? 

The SPEAKER pro tempm·e. The bill is on the House Calendar but 

the Chair thinks it ought to go to the Committee of the Whole o-d the 

st.'lte of the Union, as it evidently involves an expendituf'e of public 

money. 

Mr. ROGERS. I make the point that the bill should be considered 

in Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union. I make the 

point in order that I may have an opportunity to examine the bill. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. If there be no objection, this bill will ' 

be referred to the Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union. 

There was no objection, and it was so ordered. 

1\fr. WASHINGTON. I move that the House resolve itseif into 

Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union for the consideration 

of ihls bill. 

The motion was agreed to. 

The House accordingly resolved itself into Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, Mr. SPRINGER in the chair. 

The CHAIRMAN. The House is now in Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union for the purpose of considering the bill whicb 

the Clerk will report. 

The bill was again read. 

:Mr. HOLUAN. I ask that the report be read. 
1888. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 8081 

The report (by .Mr. W .ASHINGTON) was read, as follows: 

The Committee on Expenditures in the Interior Department, having had un- der consideration .House bill No. 1548, beg leave to report the same for favora- ble action, with the following amendments, to wit: ".Amend line 4, section 1, by inserting the word 'qualified;' soastoread 'three qualified surgeons.' "Amend section 2, line 2, by striking out the words' four thousand 1 and insert- ing 'three thousand six hundred.' ".Amend section 3, line 3, by striking out the words 'and six hundred; 1 Ed as to read ' salary of three thousand dollars.' "Amend section (,line 1, by inserting the word 'qualified;' so as to read 'three q U3olilied surgeons.' · · ".Amend section(, lines 2 and 3, by striking out 'three thonsand' and insert- ing the words 'twenty-five hundred.' "Amend section 5, line 3, by striking out the words' and five hundred; 1 so as make it to read as follows: 'An annual salary of two thousand dollars.'" This bill proposes to increase the medical board of the Pension Department 

by the addition of one qualified surgeon and six medical examiners in addition to those already employed, and to increase the salaries of all. These officers and their salaries consist at present of- 1 medical referee, annual salary ................. : ............................................. $3,000 1 assistant medical referee, annual salary .................................................. 2,250 2 qualified surgeons, each at$2,000 ............................................................ 4,000 18 medical examiners, each at $1,800 ........................................................... 82, (00 

22 officers, whose combined salaries me.ke ................................................ fl, 650 

Under the bill as it is proposed to be amended these officers and their salaries will be as follows: · 

1 medical referee, annual salary ................................. $3, 600; increase... $600 1 a ssistant medical referee annualsalary.................. 3,000; increase... 750 3 qualified surgeons (eachltl:,500} ................................. 7,500; increase ... 3,500 2,.1 medical examiners (each $2,000) ................................ 48,000; increase ... 15,600 

29 offi.cere, whose combined salaries make .................. 62,100; increase ... 20,450 

-increasing the number of medical officers seven and the combined salaries ot all (including the additional force) to the amount of $20,450 per annum. This proposed increase in force is requested by the Commissioner of Pensions and by the medical referee. 'l'he latter states, "It is our opinion that this in- crease in the number of qualified surgeons and medical examiners as proposed in this bill should be provided, as the present force is inadequate for the dis- charge of the duties pertaining to these positions." The rolli! of the Depart- ment show that nineteen clerks are now detailed to assist in the work of this medical corps, so great is the press of work, o.nd should this bill become a law only a. po.1·t of these clerks could be sent back to the desks at which they prop- erly belong. As to the proposed increase in salaries the Department says: "'Ve have no hesitation in suggesting that it is our judgment that the salaries attached to the positions of qualified su~geons and medical examiners are inad- equate, as has been demonstrated by the fact that several of the gentlemen oc- cupying such places have resigned, and assigned as their reason for severing their connection with the bureau that they were not sufficiently remunerated for the character of servk.es they were called upon to perform, and that pro- fessional experts in other departments are better remunerated tllil.n medical ex- aminers in the Pension Bureau." 

1\Ir. W .ASHINGTON. Mr. Chairman, I trust the gentlemen have 

paid attention to the report which has just been read, because it in a great measure explains this bill. This bill was introduced by the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. BURRows]," and was referred to the Committee on Expenditures in the Interior Department, and I personally, 

in connection with other members-of that committee, made a thorough 

examination into this subject, which convinced us that the medical 

board of referees n.s it now exists in the Pension Bureau is not adequate 

to the performance of the duties assigned to it within the proper time. 

The board is now very much behind with the work, and a small addition to the force is desirable. We propose only an addition of one qualified surgeon and six medical examiners, and we give to each a small increase of salary in order that the best talent may be secured. 

There is at present one chief medical referee, whose salary i.s $3,000. 

To fill that position a man i.s required of the highest medical and sur- gical skill and intelligence, and any gentleman who is familiar wi.th 

the earnings of first-class surgeon'3 in any city knows that such a man can not be secured for $3,000 a year. While a greater increase was asked by the department, the committee decided to recommend an in- crease of only $600, so as to give this officer the sum of $3,600 a year 

for his services. 

Mr. PAYSON. Has the gentleman heard of any of these officials 

who say they will resign unless their salaries are raised? 

Ur. W .ASHINGTON. I can not tell the gentleman from lllinoi.s w bat 

they intend to do in t~e future, but J have been informed by the chief 

of the Pension Department that many of these officers have resigned 

because they could earn more in private life than they could earn by 

retaining their official position. 

Mr. PAYSON. But does he know there are any of them who will 

resign unless their salaries are raised? 

Mr. WASHINGTON. Iamnotspeakingfortbefuture. The salary 

of a qualified surgeon is $2,000. The committee recommend an in- crease in the salary of qualified surgeons of $500, and to increase the 

force of qualified surgeons by one, so as to enable the board to keep up 

with the business of the department. 

When you come to the eighteen examiners, we find at present there are detailed some twelve or fourteen clerks from the ordinary duties of 

the office to perform the duties that ought to be intrusted only to expert medical men. The department says it can not get the services of 

qualified, skillful medical men for $1,800 a year, and we therefore in· 

creased the salary $200, making it $2,000. We also provide this force 

shaH be increased by the addition of six, so that the clerks who have 

been detailed from the regular duties of the Department to perform the 

duties of these medical officers can be sent back to their desks. ~ would advocate, Mr. Chairman, no measure in the line of extravXIX-506 

agance, but in order that the Pension Department may keep up with 

its work, and in order that we may hear no more complaints against 

the long and wearisome delay in the medical department of the Pension Office, which come from all over the land from those who are applicants for pensions under the law, I join in asking for the passage of 

this bill. I reserve the balance of my time. 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. It ought to be sufficient to inform this 

Honse that this measure is asked for by the Commissioner of Pensions 

and by the medical board having in charge the examination of these 

cases. The chief referee and his assistants were sent for by the Committee on Expenditures in the Interior Department and examined in 

reference to the necessity for tbi.s bill. • .As the ~entleman from illinois [Mr. P .AYSON] bas asked the question, I can inform him on the authority of the medical referee that 

there have been repeated resignations in that force, and that they have 

been unable to obtain the highest class of medical talent on account of 

the very small compepsation allowed. Members will recollect it i.s different in that profession from any other. When the physician leaves 

his home and comes here to fill a public position his medical practice 

i.s absolutely destroyed. It is not like an attorney, who can go anywhere and by his skill build up a practice. With them their practice 

is dependent on the knowledge and confidence oftbe people gained by 

years of practice as well as upon their skill. These salaries are t.oo 

small for the class of work they do. 

Any one who had occasion to converse with the medical men in 

charge of this work will know their work is not limited to the ordinary hours during the day, but they are compelled night after night 

to take their papers home with them for examination, in order to keep 

up with the work in the office. It i.s a matter of interest to every applicant for a pension throughout the land, and to every applicant for 

an increase of pension, that they should have a constant board to ex- amine their claims. I do not think any member will for one moment 

believe the salary is too large for that class of service, and when the 

Commissioner informs us as well as the referee there is not a sufficient 

force to keep np with the work in that department, all we can do i.s to 

pass the bill and give them such a sufficient force. 

I am aware there is a prejudice against an increase of salaries. 

Mr. STRUBLE. Where does it exist? 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. It exists in the minds of some of our best members who deprecate the raising of salaries, butas thismeasure 

is in the line of greater intelligence, in the line of increased useful- ness in a position of this kind, I do not think gentlemen will allow an 

objection of that kind to prevail with them. 

:Mr. GEAR. How long have these salaries remained as they are 

now? 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. I do not know bow long. 

:rt:rr. GEAR. Have they not remained for years as they are now? 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. I do not know to a certainty; I think 

they have, but in reference to this matter we are legislating for the 

future. I presume not a gentJ.eman i'n tbi.s House will say that, for · the chief referee of the Pension Department, a salary of $3,600 is too 

high. We pay that to clerks in this House. 

Mr. GEAR. I am not Qpposed to the passage of the bill, but I would 

like to have the gentlemau from :M:issouri [Ur. O'NEILL] answer whether these salaries have not remained as they are for the last year. 

?tfr. O'NEILL, of 1\Iissouri. We have been told that some of these 

officials have resigned because the salary was too low. I do not know 

myself bow that matter may be. I am legislating for the futu re and 

not for the past. I only know that the present salary is insufficient, 

and that this increase ought to be granted. , Mr. GEAR. But I have asked if that salary has not been the rule 

heretofore, and the gentleman says he is unable to answer the question. 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri.. .Are you opposed to increasing the 

salary? 

Mr. GEAR. Not at all. 

Mr. O'NEILL, of 1tHssouri. Then w!Iy are you taking up my time? 

(Laughter.] 

Mr. GEAR. I am only seeking information. I thought I could get 

it from a member of the committee. Now, how does the gentleman 

know that these salaries ought to be increased? 

1\Ir. O'NEILL, of Missouri. From the very best authority. From 

the authority of Dr. Campbell bimself--

.Mr. GEAR. .A very good man. · Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. .And who says that the salaries are so small that he can not retain competent men, and that they must be 

increased. 

Mr. STRUBLE. Is it not a little strange that it has been only discovered since the Democrats have ba.d control there that the salaries · are too small ? 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. Why, my dear sir, jf you have any 

faith in your futuresomeofyour birds may get in some day. [Laughter.] 

Mr. STRUBLE. Ob ! we expect that, and very soon. Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. I do not think that the question of 

politics has ever entered into the workings of that bureau, certainly not 

under its present management. 
8082 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-==-HOUSE. AUGUST 29, 

Mr. STONE, of Kentucky. Will the gentlenum yield to me for a Ur. HENDERSON, of Iowa. But the gentleman has the right \o opquestion? . pose the bill in his own way. 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. Oh, yes. fr.CANNON. Theundoubtedright. ... Mr. STONE, of Kentucky. Is it at all probable, or has the gentle- The CHAIRMAN. The question is as to whether the matter submitman reason to assume, that these parties will resign because of an in- ted by the gentleman from Indiana is in order. The question raised by 

sufficiency of salary? the gentleman from Kentucky is to the effect that in a debate of this 

Mr. O'NEILL, of :Missouri I understand they will. kind the gentleman should confine himself to the bill under discusM.r. STONE, of Kentucky. Very well, then all that the Department sion. 

needs to do is to draw a sight draft on the First district of Kentucky, .Mr. TAULBEE. I have no objection to the arbicle bting read if the 

and we will supply them. matter relates to this bill. 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. Can they draw a sight draft on the dis- Mr. CANNON. I rise to a l>arliamentary inquiry. 

trict for the same"amonut of brains and intelligence required? Mr. CHEADLE. The reason that I asked that this article should 

Mr. STONE, of Kentucky. Yes, and for all the experience and ca- be read is in opposition to this bill. The point of this bill is that there 

pacity of every kind that is necessary; and their Democracy guaran- are not enough clerks in the Pension Office to transact the current basitied. .· [Laughter.] ness of that bureau, and that article shows tha(, they are detailed for 

Mr. O'NEILL, of 1\fissouri. I do not think there can be any qoes- other purposes. I desire it reap as part of my remarks. 

tion of the ability of the men now filling the positions. What the 1r. CANNON. I rise to a point of order. 

country wants, and what we ought to have, is an efficient service; and The CHAIRUAl.'{. The hour for the consideration of bills has exas tbP. time is -very short within which to pass this bill I hope there pired. 

will be no fmther objection. Mr. CHEADLE. I resene my time. 

I yield the floor back to the gentleman from Tennes~ee. The committee accordingly rose; and Mr. CRISP having taken the 

Mr. CHEADLE. In view of what has been ~aid by my distin- chair as Speaker pro tempore, Mr. SPRINGE& reported that the Commitguished colleague from Missouri in reference to the over-work done in tee of the Whole IIoose bad had under consideration the bill (H. R. 

this department, I send to the desk and ask to have read an article 11540) to provide for increasing tho efficiency of the medical division of 

from the New York Tribune of this morning. the Pension Department and had come to no resolution thereon. 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. How does that get into my time? 

The CHAIRMAN. The Chair understood the gentleman to yield OKLAHO.liA TERniTORY. 

the floor. Mr. SPRINGER. I move that the Hoose now resolve itself into 

M.r. STRUBLE. And everybody being in favor of your bill. Committee of the Whole Hoose on the state of the Union, my object 

1\Ir. O'NEILL, of Missouri. I have no objection to the gentleman being to ask further consideration of the Oklahoma bill. 

ha.ving leave to print anything he pleases; bot I do not want the time The motion was agreed to. 

ofthe House. to be taken np by reading irrelevant matter. The Hoose accordingly resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, 

The CHAIRl\1AN. The Cha.ir understood the gentleman to yield Mr. DOCKERY in the chair. 

the time hack to the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. WASHINGTON]. The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will report the unfinished business. 

The Chair supposed, however, when the gentleman from Ind.L.'tnn. wa3 The Clerk 1·ead as follows: 

recognized, that he had merely risen to ask a question. A bill (H. R. 10614) .to organize the Territory of Oklahoma., and for other ptu--

Mr. CHEADLE. I understood the gentleman had yielded the floor, poses. · and when he bad concluded I 1·o e and asked recognition. l\1r. SPRINGER. I desire to reserve the remainder of the time that 

Mr. TAULBEE. If the gentleman wants to oppose the bill, I will is under the control of the friends of the bill, which is about twentyyield him some time my elf. six minutes. 

Mr. WASHINGTON. Pnless some gentleman desires to be heard The CHAill~IAN. The gentleman has twenty-six minutes of his 

on the other side of this question, I shall ask for a -vote. time remaining. 

Mr. TAULBEE. I want to be heard on it myself. [Mr. HooKER withholds his remarks for revision. See APPENDIX.] 

Mr. ROGERS. .And several of us. Mr. STONE, of Missouri. 1\Ir. Chairman, what disposition has been 

Mi·. CANNON. The gentleman from Indiana desires to be heard made of the time remaining? 

and was on the floor. The CHAIRMAN. The Chair understands that the gentleman from 

Mr. CHEADLE. I dE!sire to have read as a part of my remarks an Illinois [Mr. PAYSON] proposes to yield the remainder of his time to 

nrbicle from the New York Tribune, which I sent to the desk. · the gentleman from Ind.iaua [l\1r. HoLMAN]. 

The Clerk proceeded to read as follows: 1\i.r. PAYSON. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana so much time 

CAN UCH TIIDGS BE?-IIERE IS A PLAIN DUTY OF CONGRESS-PUBLIC FUNDS as he may desire, reserving to the gentleman from Missouri SUCh pOr- FOR CAMPAIGN '(;SES-A PLAIN VIOLATION OF LAW-cLEVELAND'S VETOES TO tion as they may arrange~ BE DEFENDED-WHAT WILL IT cosT? The CHAIRUAN. '£he gentleman from Illinois [Mr. PAYSON] has 

[By telegraph to the Tribune.] twenty-seven minutes remaining. How much time does he desire to 

W AS.HINGTON, .A:ugusi 28. yield to the gentleman from Indiana? 

The retaliatory message- Mr. PAYSON. Twenty minutes. . 

:Mr. TAULBEE. Mr. Chairman, I riSe to a question of order. Mr. STONE, of Missouri. Before the gentleman from Indiana beThe CHAIRMAN. The gentleman will state it. gins, I will say that I have no desire to occupy seven minutes, and if 

l\1r. T.O.ULBEE. That the article being read, or the head lines he needs that additional time I hope he will go on and occupy it. 

which have been rea.d, clearly indicate that it does not relate to the Mr. HOLMAN. I send to the desk a substitute for the amendment 

pending question. There are members who wa.nt to oppose this bill, of the gentleman from Illinois [1\lr. PAYSON] and ask that it may be 

and as the time is limited we do not want to have irrelevant matter read. injected into this discussion.· The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will report an amendment in the naMr. CHEADLE. If the gentleman will just allow this article to be ture of a substitute for the propo~ition of the gentleman from illinois, 

read he will see that it has a bearing upon the question. which, as the Chair understands, is accepted. 

· Mr. CANNON. The gentleman from Indiana has the floor and can Mr. HOL1\1AN. The first clause of my proposition is the same as 

debate the question as he pleases. that of the gentleman from Illinois. 

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman claimed the floor and sent this The Clerk read as follows: 

article to the desk as a. part of his remarks. The Chair thinks that Strike out the words "at the price of $1.25 per acre," in the twelflh and thirthe rulere(lUli. es, especially in this consideration hour, that the remat·ks teenth lines of section 5, and insert the following: . "Under the homestead law only, except section 2301 of the Revised Stat· applied to a pending bill should relate to the subject-matter under con- utes." 

Rideration. 1\fr. HOLMAN. That is the proposition of the gentleJ:Ilan from Illi1\fr. CHEADLE. But I ask to have read an article which bears di- nois. The remainder is what I propose to add. 

rectly upon the management of the Pension Department. The Clerk continued the reading, as follows: 

The CHAIRI\f.AN. The pending question is one with regard to rais- Provided, however, That no person seized of any lands in any State or 'l'erd· 

ing the salaries of ce:rtc'lin officials. tory, or who shall have sold land in any State or Territory within three months 

1\fr. TAULBEE. If it relates to the bill under consideration, I do not before the time of the taking effe_c~ of this a?t, shall be authorized to enter any obiect· but the time is very limited and should not be consumed in J o! the lands cov~red by the proVIsions of _this act. The Sec~eta.ry ~f .the Inte-. ~ . ' . nor shall prescnbe all needful rules to gwe full effect to thlS proVISIOn: ..Jnd 

readmg rrrelevant matter. provided further, That all provisions of law touching the rights of soldiers and 

Mr. CANNO.N. The gentleman can debate the bill in any manner officers who served in the Army of the United States ~uri?g the late war, en· he pleases. tering public lands, shall apply to the lands e~bra~ed m this act. . 

Mr. BROWNE, of Indiana. Having the floor, my colleague has the Mr. PAY~ON. I would prefer, Mr. Chauman, that the prov1so sboald right t o proceed in his own way. be moved as an amendment to my amendment. . Mr. TAULBEE. I insist thatthe point of order must be well taken, Mr. HOLMAN. That is what I am proposing- that the prov1so bo 

and the gentleman, if be is going t o oppose or favor th e bill, most con- treated as an addition .to the amendmen t of the gentleman from Illi· 

fine himself to the question before the H ouse. nois. 
1888. OONGRESSIONAL REOORD-HOUSE. 8083 

:Mr. SPRINGER. One question as to the meaning of this proposition. Is it understood that if a person having sold a town lot and converted it i,nto money should go to this Territory to locate upon these 

lands he would not be permitted to do so? 

Mr. HOL~IAN. You have the two alternatives. You must either 

adopt a provision similar to this, or else you must permit this land, 

which is claimed to be very valuable, to be taken up by persons who 

are already wealthy, not the persons for whose benefit the homestead 

law was in tended. · 

:Mr. SPRINGER. But a man whohadaverysmall tractofland, not 

worth, perhaps, more than fifteen or twenty dollars, ought not to be deprived of the right of locating a homestead. 

Mr. HOLMAN. I believe the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. PAYso ] accepts that amendment. 

1.1r. PAYSON. Yes, sir; I am content with that. 

[Mr. HOLl\IAN withholds his remarks for revision. See APPENDIX.] 

Mr. SPRINGER. I desire now to yield ten minutes of my time to 

the gentleman from Kansas [Mr. PETERS]. 

Mr. PETERS. Mr. Chairman, I want to devote a few minutes to 

the discussion of the propositions of law presented by the gentleman 

from Mississippi [Mr. HooKER]. I neednottakethetimeofthiscommittee to call attention to the statutes creating the grants of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, and the Atlantic and Pacific companies, because the gentle!!lan from Mississippi has admitted in the course of his 

l'emarks that in these grants there was a special reservation of the power 

on the part of the Government to alter, amend, or repeal the acts in 

question. I simply want to read from the opinion delivered by Justice 

1rliller in the case of Greenwood vs. Freight Company, reported in 

105 United States Reports! on page 17. This was a decision hinging 

upon the very question presented here a.s to the effect of the re..o;erved 

power of the Government to alter, amend, or repeal any of these granting acts. This, however, was a decision upon a similar provision embodied in an act passed by the Legislature of Massachusetts, which he 

quotes as follows: 

Every net of incorporation _pa.ss ed afte r the 11th day of 1\Io.rch, 1831, shall be su!Jject to ame ndment, alter.a tion, or repeal at the pleasure of the Legislature. 

In regard to which Justice Miller says: 

It would be d ifficult to supply langua-ge more comprehensive or expressive than this. Such an net may be amended; that is, it may be changed by additions t-o its terms or by qualifications of the sa m e. It may be altered by the same power, and it may be r epealed. What is it may be repealed? It is the act of incorpo- ration. It is this organic law on which the corporate existence of the company depends which may be repealed, so that it shall cease to be a law ; or the Leg- islature may adopt the milder course of amending the law in matters which need amendment, or altering it when it needs substantial change. All this may be done at the p leasure of the Legislature. That body need give no reason for its action in the matter. The validity of such action does not depend on the necessity for it or on the soundness of the reasons which prompted it. 

Now, when the Congress of the United States passed the act granting 

to these railroads this power and donated to t.hem these valuable franchises on certain conditions, it reserved at the same time the right at 

any time thereafter to alter, amend, or repeal the provision granting 

tho corporation, and in fact to repeal everything that gave any power 

or vitality to the corporations; and if that reservation is contained in 

. the act, no rights could be acquired by any purchaser of the mortgage 

bonds, because they bought in the face of the decision of the Supreme 

Court, the highest judicial tribunal in the known world, and in the 

face of the law which embodied this right to repeal. 

They could not claim to be innocent purchasers or to have vested 

rights, and as innocent purchasex:s claiming a right under the act of 

the railroad incorporation to have an interest in the property mortgage, 

because at the very foundation, at the very threshold of their claim 

they would be met by this clause which virtually says they could not 

be innocent purchasers within the meaning of the law, and with this 

decision of the Supreme Court which expressly declares the meaning 

and intent of tliat clause to alter, amend, or repeal. 

Now, Mr. Chairman, permit me to devote the few moments of the 

remaining time in answer to tho suggestion of my friend from Illinois 

[Mr. PAYSON] and in relation to the amendment which he has suggested. 

Mr. HOOKER. Will the gentleman :.tllow me a question? 

1\Ir. PETERS. If I have time when I have concluded what I desire to say I will yield with pleasure. 

Mr. HOOKER. I would like to ask the gentleman if the grant of 

land had been made to the railroad, and the road had constructed the 

requisite number of miles to acquire the right, and pending the construction of the road had mortgaged, and the company who had bought 

it com·eyed an interest in it, would that interest; be .destroyed by a repeal of the law? 

Ur. PETEHS. In view of the decision of the Supreme Court, I 

should say certainly that mortgage would be void and the conveyance 

would have no effect, because it was done with a full knowledge that 

the Congress that created the company had the right to repeal the law. 

Mr. HOOKER. The opinion which the gentleman has quoted from 

Justice Miller was an opinion passing upon another feature, and re- ferred to enactments hereafter made. 

Mr. PETERS. That is very true, but my friend from Mississippi 

will recollect that it is a well-known provision of law that .in any 

question involving the language of a grant the construction is usually 

against the grantee and in favor of the grantor; that wherever there 

is a question as to the act the construction shall be against the privileges that are claimed to be conferred by the grant. 

But now I desire to call attention to the question which has been presented in regard to the homestead provision. Out West, ~ that great 

country, we have had there a sentimental feeling in regard to the homestead law. But I care not how much sentiment may hang around any 

bill or project, however grand it may be, or however high thecha.racter 

of the men who may plead for it, unless it passes the crucible of business experience and knowledge it fails as far as that section of the country is concerned. The sentimental feature of the homestead question 

has been eliminated by the practical application of the law. Much has 

been said about that homestead law. It has certainly been grand in its 

provisions, and I concede it . . It has settled· up to a great extent our 

Western country. 

But, 11r. Chairman, there has grown up in the minds of the people 

of the West who have bad experience with its workings and in.fluence . 

an opinion that there are grave defects in that law and the very defects 

which we desire to eliminat-e by the provisions of the pending bill. 

How is it now if the amendment of the gentleman from Illinois goes 

into the bill? What will b e the effect? So far as Oklahoma is concerned, wha,t is the result? It simply opens up for the benefit of tlfe 

interloper, for the benefit of the speculatQr, for the benefit of the ad-

•venturer, who does not desire to use thatright for tbepurpose of making a home for himself, all these valuable lands. Gentlemen say this 

can not be done. I dispute that proposition. You can go into that 

Territory and file upon 160 acres of land and pay the sum of $2 at 

the land office. You have then six months within which to establish 

a residence on it. The party goes immediately to a real estate agent 

and says "I have filed upon 160 acres of land. but I want you to sell 

it for me, for I don't intend to go on it. Sell it for fifty or a hundred 

dollars, whatever you can get for it, and when you make the sale I will 

sign the release." And when a man goes there and files. upon this 

quarter-section of land with any idea of making it a home, under the 

provision of this bill we say, "Yon must not only get your $2 but you -

must also get your $50, the first payment on your claim at $1.25 an _ 

acre, before yon get it.'' Then w ben he makes his payment he can go 

upon it and by this act shows he intends to make it his home and a 

home for his family. He is not a speculator and not an adventurer 

going there for the purpose of holding a quarter of a section in order 

to make $50 or $100 on it by holding it for six months. 

·Mr . .PAYSON. Does the gentleman mean to be understood by the 

committee as saying that the same evasions are made of the homestead 

law with the commutation feature eliminated. 

Mr. PETERS. That is the point. That has been the experience on -

this matter in theW est in the great homestead regions, and I state that 

there have been greater frauds committed under the homestead law 

than under any other land law. 

Mr. PAYSON. Only under the commutation feature ofit. I hope 

the gentleman does not mean to say that with the commutation feature 

out there are frauds under the homestead law. 

Mr. PETERS. Not entirely so . 

1.1r. PAYSON. Will the gentleman yield for one further question 

on that_point? 

Mr. PETERS. I say that under the homestead law proper, outside 

of the commutation feature, there have been a great number of cases 

where frauds have been committed. From ita first application up to 

the present time there have been frauds carried on time and time again 

under the homestead law. 

Mr. LIND. If the gentleman will yield to me I will answer the 

question of the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. PAYSON]. 

Mr. SPRINGER. I will yield two minutes to the gentleman from 

Minnesota. 

1\Ir. LIND. I will answer the question of the gentleman from illinois 

from -actual experience how it is possible that speculations may be 

carried on under the homestead act, and how they are frequently carried on. Mr. PAYSON. The gentleman need not take any time to instruct 

me upon that. 

Mr. NELSON. Mycolleagne has badannmberofyears' experience 

and can fully explain that matter. 

Mr. LIND. I understood that the gentleman from Illinois had asked 

a question and that he desired an answer. Yon are aware that under 

the homestead law as it existed until within the last three years a 

party was entitled, after he had taken out his first papers and filed 

them under the homestead act, to go and settle on the land. In the 

mean time the land, from the date of filing his claim, was withdrawn 

from entry and actually excluded entry or occupancy by other persons, 

and during this preliminary six months he had as good a title to posses..cdon of the land as though he held a warranty deed, and as if he had 

the fee to it. He could apply to his agent or attorney to sell it for him, 

and it could be sold for $100 or $150. 

The CHAIRMAN. The time of the gentleman bas expired. 
8084 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. AUGUST 29, 

Mr. SPRINGER. I will yield the gentleman a minute more. 

Mr. LIND. The law was amended so that the man instead ,of 

having only six months for this preliminary purpose was given a year. 

There was nothing justifying it. Now, under the act of Congress he 

could not only hold possession of the land without entering upon the 

land, but he had as good a title as a warranty deed; and I say that 

gives ample room for speculation. All Western men will agree that 

there has been speculation in land under those provisions. I think I 

have answered the gentleman's question. 

Then, uponanotherpoin~: Some of these entries upon the public lands are in excess of 160acres allowed by law, and that excess must be paid 

for in cash at the rate of $1.25 an acre or $2.50 an acre. If a man relinquishes that land he forfeits his first payment. In these instances it 

has been my observation that where the excess is large the records of 

the land office will show that there are really no relinquishments. 

Mr. NELSON. Mr. Chairman, I desire to speak on the pending 

motion. 

llfr. SPRINGER. How much time do you want? 

Mr. NELSON. I do not suppose ten or more than fifteen minutes 

at the outside. 

Mr. SPRINGER. I yield to the gentleman. 

Mr. NELSON. Mr. Chairman, I take a different view of this question from that which has been presented by most of the gentlemen 

who have debated it, or at least those gentlemen whose remarks have 

come under my observation. All that has been said about the beneficent provisions of the homestead law when it was originally passed in 

1862 I entirely concur in. At that time we had a vast area of unset-" 

tied territory, and we were in the midst of a great war. It was then 

of the utmost importance to increase and enlarge expeditiously our 

resources and our sphere of production, and under the circumstances, 

with such a large area of unsettled land and with the burdens of a great war upon our hands, it was one of the wisest possible measures to 

pass the homestead law for the promotion of the rapid settlement and 

development of our country. 

But, Mr. Chairman, we should always as legislators be guided, not 

by considerations of sentiment, not by considerations that existed 

twenty-six years ago, but by the existing condition of affairs. Today the conditions are entirely different from what they were in 1862. 

At that time, as I have just said, our great need was to hasten our 

growth in population and production. Now, I think the universal 

sentiment is, if we go deep down into our hearts, that we are growing 

too rapidly for our own good, that our population is increasing too 

rapidly, that it is coming in faster than we can properly assimilate it 

and make it a part of ourselves. 

For myself I can truly say that while I came here from my distant 

and far-away home in Minnesota, imbued witp. the narrow and provincial idea that the sooner we could settle up the unsettled portions 

of our country the better, yet now, sir, with the education I have re- ceived in this Chamber, and with an enlarged sphere of vision here acquired, and looking at our country as an· entirety and as something more than the State of Minnesota, I have come to the conclusion that 

we are, and to some extent have been, too prodigal of our public lands. 

That we had better reserve some of them for our children and our grandchildren, and that there is no occasion now to 'continue the policy 

of giving them away broadcast to the first comer, as there was occasion 

for that policy in the midst of the war, twenty-six years ago. These, 

sir, are my views now, and, therefore, as a business proposition-for 

there is nQ occasion to bring in matters of sentiment here, nor no occasion to bring in politics-as a business proposition, I think it is fair 

and just to buy these surplus lands from the Indians at a rea.o:;onable 

price-$1. 25 per acre, as proposed in the bill-and I think it is also 

fair and just under existing conditions that the people who are to get 

these lands from the Government-under the homestead laws onlyshould pay that small price for them. 

Remember that prior to 1862 the settlement of the public domain of 

this country was chiefly carried on under the old pre-emption law of 

1841, and under that law the nation made a very rapid and healthy 

growth and progress, although settlers were obliged to pay for their 

lands at the rate of $1.25 per acre. In 1862 the circumstances, as I 

have said, were peculiar and they justified the passage of the homestead law. But what was good policy then-what was good for the 

nation twenty-six years ago-may not be good policy now, and I do not 

think it is. I agree to a large extent with the sentiment that has been 

manifested by the gentleman from Indiana, the chairman of the Committee on Public Lands [Mr. HoLMAN]-a sentiment expressed, perhaps, not so much in words as in acts-that we had better be a little 

careful of what is left of our public domain. Our public domain, in 

spite of everything that may be said to the con.trary, has been our great 

economic safety-valve, the place where the tired and teeming thousands 

from our large and crowded cities have gone and found homes and rest. 

Before I proceed further I will for a moment call your attention to 

the peculiar amendment offerE-d by the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. 

HOLMAN]. I do not really think he means what the amendment provides. Construing one portion of the amendment literally, it would 

result iu this: If a poor laboring man in a manufacturing town has a little piece of ground-it need not be more than the tenth or the twentieth part of an acre-with a little cabin upon it, and he should eee fit 

to s~ll it and move out West-into Oklahoma, ifyou please-he could 

get none of that land under the amendment proposed by the gentleman 

from Indiana, because it cuts off everybody who owns any real estate 

or who has sold any real estate within three months prior to the passage of this act. Then there is another improvident provision in the 

amendment. It gives to soldiers and sailors all the rights they have 

heretofore had under our public-land 1aws, as I understand it. 

Now, one of the rights that the soldiers have had is what is known as "the additional homestead right;" that is to say, a soldier who has 

had a homestead of RO or 120 acres or any amount less than 160 acres 

can get the right to locate and enter without settlement the number of acres his homestead was short of 160 a-cres, and this right has been used 

and in practice made available as land .. scrip. This scrip, I am informed, 

is worth some $30 an acre, and is now mainly used in locating town 

sites. Under the provisions of this amendment this scrip could be used 

to locate lands in Oklahoma, and speculators and land-grabbers would 

no doubt be swift to 3tvail themselves of the privilege withvut stint. 

Mr. HOLMAN. Does the gentleman understand the law to make 

those additional homestead rights assignable? 

Mr. NELSON. Not technically nor directly, but indirectly and in 

practice, by means of powers of attorney. 

Mr. HOLMAN. Is that the law? 

Mr. NELSON. That bas been the nractice.and still is unless the 

law has been changed recently, of which I am not aware. 1\Ir. HOLI\IAN. There never has been any law to authorize any 

such assignments. 

Mr. NELSON. I will t.ell you how it has been. I will explain that. 

Here is the way they do it. Suppose my friend, the gentleman from 

lllinois(l\Ir. P .AYSON], bas a "soldier's additional" for20acres. He can not directly and in form assign it to me; but he makes 'and delivers to me a power of attorney, and attaches the scrip to it, and authorizes me thereby to locate the scrip in his name. Then he gives another power 

of attorney authorizing me to sell that land after I have located it. 

That is the way the matter has been managed. 

Mr. HOLMAN. I believe the Secretary of the Interior ha.s held those 

assignments void. . 1\Ir. PAYSON. Let me make a suggestion. The gentleman from 

Minnesota [Mr. NELSON] is quite right in his statement as to the practice in regard to locating this scrip; but at a later stage in the con- sideration of this bill an amendment will be offered which will en- tirely obviate the difficulty'snggested. 

1\Ir. STONE, of Missouri. I have understood, upon inquiry at the 

Land Office, that the practice referred to is not permitted any more. 

1\fr. PAYSON. It ought to be prohibited by law, and I hope we shall do so by an amendment to be offered at a later stage of the bill. 

:Mr. NELSON. I only know that some of the most valuable pine 

lands in the State of Minnesota were located by so-called ''soldier's 

additionals;" and this scrip was procured mainly from soldiers in Missouri. · _ 

1\Ir. BLAND. And Congress passed an act permitting that to be 

done-amending'tbe original law. 

Mr. PAYSON. Ob, no, there is no law authorizing such assignments; 

the matter rests on practice only. . 1\Ir. NELSON. Mr. Chairman, Idesiretorflpeatwhatihavealready 

said, that this matter should be treated as a business proposition. I 

say that the facts, circumstances, and conditions which justified the 

passage of the homestead law in 1862, which proposed "to distribute 

the public lands broadcast among the people of all the world, do not 

exist to-day; and there is reason why we should not be prodigal of 

Ol!I public lands. Speaking as an,American citizen, with the weal of 

the whole country at heart, I think it our duty to act in a cautious 

and conservative spirit in reference to this question. I would like to 

see some of our public lands left for our grandchildren, and I think 

most gentlemen here entertain a similar wish. If we make provision, 

and the bill does, that none but homestead settlers can obtain these 

lands, and that they can obtain them at the cheap and almost nominal 

price of$1.25 an acre, I think that it will be fair and just to all con- cerned, and it will be a considerable saving of money to the Treasury 

of the United States. Any man who wants land and who bas the 

"grit" and courage to go out into this Territory, open up a farm and 

establish a home, would certainly be ready and willing to pay the 

small pittance of $1.25 an acre in inst.allments as the bill provides. 

I have been a member of the Committee on Indian Affairs during 

three Congresses, including the present; and so far as I know, in every 

instance, with the exception of the ratification of the treaties with the 

Indians in Northern Montana, we have made provision that whatever 

compensation was tO be given to the Indians for the relinquishment of 

their rights should be reimbursed to the Government by the settlers 

who might obtain the lands. We have made such a provision in two . bills which have passed during this Congress, one with reference to 

the great Sioux reservation, opening up 12,000,000 acres in Dakota, 

where 50 cents per acre was to be paid, and the other relating to reser- vations embracing over 4,000,000 acres in Minnesota, where itwa.s provided that $l per acre should be paid by the settler. Now, if away up 

in Northern Minnesota, near the Canadian line, homestead settlers have 
. 

1888 . . CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 8085 

been required to pay $1 an acre, why should not settlers upon this 

land in the center of the continent, the very cream of our public lands, 

be content to pay the pittance of $1.25 an acre, the amount the Indians are to receive? There is no pressing or public necessity for buying lands from the Indians and givingawaythe lands for nothing. 

I think that under existing circumstances this proposition-tendered 

in the bill-is the fairest way of disposing of thi.s question. I believe 

the people who want these land! will be perfectly satisfied to pay this 

small price and take them under the homestead law. I will add that 

in reference to the bill proposing to open to settlement some 4,000,000 

acres of Indian lands in Minnesota, I have not heard a word of objection 

from any persons in my district to the payment of $1 an acre for that 

land. In fact they are all perfectly well satisfied with that arrangement, considering it fair and just to the Indians and the Government. 

Mr. SPRINGER. And they have paid it. 

Mr. NELSON. The bill has not yet taken effect. 

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Iowa [Mr • .ANDERSON] will 

now be recognized for the seven minutes remaining of the time of the 

gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. HoOKER]. 

:Mr . .ANDERSON, of Iowa. Mr. Chairman, if the bill for the organization of this Territory i.s to become a law I am opposed to the provision that requires the payment of $1.25 an acre from settlers on these 

lands who served in the Union armies and navies during the late war; 

and I am also opposed to the amendment of the gentleman from Illinois 

[Mr. P.AYSON] as amended by the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. HoLMAN]. I hope that amendment will not prevail, as it will interfere 

with an opportunity on the part of the Government to do an act that 

will be the crowning glory of its life for all the years to come. 

Something has been said here as to the q nestion of '' sentimentality.'' 

Somehow or other a mere demand in behalf of old-fashioned jnstice 

seems in the minds of some people to smack of "sentimentality." 

Mr. Chairman, if this vast tract., one of the fairest portions of our 

goodly heritage, is to be organized into a Territory with a view to the 

ultimate establishment of a State it seems to me nothing better can be 

done than to consecrate these lands, wholly and solely if need be, as 

homes for the men who defended the flag and kept it :flying unspotted 

' in the sky. 

The adoption of the gentleman's amendment going generally to all 

classes of men in the distribution of its benefits, would preclude the 

Government from a righteous act in' recognition of the class of men 

provided fo:s; in the amendment that I have prepared, and that was sent 

to the Clerk's desk on yesterday to be printed in the RECORD for information. · 

No country ever had the opportunity to bestow at once so fair a heritage, so rich a crown, and such just and fitting reward to her conquering heroes, w.ho went forth in the hour of the nation's peril to fight 

her battles and preserve intact her holdings in and on the earth, as is 

found in the opportunity that presents itself to this Government in the 

disposal of the territory that is the subject-matter of the pending 

measure. The strong, sturdy, honest, patriotic men who consecrate their lives 

to lawiul toil to supply their daily bread, and who in times of peace 

create a nation's wealth, and in times of peril defend on land and sea 

the nation's life, are the first and highest consideration of every just 

and well-ordered government. 

Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, the popular branch 

of the law-making power of a government whose great distinguishing 

features among the nations of earth are its policy of the equality of 

men before the law, and its watchful, tender, generous care of the 

lowly and the poor, the only class in any government that need such 

care, do not let pass, I conjure yon, this splendid opportunity, at 

this auspicious moment in the nation's life, to do an act that will at 

once do more for the laboring man and to exalt us as a nation than all 

other acts contemplated by this Congress combined-an act that will 

rear a grand monument which will ·shine out upon the world forever 

an everlasting testimony to the nation's righteousness, her chiefest 

glory through all the ages. 

Here, in the very heart of this great Republic, on the richest and 

fairest legal subdivision of the nations of the earth, let us provide 

homes for the brave, patriotic men '!ho saved the nation's life. Here, 

in the midst of this great nation, let us ordain and establish the na- tion's defenders in the past, from whence, inspired by the nation's 

gratitude, they, and their posterity after them, will sally forth when 

new dangers shall, unhappily, again threaten the nation's life. Here 

let us provide homes for the nation's heroes, the old guard, the loyal, 

lingering remnants of the grandest armies that ever met the shock of 

battle. With what reason can we withhold this boon to this most 

meritorious class of men that a nation's gratitude, fairly expressed to- . day, would place upon the pension-roll, when we consider that it only 

grants them-such generous conditions as to homes on the earth as the 

amendment of the gentleman from illinois seeks to confer on all men 

without regard to race, religion, or nationality. 

Mr. Chairman, some gentlemen may call this proposition fanciful 

and utopian, but all in candor must concede that here is presented one of those opportunities that rarely come to nations, as they rarely collie 

to men, to approximate the ideal in the affii.irs of State. 

\ 

Mr. Chairman, I sincerely hope this proposition may so favorably 

impress itself upon this Congress that it will now carve out of this 

splendid territory a home fQr the nation's heroic defenders that will 

st..1.nd forever the foremost monument to the nation's virtue. 

Mr. SPRINGER. The time remaining of seven minutes belongs to 

the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. PAYSON]. 

Mr. PAYSON. I do not care to occupy it. [Cries of "Vote!"] 

The CHAIRMAN. There are eighteen minuteS remaining on the 

other side. 

Mr. SPRINGER. I will yield seven minutes of my time to the gentleman from Kansas [Mr. PERKINS]. 

Mr. PERKINS. Mr. Chairman~ I desire ~ery briefly to present to 

this committee a few considerations in connection with this bill. I 

confess those of us who live in the States contiguous to this Territory 

are much interested in this proposed legislation. It is true as has 

been suggested here that more than five hundred thousand petitioners 

have sent their names to this Congress, asking for this legislation, and 

more than four million people are deeply interested in it, watching our 

efforts here on the floor of this House to consummate legislation that 

is fair to the Indians, fair to the settlers, fair to the country, fair to all, 

and which in the end will dedicate this unoccupied and vacant domain 

to homes for American citizens. And that is all that is asked by the 

friends of this bill. It is a condition, in the language of another, that 

confronts us, and not a theory. 

As was suggested by the gentleman from Indiana [:Mr. HoLMAN] 

that great Territory was originally set apart for Indian occupation, but 

conditions have changed, and it is now found that all of it is not 

needed for Indian occupancy. It has been found that mnch of the 

Territory is not needed by the Indians residing within its boundaries. 

As early as 1874, if my memory serves me correctly, Congress declared 

by act that no further Indians should be located and settled in that 

Territory. But before that treaties had been made with the Creeks 

and Seminoles setting apart what is known as the "Oklahoma conntry '' for settlement by freedmen and friendly Indians. Negotiations 

were also had with the Cherokees for the settlement of what is known 

as the "Cherokee Strip " under like conditions. These negotiations 

were had in 1866, and because those tribes did not need these lands 

it was then thought good policy to gather the nomadic Indian tribes 

from the plains and locate them with these tribes who were settled in 

the Indian Territory. But in the end the public sentiment of the country was aroused against that policy. Tribes located in that Territory 

broke over the boundaries that were prescribed for them and committed depredations on lawful settlers living in adjacent States and Territories. Homes were desolated, communities were pillaged, and the 

torch was applied to settlements occupying lands in adjacent States. 

Because ofthese depredations and outbreaks, and the murder of· innocent women and children, Congress declared by law that no other Indians should be settled there. 

This is the condition that confronts us now. The situation is a practical and logical one. What shall we do with these lands? We have 

the petition, as I have already suggested, of more tpan five hundred 

thousand persons, asking us to open them to white settlement. If that 

is done, upon what terms and conditions shall it be done? We all agree 

it should be done upon such conditioD.s as will be fair to the Indians, 

fair to the settler, and which will be fair to the country. 

The gentleman from Iowa [Mr. HENDERSON] challenged the gentleman from Indiana [.M:r. HoLMAN] to point out a provision in this bill 

which is not fair to all and which would not protect the country against 

fraud and the fraudulent settlement of these lands. No answer was 

given to that challenge, and no answer can be given to it, for there is 

no such provision in the bill. All the provisions of the bill are fair. 

Every settler is to remain in the occupation of the land for three years 

before he can secure a title and to exemplify his good faith by his 

works. Then he has to make payment for the land at $1.25 per acre. 

It is to be paid for in install.n?-ents; that is all, and the proceeds are 

to be nsed in payiug the expenses of the survey and in the extinguishment of the Indian title. Is there anything wrong about that? 

But it is suggested that they should have these lands for nothing; 

that they should be dedicated to these settlers without price. To this, 

personally, I would have no objection, and those of us who are opposing the proposition are not posing here as opponents of the homestead 

law. We are n~t standing here to say a word in oppo ition ·to that 

beneficent legislation, whose . effeCts have been so good and whose mfluence has been so widespread throughout the West; but recognizing 

the conditions that exist to-day, we say it is not best to incorporate 

into this bill such a condition as that, for the reason, M suggested by 

the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. SPRINGER], that if the provision is 

incorporated in the bill, in the judgment of its friends and those who 

are familiar with the circumstances surrounding this proposed legislation, it will secure its defeat. 

. I am not inclined to impute unfair motives to my friend from Illinois [Mr. PAYSON]. His efforts in behalfofthesettlersand in behalf 

of legislation to protect the public domain from unlawful occupation 

are well known to the House and to the country. I am not inclined to 

impute unfair motives to him. But it does seem a little strange that 

every man who is opposed to the bill in this House is championing and 

-
'. 

8086 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. A.UGU.ST 29, 

standing by the amendment of the gentleman from Illinol9, and if the 

gentleman is in good faith he should beware ofhls friends. 

Now, sir, a word further. As was suggested by my-friend from Minnesota [Mr. NELSoN], we have by legislation at this session of Congress, 

by bills passed, opened to settlement almost, if not quite, 30,000,000 

acres of Indian lands. If the treaties with the Indians are consummated 

thirty millions and more will be opened to settlement by this legislation, and yet, ":ith a single exception, there has not been a provision 

incorporated into any of those bills making to those lands the homestead laws applicable. The gentleman from Illinois did not rise in his 

place and offer an amendment of that character to any of these bills. 

The gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hour.AN] did not rise in his place 

and offer. an amendment of that character to either bill. They were 

bills which provided and authorized negotiations, as this does., with the 

Indians to extinguish their title to certain lands that they might be 

opened to settlement. And fo~ the reasons controlling. that legislation 

we oppose these amendments offered to this bill. 

As was suggested by the gentle.man from Minnesota, the settlers are 

not asking for these amendments. The men who desire to go there 

and make for themselves homes are not asking it; and the petitioners 

who speak for the homeless are not asking for it. All recognize that 

the Indians have some interest in these lands and that interest is to 

be paid for, and the settlers ask that they may be permitted to go upon 

these lands as settlers have been permitted to go upon other Indian 

lands and to possess them upon terms fair and just to all; and in the 

name of these people I hope this proposed legislation will not be embarrassed or defeated by these amendments. 

Ur. Chairman, the gentleman from Uississippi (:;\Ir. HooKER] is a 

very good talker, and we all know that he is earnestly opposed to this 

bill, and yet, Ur. Chairman, the only argument.. that he could offer 

in opposition to it was to stand here on the floor for three-quarters of 

an honr and suggest that the railroad companies would acquire title, 

or might acquire title, t.o some of these lands if the bill passed, while, 

as be knew very well, in tb.e last Congress all the unearned lands granted . 

of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company were forfeited; and there 

is a provision. in the bill granting lands to the Neosho Valley Railroad 

Company which clearly settles that question. · It reads: 

l!rovidedfurUter, That-said' lands shall not in :my manner be disposed of or encumbered by said company, or its assigna, except as the same are patented 

lmder the provisions of this act. • 

And again, no lands ever granted to' that com J:>aDY are within the 

boundaries of this, proposed Territory, and notwithstanding that, the 

~entleman attempts to say that there is peril from the- railroad companies in the passage of this bill. 

[Here the hammer fell.] 

Mr. SPRINGER. I yield now two minutes to the gentleman from 

Missouri [Mr. HEARD]. 

11Ir. HEARD. Mr. Chairman, I propose to address myself exclusively to the amendment suggested by the gentleman from Indiana [1\Ir. 

HoLMAN]; and as a predicate for what I shall say on that subject, I 

desire to quote t~e gentleman's own eloquent language, that the st-rongest bulwark of American liberty is to be found in the homes of our people and in the laws which grant and secure them homes. I call the attention of my friend, however, tothefactthat the effect if not the objectand I d9 not think it is the object--of his amendment would be to discriminate against the very class of people who most need homes and 

who would be most apt to try to secure them, because his amendment 

provides that no man who is possessed of lands anywhere else, however 

small the quantity or value, or who, within three months prior to his 

filing an application for a homestead, shall hav~ sold any land, shall 

have the right, or been titled to the benefit of the homestead law in the 

proposed Territory. 

Now, there are men throughout this whole country, men of small 

means, mechanics, artisans, laborers, many of our best people, thn.t are 

freeholders to- a small extent, but whose circumstances force them to 

seek homes in a new country, and who will want to sell for that purpose. Many will want to sell homes which have become encumbered 

and go where they can. make new ones which they may hope to own a.I.ld preserve. I repeat that many small farmers, me~nics, laborers, 

and artisans, wanting to better their condition, often leave the crowded 

cities and towns, dispose of their little homes, go into the new country, and establish there for themselves and their families new homes. 

But these are discriminated against if the amendment is adopted. 

I am for the bill as it camE> from the committee first; and even if the 

amendment of. the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. P .A.YSON] is adopted, 

I would still '"ote for it. But I hold it would be an inexcusable discrimination against a poor but good class of our people who have small 

homes, many of them encumbered with debt, and who, if permitted, 

would sell them and thus enable themselves to make new homes under 

happier conditions, to adopt this amendment. · There is no discrimination in the amendment of the gentleman. against any class of men because they are large property holders. A man may be worth a million of dollars in property if not in real estate, and he may go under 

this amendment and enter a home upon. these lands; bnt if he owns a 

little tract of ground, as the gentleman from Kansas [Mr. PETERS] 

says, "even a lot in a cemetery," it would bar him from taking a home 

in thi& new country. 

[Here tba hammer.. felL] . . The CHAiRMAN. The gentlemen. have seven minutes of their time 

remaining on either side. . 

Mr. PAYSON. Mr. Chairllliill, I only desire to occupy a few min· 

utes for the purpose of presenting one feature of this bill which has not 

been alluded to by the other side, and as to which. I desire a specific exnlanation from the chairman of the committee. This bill includes 

within its scope the land... known as. the Neutral Strip, containg 3,768,-

000 acres, and a portion of which was a pact; of the old Texas purchase, ~ 

costing this Government at th.at time the sum of 28 cents per acre. 

That land by the operation of this bill is the only land that does not . 

require any negotiations. But upon it settlement may be made under 

the homestead law, as it is donated under the homestead law to the 

settler. The question I ask the chairman of tb.e committee is, why does' 

his committee recommend the opening of the best lands to homestea.d 

settlers without cqst and impose a charge of $1.25 an acre on the bal· 

ance of the land within the scope of the bill? Wby do yon apply the 

homestead principle to the Neutral Strip and refuse it with respect to 

the rest of the Territory? 

Mr. SPRINGER. I will answer.. that question. The reason for this 

difference is simply this: the lands known as the Neutral Strip are public domain and not embarrassed in any way by Indian claims of title. 

It is part of the public domain and we have not to pa.y anything for it. 

Mr. P A. YSON. But we have paid for it. 

Mr. SPRINGER. We did pay f9r it when we purchased it from the 

State of Texas. The gentleman from illinois stated yesterday that we 

paid $16,000,000 for it; but I am glad to see that in his printed remarks in the RECORD he has corrected that ac.cording to the facts. 

Mr. P A. YSON. It is printed in the RECORD just as I stated it. 

Ur. SPRINGER.. The gentleman sa.id that we paid sixteen millions ~~ . 

Mr. PAYSON. I do not know wha.t I stated. I have the paper 

here from which I read the statement. 

Mr. SPRINGER. The truth is that we paid sixteen millions when 

we bought all the rest of the claims of the State of Texas for all the 

lands east of the Rio Grande and south. of the Arkansas that are included in tha.t amount. 

Mr. PAYSON. I state that in my remarks on yesterday I read from 

the paper I now hold in my hand, giving a description of the territory 

for which the Government had paid $16,000,000. 

Mr. SPRINGER. Oh, yes. That was for 61,000,000 acres of land 

the Government got in thatpurcha.se. It cost the Government 25 cents 

an acre. Thereas~n why this land is not put under the homestead provisions t,J:lat are now applied to all the public domain is that these lands are 

not encumbered with Indian claims, and it is not required that they 

should be paid fo:r. We have a precedent for this in the legislation of 

Congress. When the Kansas and Nebraska act was passed thhl'e w,as 

a strip 3 miles wide on the southern boundary, from Arkansas -we: t to 

Colorado, which belonged to the Cherokee Nation and was put into the 

StK'l.te of Kansas, and a law was passed aQthorizing the sale of that 3-

mile strip to actual settlers at various prices tinder the law, some at $2, 

others at $1.50, others at$1.25, andsomeat$1. Thatwa.ssoldsnbject 

to the occupancy of the settler, and the cost which had been paid for it. 

That strip is parallel to the whole length of the Indian T~rriitory, known 

as the Cherokee Outlet, and the Government has already applied the 

principle to a-djacent lands by selling to actual settlers. 

I have seen a statement of the Secretary of the Interior showing that 

on thelstdayofNovember, 1887, there were in theTreasurylR9,094,000, 

as the proceeds of the sale of Indian lands, to the credit of several Indian tribes whose lands were sold, and these proceeds have been received from actual settlers upon these lands. It is thus shown that 

this is precisely the policy of the Government, where we were getting 

titles to Indian lands, that the settlers pay for the land. That was done 

with the Pawnee Indian land. It was done in the case of all the Indian tribes in the entire States of Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa; and it 

has been the policy of Congress from the time we have- been acquiring 

these Indian titles up to this time to requireth~settler to pay the amount 

that the Government had to pay. That is just what is required. in this 

bill. 

Now, Mr. Chairman, if this provision is adopted and inserted in thobill, it will require an appropriation of $10,0UO,OOO to carry it out. 

There are 8,000,000 acres and it will require an appropriation of 10,-

000,000 to pay for them. I do not believe tnat Congress intends tore- verse the policy w hi.ch the Government has pursued for these long years 

of requiring the settler to pay for the lands that we get from the Indians 

and require tho Government to pay for them itself. These are very 

-valuable lands. They are more valuable than we b.ave ever had to 

offer to the actual settler. The settler has to go there and pay $1. 25, according to the provisions of this bill, and reside there for three years. 

That has been incorporated in this measure, and if this last provision 

should be also incorporated in it, it would cost what I have stated. I 

have never heard the propriety of it stated until my colleague offered 

this amendment. 
1888. CONGRESSIONAL ·RECORD-HOUSE. 8087 

I do not believe that it is in the interest of the Government or of the Mr. PAYSON. Of course the first part of the proposition of my 

settler or of the Indian to require the Government to purchase this colleague relates to what I can not control. I can only control myself 

l and. If yon start upon that principle you will put an obstruction in as to the point that I make, and as to that I am content with his 

the way of acquiring the title to 100,000,000 acres of Indian lands that proposition. are now held by the Indians in excess of then· 'Wallts, beca.use the pur- Mr. HOOKER. I object. 

chase of them will require the Government to pay ~125,000,000 in Mr. SPRINGER. Then I can not make any agreement. I hope, 

order to obtain the title of the Indians. - after the expression gi~en by the Committee of th& Whole, my colNow, as to the point which the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. league [Mr. PAYSON] will not insist on tellers. 

HooKER] made in regard to the railroads, I think that has been com- Mr. PAYSON. Why can there not be unanimous consent that a 

pletely answered. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad does not yea-and-nay vote may be taken on this question in the Honse? 

touch the lands in the Indian Territory, and the Atlantic and Pacific Mr. WEAVER. I can answer the gentleman's question why we 

land grant ~as forfeited in the last Congress, so that whatever rights can not give unanimous consent. After the fullest debate those """"ho 

may have existed there have been disposed of, and this bill has nothing have beard the debate are overwhelmingly against the gentleman, and 

to do with them. Therefore, so far as the railroad lands are concerned, for that reason we do not wish to occupy time in taking the yeas and 

there is no advantage or disadvantage to be taken by anybody under nays. 

this bill, and, in fact, the railroads cited by the honorable gentleman 1\fr_ PAYSON. That does not answer my question at all. That redo not enter upon one foot of the soil tba.t is covered by this bill, and ply is hardly worthy of the gentleman from Iowa. 

why be ever referred to them is a mystery to me. I hope the friends Mr. WEAVER. I thh1k my answer is entirely proper, and worthy 

of this bill will vote down this amendment. I believe it is the most of anybody. [Cries of" Regular order!"] 

dangerous proposition to the success of the bill that could be offered, Mr. PAYSON. I make the point that no quorum has voted. 

and if it is adopted I believe this bill is defeated for this Congre s. Tellers were ordered; and Ur. PAYSON and Mr. SPRINGER were ap-

[Criesof"Vote!" "Vote!"] pointed. 

The CIIAIRMA.N. If there be no objection, the Clerk will report Mr. SPRINGER (before the count by tellers had begun). On conthe amendment of the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. PAYSO:N] and the sultation with my colleague [Mr. PAYSON], I desire to ask unanimous 

amendment to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Indiana consent that the vote on this proposition be postponed until to-morrow 

[.Mr. HOLMAN]. when the Committee of the Whole shall resume its sitting, when prob1\Ir. HOLMAN. In the amendment which I offered the proviso was ably more members will be present. 

accepted by the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. PAYSON]. Objection was made. 

:Mr. PAYSON. I understand that it will have to be voted upon by The tellers proceeded with the count. 

the committee, and I prefer that the vote should be taken upon the Mr. PAYSON (before the count was concluded). I am willing to 

two propositions. withdraw the point tba.t no quorum bas voted, if it be understood that 

The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will report the amendment of the before the engrossment and third reading of the bill T shall be recoggentleman from Illinois. nized to offer this amendment in the House and have a yea-and-nay 

The Clerk read as follows: vote upon it. 

Strike out the words "at t~e price of 81.25 per acre," in lines 12 and 13, and ~Ir. HOOKER. I object. insert" under the homestead laws only, except that section 2301 of the Revieed T.Qe tellers concluded the count and reported-ayes 49, noes 114. 

Statutes sha.ll not apply." So the amendment was rejected. 

The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will now read the amendment to the Mr. ANDERSON, of Iowa. I move to amend by inserting after the 

amendment proposed by the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. HOLl\IAN]. word ''acre,'' in line 14 of section 5, the proviso which I send t-o the TheClerk readtheamendmenttotheamendmentasoriginallyoffered. desk. 

Mr. HOLMAN. I wish to modify that amendment by adding after The Clerk read as folloWs: 

the words ''sold land" the words "exceeding fifty acres." Provided, That all honorably discharged Union soldiers, sailors, mld marines, Mr. LYMAN. I ask to have the amendment read as modified. who served in the war for the suppression of t.he rebellion, sha.ll, in making en- M.r. FARQUHAR. I wish to make a. parliamentary inquiry. Is tries for actual settlement under the provisions of this act, be and hereby are, exempted, in consideration of said service, from the payment of the purchase this an amendment to the amendment of the gentleman from Illiru>is price provided for in this act; and proof of such actual service far a. period of 

[Mr. PAYSON], or w~uld this proviso stand harmonious with the bill at least.sixty days, and of honorable discharge therefrom, by such former sol- even if the amendment of the e:entleman from illinois [1\fr. PAYSON] dier, sailor, or marine, shall be accepted bytheUnitedSta.t-esin payment in full ~ of the purchase price of the lands so entered upon, and of all fees in connection were lost. with said entry. And all land officers of the United States are directed to give The CHAIRMAN. That is a question of tact which the Chair would preference to the persons making entries under this provision. 

not feel authorized to pass upon. Mr. ROGERS. I desire to inquire whether this amendment is lim-

~ir. FARQUHAR. Does theprovisostandas a separate proposition ited to soldiers and sailors who received honorable discharge. 

or as an amendment? Mr. ANDERSON, of Iowa. It is. 

The CHAIRMAN. Its parliamentary standingis as an amendment , The question being taken on agreeing to the amendment, there 

to an amendmen~ of the gentleman from Illin,.ois [Mr. PAYSON]. were-ayes 46, noes 47. 

Mr. PAYSON. As a proviso to it. Mr.' ANDERSON, of Iowa, and Mr. HOOKER. No quorum. 

The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will report the amendment of the Tellerswereordered; andMr: ANDERSON, ofTowa, and Mr. SPRINGER. 

gentleman from Indiana [Mr. HoLMAN] as modified. were appointed. 

The Clerk read as follows: Mr. BAYNE. Evidently we can not conclude the vote on this prop-. 

Provided, howtr:er, That no person seized of any lands in any Slate or Terri- osition before the arrival of the hour for adjournment. I move that 

tory, or who shall have sold Land exceeding 50 acres in any Sliate or Territory the committee rise. within three months before the time of the taking effect of this act, shall be au- thorized to enter any of the lands covered by the provisions of this act. The MI:.. SPRINGER. If the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. ANDERSO~] 

Secretary of the Interior shall prescribe all needful rules to give full effect to this will wi tbdra w his point of no qum·um-- . provision: Pro-oided, further. '.rhat all provisions of law touching the rights of Mr. BAYNE. That is not necessary. soldiers and sailors who served in the.Armyofthe UnitedStatesduring the late ~ 

war entering public land shall apply to the lands embraced in this act: Pro- Mr. ANDERSON, of Iowa. I do not with.amw the point. 

'V-ided,Jurther, That none of the lands referred to in this act shall be subject to The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. BAYNE] 

entry by land-warrants or land-s~rip of any description. moves that the committee now rise. 

The CHAIRMAN. The question is on theamendmenttothe amend- Mr. PAYSON. It is understood here that the point of no quorum 

ment.. is withdrawn. 

The question was taken, and the Chairman declared that the noes Mr. ANDERSON, of Iowa. No, sir; it is not withdra.wn. 

seemed to have it. The motion of Mr. B.A. YNE that the committee rise was agreed to. 

Mr. HOLMAN. I call fo.r a division. The committee accordingly rose; and ~Ir. BLOUNT having taken the 

The committee divided; and there were-ayes 27, noes 77. chair as Speaker pro tempore, Mr. DocKERY reported that the CommitSo the amendment to the amendment was rejected. tee of the Whole on the state of the Union ~ad had under consideraTbe CHAIRMAN. The question now recurs on the amendment of tion the bill (H. R. 10614) to organize the Territory of Oklahoma, and 

the gentleman from Illinois [~Ir . PAYSON]. - for other pur~oses, and bad come to no resolution thereon. 

The question was taken; and there were-ayes 42, noes 74. 1\IESSAGE FRO:\! THE SENATE. 

Mr. PAYSON. J\.Ir. Chairman, there ought-to be a quorum on this 

vote. A message from the Senate, by Mr. McCooK, its Secretary, announced 

Mr. HOLMAN. As there is no quo:rum present, I su,ggest t{) the gen- that the Senate had agreed to the amendment of the Honse to the bill 

tleman from Tilinois [Mr. PAYSON] that he allow this question to ~o (S. 2825) granting an increase of pension to Benjamin T. Baker. 

to the House with the understanding that there shall be a vote upon it The message also announced that the Senate b.ad agreed to the rethere. port of the committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two 

Mr. SPRINGER. If we can get an agreement that to-morrow at 3 Houses ontbeamendmentsoftbeSenate to the bill (H. R. 10540) mako'clock we shall take the vote upon the final passage of the bill I will ing appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the 

yield to tb(l gentleman to move to amend the bill by this amendment fiscal year ending June 30, 1889, and for other purposes. 

and allow him to have a yea-and-nay vote u~on it. The message also announced that the Senate further insisted on its 

• 
8088 CONGRESSIONAL REOORD-SENATE. AUGUST 30, 

amendments numbered 105, 106, 107, 110, 116, 118, 119, 121, 127: 128, 

221, 222, 223, 233, 234, 236, 238, 239, 240, 242,243, 244, 248, 254.255, 

256, and 257 ·to the bill (H. R. 10540) making appropriations for sundry 

civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 

1889, and for other purposes; asked a further conference with the 

House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses, anJ. had appointed 

as conferees on the par~ of the Senate M:r . .ALLISON; 1\Ir. HALE, and 

Mr. BECK. 

LEAVE TO PRINT. 

Mr. WHEELER, by unanimous consent, obtained leave to extend 

in the RECORD his remarks on the bill (H. R._ 9623) to provide for printing Government securities in the highest style of art .. Mr. HOLMAN, by unanimous consent, obtained leave to extend in 

the RECORD his remarks of to-day on the Oklahoma bill. 

Mr. BLAND, by unanimous consent, obtained leave to print in the 

RECORD remarks on the silver bill. 

CLAIMS FOR BOUNTIES. 

:Mr. STONE, of Kentucky, asked unanimous -consent that the bill 

(H. R. 3407) to extend the time for :filing claims for additional bounty 

under the act of July 28, 1866, be recommitted to the Committee on War Claims. 

· Mr, O'NEILL, of .Missouri. What is the object? 

Mr. STONE, of Kentucky. There are two bills of the same character now on the Calendar. 

Mr. O'NEILL, of Missouri. Why not let this bill remain on the 

Calendar? This is more complete than the other. 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. . Is there objection to the request? 

M.r. O'NEILL, of Missouri. I object. 

1\fr. SPRINGER. I move that the House adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; and accordingly (at 4 o'clock and 59 

minutes p.m.) the Honse adjourned. 

P}:tiV ATE BILLS INTRODUCED .AND REFERRED. 

Under the rule private bills of the following titles were introduced 

and referred as indicated below: · . By Mr. FORAN: A bill (H. R. 11302) granting a pension to Diana 

D. Howard-to the Committee on Pensions. 

By Mr. STONE, of Kentucky: A bill {H. R. 11303) for the relief of 

John W. Peek-to the Comm.ittee on Military Affairs. 

Also, a bill (H. R. 11304) for the relief of James A. Cook-to the 

Committee on War Claims. 

By Mr. McCULLOGH: A bill (H. R.11305) granting a pension to 

Ann Ruffner-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 

By Mr. MORROW: A bill (H. R. 11306) granting a pension to Mrs. 

Caroline B. Andrews-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 

_ By 1\Ir. MOFFITT: A bill (H. R. 11307) for the relief of Benjamin 

F. Wickham-to the Committee on Claims. 

PETITIONS, ETC. 

The following petitions and papers were laid on the Clerk's desk, 

under the rule, and referred as follows: _ 

By 1\Ir. J. M. ALLEN: Petition of William H. Kelton, of James Conn, 

of heir of Donald Street, and of J. W. Blakney, heir of Fr~derick 

Blakney, of Mississippi, for reference of their claims to the Court of 

Claims-to the Committee on War Claims. 

By Mr. C. L. ANDERSON: PetitionofDemariusA. Johnson, administrator of William C. Johnson, of Scott County, Mississippi, for reference 

of his claim to the Court of Claims-to the Committee on War Claims. 

By Mr. BLANCHARD: Petition of the Farmers' Union, of Rocky 

Mount, Bgssier Parish, Louisiana, for relief from the bagging trustto the Committee on Ways and 1\IeaDB. 

By Mr. GEST: Evidence in the pension claim of Richard Ashcraft--

to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 

By l\Ir. LEE (by request): Deposition and affidavit in the claim of 

Sallie Hardemond-to the Committee on War Claims. 

By Mr. LYNCH: Petition of Lackawanna Valley Council, No. 81, 

nndofWilkesBarre Council, No. 161, JuniorOrderofUnitedAmerican M~cbanics, forthe passage of Senate bill No. 553, to regulate immigra- tion-to the Committee on Commerce. 

By 1\Ir. McCULLOGH: Resolutions of Red Stone Counci1, No. 78, 

Junior Order United American Mechanics, of Brownsville, Pa., for the 

passage of Senate bill No. 553, for regulating and restricting immigration-to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. 

By 1\Ir. O'FERRALL: Petition of William B. Carper, of J. 1\f. Canter, administmtor of Margaret McCauley; of Festus Swartz, administrator of Jame-s Swartz; of Josiah Rinker, of .John Purcell, of Joseph 

Calwalader, and of John Ritter, of Frederick County, Virginia, for reference of their claims to the Court of Claims-to the Committee on War Claims. .. 

By ~Ir. WHEELER: Petition of heirs of Samuel Thompson of Madison 

County, Alabama, for reference of their claims to the Court of Claimsto the Committee on War Claims. . By Mr. WHITTHORNE: Petition of :Mary A. Brower, widow or William .A. Brower, of Giles County, Tennessee, for referenceofherclaim 

to the Cour~ of Claims-to the Committee on War Claims. 

SENATE. 

THURSDAY, August 30, 1888. 

Prayer by the Chaplain! Rev. J. G. -BuTLER, D. D. 

The Journal of yesterday's proceedings was read and approved. 

PETITIONS .AND MEMORIALS. 

Mr. PALMER presented the petUion of Margaret Bolio, of Detroit, 

Mich., praying to be allowed a pension; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Pensions. 

Mr. EDMUNDS presented the petition of William H. Spencer and 

many other citizens of Rutland County, Vermont, praying for the passage of an act of Congress granting an increase of pension to Joseph Osborn, late a private in the Eleventh Michigan Cavalry; which was re- ferred to the Committee on Pensions. 

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 

Mr. COCKRELL. The Committee on Military Affairs, to which was referred the bill (S. 2244) to amend the act of Congress approved 

March 3. 1887, giving pay to volunteer Army offic~rs for services before they were mustered in, have instructed me to submit an adverse 

report thereon and recommend that the bill be indefinitely postponed. The law already gives all the relief tbat is contemplated by the bill, 

and all to which the parties are entitled. 

The report was agreed to; and the bill was postponed inde:finitely. 

Ur. DOLPH~ from the Committee on Commerce, to whom was re- ferred the bill (S. 2182) to amend sections 4488 and 4489 of the Revised Statutes, requiring life-saving appliancP.s on steamers, reported 

it with au amendment. 

Mr. BLACKBURN, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, reported an amendment intended to be proposed to the general deficiency ap~ 

propriation bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and ordered to be printed. -

Mr. SAWYER, from the Committee on Pensions, to whom was re- ferred the bill (S. 3456) granting a pension to David 0. Sanborn, re- ported it with an amendment, and submitted a report thereon. 

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

(H. R. 10245) granting an increase of pension to Hannibal Kimball, 

reported it without amendment, and submitted a report thereon. 

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

(H. R. 9341) granting a pension t.o Mrs. Dulceua Noe1, reported it 

without amendment, and submitted a report thereon. 

!.Ir. MANDERSON, from the Committee on Military Affahs, to whom was referred the bill (R. R. 11045) for the relief of Sam Rice Post, No. 6, Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Iowa, submitted an ad- verse report thereon, which was il.greed to; and the bill was postponed 

indefinitely. -

Mr. DOLPH, from the Committee on Public Lands, to whom wag 

referred the bil! (S. 13) restoring to the United States certain of the 

lands granted to the Northern Paei:fic Railroad Company to aid in the 

construction of a .railroad from Lake Superior to Puget Sound, and to 

restore the same to settlement, and for other purposes, 1·eported adversely thereon; and the bill was postponed indefinitely. 

He also, from the same committee, reported a bill (S. 3504) restoring 

t.o the United States certain of the lands granted to the Northern Pa~ 

cific Railroad Company to aid in the construction of a railroad from 

Lake Superior to Puget Sound, and io restore the same to settlement, 

and for other purposes; which was read twice by its title. 

LA .A.BR.A. SILVER :li:INING COMPANY. 

1\Ir. JO:NES, of Nevada, from the Committee to Audit and Control 

the Qontingent Expenses of the Senate, to whom were referred the following resolutions, reported them without amendment; and they were considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to: 

Resolved, That the Committee on Foreign Relatioru! have leave to require tho 

attendance of witnesses before said committee or a subcommittee thereof to give evidence under oath respecting the claim of La Abra Silver Mining Com- pany a~ainst the Government of Mexico; and said committee or subcommittee 

snall have power to administer oaths to such witnesses; and the expenses of 

their attendance and other necessary expenses in the execution of this 01·der 

shall be paid out of the funds appropriated for the contingent expenses of Ute Senate, on certificates issued by the chairman of said committee or said sub· co:-nmittee. 

Resolved, 2. That counsel for or against said claimants' shall be authorized t.o appea r before said committee or subcommittee and examine and cross-ex:uuino _any witn~sses unde1· the authority of this resolution. 

BILLS INTRODUCED. 

1\Ir. SAWYER introduced a bill (S. 3502) granting a pension to Juliana Roitsch; which was read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on Pensions. 

Mr. BROWN introduced a bill (S. 3503) for the relief of Bedney F. 

McDonald; which was rea(l twice by its title, and, with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Pensions. 

Al\lENDMENTS TO BILLS. 

1\Ir. DANIEL suhmitted au amendment intended to be proposed 

by him to the general deficiency appropriation bill; which was re· ferred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be-printed. 

l\Ir. GORMAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by