Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-12-23
The Richmond Whig.
CONGRESS-.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1881.
IN SENATE.

Is.
MIR BENTON appeared to-day and took his
Mr. TA8EwELL presented the memorial of the
General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
virginia, praying payment of certain sums of
money advanced by that State for the service of
the General Government during the war of the
revolution. Referred to the Committee on Militia.
ry Affairs.
Mr. KING submitted the following resolu
tion.
Resolved, That the Committee on Public
Lands be instructed to inquire into the expedi-
ency of repeating much ofthe act 10 grant
presumption rights to settlers OH public lands,
as makes null and void all assignments of the
right ct presumption prior TO the issuing of the
patents.
Mr. SMrru, from the Committee on Finance
to which had been referred the memorials from
the merchants of New York, Philadelphia, Bal
tilnora aud Plttsburg, on the subject of a rsduc-
ton of the duties upon teas, made report un-
favorable to the prayers of the memorialists
which read, and with the ACCOMPANYING
letter of the Secretary of the Treasury, ordered
TO be printed for tho use of the Senate.
MIR. SMITH gave notice that he should, to.
morrow. ask leave to bring bill in relation
10 the army and Notifications.
Mr. CLAY rose and observed, that a report
hadJust been made by the Committee on FL
nance in relation to a reduction of the duties on
teas. lie wished TO learn from the chairman Of
the committee whether he intended TO make any
G. 4.
entertained views very different from those er
pressed IN the paper presented by the committee;
and. as the subject was one exceedingly inter
esting to the country at this time, he was desire
Gus that there should be an early and posi,ive
decision, by means of which some general ex-
preston of the opinions ofthe Senate in rela
ton to it should be made known
MT SMITH, chairman of the committee replied
that the usual course was not to act ON Jenorts
on the day they were presented to the Senate;
they laid on the table one day of course and
were taken up and disposed of on the day follow
Ing.
bsMr CHAMBERS, in pursuance of notice given.
asked and obtained leave, end introduced a hill
providing for the payment to certain States
therelh mentiened, OF interest on advances made
ny them TO the United States during the late
war: read, and ordered to a second reading
On motion OF Mr. CHAmBERs the above
mentioned OH as then read the second time bv
Its title, and referred to the Committee on
Judiciary.
Mr. RoBBINs submitted the following ,es,lu-
ton:
Resolved, That the Committee on Finance be
instructed to enqnire into tie expedrenc, of re-
vlvlng the Acts of the 18th April, 1918. and of
the 9TH May, 1922, providing for the pavment
OF loan office and final settlement certificates
which appear by the registry of the debts of the
United States to be still outstanding and nnp.id
and to report by bill or otherwise.
The following resolution, submitted bv Mr.
Sal!rH on Thursday, was considered and agreed
&c:
Resolved, That the Committee ON tho po,,
Office and Post Roads be instructed to consider
the eXPedlcncy Of permitting newspapers to he
carried free from any charge cf postage.
ORGANIZATION OF TIE MILITIA U. s.
The following resolution, submitted on Thurs
day by Mr. HAMA, was considered:
Resolved, That the Committee ON tho t5I;
tia be instructed to inquire into the expediencv
CT an organization of the militia, such as v i'll en-
brace those only be;wlXt the ages of twentv.ope
and thirty-fye; and also of increasing the ar,
nual appropriation for arming the militia oftbe
United States.
MI FooT said he would suggest an amend
ment to the resolution, so as to take OF all re.
strIctIon from the committee, and leave il 10
their discretion TO report at large as to the re-
organization of the militia.
Mir HANNA said he did not know but he
would accept the modification Of the gentleman
from Connecticut. The object he had in view
was to Ieduce the organization of the militia
and raise the appropriation for their equipment
30 as to make the latter equal to the former
lie had long entertained an opinion, derived from
his experience, both as private and an oficer
that the present organization of the militia was
loo large, and not required by the wants of the |
Country. 1t was defective, too, jnasmuch as il |
Was impossible to make such appropriations as
would render so large body of militia affective |
Elr' PoINDExTER would ask of the gentle
man Whether we now had any Law of Con-
gress organizing the whole body of the militia
Of the United States; and if we have not wheth
er the pbraseology of the amendment to reor-
ganiZc the militia" would not be incorrect. Bv
the Constitution, Congress was authorized to
provide for the organization of the militia of the
U. s., but though the subject had frequently oc
cuped the attention of both Houses OF Compress
nothing effective had yet been done, except
by the States who had passed their own militn
laws. lie thought the Ehraseology would be
better ''tO inquire into the expediency of orpan-
Izing the militia of the U. Stare
Dir. IANNA replied that there was an orpnn
Congress. If the gentleman would turn TO the
acts OF 1906 and 1903, he would there find whit
that organization was, and how impossible il
was TOR that organization ever to be Of any eff
feet. The objections that he, (Mr H. enter
tanned to those laws, were, that they required
Of the militia what Impossible 10 be perform
ed, i. c. the arming aud equipping of them
selves. If his recollection served, by the last
returns, 1880, the militia amounted TO one mil
lion six hundred thousand, and BY the returns
Of the Adiuant General that of come of the
States exceeded 100000. He found no inten-
tion manifested in any State of the Union of
carrying the laws Of Congress into ef5eet, and
he was perfectly satisfied that, under the pre-
sent system, the militia would continue very in !
efficient. Mr. HANNA made some further re-
marks with regard to the length of time il would
require to furnish arms to so large BODY of ,
militia as that now liable to be called into ser
wee out OF the small sums now annually appro-
N o. tnKt hat