The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-05-08

discharged from further action the committee of confer
ence on said amendments
Mr.. HUMPHREY MARSHALL, of Kentucky was OPP
posed to the adoption of the resolution lie supposed every
member Of the House realized the technically Of the Ian
guage employed by the committee and that in using the
word adhere il announced the determination OF the
House Of Representatives that the bin should pass in the
manner IN which 1t had adopted it, that Ii should fail
altogether In forming these committees Of conference he
ala not mink that there attempt the part OF the
presiding officer of either house TO select gentlemen Of fixed
opinions on the subjects in dispute and, in his opinion
they had better continue TO confer long the Senate
would consent 70 do So rather than announce deerm
nation 10 adhere to their position and thereby defeat bill
which had been prepared with good deal Of to meet
deficiencies, when the public faith was pending
Mr.. STANTON, of Ohio said that the House had but
one OF Two courses TO pursueeher adhere recede
from their position and he held that ii their duty
Mr. H. MARSHALL replied that the gentleman was mis-
taken as there was clearly middle between adj
herring Or recedng and that was to continue to confer
Mr. COBB, OF Georgia thought il would be strange in
deed If the House should adhere its position and thereby
preclude the possibility of the passage or the bin unless
the Senate receded from all its amendments without first
having statement from the committee the part of the
House of the Of the difficulty between the bodies
They not informed TO whether the committee OF
conference disagreed upon all the amendments in dispute
between their two houses whether, while they both
made concessions, there still matter of controversy
between them upon which both refusing yield there was
prospect of an agreement between the houses If
the controversy had reached that point that the bill would
have 10 be sacrificed he desired that the responsibility
should rest IL properly belonged and that the House
should take solemn vote each of the amendments
In dispute, and show the country whether not ii
determined to lose the bill aud stop the wheels OF govern
ment rather than make few concessions and allow the
bill TO pass
Mr. STANTON of Ohio in compliance with the reouest
Of the gentleman from Georgia, would state in general
terms, that the difficulty between the committees Of
ference the part of the houses on armya
preparation and waterworks amendments, which they
disagreed majority of the House committee insisted
upon its disagreement TO the army-appropraion amend
ments and the whole committee insisted upon its disagree
ment 10 the water-works amendment which, together in
volved sum amounting to about two millions Of dolar
In reference to the former it held by majority Of
the committee the part of the House that the
rendered of the disposition of the annual appropriation
made for the transportation of the army and army supplies
were not OF such character TO make it the duty OF the
House TO supply the deficiencies which said to
st in that branch Of the public service and the lat
ter the committee held that the public interests did not
demand an expenditure of from five to ten millions Of dol
lars TO supply the city of Washington with water. For
himself, he willing to take the responsibility and
cord his vote in favor of adhering the position taken by
the House committee aud lose the bill unless the Senate
should recede.
He condemned the practice of voting appropriations for
deficiencies in the various departments and held it 10
the duty OF the House. the custodian of the public purse
whenever the executive beore Congress asking APP
preparations to supply deficiencies to ascertain first whe
the money regularly appropriated had been honestly
pended If it had not and the funds had been squandered
by dishonest public officers il their duty before they
voted money to that these officers dismissed
and replaced by men of integrity 1t was in his opinion the
the executive for exhibit showing for what purposes
the regular appropriation had been spent
Mr. Lin, of Virginia. detailed the action Of the
committee of conference stating that the committee the
part the Senate had agreed recede from their amend
men appropriaing 100000 for continuing the work on
the Washington aqueduc provide the House committee
recede from their disagreement the army appropriation
amendments but majority of the latter committee re-
fsing to do they had been unable agree He replied
to the gentleman from Ohio Mr. SrANroS insisting that
that gentleman in his anxiety to prove the administration
extravagan had Teen guilty of injustice of the grossest
character to the Executive and in his partisan character
had presented par testimony to the House. negectng
to give full and fair statement Of the facts.
Mr., COBB of Georgia. said that if it the in ton
of the House TO assume the responsibility Of defeating the
deficiency bill rather than vote the appropriations for the
support OF the army, and thus withhold money absolutely
necessary for carrying the operations of the govern
ment they should assume it boldly before the country
and it by general adherence all their dis
agreeing votes. He informed that a message had
just been received from the Senate asking another com
mee Of conference, and he hoped the gentleman from
New York Mr. PRRGLE would withdraw his resolution
in order that he might submit motion to take up the
report from the Senate with the view appointing another
committee
Mr. GROW, of Pennsylvania was willing that the bill
should be defeated If the Senate insisted upon those Of their
amendments which grossly wrong He felt no alarm
at the cry that the wheels Of government would be stop
ped IL these appropriations refused and for one
would take the responsibility of voting for the resolution
reported by the committee to adhere their position on
the bill even il it caused it's defeat
Mr. CAMPBELL, of Ohio, sustained the Committee Of
Ways md Means and advocated the appointment of
another committee of conference lie defended execu
tive department of the from the charges made
against it by bis colleague, Mr. STANroY,l who he
thought endeavoring TO make little party capt
tai by submitting charges against officers in the employ
meut Of the government which there proof TO
tain.
The debate continued at great length the subject
Of the Washington water-works appropriation and the
army deficiency appropriaiions-Messrs. CLINGMAN Of
North Carolina, CAMPBELL of Ohio GIDDIEGS oil
Ohio, COBB Of Georgia, MARSHALL Of Kentucky
C0yODE Of Ponnsy wanna PHELPS of Missouri, MILL
SON OF Virginia JONES Of Tennessee, and LANE Of Ore
gon participating and without taking any vote on the
resolution at haEpas three o'clock the House adjourned