Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-05-11

amendments to the bill which could not nro. pose until 1 obtained the information. It was then suggested that the bill might be reported. that l might call for my information in the Se- nate, have it here, and then prepare my amend l ments, and do what desired. We'll. what is | the result? The bill came in. Simultaneously upon its report I pit in my call for information That call has not been answered. have not been able to come to any conclusion in my own mind as to whether shall propose the amend ments or what they shall be. | Now, will say to my honorable friend from Arkansas that with regard to the amendments proposed by the committee on finance, regard them as very unimportant parts of the bill ' The great question to be considered is upon the army appropriations, the principles upon which the army appropriations are founded, and the amount thatiS demanded by the administration There Is contest upon them. The others are very small matters; you may dispose of them ln very short time, and you will not affect the main question. The information I desire, and the consideration which shall attempt to give to ths bill after get the information, goes to to the root of the matter in dispute. Although l am disposed to treat the government fairly | nope, and to treat this queston iairly-not to | Indulge in denuncations unless those denun- cations are deserved, and shall think them of some importance-yet do not wish to be called upon when have objected to this course, and when have demanded this information in or | der to enlghten me upon the question, to be forced into a consideration of this bl Nor do wish other gentlemen who have not had the tenth part of the opportunity 1 have had to look Into the bill to be forced into it's consid- eratlon without having the reasonable time | h1t Vyan l1frbt tA ho,,o I shall oppose the bill at all; cannot say that shall; but wish to have time to look and see what the real facts are in relation to it.
 Mr. BENJAMIN. Mr. President this bill IS evidently very urgent one It's immediate passage IS required by the necessities of the gov ernment. The Senator from Virginia is pres sing Its consideration to-day. We all appreciate his motives in so doing; but would suggest to nm, under the circumstances whether, if by common consent we were to make 1t the special order for half past twelve o'clock on Monday, we should not get along as fast as bv pressing 1t to-day. That will give gentlemen an oppor tunity of looking at the bill between to day and Monday, and then we can go on with it on Mon- day morning
 MT. HUNTER. If we c.n have an under standing that we shall take it up, by general consent at half past twelve o'clock on Mon- day, shall not object to that
 Mir. FESSENDEN. I will not object to that if we can have the information to-day. so that we shall have time to look into it. | Mir. HALE. I shall propose, when the bill comes up, an amedment, which, though brief, IS very important one, and goes to the root of the whole thing; and, by common consent should like to have it introduced and printed. so that 1t may be before the Senate. Mr. HUNTER. With the understanding suggested by the Senator from Louisiana, l shall not object to the postponement. MT. KING. This information will be here to-day?
 MT. HUNTER. Yes, sir; the understanding is that it shall.
 The clerk read Mr. Hale's proposed amend ment, as follows:
 l AlW 6e 't .f0ther enocte2, That no contract shall hereafter be made by any officer or agent | ot the government, except under law author AInS the same, or under an appropriation adc- quate to its fulfllment.
 1 Mir HUNTER. Will the Senator allow me to move to take up the bill for the purpose of moving that it be made the special order for half past twelve o'clock on Monday?
 Mr. HALE. Certainly.
 Mr. HUNTER. l ask general consent to submit Int motion.
 There being no objection, the bill was taken | up.
 Mr. HUNTER I move that it be made the special order for half past twelve o'clock on Monday.
 MT. PUGH Before that question is taken, l thlnk it Is necessary for me to make some answer to the assault of the Senator from Maine. | when was wholly unnecessary, and, I suppose. meant for bis own personal justification pre- | tended to hO lhtormation except from reading the bill. l say the bill does not purport to car ! ry out any contract and therefore anything that relates to q contrac, made or to be made is not 4ermane to the question of taking up the bill As to the rest of 1t, my statement was, that this 1 b'I had been printed by order of the Senate: for asked the Senator from Virginia to have t printed when It was read the second time. in order that might read it. l do not pretend .o learn faster than the committee on finance. but ldo think it would take even the Senator from Maine three TVS to tell us what he knows about Il; and if he was three days in finding it out thought he might proceed to tell us and il we came to any point of difficulty, then the bnl might go over. I have no doubt, from what have heard from the Senator from Illi- nois and others, that it will be debated two or three days; and l can see no object in the lan- suaso ol the. Senator from Maine, except to cover hs own retreat by false attack.
 MT. HALE. Mr. President-
 MT. HUNTER Will the Senator allow the vote to be taken on my motion to postpone, and then have his amen ment printed?
 MT. HALE. l shall not occupy time, but I desire simply to state fact, so that the Senate may see what intended by the amendmeut- by the sixth section of the act of May l. 1920, all contracts on behalf of the government are iorbdden unless under law or appropriation adequate to its fuliiIlment, except for the quar- 'GFihasters 'i department and propose to repeal that exception. That IS the gist of my amend ment
 The motion to make the bill the special order Tor half past twelve o'clock on Monday was agreed to-
 Mir, HALE. now move that my amend. ment be printed
 The motion was agreed to.