Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-06-01
I'hirty-SINth Con.rcss--EirSt Session.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, lNGn

The rise. President laid before the Senate Is co,nmunica.
ton from the Secretary Of the Treasury; in c%omp!ahes
uniting n statement OF the amounts due the serera! CON
tractors for granite and o:her materials already delivered
for the construction of the Treasury building nnd the Gus
tom House at New Orleans and Charleston, with the report
OF the acting engineer in charge OF the Office OF cons'Frc-
ton under the trcasary department, and accompanying
documents, which was read, and, OH motion OF Nr. Ham
lin, il WIS referred TO the committee OH finance.
Nr, Sidrll, from the committee on foreign relations, To-
whom was referred The bill making app, oprlationst 10 facili.
late the acquisition Of the island OF Cuba by negotiation,
reported It back and recommended It's passage, adopting
the report that WAS made At the last session. Nr. :. re.
marked that lie felt satisfied, for various reasons that no
definite action could possibly be had on this bill at the pre-:
sen. session, hut he gave notice that he should avail himself
Of an early oppur ;upI;y to call II up at the next session.
SIR. &. moved that The Senate Proceed to the considera'
ow Of Col. Thomas l.. Harris, which. having been au.snd-h,
was read II third time and passed.
he should submit Il motion TO proceed TO The consideration
OF EXECUTIVE business.
Mr.. Wisfall rose to a personal explanation. lie found In
q pamphlet speech Of Mr.. bingham REMARKS aur.oulc'i !"
him which lie never uttered In The Semitic or anywhere ese.
lie wanted 10 know where the Senator got his authority 70
attribute that language to him:
papcr, anil supposed It was correctly quoted. lie did not
examine The official ropor. In the ,IoSs, rs ne tnoI y se nc
ator from Texas disayowed it, lie would beg his pardon Tor
misreprcsentlnG hin.
Mr.. BInghsn-I cannot state what paper il was. IT was
lone without any intention: TO Hisrepresent the Senator from
Mr., Tiunbull made y personal explanation, taking as
The basis OF his remarks an editorial article 10 the Con-
s,itu.ion'' Of this morning, headed I" Facts to be l.emem.er-
rdr That article had censurrd him for voting against MI
Davis fifth resolution. whereas, II the editor hah read the
full report OF what had occurred, rs contained in the Globe,
he would have seen that he did him injustice. lie was in IL.
yor Of aGorlins protection 10 all constitutional rights, but
the mover Of that resolution included In IL the right to take
he a constitutional right. While he was not opposed to the
ubstrac, proposition expressed In the resolution, he could
not vote for Il rs il was understood by It's friends.
On motion by Mr. Gwln, the Senate proceeded 10 me con-
siJeraiion Of the overland mail bill; md Mr.. Hale having
temporarily Withdrawn Ills pending amendments lr. Lii
than offered R substitute for the BIZ, and explained ns pro,
visions In detail, showing the condition Of the variou, mall
routes to California, and comparing their respective aa'Ah-
tases. u.
Mr. Couamcr made Il speech In favor Of IL. IL was then
postponed until Monday next, when Mr. sumner mas the
Mr.. Lane discussed the Oregon war debt bin. lie was fol-
lowed BY Messrs. Davis and Crittrndrn, who gave their
views on the subject.
Mr. Hunter said II this bill passed means mus. be found
to nav this gratui,y Of four millions Of dollars ard up
wards, and he suggested r new loan.
On ihr conclusion Of his remarks, he offered an nlnehd-
men; 10 that eject, authorizing the Secretary Of the Trea.
suryt to advertise for Il loan to the amount required 10 pc
paid under this net, at a rate Of Interest not exceeding SIX
per cent. per anDum, payable nj the end OF I'VE years, anu
the STOCK to he sold TO the highest bidder.
Mr Simmons WAS opposed TO putting a loan Dill on Tie
war debt bill.
The question bciuc taken, the amendment OF Mr.. Hunter
was not agreed to-yeas II, nays ~.
Tie bill was finally passed as reported from the commit
tee on military aIair5-yeas u, nays u. .
The p~ost.ofice deficiency bill was taken UP, shortly after
which the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE Of Representatives.
Til. House passed the bin for the removal OF the arsenal
from 81. Louis ~ Jefferson city.
Mr.. ren,on reported d blu providing that al. invalid pen
sions shall commence from the date OF the disability, the
object being 10 place all army and navy pensioners on IN
equality, anil remove from Congress the numerous sppllca'
lions continually made for back pay. lie said this inca
sure required abcu, 81 800, 900 for the arrrearase'.
After several efforts to defeat the bill, il was finally pass
ed-yras rs, nays ST.
On motion Of Mr.. Grow, the House Insisted on its u';a
grcemen. TO the Senate'5 amendment 10 the homestead bill.
and asked a committee Of conference.
Mr. linskIn called up the special ord-r, be nG thr reso.
luton, rcpor,eI By him from the committee oil public tI-
prndi,ures, providing hereafter that no person shall be
.I.c,ed prin,er, either to the Senate or House, who is not =
practical printer, and OF fair reputation for sEil and ablli.
is. The printer elected to either branch, to give bona anu
security In The SUM Of Sa5 600. aud the present prices 10
be reduced forty per cenfrin- the resoln'i0- % lsAr euec'
Sir. Isskin, the Chairman OF thu committee on public en-
pendturcs, lwho had investigated the subject q. the PUBIC
| printing! spoke Of abuses Of the present system. lie said
that the contract system has proved an abortion, hence
there was 4 necessity for reform: lie charged the rres:dsht'
together with Attorney General Black, Win having his'rlnu'
ted patronage or profits from the printing OF the post'oihce
blanks, to bolster up and sustain corrupt partisan presses;
mentioning, in ;his connection, The "renn5yiYah'ah,
"Evruiuy Argus and "Cons:ituiion." lie showed the enor'
NOUS increase Of the expense for public printing; and in
conclusion he said that, by the adoption OF the resolution,
rrpurted. the Government would save annuahy 4 huhhfeo
thousand dollars.
Str. Barlslnlc inquired whether Mr.. uaskin did not vote
for printer for Mr.. Drfrees, who authorized Il heclara, on
10 be- made in the Republican caucus which nominated him
that. II elected, he would give half the profits io' election
erring purposes.
Sir. ua.EIn said At The time that he voted Tor Mr. peircrt
he haI no knowledge Of that fact. lie afterwards heard OF
Il through the newspapers. But ih, showed The greater
necessity for the proposed reform. S
The clerk next read the report Of the minority olihe
cnmnitrc-Mcs.rs NindInun and Clorson-Which con
clu!es with q resolution that The contract mace Dy MF.
Ford with Messrs. LIarcomb and English. l. 10 violation o!
The law OF Congress, and declaring the Office Of printer 10
the House vacant.
Mr. Gurley, the chairman Of the committee on pFinting,
advocated the bill heretofore reported er him 10 establish
L government printing office as Q remedy Tor the existing
evils, extravaganza and scandal. Among others, In sup
port Of a government printing o'ace, he q quoted the evidence
Of Mr.. John Heart, the superintendent OF public printing,
Of whom he spoke ~ an able and honest man, and VII"
took singular pride in his profession, with 4 single cyclic
the public interest. He with pleasure bore this testimony
10 Mr. Heart, who is his political opponent. q.
Mr.. Cloptou, of the minority Of the committee on public
expenditures, proceeded 10 oppose the establishment OF n
government; printing Office, on accoun. Of the Increase Or
The executive patronage, and because he was not convinced
,ha, there would be a saving by the adoption OF that plan.
He advocated the letting Of the printing by contract to the
lowest responsible bidder, and defended the President from
Mr. ~llnskin's charge Of %usurpation and. violation OF Law,
saying It came with n bad grace tn charge corruption On
the President, the Attorney General and other, when
tho Republican party, with a single exception, voted
fr a candidate for printer who promised 10 give haf the
profits OF printing for party purposes.
No question vas taken.
The House adjourned.