The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-06-12
PROCEEDINGS on THE THIRTY.SIXTH CONGRESS
SENATE.


SENATE
WASHINGTON, June 1l.-Mr. KENNEDY present
ed the credentials of Hon. James A. Pearce, elect
ed Senator by the Legislature of the State O
Maryland, for the term of six years from and afte
the 4th OF March, 1861, which read and or
dered to be placed on fle.-Mr KING presente,
resol lutions of the Chamber of Commerce of New
York, demonstrating against any action by Con
gress giving its assent in advance and without pre-
vlous examination or proper visitation, to am
law thereafter to be passed by any of the severa
States imposing local tonnage duties the navi
gable waters of the United States. Also, from
the same, setting forth that the bill before tb,
House of Representatives for the codifcation O
the revenue laws has been carefully examined anC
that it is found different from the bill to which
they formerly gave their assent and they feel con
strained to say that they regard it as a most i'm
perfect and Objectionable measure.-Mr. BAY
ARD presented petition from ctiz of Delaware
praying the passage of the tariff bill.-Messrs
Clingman, Hale, Chestnut and others presented
petitions against any increase of the duty steel
= Mr.. MASON presented the petition of J. D
| Andrews, late United States Consul to the British
North American provinces, in relation to the com
mercial intercourse between the United States and
those provinces under the reciprocity treaty.
| Mr.. CRlTTENDEN, from the Select Committee tc
whom was referred the bill to provide for the as
certanment and satisfaction of claims of American
citizens for spOliatons committed by the French
prior to the 3lst day of July, 1901, reported il
back without amendment.-Mr. LATHAM was
excused, on his own motion, from further service
on the Select Committee appointed to consider the
resolution of Mr.. Green in relation to the lst
| Comptroller of the Treasury, and the Vice Pres,
| dent appointed Mr.. Pearce to fill the vacancy
| Mr.. WILSON submitted the following resolution,
and gave notice that he should call it up to. NOR
| row morning.
RESOLVED 1.-THE House of Representatives concurring
that the resolution directing the President of the Senate
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to
clare their respective houses adjourned sine die on Mon
day. the 18th inst twelve O'Clock NJ be and the same
hereby rescnded and that the President of the Senate
and the Speaker OF the House of Representatives declare
their respective houses adjourned die Thursday
the 2Sth of June inst, at II o'clock NJ.
| Mr.. HALE submitted the following resolution,
and said that he would call it up tomorrow -
Resolved. That the following be added to the rules Of
the Senate "Rule So. As the Journal is read
petitions Shall be called for and disposed of in doing
which, the President shall call the States alphabetcaIIv
and when all the States have been called then the Pres
dent shall call upon each standing for reports
in the order in which they are named in the 34h rule and
when all the standing committees have been called
then it shall be the duty of the President to call for
ports from select committees" !"
The Senate proceeded to the consideration of the
resolutions reported by the Select Committee who
were instructed to inquire into alleged abuses in
the public printing. The resolutions were read
They recommend change in the mode of exc
cutting the public printing KING contend
ed that the abuses growing out of the execution of
the public printing not necessary.-Mr.
SLlDELL thought these abuses were incidental
and would result under any Admin stration. He
endelIS testimony
oath-unless corrOborated by other witnesses. He
reviewed Mr.. WendePs testimony as to the money
spent IN electioneeriDg purposes, and contended it
was thus spent against the advice of the Admins
tration. As to the Post-ofice blanks, nothing was
paid which law did not allow. He admitted that
something was wrong but neither the Post-ofice
Department nor the Senate Committee was able to
ascertain how it was done until very recently
There had been no violation Of law on the part of
the Executive officers and of the Post-Ofice De-
partment.-Mr. KING controverted this last
atement.-Mr. SLIDELL admitted that some
subordinate officer of the POst-otiice Department
must have known Of these abuses, but neither the
President nor the PoStmaster-General knew any
thing ofthem.-Mr. KING contended that these
abuses resulted from gross misconduct the part
OF the officers OF Government and that his amend
ment to strike out the word necessary" should be
adopted, because he did not believe the abuses
would necessarily grow up under an honest admin
istration-Mr. KINGS amendment was lost by
yeas "a, nays 25.-The first resolution was agreed
to.-Before the final disposition Of the subject
Mr.. TOOMBS insisted upon taking up the order of
the day. being the Civil Appropriation bill, which
was taken up and discussed at some length
Numerous amendments were adopted, among which
were Sl5O,000 for the Charleston custom-hou
100000 for the New Orleans custom-house; $780,
600 for the extension of the Treasury building.
S2OO,OO0 for the Capitol extension, and $500 900
for the completion of the Washington Aqueduct.
MIR. FITCH submitted an amendment modify
ing the contract with Gales d SeatOn for the pub
Gcatisn OF the American State Papers which led
to a long debate, but finally it was adopted
Another amend ment was adopted appropriating
quarter OF million of dollars for a new Jail in
Washington. HALE moved to amend bv
inserting appropriation of 100000 to recon
struct the Senate Chamber, so as to bring in the
windows on the north and west sides.-His
amendment was rejected.-The Senate then ad-
journed.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Mr.. Beale was appointed a member of the
Committee on Indian Affairs, to fill the vacancy
| Ah al l,o Al
Hale appointed ON the Committee on Roads
and Canals, and Mr.. Blair was appointed member
of the Committee on Public Lands in the place of
Mr.. Barrett.-Mr. SHERMAN offered resolu-
ton regulating the calling for the reports and Civ
ing the general appropriation bills the preference.
MIR. BRANCH opposed it, on the ground that
it would enable the Pacific Railroad bill again to
be brought forward, involving the consumption of
additional time. The resolution was adopted -
Mr.. NlBLACK, from the Committee on Patents
reported the Senate bill with an amendment for the
amendment of the patent laws.-On motion of
Mr.. HOARD, its consideration was postponed till
the second Wednesday of December neXt.-Mr.
ASHMORE, from the Mileage Committee, made
an adverse report on the bill, referring to it
repeating the act regulating the compensation of
members of COngress.-Mr. HATTON, from the
Committee on the Expenditures of the Navy De-
partment reported back the resolutions referred to
1t in February last, and recommended their pas
sage.-The resolutions declare tbatthe Secretary
of the Navy has with the sanction OF the President,
aDuSeu MS discretionary power In the selection OF
coal agent, and for the purchase of fuel for the
government; that the contract with Mr.. Swift, for
llve-oak timber, was in violation of law; that the
distribution OF the patronage of the Navy Yards
among members of Congress is destructive of dis
cpline, and injurious to the public service; that
the President and Secretary of the Navy, consid-
ering the party relations of the bidders, and the
effect of awarding contracts pending elections, are
deserving the reprobation of this house, that the
appointment of Daniel B. Martin, member of the
Board of Engineers, to report proposals for the
construction of machinery, he being pesonally in
terested therein is hereby censured by this House
MIR. BOCOCk said these resolutions were re-
ported at the last Congress by minority of the
Select Committee, since which time no additional
testimony has been taken, and he was sure that
but few members of this House had read the evil
dence then taken, covering thousand pages.
He submitted whether, in fairness, matters of this
Importance should thus be hastily acted upon, it
involved high constitutional principles Besides,
the Secretary of the Navy wishes to make com
munication to the Committee.-Mr. HATT0N said
he directed on the 21st of May to make this
report, but did not succeed in obtaining the floor
till this morning. He certainly did not desire 10 act
the subject and he presumed there was scarcely
a member who had not read to considerable extent
the proof on which the resolutions were based
The amendment pending from a former day, tD re-
duce the compensation of a certain class of post
masters, was, after debate, ,rejected-Mr. SHER-
MAN submitted an amendment, which was agreed
to, authorizing the Postmaster General to cause
the mails to be transported between the United
states ana any 1orelgn port or ports, or between
any port of the United States to another, touching
at foreign port, by steamship, allowing and pay
ing for the same, if by an American vessel, the
sea and inland postages, and if by foreign vessel
the sea postage nly; provided that preference be
always given to American over foreign steamships
when departing from the same port for the same
destination within three days of each other.-
Among other amendments agreed to, on motion of
Mr.. COLFAX, from the Committee on the Post
office, were the MISUNDERSTANDING the appro-
priation for clerks at the various post-Oces from
$3.50 900 to $500, ,000 reducing the salary of the
special agent in California from So, 900 to 81 600 per
annum; requiring postmasters to distribute to their
owners all ne wspapers for clubs sent to one ad-
dress, and reducing the charge for carrying letters
in the city from two to one cent.-In the
event of the revenues not being sufficient to sus-
tain the Department during the next fiscal year,
then 200 are appropriated for deficiencies.
The Committee rose, when the House concur
red in the above and other amendments and passed
the bill.-The House then went into Committee
on the Fertilization Appropriation bill-Mr.
HUGHES offered an amendment appropriatng
$40 900 for the fort at Annapolis but it as ruled
out of order.-After short debate the Com
mittee rose, when the bill was reported without
amendment, and passed.
The House re-assembled at o'clock, and took
up the Navy Appropriation bill.-An amend
ment was adopted of S470,000 to meet the require
ments OF the bill recently passed increasing the
pay of the officers of the navy about 25 per
cent.-alr. L0VEJOY said he wanted the
vessels to rot. If they were sunk COM
merce would receive injury. 1t was
time the appropriations for them should cease
running debate kept up on the clause ap
propriating S2,500,000 for the repair and equip