Cleveland tri-weekly leader. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1854-1885, 1863-01-13
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
Capture Of MatamOFas by the
French.
FROM SAN FRANCISCO.
CONGRESSIONAL.

SENATE.
Mr. Wilson gave notice of bill to consolidate
regiments in the field, also TO facilitate the
turn of absent soldiers to the army.
Mr.. Tr1mbull moved to take up the bill for the
Reorganization Of the Court ofClaims.
Mr.. Hale hoped not. He was opposed to any
legislation not looking to the salvation Of the
country. The bill was taken up and considered
until the expiration Of the morning hour, when
on motion OF Mr.. Wilkinson the bill for the dis
charge Of State prisoners was taken up, and he
proceeded to address the Senate.
Wilkinson spoke at some length, replying to
Saulsbury's speech made on Friday last. The
bill was then postponed until tomorrow
On motion Of Mr.. Davis the bill TO raise vOlun-
teers for the defence of Kentucky was taken up
aBd the pcndizes aEaazaElIzaant- of Mr. Harlan
allow the President to raise 10000 men in any
one State was rejected.
Mr.. Clark thought the bill better be postponed.
He moved to postpone it for one week. The
motion to postpone was rejected and the bill
passed, yeas ., nays Is.
Mr. Rice called up the bill to reimburse the
State Of Minnesota for expenses incurred in sup
pressing the late Indian hostihtes. After a dis
cussiOn Of some length the bill was postponed
and the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr. Aldrich offered the following resolution:
ResolUed That the Committee on Military AZ
fairs be instructed TO inquire into the eXpedieney
and necessity Of giving bounty lands Of AGO acres
10 each soldiers in any regiment. That said land
be located on any cOnfscated rebel plantation as
soon as the rebellion is crushed. Passed, CO to
SO.
r.
Judiciary was instructed to settle the disputed
question of the rights of land ofthe Pnget Sound
Agricultural Company.
Mr.. Davis offered aresoluton, requesting the
President, if not the incompatible with public
interest, to communicate to the House what au-
thority or instructions has been given to General
Dix, in Virginia, and General Butler IN LOUisi-
ana, and General Stanley, IN North Carolina, or
any Of them concerning the election Of Repre-
sentatives to this House, in their States.
Roscoe Conkling suggested that the enquiry
include Governor Phelps, Of Arkansas, and Gov
ernOr Johnson, of Tennessee.
Mr.. DAVIS had no objection than that no cleo
ton cases from the two latter States had come
before the Committee. The resolution was
adopted.
on motion of Mr. F. A. Conkling, it was re-
solved, as the sense Of the House, that no cred-
tors Of the Government are so mertouous as
the soldiers Of the Union, and that no more
money should be paid to any civil officers Of the
Government until every arrearage due to any
regiment in the service has been fully paid.
Mr.. Stevens introduced bill setting forth that
the terms for the enlistment of soldiers will
soon expire, and as it is expedient to have SOL
diers whose constitution is peculiarly fit for the
Southern campaign. Therefore, be 1t enacted
thai the President is authorized and required
to raise, equip and organize 10000 persons of
color, of aforesaid descent, to serve five years,
as artillery, infantry and cavalry, 10 receive IS
per month, the non-commissioned officers, SO,
together with rations, &c, one-haH to be set
aside for the use Of their families and in case
no families, the money to be retained for them
missioned officers to have the same pay as those
in the regular army. Company officers may be
either white or black, and recruiting stations
may be established in the North or South
Mr.. Cox, Of Ohio, moved to lay the bill on the
table.
Negatived. Yeas So; nays SO.
On motion Of Mr.. Stevens, further cOnsidera-
ton was postponed until Wednesday OF next
week.
Mr. May, OF Maryland, offered the following
preamble and resolution:
Whereas, Maryland has been proclaimed a loyal |
State, and
Whereas, Slaves escaping therefrom into the |
District Of Columbia after heng remanded to jail
TO await reclamation by their owners, have been |
taken from the custody of the marshal by the |
military authorities in destruction Of their rights
Of property, and in violation Of the solemnity and
guaranteed rights of the people Of Maryland ;
therefore,
ResoIUsd That the committee on Judiciary be
instructed to ascertain the facts concerning the
same, and report the result Of their investigation
at an early day, and such legislation as will put
an end to these unlawful and unconstitutional
proceedings.
Resolved, That copy Of this preamble and res
olution be transmitted to the President in order
that he may see that the constitution and laws
are executed in this district which is under his
per- onal observation and authority.
Mr.. Fessenden moved to lay on the table. Car
On motion of Mr.. Thomas of the select COM
mittee on emancipation, 1t was instructed to in
quire into the expsdiency OF making an apprO-
priation to aid Missouri in a system Of emanci-
patton and colonization Of persons Of color now
in that State.
On motion of Mr. Brown of Virginia the same
committee was similarly instructed in refer
ence to the bill to aid the State Of Western Vir-
ginia in the emancipation Of her slaves
The House then went into committee OF the
whole on the bill to provide ways and means for
the support ofthe Governmet.
Mr.. Stevens offered his substitute for the bill
Of the committee ofwsys and means as hereto
SnsnIding said. IN The course of his speeeh.
that the Government now required one hundred
millions of dollars before the bill could be passed
into law, and the notes which it authorized en-
graved, fifty millions additional, will be required
within the neat twenty days. The whole amount
o. gold and silver ia all the banks Of the loyal
States did not, on the first day Of January, e1-
ceed Ss7,OOO,OOO. Even if the Secretary Of the
Treasury could procure every dollar of this 1t |
would not be enough to pay so cents on the dol |
lar Of the liabilities Of the Government. 1t was
therefore, perfectly plain that even this compar-
ativey small sum Of $4,000, 900 cannot be paid |
in coin. Itwas no fault Of either the Secretary
or Congress. The coin cannot be obtained. 1t
was simply an impossibility. There was no plan |
to geti According to the old maxim we cannot |
do as we would. We should do rs we can.
The Secretary has paid out S250,0Oo,0 600 legal |
tender notes Although the Secretary has au-
thOrity to sell S5OOO00OO0 of per cent bonds he
has only sold s25 $50 600, leaving the remainder
to be disposed of at the market price. The rea-
son why the bonds had not been sold was be
cause there was no redundancy Of currency. Our
soldiers in the field should be pad. They can
not be expected to perform their duty cheerfully
yvhiia sI,ty know rneIT families are almost starv
ing for the means Ofliying. Imperative neses-
sity requires that payment to them should no
longer be delayed. lfthe Secretary cannot raise
money on the bonds, other authority should be
given him to meet the liabilities.
He then examined into the financial condition,
showing that 81 III, 100000 were required for the
current services.
He argued TO show that the money required
could not be obtained by loans, and hence the
necessity OF passing the bill reported from the
committee OF ways and means now under con-
sideration. The only hope Of success in any
financial scheme was in military success. After
some further remarks the committee rose and
the House adjourned.