Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-05-06
GRAPHIC.
CONGRESSIONAL REPORT
XXXVIII Congress 80 First Session.

AL hGI Ohx
xxxv111 Congress 80 First Session.
WASHINGTON, April %.
SENArE.-The bill for the classification OF
the clerks of paymasters in the navy and for
the graduation of their pay was passed.
Mr.. Fessenden, from the Finance Commit.
tee, reported the House joint resolution in-
creasing temporarily the duties on foreign
imports 80 per cent, with an amendment
substituting 33t per cent. increased on the
present duty, that so excmpting goods in
bond and transit.
The following is the Joint Resolution as
passed by the senate:
Resolred, By the Senate and House OF
Representatives, that until the end of60 days
from the passage Of this Resolution, SO per
cent. of the rates of duties and imposts now
imposed by law on all goods, wares, merchan-
die and articles imported, shall be added to
the present duties and imports now charged
on the importation of such articles, provided,
that printing paper used for books and news.
papers exclusively, shall be exempt from the
operation of this Resolution. tYe
A lengthy debate ensued on the House bill
increasing temporarily the duties on imports.
The amendment decreasing the increase Of
the temporary duties on imports from so to
33t per cent. on the presen! rates, was pass
ed.
The Senate's amendment exempting for
eign goods already in bond and transit from
the temporary duty, was adopted on o separ'
ate vote.
The amendment adopted in the Committee
CT the Whole, !evying an increased tempora-
ry duty Of 33t per cent. instead Of SO per
cent. on the present rate of duty on foreign
imports, was rejected.
The amendment excepting goods in bond
and transit, was rejected.
The House bill was then passed without
amendment, 80 to g., and the Senate adjourn
ed at $50 p. NJ.
HeusE.-The House vent into a Committee
Of the Whole on the Internal Revenue Bill.
Mr.. Kasson offered o substitute for the
l5lst Section, which was adopted. 1t pro-
vides as follows: It shall not be lawful to
record any instrument, document or paper,
unless the proper stamp shall be affixed, and
the record when the proper stamp is not
affixed shall be utterly void and shall not be
used as evidence.
The section stricken out proposed q penal
ty of $50 for failure to afix the stamp.
The Speaker laid before the House an adj
dress to the President from the people of
East Tennessee and the Presidents reply
The address recounts the s~uferings of the
people of East Tennessee and asks for prompt
payment of claims against the Government
and for the establishment of railroad facilities
for obtaining supplies and that the establish
ment of a railroad between Knoxville and
Cincinnati, by way Of central Kentucky,
would be Of great consequence in the present
eme, gency, and estimates that the expenses
and losses incurred in 1851 would have saved
at least So, 0 600.
The President ia reply said he had in his
annual message Of 1861 recommended the
construction of such a road and now with
the hearty concurrence of Congress would yet
be please . to Go so. =.
The Speaker also laid before tho House the
following message to the House Of Rep
sentatives:
In obedience to the resolution Of your
honorable body, o copy Of which is herewith
returned, | have the honor to make the fol-
lowing brief statement, which is believed to
contain the information sought. Prior to and
at the meeting of the present Congress Robert
.. Schenck of Ohio, and Frank P. Blair, Jr,
of Mo-, members elect thereto and with the
consent of the Senate held commissions from
the Executive as Major Generals in the volun-
teer army. Gen. Schenck rendered the resig-
nat on of his commission and took his seat
in the House of Representatives, at the as
sembling thereof, with the distinct under
standing with the secretary of War and the
Executive that he might at any time during
the session, at his own pleasure, withdraw
said resignation and return to the field. Gen.
Blair was by agreement of Gen. Sherman in
command of a corps through the battles in
front Of Chattanooga and in marching to the
relief of Knoxville, in the latter days of De-
cember last, ana of course was not present at
the assembling of Congress. When he SUBJ
sequently arrived here he sought and was al
lowed by the Secretary of War and by the
Executive the same conditions and promise
as was allowed and made to Gen. Schepok.-
Gen. .Schenck has not applied to withdraw
his resignation, but when Gen. Grant was
made Lieut.. General, which produced some
changes of commands and of officers, Gen.
Blair sought to be assigned to the command
of a corps. This was made known the Gen.
Grant and Gen. Sherman and assented to by
them, and the particular corps for him was
designated. This was arranged and under
stood so much as q month ago, but the formal
withdrawal Of Gen. Blair's resignation and
the rsvoking of the order assigning him to
the command Of a corps were not consum-
mated at the War Department until last
week. perhaps on the 23d of April inst, As
a urinary of the whole it may be stated
that Gen. Blair holds no military commission
or appointment other than as herein stated,
and that it is believed he is now acting as
Major General upon the assumed validity of
the commission herein stated, and not other
wise. There are some letters, notes and tele-
grams, orders, entries and perhaps other
documents in connection with this subject
which it is believed would throw no addi
tional light upon it, hpt which will be cheer
fully furnished if desired.
lSignedl ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Mr. Schenck, Of Ohio, explained that he
was elected to Congress white engaged in the
military service, and he had considered for
several months, whether he would take his
seat there or not. At last the time approach
ed when it became necessary that he should
come to a decision. Mr.. Schenck then related
his conversation with the Secretary of War
and the President on the subject. These
gentlemen said that the matter could be ar
ranged so that he could return to the military
service. He rendered his resignation on the
9th Of December last, accompanying it with
asrequest that he (Schenck,) should be re-
lieved from command. He did not now claim
to be in any sense in the military service, his
resignation having been formally rendered and
accepted.
The Presidents message was, en- motion of
Mr.. Dawes, referred TO the Committee on
Elections.
The House then resumed the consideration
of the amendments to the Internal tax bill.
Many of the amendments were offered en-
masse, and others were reserved for seperate
votes. q Tf e
Mr.. Wood offered a new section to repeal