Weekly national intelligencer., 1864-03-24
CONGRESSIONAL.
PRocEEDINGs IN THE HOUSE
Extracts from Our Daily Reports.
THE GOLD BILL.

The House proceeded to the consideration of the amend
nent inserted by the Senate in the gold bill.
Mr. HULBURD offered an amendment to the Senats's
amendment providing that the obligation to creat the
sinking fund according to the act Of February 5 1862
shall not be impaired by the authority of the Secretary
OF the Treasury to sell gold.
claimed require that the sinking fund should be paid
in gold but that the Government should buy in much
Of The public debt AS would amount to one per cent
The amendment of Mr.. HULBURD agreed to.
Mr. IlIGBEE opposed the bill. He did not see what
difference there principle ia the Governments going
into the market with millions of gold in it's hands and
dvduas with thousands and engaging in specnations in
geld. He opposed to the Government thus acting,
and buying up its paper at less than its face value
II we have surplus OF gold let the paid to our creditors
BY this shall sustain the credit of the Govern
ment Let us be faithful to pledges, and apply our
coin as provided by law to pay the interest on the pnb
lie debt. g.rlto
Mr. KELLEY said he opposed to this bill when it
was first introduced fearing it would do harm but,
reflection he had to the conclusion to support it,
By retaining much gold in the Treasury. we lose the
interest twenty two millions of dollars and increase the
price of every commodity to the dermen of the wives
and children of the soldiers E the field and the
nifty atsrge By the sale the gold the effect would be
to decrease prices aud thus confer substantial good
Mr. STEVENS said, by the legislation of Congress- two
years ago. whether wise gold no longer money
in tho actual and practical OF tho word The money
of the nation is that which made lawful money Gold
and Other coin has been demonozed He repeated thai
what we have d. cared money is the standard of value
Not only god but iron and lead have been Increased in
price The of bullion any metal when used in the
place of what have dec red to be lawful money the
exception and the rule He then advocated the past
sage of the bill, arguing that it would afford relief Le
the Government make known that it has gold to sell at
reasonable price, and the Shylocks the Riato will
whettng their knives He desired that overradng
should cfase this made large drains upon gold
Mr.. STEVENS moved the previous question, which wa.
seconded and under its operation the amendment of the
Senate, amended by the proviso of Mr.. HULBURD
agreed to by the following vote:
YEAsMesrs Alley, Ames Anderson, Arnold Ashley John D.
Boutwell, Boyd Brandegee CLARK Cobb Cole creswei
Henry Winter Davis Dawes Dawson DGaney briggs DpnsGt
wold Hooper, Hothkisa II Hubbard albar Jenekes Julian
year, Marvin Mcbride Mcciprf samuel r Miller Moorhe.d Nor
@ p"a Morris & APSs My 1 p Mys 4 q s
schenc, scoheld Smith, spadng,
%a~oh @ Ra ,'ysi wba %sS
"s1 W WDa a%@. cina an anssn @ Bald
H Bliss EoomH r Clay @ 5 Cox Thomas cR DAVIS PsmnE ling
ri. IIerrGk Higsy Holman, uehins Kerna1 Knapp Law Long
%i hFfS IL % Jams Morrison SoS JOHN ss
Pendston Price PTgyn adord Samuel hs.aa Rogers James
Tracy Voorhees, Wheeler, Joseph W. White Williams and Yea
man-57.
UNEMPLOYED GENERAL OFFICERS
The House resumed the consideration Of the bin report
ed from the Committee Military Affairs, to drop from
the roll. Of the army unemployed general officers
Mr. COX offered an amendment, in the form of a pro.
vsc that whenever any officer comprehended in this act
shall demand board of inquiry, and who shall be willing
to such board sha bs convened and il said board
he entitled he shall b ut restored TO active service
with full pay and provided, further, that all officers who
have received be thanks of Congress during the present
shall b. exempted from the operation Of this act.
Mr.. HERMAN also Offered amendment providing for
board to determine to the efficiency OF unemployed
officers, &c.
MIR COX opposed the bill He said that since ID was
last considered Of the officers whom it proposed to
affect have been assigned to active duty leaving not
than twelve thirteen major and brgadier generals
employed 1.-THE bill passed ia its original FORM and these
off a i'm ha "A sta
their characters. BY his amendment Gen. Mcclellan
would be retained because h hid received the thanks Of
Congress That gentleman, he said, had sacrificed his
private interests for the good Of the country but bad
avors to ask from the Republican side Of the House,
Mr. Cox alluded to the story that Generals Mcclellan and
Lee bad private interview after the battle Of Autetam,
and pronounced the statement to be foul SANDER which
had been retcd He charged that it started to in.
huence the New Hampshire elections. Gen. Mcclellan
had any communication with Gen. Lee except to
prisoners and wounded men, all OF which had been cent to
the Department
Mr. FARNswoRTH said that nothing personal was
intended by the bill We have number Of general Off
GERS unemployed, End il not just they should draw
pay from the Treasury 1t dsgrace for them to do
The President made these generals Congress did not
pass a law TO make them He did not understand that
once general always a general 1T was proposed to
hint to the President TO unmake them. He for max
ing the President to deal with general officers with
subordinates II the services of not required
by the Government, they should BE- dispensed with.
Mr. HERMAN was in favor Of dropping the incompe-
tent officers but would have this fact determined by
board OF officers Men, be said had been appointed not
because Of peculiar fitness but because of party services
He said the dropping Of general officers proposed by
this BILL would be u'just He did not sustain Fremont,
but that officer bad friends who had confidence in him
And Mcclellan he had friends who would rally az
they had heretofore rallied around him beat back the
progress Of the enemy He asked whether the dropping
Of these thus summary would not have bad effect
upon the army He in favor of relieving men who
speeches about crushing rebels The North but who
take good not to face The enemy in the field. lie
continued bis remarks at some length,
Mr. GARFIELD wished to state very briefly Whist was
the issue before them We ought by some means To
provide remedy for unburdenpg the Treasury, which
paying officers who rendering public service
And this not the strongest argument AZ matter
clear and sheer Justice tO officers the field the road
heir promotion should be blocked up by those who
performing dut es. All would admit there was
grievous evil He had hesitation in declaring that the
them responsible FIR the unemployment of these
officers The responsibility ought to rest there and no.
| where els, Congress do not command tho armies or
manage brgades They do not assign captains leuten-
ants sergeants duty Congress post
regulate skirmish If men employed or unemployed
il because it IL ordered by the military Commander
Congress cannot say the President you shall assign Nc
Clean or Fremont tn Command, relieve such gene
raj Congress has aht to Interfere with snch matters
Considering the condition Of the country at the time the
commenced he expressed his surprise that few
cicers had been appointed whD proved to be ailures
The President had the discretion to appoint relieve
officers from command aud he sustained him in using the
power As to board for the examination of those officers
he considered 1t mprsctcabe, decisions their quail
hcaion might be prompted by pohcd or personal in6u
ences.
Without action on tn, bill, the House, at FIVE o'clock
adjourned On the next day
Mr.. ASHLEY moved that the Joint resolution reported