The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1866-04-18
CONGRESSIONAL REPORTS.
xxxrxrH ooNeREss-F1Rsr SESSION
TUESDAY, ArRIL II.
SENATE

vide for the erection OF hre-proof buildings AZ the
sohuylkill arsenal, noar Philadelphia. Referred to
the Committee on Military Affairs. 1T appropri.
ates e46, 900 for store houses.
Mr. Brown asked that petition from citizens Of
Washington In regard to the erection Of q market
house in tho city Of Washington be referred to the
Committee on the District Of Columbia.
Mr. Sprague introduced the following joint reso-
lutioni which was referred To the Military Commit
tee:
Rs,Oyved, &C., That the Secretary Of War be, and
is hereby directed to change the names Of any forts
or Government works Of the United States that arc
now called by the names Of prominent rebels to
names that ne will designate.
Mr. Wilson introduced bill to prevent and pun.
ish the manufacture and use Of false, forged or
counterfeit brands stamps, and stencils. Referred
TO the Committee on Military Affairs.
THE NAVY.
Mr. Grimes introduced q bill TO define the num-
ber and regulate the appointment OF officers in the
navy. Referred TO the Committee on Naval Affairs.
Ut provides for one vice ADMIRAL ii rear admirals
rs commodores, so captains, 90 commanders, $50
lieutenant commanders, $50 lieutenants, 100 en-
signs, and in other grades the number now allowed
by law: Provided That the increases In the grades
below that Of rear admiral and above that Of lieu
tenant shall be selected from officers who have been
efficient and faithful during the And providsd,
also That promotions shall be made from the grade
| next below, and that the number Of roar admiras,
active and retired, shall be limited To twenty
Provision is made for filling vacancies below the
marine corps below that Of colonel oommandant by
selection and promotion by seniority alternately
that Is to say, II the vacancy FIRST occurring be
filled by selection the next must be by seniority, and
| so on: Provided, That no selection shall be made
Of any officer having more than one third Of the
officers Of his grade senior to him the register
| And provided, That such selection shall be made
from officers possessing the highest character and
| professional qualifications, including q knowledge
| Of steam engineering, French and Spanish Ian
i 0ua International law and n claar record for
honorable service. And the Secretary may call o
board Of officers to assist him in case Of Doubt
The Chair announced the appointment Of Messrs
Sherman, Guthrie, and Wilson as the committee Of
conference, on the part Of the Senate, the
luton prohibiting the sale Of liquors in tho Capitol
building and grounds, the amendment made by the
House not being conourred in by the Senate.
Mr.. Wiley presented petition from the German
Lutherans Of Martinsburg, West Virginia, asking
compensation for their church. which was destroyed
| by fire while occupied BY United States troops.
Referred 10 Committee on Claims.
Mr. Comes made . personal explanation in re-
gard to the speech made yesterday by his colleague
mr. McDougalll after he mr. o. had left the SEN
ate Chamber. His colleague had made 4 state
ment Of pretended grievances against him, lMr. c.
and he desired therefore, TO put the record that
he Mr.. c. might have supported Mr. McDougail
in the State convention of 1882 had not the chief
| advocate Of that gentleman been the notorious
Governor Smith, Of Virginia, who was endeavoring
to carry the State Of California for the South,
as to gain outlet for the future confederacy.
Mr. McDougall, who was nominated by this man,
afterwards voted in the House Of Representatives
for the Nebraska act, which was the begin
ming Of the end which we have just seen.
Mr.. Wilson moved to reconsider the vote by
which the Territorial Delegates Of Colorado were
denied admission.
Mr. Sumner hoped the vote would not be recon-
sdered. The word white still remained In the con-
stitution which the convention asking admission
| as q State had framed
After some further discussion, the further con.
sideraton ofths motion was postponed.
The Chair stated that the regular order Of the
day-the bill TO amend tho act relating TO the
habeaJ oorpHs-was now before the Senate.
| NAVAL CONTRACTORS
Mr.. Nye moved to postpone this and all the Other
prior ORDERS and take up the bill to reimburse the
sustained by the contractors of certain iron
olAds.
Mr.. Clark demanded the yeas and nays; which
being ordered, the motion Of Mr.. Nye was decided
in the Affirmative and the bill indicated by hin
wnS taken up, the question being on the amend
ment offered by Mr. Nye to the amendment Of Mr.
Grmes, inserting fifteen per cent instead oftwelv,
per cent. on the contract price as the maximum
amount to DO paid to the contractors.
Mr. Nye addressed the Senate In support Of tn,
bill.
Mr.. Guthrie said no contractors ever expected /,
lose by their contracts. They all acted on tn,
ground that Congress did II was strange that som,
contractors could build ships and make money
while others building the kind of vessels ant
allowed the same money should lose, and com,
here and ask Congress to make large appropria
tions to indemnify them. He (Mr. @. was not II
favor Of establishing any such precedent as thi
bill proposed. He was opposed 70 establishing tn,
bill that the contract price should not govern tina
the cost might be sweled to what they pleased tina
Uncle Sam could bear 1t. He begged Senators no
to establish such principle. It would not do II
private life. They Aould never be done settling
the cost Of this II contractors to be paid
| for the depreciation Of the currency after thei
contracts were made.
, Mr.. Sumner said he was happy to agree with tn
, fundamental principle laid down so clearly by tn,
/ Senator from Kentucky, that the rule must not b.
established that contractors should never lose, bu
he parted company with the Senator In his applica
tion to the present case. If 1t had been in peac
r the Senator would have been right but the time
were exceptional II the contracts had grown GU
. Of period Of peace, he Mr. s should not DO her
to advocate them. He had plead on this floor 70
those who had contributed TO our suooess--the sol
q diers and the freedmen-and there was anothe
/ class which had contributed much to our sue
cess the soldiers, and, he was almost about h
say as much as the freedmen, the mechanics
o They had built and equipped the vessels which ha
50 ohen turned the tide OF battle, and Il was GU
duty to recognise their great and mowentous ser
o vices. My friend on my right Mr. Nyel asks yol
r TO be magnanimous to these contractors. 1 shal
, not ask you to be magnanmous; I only ask you /
be jut. It is an old saying that republics IN
/
l grateful than any monarchy.
Mr. Henderson did not wish men TO suffer VIII
had done so much the Senator from Massaohu
sets Mr.. 6umnerl claimed, but he had no eyidenc
that losses had really been incurred He did no
understand that any obligation rested upon Con
gress To abide by the report Of the committee. II
:. could not vote for the bill.
Mr.. Sherman said II these claims were recognise
there would be end to the claim presented here
The Senator from Massachusetts, Mr. Sumner) ha
spoken Of the claims Of the mechanics. There wa
. no class In the whole country that had less claim
than this, because, owing to the peculiar oircum
stances Of the war, no class was more prosperous
They had had abundance Of work and had bee
; paid handsomely. Their labor had been In deman
on account Of the great drain Of men to the field
. He (Mr. 81 was staggered at the results whic
. would come upon II such precedent as this wa
u established. He knew that some Of these contrat
tors had made large fortunes by other vessels who
they had built but he was not aware that they pre-
a posed to refund any Of this to the Governmen
There might be mentioned claims in this report
y but II Is not Of such character as to induce me
sustain 1t, to vote two millions and quarter on
: of the Treasury. Before this session Is over "
= shall be called upon to vote on the claims of tn
u soldiers, those who have sustained the nationI
honor In the field, to the amount Of over two bur
dred millions for equalization of bounties. We sha
+ be called upon TO vote other claims, and 1t
II my opinion that unless cease In this thing W