Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-19
XXXiXTH CONGRESS.
G GOVERNEdENT REWARDS
The POstoahce Appropriation Sill.
CONTRACTORS FOR IRON-GLADS.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, April IS. 1866.
"RINDERPRST"
, Inc Chair laid before the Senate communication
from the Chlet OF the Bureau of Agriculture in re-
sponse TO the resolution of the Senate concerning he
rlnaer9est or cattle plague Laid on the table and
ordered to be printed.
oeoar lsGn presented several petitions from army
ocer d G & asking an increase Of pay which were refer
Feu 10 the committee on Military Affairs
BREyET APPOINTMENTS.
- MT sherman offered a resolution REQUESTING the
f b 10 communcate to the Senate the report
OF the Military Board which sat at St Louis on the
which was adopted.
INDIAN TREATIES
On. motion of Mr.. Dooiittle the joint resolution
agotis+ an to enable the President
hgsotiate treaties with certain Indian tribes was
making treaties with the indians. . ''e"i VI
Mr.. McDougall said the Indians should be ybipped
INTO good behaviour and not bought An Indian
should earn hls bread by the sweat of bis brow as
much as any other man.
ing expired the special order being the bill to amend
the act relating to the habeas corpus,
6y common consent the special order was laid over
informally. " "a
The consideration of the joint resolution was then
proceeded with. 1000
Considerable discussion took place particir.tad ~
py MeSsrs; Doolttle, Sherman, Ramsey and Nesmth.
MIR. Doottle explained that it was better to treat
impossible to overtalle them on tho immense plains,
and the cost Of maintaining troops on the frontier
was enormous.
The joint resolution having been read three times
was passed.
CONTRACTORS FOR IRoN-CLAps
Ino special order being the bill to reimburse con-
tractors for certain iron-clads for losses incurred in
fulhIlng their contracts, was then taken up the
pending question being on the amendment of Mr.
Nye 10 insert hteen per cent instead of twelve in the
amendment of Mr.. Grimes
Mr. johnson addressed the Senate in support of the
bill: He said that Poole & Hunt, of Baltimore. had
built the machinery Of the Mackinaw and it was
acknowledged that the machinery as good if not
better; than any before manufactured. Poole i
hunt mad not sought this contract but had been soli
cited to ia it. Everything had gone up so amazing
" after the contract was made that they incurred
their own labor and time, but only asked to be reim
bursed for the actual additional outlay, Some of the
Claims 81 t9sTe contractors we're not just but others
the Committee asked, but would vote for fifteen per
cent
ton OF the bill was then postponed until tomorrow
GEN. HANCOCK.
/. On motion of Mr.; Wilson. the House joint rcsolu-
u9n TO extend the thanks Of Congress to Major Hen
Winfield Scott Hancock, was taken up and passed
unanimously.
NATIONAL ASYLUM
On motion of Mr.. Wilson, the joint resolution an
pointing managers for the National Asylum for disa
bled volunteer soldiers, was taken up and passed
= . PoSToFFICE APPROPRIATION.
On motion OF Mr.. Sherman, the PoStofice appro-
pra0n bill for the fiscal year ending June 30 1867
was taken up and read and certain amendments re-
ported by the committee were agreed to.
MIR. Henderson offered an amendment that no
money shall be drawn from the Treasury to nav the
salary OF any postmaster after the adjournment of the
Senate, whose nomination has been rejectei or NOT
consented to by that body.
Mr. johnson said that it had always been the prao-
tce OF the government that officials whose appoint
ments have been rejected shall be paid up to the tine
Of the adjournment Of the Senate.
Mr.. Henderson said his amendment was not in
tended to interfere with that practice but only to
prohibit the payment of any salary after the ad-
Mr.. Nesmith asked if persons who had been reject
ed could not be reappointed and thus draw fheir
salaries.
MIR Henderson-I do not know.
MIR Trumbull hoped not, as that would make the
amendment OF no value. If the President had the
power 10 reappont any persons whose nominations
use to pass the amendment. | think it ought TO be
SO worded as to put it out of the power of any per
sons appointed without law to receive the money of
the people
The further consideration of the bill was then post
poned.
HABEAS CORPUS,
On motion of Mr.. Clark. the bill to amend the act
relating to habeas corpus was taken up.
number of amendments were made.
Mr. Edmonds offered an amendment exceptinr
from the provision of the BILL acts done in States
represented in Congress, and where martial law did
Mr.. Edmonds said that while he was willing TO
protect all officers of the Government who acted hon
esty In the discharge of their duties did not think
lJust to extend complete amnesty for acts done in
the loyal States and where martial law did not pre
yall. de did not think it right that men who had
ing redress In the time of that King who was ed
the first gentleman of Europe and who was the worst
monarch, the British Parliament had passed a law
not execute it.
Mr.. Cowan said he was much struck with the re-
marks 0tthe Senator from Vermont (Mr. Edmonds.)
Were they to throw the mantle of oblivion over ali
acts done by military officers during the war; when it
IS vel! known that many of these acts instigaed
by private malice? He thought that loya men in t
rebelhOuS States should not be prevented from obtain
ing redress if they had been wronged. 1t was no
merit to be loyal in New Hampshire or Pennsylvania,
W m an VyaS HIsp pyal bar
have been suspended to lamp but in the South
1t was an evidence stern virtue and heroic courage
Does this bill exempt any military officer who has
committed malicious and unjustifab BILE outrage per-
hapS from private animosity, from the
to which the law would subject him? Ifit does then
TINS Senate OF the United States the very last
body on earth where such proposition should be
entertained lie would like to have this bso framed
that no innocent man should be prevented from oh
tanning redress, and no officer who had acted Impair
italy and honestly in the discharge of his duty should
be harassed by suits in State courts
Because a rebellion had existed in one part of the
country, that was no reason why military officers
should override all law in another part of the coun-
Mr.. Clark hoped the amendment would not be
agreed to- 1t limited the provisions of bill to these
States. where the habeas corpus was suspended and
officers in other States who had obeyed the orders Of
their superorS, were to take their chances of civil
suits The provisions of the bill were then explained
by Mr.. c; In one single State aState which had no.
seeded, he had been told that there were now
pending over 5000 suits against loyal men, who had
assisted to put down the rebellion One of the courts
6y loyal ohcer was no bar to suit, and that one
from rebel officer was.
Mr.. Johnson-What authority have you for the
statement?
Mr.. Clark-The authority of the member of Con-
gres for that district who was in the court and heard
it. He Mr. c. surprised that such proposition
should come from the Senator from Vermont CMr.
Edmonds but not at all surprised that it should
be endorsed by the Senator from Pennsylvania. (Mr
Cowan)
Mr.. Edmonds hoped the amendment would not be
dshonored if it was good because of the poorness
the endorsement. (Laughter)
Mr.. Cowan trusted his endorsement would not in
jure the amendment.
M, Nye-Whhat good will it do it,
Mr.. Cowan-The Senator from Nevada has shown
that he thinks it is of some good.
Mr.. Mye, never ask the endorsement of any one,
in the habit of coming from Vermont Continuing
his argument, some side talk took place between him
and Mr. { Gowan in which certain latin phrases were
used. Inc chalr IMr. Pomeroy) Gentlemen will
address their remarks to the chair.
Mr.. Cowan, will, when 1 don't talk latin.
Mr.. Clark resumed. His mantle of patriotism was
sufficiently broad to cover all loyal men from respon-
sibiliJy for acts done in pursuance of their duty.
Mr.. COnness merely wished to say that when al
most universal amnesty extended to unrepentant
rebels, he thought it not unreasonable that protec-
ton should be extended to the gallant defenders of
Mr.. Edmonds said that passionate legislation al
ways returned to plague those who enacted it. In
our hasty zeal to protect class of the community
let US not inure another class. Let us protect them
by Indemnity, not by an arbitrary edict. He was as
anxlous as any one to protect the loyal of the
country out ud not tnlnk any true friend OF gal
liant soldiers would wish such bill this to pass.
Mr.. Howard spoke briefly in support of the BILL
and opposed the amendment of Mr.. EdmOnds.
Without dispOsng of the amendment, the Senate
went into executive session, and at its conclusion
adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
GOVERNMENT REWARDS.
The Speaker laid before the House communica-
ton from the Secretary of War. transmitting the re-
port Of the Commission appointed to adjudge the
claims Of parties to the rewards heretofore offered for
the apprehension of the assassin of President Lin
coin and his accomplices, and the capture of jeff
Davis The Secretary says that while some of the
findings may be excepted to by the claimants, he
nevertheless calls the attention of Congress to the
awards. The proclamation for Paynes arrest. of
April 10, 1865 is considered substitute for the
OF the day BEFORE and the parties are therefore
decided to be entitled to half of the named in
the two Offers which is ten thousand dollars.
The Commission next state that it is observed that
before the date of the reward of April 20 1866 there
were then IN the custody of the Government of the
conspirators and accomplices of Booth-besides
Payne, Surratt, Mudd, 0'Loughlin, Arnold and
Spanger The cases of the arrests of these criminals
alluded to not clearly made within the terms
of the offer of that date, and it has been concluded
the apprehension of one of the FIVE named (whO had
already been arrested on suspicion, though subse-
quenty ascertalned to be cOnspiraors) are entitled
to any reward. In the of Atzerott specific re-
ward was offered and the fact that he was taken on
the dayit offered should not it is conceived
exclude his captors from the reward and they are
declared entitled to the $4,000 offered.
The Commission then add that the rewards in aues-
ton payable generally follows: To the parties
who effected the arrest of Booth, the sum of
those who arrested Herold 5 00 to those apprehend
ing AtZerott S2 000 to those who furnished any in
n pf