Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-12
XXXTXth Congress
WASHINGTON, April II.
HOUSE.

| HOUSE.
| Mr.. HOLMES, of New York. presented
a resolution of the Assembly of tn,
New York Legislature, declaring that the
action Of the New York Senators on tn,
Civil Rights Bill was approved, and request
ing the New York Representatives to vot.
for the bill, notwithstanding the Presi-
dents veto.
Mr.. WARREN, of Connecticut, made 9
personal explanation relating to his absence
when the vote was taken on the Civil
Rights Bill. 1t was his understanding that
he was paired with Mr.. johnson, of Penn
| sylvania, wo was absent on account of sick
ness. If he (Warner) had been present he
should have voted most eheerfully for the
bill.
Mr.. ELLIOTT, of Mass, from the Com
mittee on Commerce, reported back tho
Senate bill to authorize the issue OF Amer
lean registers to the steam vessels, Mich
| igan, Dispatch and W. X. Miner, with
an amendment, applying to dozen Lake
steamers The amendment was agreed to,
and the bill passed.
Mr.. WASUBURNE, of Indiana, sud
| WASHBURNE, of Mass, and Messrs. DE-
LANO and THORTCN, presented a large
number Of adverse repOsts from the Com
mittee Of Claims, which were laid on the
table.
Mr.. briggs, from the Committee on Pub
lie Lands, reported back the bill to estab-
lish Lend Office in the Territory OF Idaho
which was considered and passed.
Mr.. SCHENCK, from the Committee on
Military Affairs, to regulate the pay of the
army, and asked that it be postponed, and
made a special order this day fortnight, and
until disposed of. 1t was so ordered.
Mr.. DAVIS inquired of the Chairman of
A
bill was reported to increase the compensa-
tion to paymasters, while the country was
burdened with Indebtedness, without even,
so far as appeared, any solicitation on the
RnTt of those for whose benefit it was de-
ned. He thought there was no precedent
for such legislation.
Mr.. HOTCHKISS entered his protest
against the passage of the bill. The office of
pavmaster was a volunteer office. Men en-
tered into it knowing exactly what their
compensation was to be. This bill should
not be passed for the sake of incompetent
paymasters who may have lost money on
account of Irregularities, and as to compe-
tent paymasters many of them have made
small fortunes, if not large ones, by the
office.
Mr.. LEONARD wanted to know how
much it would take from the treasury.
Mr.. SCHENCK did not know, but expect
ed that payments had been made irregular
ly in the field. Instead of making fortunes
stOppages against them amounted to TWEEN
ty-five millions. There were five or six
hundred of them.
Mr.. DARLING calculated that as each
paymaster would have some five thousand
dollars it would require an aggregate sum
of two and half millions. He asked why
the naval payuasters were not included
H. -rzFW III
ranked as majors and received three thous-
and dollars year. They had been able to
keep fast horses and perhaps fast other
things. Laughter Large amounts of
government funds held by these men had
been used in Wall street for specializing
purposes. The naval paymasters on the
other hand had gone through the perils of
war and received only fourteen hundred
dollars per annum. Their responsibilities
had been quite as great and the personal
risk great deal more. He was willing to
see justice done to all, and did not wish to
see any class legislation.
Mr.. BINGHAM sent up an amendment
providing that this allowance should be
set off against steppages. He mentioned
the case of paymaster who had in good
faith paid $4,000 to an Iowa regiment, who
was not entitled to it.
Mr.. WASHBURNE regarded the amend
ment as simply offering a premium to pay
masters ignorance or faults. No stop
page was on record against any paymaster
except for negligence, fault or crime on his
part. Without the amendment the bill sim
ply proposed to increase the pay of paymas-
ter's, not in the future but for the past five
years. Why? Was it because their pay
was not sufficient in the first place, or was
it because $500 a year was not enough
The grade had been the best in the army
and # he attended to his duty as he should
have done, he received better pay than any
other officer in the army.
Mr.. BUNDY, of Ohio, offered resolution,
which was adopted, reciting that William
Mercer, of Ross county, State of Ohio, had
furnished seven sons and one grandson to
the army Of the United States during the
late rebellion, some of whom were minors,
and killed, or died, in the service; and that
said Wn. Mercer and his wife were aged
and infirm, ard that they were without the
means to support themselves in
their old age; the resolution instructing the
Committee on Invalid Pensions to inquire |
into the prOpriety Of placing the name Of
William Mercer on the list Of inTalids and |
pensioners.
Mr.. DAWES, of Massachusetts,, offered a |
which was adopted, directing the |
Judiciary Committee to inquire whether |
any legislation was necessary to make |
shares in national banks liable to attach |
ment, or to lovy execution under State law |
for the payment of debts of the owners.
Mr. ECkLY, of Ohio, offered a resolution, |
which was adopted, iHstructing the Com |
mittee on Military Affairs to inquire into |
the expediency of allowing three months
extra pay to returned prisoners who surviv-
ed the fate of the steamer Sultana, the same |
as other returned prisoners are allowed.
Mr.. RICE, of Ne, offered a resolution re-
citing that morning paper announced the
fact that the Manhattan Club of New York
proposed to give to James Brooks a public
dinner next Monday, and that Messrs.
and Stockton were expected to be
present, and resolving that the Chairman Of
he Committee of Elections and such other
members of that Committee as may be in
vited shall be granted leave of absence to
attend such meeting and dinner. (Laugh-
Mr.. HARDING wanted to move an
amendment, but RICE withdrew the reso-
ution.
Mr.. IN6ERSOLL rose to a personal ex-
Dlanatiou and stated that he was represent
ID in the Baltimore American as having
been engaged, the other day, in making
iilatory motions to prevent vote on the
,ivil rights bilL He disclaimed doing so,
leaving the credit of such motions to his
friend from Wisconsin
The House went into a Committee OF the
Whole on the bill reimbursing Missouri for
,quipping militia. 1t aPProPriates S6,775,-
700. The Appropriation Committee report
m the amendment reducing the amount
=. 600. After considerable debate, several
amendments were made by which Board
If Commissioners to examine into the facts
IF the case was provided for.
Mr.. LOAN made an hours speech, de-
falling the history OF the circumstances
7vhict formed the basis of this claim against
he C Jvernment-
NJ. WASHBURNE, of Illinois, agreed
witl his colleague (Wentworth) that the
bill should have been referred TO the Com
mittee on Claims. 1t was nothing but
claim ofthe State Of Missouri He proceed
ID to discuss the history Of affairs in Mis-
souri, during the war. he yielded to Mr..