Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-03-08
CLOSE or The THERTY-NINTH
CONGRESS.
Summary Of Its Proceedings.

! Summary Of Its Proceedings
2 The proceedings of the close Of th
] thirty-ninth congress were like man.
such bodies that have preceded it.
4 great amount of business was crowde'
? into a few days, so much so as to max
l it difficult to tell really what was done
z and until the laws are officially pub
J lfshed it will be impossible to give
correct synopsis of the past weeks work
: We will endeavor, however, Dotwith
standing the confusion, to give a genera
, outline of what was done.
: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1867.
Senate.-Mr. Patterson, OF Tennessee
, presented the proceedings Of the Ten
nessee legislature requesting him to re
sign, stating that he declined to com
! ply. Mr.. Sherman introduced q bill fol
, the consolidation and payment of tbs
| national debt by the issuing Of new
bonds to take the place Of those now
ont. and. to meet future claims. The
J diplomatic appropriation bill was
passed. 1t makes an appropriation fol
the Portugal mission, but stipulates that
none of it is to be paid to the present
minister, Mr.. Harvey. The river and
harbor appropriation bill was passed.
Rouse-Mr. Niblack (dem.l offered q
resolution to confer the elective franchise
on all foreign born male residents within
the District of Columbia, over twenty
one years of age, who had declared their
intention to become citizens aud who
had resided one year in the district OBJ
jeetions being made the resolution went
over. As the blacks had had similar
privilege granted them by congress, Mr..
Niblack thought whites should be granted
similar privileges; but the radicals
couldn't see it. The select committee on
revenue frauds made q report that re-
vealed astounding corruptions among
government officials. The tax bill (in-
ternaI revenue) was considered in COM
mittee. During the debate, Mr.. Rollins
presented a table of the taxes collected
in 1865 from the so-called rebel states.
The tax on cotton amounted to SIS, 900, :
900, and from all other sources 81, 500, 600.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26.
Senne.-Jno. D. Defreres was elected
congressional printer. The army appro-
| priation bill was passed, which it is ex-
pected will be vetoed. The bill to in
/ crease the salaries Of the civil employees
of the government about Washington
twenty per cent. was finally passed. A
/ bill was passed investing military de-
/ partment commanders with enlarged
powers in reference to courts martial.
/ HoUse.-WentwoTth, lrad., of Illinois,
/ made report from the select committee
I to investigate corrupt bargains between
/ the president and members of congress.
1t was miserable failure, and subjected
Mr.. Wentworth to deserved ridicule.
The fortifieatiOn appropriation bill was
passed. The resolution to remove the
naval academy from Annapolis was
voted down.
WEDNESDAY,, FEBRUARY p.
SeRGte-The bill providing for the re-
mOyal of cases from the state courts to
the United States courts, upon petition
and affidavit of inability TO obtain justice
in such state courts, was called up and
passed. The compound interest note bill
of the house was amended and passed.
The house bill, providing for the success
sion in,case of vacancies in the Office of
both president and vice president, was
indefinitely postponed. The general ap-
preparation bill was considered. The SEN
ate finance committee had recommended
that several items be stricken out, among
them the section abolishing the commits
siOnership of public buildings. A spirited
debate arose on this question. Mr.. Wade
spoke against striking out the section.
He was afraid of the president and his
friends, and as this commissioner had
charge of the capitol no one could tell
what he would do in case of a difficulty
between the executive and congress. He
wanted in time OF peace to prepare for
war, and put the buildings in the hands
of the friends of congress by making the
office elective by the senate. Messrs.
Dixon and Hendricks replied. An
amendment to abolish the Office and i'm
posing its duties upon civil engineer to
be appointed by the president, by and
with the advice and consent ef the SEN
ate, was adopted. A resolution ordering
a contract for an equestrian statute
to the memory of Gen. Win
field Scott was passed. A PROPOSE
tion in the general appropriation bill to
pay the assistant assessors of internal
revenue in the south who did not first
take tne iFop- plRd Path before entsFing
upon the duties of their office, gave rise
to a very spirited discussion. Mr.. Sum-
ner addressed the senate in opposition to
its adoption. In the course of his re-
marks he referred to Mr.. Sherman as
having in speech favoring the PROPOSE
ton attempted to cover up crime. Mr..
Sherman, 10 ref, said this language
was parliamentary, it was upgentle-
manly, it was false. Mr.. Chandler trad. |
of Michigan, abused the secretary of the |
treasury at a round rate, for which he !
was taken TO Lask by sir. Fessenden, Mr.. |
Hendricks and Mr.. Lane.
HOuse.-The rent of the restaurant of !
the house was ordered to be handed over |
to the soldiers and sailors orphan home. |
The naval appropriation bill passed. The |
tariff bill, as amended by the senate, vas |
the great subject of consideration. The |
point was the effects of the tariff upon the |
west. The western members contended |
that it Wr,P oppressive to their section.
The eastefn men insisted that a high |
protective tariff was as much of benefit |
to the west as to the east. The debate |
growing very wHrll, ana threatening /
the defeat of the bill, Thsd. Stevens tried |
to throw oil on the troubled waters. He
the sectional character of the
arguments used, and asked why talk of
the east and the west when there were
no such places. It was all America. !
The interests Of the east were those Of
the west, and the interests of the west
those of the east. But the spirit would
not down, when, finally, to choke of the
the debate, the COMMITTEES of the whole
rose, and the house took q recess until
evening. On reassembling the sectional
debate was renewed uEtil the house ad-
journed.
THURSDAY, FEBRlTARY 2e.
Senate The bill ia establish depart
ment OF education was passed. The real
object of this bill is to educate the negroes
and plant yankee sehoOlmasters over the
south. The officers of the department
are to be one commissioner at a salary ps
$1,000 per annum, and fou9 Slerks with
salaries of from $1,000 10 $1,000. A Joint
resolution vas adopted permitting the
secretary of the navy, Mr.. Fox.
and the officers of the Midntouom1A. 10
receive some valuable presents nom the
empsrar of Russia. Among these pre-
sents are snuff-box studded with dia-
monds, the duty on which would be
$1,000, and some valuable books. Mr.
Chandler ap0logized for his blsckguard-
ism of the previous evening". The
amendment to pay thu rsLsi assessors
was sdoptac, Eeas thirty three, nays
The general appropriation bill
was finally passed. The tax bill was !
considered but not finished,
HOitse.-The taTiIi bili was debated fer
some tiiae, when Mr.. Morrill, moved to
the rules so as to discharge the
committee OF the whole from the fusther
of the subject, and to bring
the house to vote on the senate amend
ments. 1t required a two-thirds vote 70
carry this motion, and it was lost
by-yeas l05, nays ca. Mr.. Stevens
then moved to saspend the rules, dis
charge the committee of the whole, and
concur in the senate amendments and
the amendments made by the committee
of the whole. This motion, after debate,
was lost-yeas 102, nays 90. Mr.. MoT-
rill then offered a ioirt resolution
providing ..st tax should be
LEVIED on all goods imported into
the United States, and which are
now subject to duty, an additional duty
equal to-one-tifth Of the snfite amount
Of duty noH pad on such goods.
Sugar, tea, coffee, salt, coal and railroad
iron were made exceptions to the addi-
tional tsx. Mr.. Morrill, moved to sus-
pend the rules that this resolution might
be considered, but his motion was mega
tived by yeas ninety-four, nays seventy
one-two- thirds being required for rs
adoption. SO ths iniQpitbls tarihT bill
was allied for Want Of time to pass il.
a majority Of the house was for It, but
the maiority was not large enough to
suspend the rules go as to put it through
without the customary forms. An
was adopted To the
homestead law relating 10 nnhIia I