The national Republican., 1867-12-12

ing to officers Of The army disuisssd or osshisrsd
BY sentence Of court t-msrtial; and which pro
hibits the restoration Of such oficsrs uniess they
shah Be subsssosntly confirmed By the Senate.
Mr.. NibiAok, of Indiana, asked n the bin
ives TO BE- retroactivs or prospective.
Mr.. Garfield replied that u must be pro'pso-
tive OF course.
Mr.. Nibiaok said he was led TO ask The quss.
tion because u vas supposed that the bill was
to effect Gen. Flti John Portsr's case.
After some further discussion the bill was ~,
committed
Mr.. Banks, Of Massachusetts,, from the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs, presentsd . letter
from the Secretary Of STATE in answer to . reso.
lution Of the House In relation 10 the trial Of
American citizens In England. The oommuni.
cation simply relates TO tho copying Of certain
documents. Reeommitted.
Mr.. welker, Of Ohio, from Committee on Re.
trenchment, reported q resolution directing the
heads Of department TO transmit the amounts
paid 10 clerks and employees Of their depart
ments.
Mr.. Washburne, Of Illinois, from COMMITTEES
on Appropriations, asked to be discharged from
the consideration Of the petition Of D. b French,
a,king certain compensation for services In the
Office Of Commissiouer Of Public Buildings.
Committee discharged.
| A number Of bills Of q private nature were
reported from committees, and the committees
were discharged from their further oonsidsra-
tion.
Tbo.speakor presented q communication from
the officers Of the Washington Monument Asso-
citation, asking an appropriation for the build.
ing Of the Washington monument. Referred TO
the Committee on Appropriations.
The House then resolved itself into Committee
Of the Whole, Mr.. Dawes, Of Msssachusstts, In
tho chair.
| N, W..kk..- .sw,..o..,, ..o..a.a A.. -
dress tho House In relation to the recent pur-
chase Of territory, and be condemned at length
the purchese Of st. Thomas and Of Russian
America. He rsad from geography and from
books Of travel. Ho contended that the pur-
ohases were utterly useless, and could be Of no
benefit TO the United States ALASKA was = bar
ren waste, and he would vote no money for It's
purchase and the fact thatths Senate had rsti.
hed the treaty would not induce him to vote for
an appropriation. The Secretary Of State had
transcended his authority In making tho pur-
chase, and he thought the House should rsbuks
him and all future secretaries, by refusing to
make an appropriation. II this sxtravsgancs
was to be pursued he did not want his constitu-
ents TO blame him.
Mr.. Pruyn, Of Now York, said hs had no
doubt but that all Mr.. wsshburn said Of Alas.
ka's barrenness was correct, but he eontendsd
that as the treaty was ratified, good faith re.
quired an appropriation.
Mr.. Maynard, Of Tennessee, asked Mr.. wash.
burn whether he would be willing that England
should take this territory OF our hands and keep
II for herself
Mr.. washburn asksd how Mr.. Maynard know
that England wanted It,
Mr.. Maynard said he supposed that she would
take II, from her known grasping desires and her
propensity to gather up all the property under
the sun.
Mr.. wsshburn replied that this country was
not under the sun (lsughterl and he doubted
whether England wanted II.
Mr.. Broomall, Of Penn, next claimed the
floor. and addressed the House upon the hnan.
cial question. He concluded that there was no
obligation to pay the United States 20 bonds
in gold, and argued that they all had been ne.
gotisted In currency In the Art instance, sndso
statement or opinion Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury could have the effect to bind the Gov.
ernment to the payment Of the loan in gold
The people who took the bonds, no doubt, OF.
pected to be paid In gold, or its equivalent, but
they expected an early resumption Of specie
payments.
IN continuation Mr.. Broomali argued that ths
present holders. who had purchased tho bonds
from third parties, and not from the Treasury
or Its agents, could not have expected, when
they purchased the bonds, that they would be
paid in gold. He was. however, opposed to Mr..
Butler's theory, and argued that II tended Ia
imitation, " not directly TO rspudistion, and
I argued that the enactment Of . Law such as wal
advocated BY Mr.. Batter would lead to repudia.
tion. The road toward specie payments is not
an easy road, and must only bs reached through
privations. 1t Is an impractieable theory that
our currency can reach the value Of gold and
} the only question Ia the time and manner Of rs
turing to specie payment He believed thers
was q redundancy Of the currency, and he would
T contract 1t gradually, commencing first with the
legal.tenders. He would not have contraction
l ID "a L.. q L..
the Treasury, but In such way as TO meet the
requirements Of trade. He knew that ther,
was q difficulty to be met here in advocating
contraction; for there was q great pressure fol
expansion, but he would, nevertheless, hope fol
q return Of that opinion which would prevent
further initiation. The bond-holders and th,
gold gamblers are clamoring for expansion, an,
he believed all the obligations Of the Govern
o ment could then be paid.
n Mr.. Washburno, Of ILL.,, referred TO some re
}. marks Of his colleague (Mr. Ross) on Saturday
4 in which tho latter advocated further issue Q
greenbacks, and he oontended that his col
!. leagues policy, II carried out, would be ruinou
L to the laboring man. He proposes to Issue mil
Q lions Of unredeemable ourrency-uttering II, q
he calls it-and he (Mr. Washburns) wanted Mr.
/. Ress' constituents to know what he advocated
| Let the gentlemans scheme be carried out, an
a We would have $500. 900, 900 Of bridesmaid
currency, and a terrible depreciation Of the oui
o rency would ensue, and he would again Zoo
y the country with worthless shinplsstsrs an
J. wild cat currency. We would then be In th
d condition Of the robels as to finances, when /
10 extricate themselves from q difficulty the
10 passed law to wipe out some Of tho curronc
10 previously L. sued.
10 His colleague Mr.. Rossl professsd 10 hay
10 great sympathy for the poor soldiers and widow
T. Of his district, but he Mr.. Washburne) unde
IN stood that sympathy, and would ask him whel
y that sympathy was when he voted against q
as bills to support the war. He may satisfy Il
re soldiers Of his district with a deprecated GU
ID rsncy, but the soldiers Of his (Washburne'
,e district did not want 4 deprecated currsne
The banks in Mr.. Ross district are 10 favor
IN imitation, and for that reason he advocates
10 further issue Of rag money. The honor al
e. faith Of the Government must be maintaine
d. and repudiation or depreciation Of money W
I'd not the principle Of the State Of Illinois, n
no true 1llinoisian, in view OF the past histo
q Of his State, would dare to advocate repudi
10 tion. His (Mr. W.'s) policy would never bs I
g q robberyof his people by an inaation Of cr
a. rency. He would resist all extravagance, as
always had done, and resist all schemes for pu
r. lic plunder.
The committee then rose and the House,
., 435, adjourned.