The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-01-08
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
WASHINGTON. in Z.

SEN AIE-TrimeS presented
memorial from the Assistant Pro-
fessor of the Naval Academy for an
increase Of pay of naval officers.
Williams introduced a joint resO-
luton providing for the adjustment Of
the accounts of the Acting Collector
of Internal Revenue. Referred TO
Committee on Finance.
Sumner introduced bill to abolish
the District Court for the Eastern
District of Texas and to extend the
Jurisdiction OF the Court Of the West
ern District over the whole State.
Referre3 to judiciary Committee.
Wilson introduced a bill yacating
certain offices in Georgia and en-
powering the Constitutional Conven-
ton to fill some.
Corbett introduced bill! to amend
the existing laws in regard to the In
ternai Revenue and other purposes.
Referred to Committee on Finance.
Pomeroy introduced bill in regard
to the claims of the executors of the
Indian Chief John Ross. Referred to
the Committee on Claims.
Harland introduced bill TO amend
the act fixing the rights Of volunteers,
as part of the army, so as to give vol
unteer officers their proper rank, in
Guiding the Marine Board. Referred
to the Committee on Military Af-
fairs.
Trumbull called up the joint reso-
luton appointing as regents of the
Smithsonian Institute Theodore G.
Woolsey, of Connecticut; VIM B. As
tor. OF New York; John ncClean,
of New Jersey, and Peter Parker, of
Washington. The resolution was
adopted.
Sumner reminded the Senate that
the bill for the further security of
equal rights in the District OF Colum-
bia, was sent to the President on the
10th of December, and the President
having failed to return it, he now
asked to introduce a bill precisely
similar.
Sherman suggested reference in the
matter to the Judiciary Committee. as
it might be that the bill was now the
law of the land.
After debate On the point by john
son, Edmonds, Drake and Sumner,
until the forenoon hour expired, the
bill was so referred.
A resolution was introduced by
Davis instructing the Committee on
Commerce to enquire into the expe-
diency of regulating fares on rivers
and railroads in the United States.
Referred to the Committee on Com
merce.
The bill to repeal the tax on cotton
was taken up.
Conkling withdrew his motion to
postpone, saying he should, at the
proper time, press the amendment
confning exemption to one year.
The question recurred on John
sons amendment exempting crops
grown in 1867. and remaining In the
hands of producers.
Williams moved an amendment ex-
empting all cotton remaining unsold
in the hands of producers, when the
act takes effect, providing that no tax
heretofore collected shall be refund
ed. Lost.
Johnson's amendment was lost.
The question required on Norton's
amendment, reducing the tax on cot
ton grown after 1867, to one cent.
Conkling moved to amend by con-
fning exemption to 1868.
johnson Frelinghuysen and Pat
terson, of New Hampshire, spoke in
favor of repeal, and Morrill,, of Yer
mont, against.
Davis made a speech of some
length, claiming that if the North
would keep its spoon out of the
Southern dish, the South would soon
be reconstructed, and that free negro
labor had proved failure.
Morton replied that the reason why
the Northern spoon was in the South
ern dish was that the South had once
put its spoon In the Northern dish
The negro might have been made
lazy by freedom, but the evil would
be remedied if the Southern whites
were thereby made more Industrious.
He then proceeded to support the
justice of at least reduced tax.
Howard would support the amend
ment o. the Senator from Indiana.
He could notvote to give to the South
privileges which he was compelled to
deny to his own constituents, and he
inquired of the chairman of the FL
nance Committee whether provisions
had been made for supplying the de-
fcit occasioned by removing this
tax.
Mr.. Sherman replied by instancing
several portions of the estimated ex-
penses of the Government for the
next fiscal yea F, which would be re-
duced. The whole would not exceed
$40, 100000 or $150,000000, so that
Congress might now safely throw off
S1O0, 100000 taxation.
Howard inquired whether that
committee had considered the pro-
priety of disseminating the payment
Of the war debt for the present.
Sumner said that bill to that end