The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-01-17
XL.h 0oNGREss-seoond Session.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Jan. lb-A communication
was laid before the Senate from Hon. Edwin
NJ. Stanton, Secretary of War, in compliance
with the resolution of April 9th 1867, trans
uniting list of volunteer officers in the mill
tary service, with their rank and present duty.
Referred to the Committee on Military Affairs
and ordered to DE printed.
The bill exempting cotton from taxation was
taken up.
The House having nonconcurred in the Sem
ate's amendments, Mr.. Sherman moved that
the Senate recede and substitute an amend
ment providing that raw cotton imported from
foreign countries after July next, be exempted
from duty. This was laid aside for the time.
Mr.. Sumner presented a petition of citizens
OF WaldOboro', Mass, in regard to the rights
of citizens abroad.
Mr.. Williams, from the Committee on FL
nance, reported bill relating to United States
| notes, re-enacting the legal tender act and
| providing for contracts payable in gold. BY in
structon of the committee he moved to lay it
| on the table, as not proper in their opinion at
| this time. Agreed to.
| Mr.. Fessenden introduced bill to change
| the terms of the U. S. District Courts in the
District of Maine. Referred to the judiciary
| Committee. Also a bill to reorganize the
| Treasury Department. Referred to the Finance
| Committee.
Mr.. Fessenden said Congress had been APP
propriating money yearly to increase the COM
| pensation of officers. very Objectionable
| system, but he was satisfied that they would
| lose some of the most important officers in the
| department whose services were essential, if
| their salaries were not increased. Iu his opin-
| ion the salaries of many should be increased.
He hoped the Committee would give the mat
| ter their earnest attention, so that the bill
would become a law in some shape at the pres
| ent session.
On motion of Mr.. Chandler the Senate re-
| sumed the consideration of his motion to refer
| to the Committee on Commerce the resolu-
| ton in regard to the appointment of retired
naval officers as Consuls or Vice Consuis.
! After debate Mr.. Stewart moved to lay aside
the subject, and take up his bill for the estab-
lishment of school of merits.
After considerable discussion on points of
| order, the morning hour having expired, the
President announced as the special order of
the Senate the bill to supply deficiencies in
| appropriations for the execution of the recon-
| structon laws, etc.
The Finance Committee reported an amend
ment increasing several appropriations passed
by the House. The amendment was agreed
| to.
On motion of Mr.. Henderson the special Or
der was postponed for the purpose OF allowing
Mr.. Stewart to explain his bill, which he did
at some length.
The special order was then resumed. Other
amendments reported by the Finance Com
mttee were agreed to- Also an additional sec
ton repeating the law under which the Presi-
dent is authorised on application of the Sec
rotary OF the Department to transfer monies
appropriated for any particular branch of ex-
Mr. Sherman moved to add the following:
And all acts and parts Of acts authorizing such
transfer of the same be and are hereby repeal
ed. He thought it better to strike out the
whole system of transferring appropriations,
and then let special cases be presented for sep
arate action. The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Trumbull moved to insert at the end of
second section, and no money appropriated for
one purpose shall hereafter be used for any
other purpose than that for which it was APP
propriated. Agreed to,
The bill was then passed in Committee of
| the whole.
| After some further verbal amendments Mr..
Davis moved to strike out that portion of Sec
| ton one providing for defraylng the expenses
| of carrying on the work for more efficient
| Government in the rebel States viz: For the
| first military district $4,000, for the second
$4,000, for the third $97 900, for the fourth
$150O00, for the fifth $4,000. Rejected.
The bill was then passed as previously
amended.
The Senate than, on motion of Mr. Drake,
provided for adjournment until Monday.
Mr.. Wilson called up his bill for the gradual
| reduction OF the Army of the United States,
so as to make it special order at the next
meeting, and it was then laid aside.
Mr.. Howard made motion to go into exec
utiye session, but Mr.. Sherman said it was de-
| sirable to have vote on the bill for the repeal
| of the cotton tax, upon which Mr.. Morrill, OF
| VT, spoke inlopposition TO the motion of Mr.
| Sherman to recede from the Seuate amend
ment combining the repeal to one year, saying
the Senate had sustained that proposition by
| a large majority.
Mr.. Conkling made few remarks to that
| purport, when he yielded to Mr., Cameron who
| renewed the motion to go into exec utive SEES
| sion, on the ground that several important
| matters were to be considered there.
The motion was carried, and the Senate held
| an executive session until about p NJ, when
| they adjourned.
HOUSE.
A resolution was introduced instrpctipg the
| Committee on Library TO inquire into the sub
| ject of international copyright, and of the best
| modes for the encouragement and advance
ment of cheap literature, and the protection of
| authors Adopted,
Mr.. Elliott offered a resolution directing the
| Secretary of the Treasury to communicate his
| Information concerning contract made ill the
| spring of 1866 with Henry l.. Wells, for the re-
moval of distractions in the Savannah river.
| Adopted.
Mr.. Banks presented the proceedings of the
| public meetings at North Andover and Law
renee, Mass, and resolutions OF the City Gov
eminent of Lawrence in relation to the ponds
of foreign bondhoders, and gone to build up n
great oppressive foreign corporation.
After some debate the bill passed.
| Mr., Beaman, from the Committee on APP
preparations, reported that the committee hav-
| ing had under consideration the estimate for
| the annual appropriations required for the Ag=
| ricultural Department for the current fiscal
| wear, mad arrived at Inc cOuclusIOH tndL HQl
| one of the items tLerain stated was properly .
deficiency, most of them being for unsettled
claims against the department, which, if con-
tracted for at all, were contracted without au-
thority of law. He moved that the claims be
referred to the Committee on Claims, and the
report be laid on the table, and it was so Or
| dered.
| The bill extending the time for the compile
ton of the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad
| was taken up.
| Mr., Hubbard explained it,
Mr. Washburn denounced it as another
scheme of plumber to be put through under
operation of the previous question. He OPP
posed the principle of giving land grants for
railroad purposes, and said 81 900 900 acres had
peen given to Iowa, and in response to aEquery
from Mr. Hopkins, said nearly 100000 acres
mad been given to Illinois, and it had been a
cause Of the State having passed into bank
ruptcy.
The Speaker presented several executive
communications, two OF them from the Secre-
tary of War.
l On motion OF Mr.. Garfield the latter were