Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-02-04
CONGRESSIONAL.
Concilsisa 81 Yesterdays Proce.diass
SENATE our report closed

:
sEsArB-Afser our report closed
,. In Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation
ing on the motion OF Mr.. Buckalew to strike
out the whole section appropristing SI2,Ou for
NE expenses OF the mixed commission appoint
ed under the treaty Of isS2 with Crest britain.
AZ the suggestion OF Mr. CONFESS the proviso
OF MT. Doolittle was 90 modified that he Pres
ident is requested to make applications to the
British government to whether they obiscf
to the dissolution of the mixed commission
After debate, Mr.. Wnyte moved as a substi.
fute for the prop ostion of Mr. Doolitle tn NJ the
PRESIDENT OF The United States be req ue.ted to
apply to the authorities OF Great Britain 70
agree to terminate that part Of the treaty OF
April, .. 1864, which obliges each government,
to keep up mixed courts, and hen, upon the
consent OF Great Britain being obtsIued. the
salaries Of all the officers of the United States
connected with such courts shall cease Agreed
to by yeas 81. nays Il.
The question was then taken on the motion OF
Mr. buekalew TO strike out the whole clause,
when it was not agreed to-yeas 10, NAYS 81
MT Patterson IN. H y moved ar amendment
tnat IN receiving consular fees the foreign
money shall be taken at the rate provided for
in the treasury schedule. Adopted
MT. Sumner moved an amendment giving the
Minister to the Argentine Confederation. who
Is also acrediied to Uraguay, 5000 additional
salary. Adopted. Also an amendment to ap
propriate SlCO0 tor the repair Of the Protestant
CemetaIy at Acapulco, Mexico. Adopted.
,, MT nj fr lnghuysen offered an amendment
S2.5W per annum shall take effect January I,
1857. Adopted.
Mr.: Ramsey offered an amendment authoriz
ing the appointment nf the Consul at Winni.
peg. Selkirk Settlement, British North Ameri-
ca, at salary of $500 per annum. Adopted.
Mr.. Pomeroy moved an amendment thai
within thirty days from the passage of this act
the services OF all ConsuIs and Commercial
Agents who are not native or paturalIzed citi-
zens of the United States shall be dispensed
with.
After considerable disepse;on tho ,nopa
ment was agreed to.
The bill was then read the third time and
passed
Mr. Stewart moved to take M the Constitu.
tional amendment relative to the suffrage.
Mr. sherman advocated the taking up Of the
Currency bill.
The motion of Mr.. Stewart to take up the
House Constitutional amendment was agreed
TO by yeas IS. nays ~.
Mr.. Hendricks charged the majority with
false play. They had asserted before the PEG.
pie last fall that the suffrage question was to be-
left TO the States. and they had carried the cleo
ton on that pledge, and now this was the Way
they were to fulfil that contract.
The House suffrage amendment was then
read through.
Mr.. Stewart then moved as an amendment
the proposition as reported by him nom the
judiciary Committee. and various amend
ments were offered by indiv idual Senator'S
The Senate then adjourned.
HoUsE.-As our report closed
The S-rgeant-at Arms was before the House
WIFI IuessTS. Scanneil ana Henry
johnson, of New York, two witnesses who
were arrested on q warrant issued by the
Speaker Tor contempt of the House in refusing
10 answer certain questions propounded to them
by the select committee Of the House appointed
to investigate the alleged election frauds in the
State of New York.
Mr.. Lawrence COhiol chairman of the Select
committee on the New York election frauds, Of
fered the following, on which he demanded the
previous question:
..Resolred, That Florence Scannell, now in the
ON du nj y ha - at tk,n kar
the House, be now arraigned at the bar of the
House, and that the Speaker propose t. him the
following interrcgatOries: First, what reason
have You 10 give for refusing to answer before
the select committee of this House tou ching th-
alleged election frauds in New York, Second,
are you now ready TO appear before the commit
The witness said he had refused to answer
before the committee because he had pledged
another person that he would not Re veal certain
things confided TO him. He had since consult
ed " it'll that person, and he was now ready to
appear before the committee and answer.
Mr. Scannell was discharged for contempt
but ordered 10 remain in custody of the Ser
geant- arms.
The Sergeant alarms now brought the other
recusaut witness-Henry Johnston to tn ba-
OF the House. whereupOn
MT. Lawrence (OhiO) offered Il resolution
similar 10 that offered N the case OF Florence
Scannell.
After considerable debate, Mr.. IngersolI un.)
moved that the witness BE- allo wed TO make a
st1tement, so as to purge himself.
Mr.. Scofeld (Pa.J said he had better go be-
for the COMM ttee first.
Mr.. lngersoll (lll.) said he was acting only
in The interest OF justice and fairness. He die
not know the prisoner, but he saw he was a
man, and lie wanted TO give him a chance. H
moved to postpone the consideration of his mo-
ton until tomorrow, after the reading OF the
Journal.
The motion of Mr.. Ipger soil was then adopt-
ed and the two witnesses We're taken into GUS
tody fiom the bar Of the House by the Ser.
geant- arms.
The House then res umed the consideration OF
the bill to authorize the construction OF bridge
across the Connecticut river. The bill passed
MIR. Cook Oil from the Committee on X Dads
and Canals, reported the bill TO authorize the
building of a military and postal railroad
from Washington, ID. e, to New York city
with amendment.
MI Cook said he pres umed that it would be
admitted by every one that the proposed rail
Government and to the public. When the
capital was threatened, not long since, it was
seen how utterly inefficient for the transport OF
troops and munitions of war the single road
now existing was. 1t could not be successfully
denied that the construction OF an air line road
from Washington TO New York would as legiti-
mate an exercise OF power to provide for the
common defence, as the casting OF cannon OF
the establishment of magazines. The proposed
road was necessary IN order to secure the trans
mission Of the mails. II was in the power OF
the managers of the existing line OF roads TO cut
OF all Ostal communication between Washing
ton and New York. The proposed road wa
also necessary To relieve commerce from the
burdens imposed upon it by State legislation.
The State of Maryland required one
fifth of the amount received tor transporta-
ton through the State to he paid into
Its treasu' y-beinE now thirty cents
for each passenger between Baltimore and
Washington. So the State OF New Jersey re
quired the payment of ten cents per passenger
and fifteen cents per ton of merchandise carried
by railroad through that State. He alluded to
the fact also, that within a few months pas
persons passing along the existing route had
been violently assailed for their political views
and beaten and outraged. He then went on 70
argue the constitutionality of the measure. He
did not see how any distinction could be made
between the power to widen and deepen a river
for the benefit Of commerce, and the power to
construct a raIro ad for the same purpose. The
end sought in either case was the same, and the
exercise Of power was the same. II Congress
might deepen Lake st. Clair, It might con.
struct q railroad around IL, if the interests
Of commerce could be thereby better served
1t was too late now to question thu
power OF Congress to create avenues OF
commerce that did not exist before
In this connection, Mr.. Cook presented tabu-
lar statement Of the appropriations made by
Congress for works Of internal improvement
for the last forty years. There was no power
given IN the Constitution to erect Lighthouses.
&c, except the power to regulate commerce