The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-20
XLth OONGREss-Third Session.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19-The- President laid
before the Senate the reply OF the President of
the United States to Mr. Ferry's resolution OF
inquiry in regard to the legal authority upon
which the late proclamation of amnesty was
issued which was read.
Mr. Ferry said that he regretted that the
message had made an indefinite reply to the
inquiry made in the resolution. The Presi-
dent had confined himself to indicating au-s
thority and precedents for the exercise of par
doning power which he (Ferry) never thought
of questioning, but the light of the executive TO
grant general amnesty was quite another cues
ton in regard to which no light was given by
the message.
Mr.. Corbett presented memorial of the cit
liens of Washington Territory against the
submission of the question of ownership OF
San Juan Island to arbitration, stating neither
the honor nor interests of the United States
will admit of further surrender of rights Mr.
Corbett SAID the views OF the memerialists
were also bis Own. The memorial was refer
red to The Foreign Committee.
On motion of Mr.. sumner, the committee
on Foreign Affairs was discharged from fur
Their consideration of the message of the Pres
iden relative to affairs in Japan; the appoint
ment of MIR. Burlipgame, as Chinese Ambas-
sador; the act prohibiting our representatives
abroad wearing diplomatic costumes; the pro-
posed amendment to the law regulating coolie
trade, and the resolution to inquire into the
designs Of foreign power upon the governmental
Mr. Abbott Introduce a bill to amend the
act granting lands To aid in the construction
of a railroad and telegraph line through Mis-
souri, and Arkansas 10 the Pacific Ocean. Re-
ierred. - s,z LII
Mr.. Conklng introduced bill amendatory
of the act to protect the right of actual settlers
upon public lands. Referred to the Committee
Public Lands b. 49,. -
Mr.. C"nness introduced bin to provide for
line OF U. S. steamars between New York
ard Europe. Referred to the Post Office Com
mittee.
Mr.. Cole introduced bill relative to the Sc
curities of national banks. Referred. q"
Mr.. Thayer offered the following Joint reso-
luton as an amendment to the constitutions
No male citizens OF the United States, q years
of age and upwards, shall be deprivedupf the
right TO vote at any election held by the peo-
pie Tor National, State. or Municipal State of
ficers, or for representatives in Congress, un-
less guilty of crime of which he has been duly
convicted by law. The resolution was laia on
the table.
TIE Senate then resumed the consideration
of the copper bill. $500
Mr.. Sumner moved to amend it by inserting
sulphate of copper or blue vitriol, among the
articles on which the duty should be a fine OF
ten cents per pound. Agreed to.
Mr.. Sumner moved to amend by admitting
duty free sheet copper TO be used for sheath
ing ships when imported in American vessels.
Opposed by Mr. Chandler and rejected-14
against 80. y-
A long debate ensued on the propriety of re-
committing the bill, which terminated in refu-
80 against is to recomnit
Mr.. Wnyte moved to amend by allowing i'm
portation free of duty of foreign carbonates to
be used in smelling in the proportion Of one
ton to two tons of native ore. -az
Mr.. Vickers moved to amend the amend
ment so as to leave such carbonates still sub
ject to duty of five per cent. ad valorenl
Mr.. Whyte accepted the amendment, and
tten his amendment modified was voted down
=! 1,
cep'ing from provisions of the bill all copper
in course of transit to this country and actu-
ally on shipboard on the 10th of January, 1869
which was adopted-yeas 36, nays "a. 80
Mr.. Whyte moved the act go intoieffect from
April 1St. RPiected-10 against %. The bill
then passed, all the Senators present voting in
the affirmative except the following: Davis
Dixon, Ferry, Fessenden, Grimes. McHenry
Sumner, Trumbull, Van Wrinkle, vickers and
White.
Besides the provisions in the amendment
above reported, the bill imposes all copper
imported in the form of ores, three cents Oh
each pound of fine copper contained therein
on all regulus Of copper, four cents on each
pound of fine copper contained therein; ON all
old copper, fit only for communicative, foul
cents per pound on all copper in plates, bars
ingots, pigs, and in other'for1s not manufac-
tured, or herein enumerated, five cents pei
pound. .... .s-... Z
Mr.. Howard moved to take up the centra
branch of the Union Pacific Railroad bill.
Mr.. Edmunds moved to take up his resou-
ton in regard to payment of the national
debt.
Mr.. CONFESS moved an executive session
which was done at 445, and soon afterwards
the Senate adjourned. ~,
HOUSE.
Mr.. Robinson endeavored to get the foo,
that he might offer resolution gi wing the USE
of the hall of the House to George Francis
Train, but a regular order of business was in
sisted on. 4-
Mr.. Kelley, of PENNSYLVANIA, addressed the
House 10 oppo-ition to a resolution for print
ing 100000 copies of Commissioner Welles' re
port. He did not think that that report should
receive such an endorsement. He did not see
how the American Congress could send such a
report broadcast over the country; 1T was a re-
port tul of figures and ingeniously marshalleC
so as to lead to conclusions false, delusive and
damaging TO the country, and damaging es
pecially to that Congress which had carried
the county through the great struggle through
which it had just gone; he did not mean to say
the figures were IN themselves false, but h
dld mean to say they were so detached from
thelr corfelatives as to lead to conclusions ut
terry at variance with facts familiar to all.
Mr.. garfield said it seemed to him that Mr.
Kelley had gwen away his case when he start
ed out with admitting the general correctness
of the figures. What wassthe fault which the
gent eman louhd win the Commissioners re
port? The matter was contained in a nara
graph on page Is, stating that the cost of liy
ing, food, clothing and shelter of families II
this country was 70 per cent. higher than /;
was before the war, while the wages of unskill
ed labor had increased only so per cent, an(
skilled labor so per cent. Was Congress to re
fuse TO print that fact because 1T might no
square with it's theores2
Mr. Jencks favored the adoption of the reso
luton and availed himself of the Opportunlt
of showing the necessity of the passage OF tn
civil service bill, by referring to the statemen
of the Spt cial Commissioner OF the Revenue
that owing to the positive dishonesty OF gros
inetiiciency of great number of subordinat
officials in the Government service, the Gov
err ment had lost last year At least S75,000,00
from internal revenue
After further debate the resolution wa
adopted
The House resumed the consideration of tn,
bllt reported by afr. Ashley, of Ohio, from the
toumttee on Territories, 10 preserve the pu
rIty OF elections in organized territories Of thu
United States. The bin passed 81 to 56.
PROVIDES Tor the appointment of four canvass
erS IN eaeh county, two from each politica
party, ana makes detailed provisions for tn,
conduct of elections / -
Inc house then proceeded to the bushes
on the Speaker's table, and disposed thereof a
follows: senate concurrent resolution reyiy
ing the Joint committee to revise and fig tn
paw of thu officers of both Houses: nassed :
The Senate substitute for the Heuse hill