The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-19
XLth OONGRESS---Third Session.
SENATE.

SENAIE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-Mr. Morrill,, of Yer
mont, presented petition OF the leading bank
ers and merchants of New York, Philadelphia,
Boston, Baltimore, &C., praying for the enact
ment of a law providing that hereafter all pur-
chases or sales of loans and bonds of the Unit
ed States, on account of the United States,
shall be made by inviting public competition
and thoroughly advertising for proposals; and
all sales of gold for account of the United
States shall be made at public auction by au
thorized officials of the Treasury Department,
at time and place duly advertised. Referred
to the Committee ON Finance.
Mr.. Sumner presented apetiton and remon-
STRANGE of the merchants of Boston against
renewal of the reciprocity treaty.
Other memorials and petitions were present
ed ON various subjects.
Mr.. Sherman, from the Finance Committee,
reported bill legaliZing coin contracts, and
appropriating one hundred and forty millions
annually out of the customs receipts to be APP
piled to the payment of the interest and reduc.
tion from the principal of the national debt in
lieu OF the sinking fund heretofore authorized.
A provision is made for change of legal ten
der notes for five per cent. Ten-Forty gold
bonds Gold is to be issued to the amount OF
coin in the treasury, for the purpose of six per
cent. securities in the city of New York, bu'
the amount of notes shall only equal the
amount of legal notes surrendered for bonds
The last section authorizes banks to issue de
mand notes payable in coin to the extent OF %
less of the present limitation of three hundred
millions.
Mr. ConklIng, from the Judiciary Commit
tee, reported bill to amend the act prescribing
the manner of obtaining evidence in cases OF
contested elections, which passed.
Mr.. Sherman reported bill in regard to the
discharge of poor convicts.
Mr.. Kellogg introduced bill to guarantee
the payment OF certain bonds to be issued un
der the authority of the governments of Louisi
and A rEanS1S for ranairDu the laVpag
the Mississippi River. Referred.
Mr.. Norton introduced bill making grant
of land to the State of Minnesota to aid in i'm
proving the navigation of the Mississippi i'm
mediately above the Falls of st. Anthony.
Referred to the Committee on Public Lands.
The Senate on motion OF Mr. Chandler took
up the bill to regulate the duty on copper, Sc.
which was read as reported from the Commit.
tee.
Mr.. Anthony moved an amendment by ad-
ding on copper in rolled plates called braziers'
copper sheets, rods. pipes and copper bottoms,
eyeets, and all manufactures OF copper shall
be component of the chief value, and not
otherwise herein provided for 10 per cent ad
yalorem. Adopted.
Mr.. Morrill, OF Vermont moved to amend by
inserting after the word Cores" IN the ninth
line the words containing sulphur, and in
the tenth line, after the word therein the
words "and on all copper imported in the form
of ores not containing sulphur two cents on
each pound of fine copper contained therein"
Alter discussion, during which Mr.. Ferry
supported the amendment and Mr.. Chandler
made sharp reply that if the committee con-
tinued to say to the northwest Stop your
mines" the answer would be "Stop your fac
tories,"-the amendment was rejected-yeas 20,
nays 27-and the Senate adjourned
HOUSE.
Bills and Joint resolutions were introduced
read twice, and appropriately referred. By
Mr.. Perham relative to the operation of the
pension laws; by Mr.. Poland providing for the
issue of United States bonds retiring United
States notes, and for free system of national
banking; by Mr.. Poland allowing defendants
in criminal cases to testify; by Mr.. Butler, of
Massachusetts, relating to church property in
the lately rebellious States; by Mr.. Van Horn,
of New York. for the construction OF lines OF
telegraph between Boston, New York, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore and Washington under the
direct IN of the Post-Office Department.; by
Mr.. Barnes to prevent the loaning of money on
United States legal tender notes as collateral
security; also to prohibit banks of issue from
paying interest on deposits except on some
specified time not less than thirty days; by Mr..
Brooks to exempt manufacturers of printed
newspapers from tax the same as manutactur-
ers of other prints; by Mr.. Calls for the ap-
pointment of a select committee on the Ku-
Klux Khan outrages in Alabama; by Mr..
Bingham to admit the State of Mississippi to
representation in Congress- and providing for
the admission of Mississippi whenever the
Legislature snail nave rdCUeu GDo fourteenth
article of amendment to the Constitution, and
declaring null and void the disability imposed
by the third section of article seven of the con-
sttntion of Mississippi; by Mr.. Garfield pro-
viding no commissions as Brigadier Generals
shall be issued until the lumber of Brigadiers
is reduced below eli hit and fixing eight as the
number OF Brigadier Generals after that time;
by Mr. Schenck to distribute the number and
rank OF government employees among the sew
eral states and Territories; by Mr. Arnell to
auIIn or n rnyN -.
of Columbia in Congress; by Mr. Lawrence. of
Ohio providing that after March 4tb. 1859. no
Senator shall be entitled to receive or trans
NIT by mail any letter or mail matter free of
postage.
The an endments reported from the Commit
tee on Ways and Means to the naval appropri-
alton bill were adopted and the bill passed.
Mr.. Butler of Massachusetts, from the Com
mttee on Appropriations, offered resolution
directing the Comptroller of Currency to IN
form the House whether any and what nation.
al banks had been allowed to exchange gold
hearing interest bonds for currency bonds is
sued 10 the Pacific Railroad, and directing that
such exchange shall close till further action of
the House. Also directing the Comptroller of
Currency TO inform the House what banks had
reliuquished their charters as national banks
and were doing business under State charters,
sui retaining their national bank circulation,
with the amount of such circulation outstand-
ing; 1t so. whether any bank had been instruct
ca mat the 29th section of the banking law
limiting the amount of the liability of any per-
son IN the association to one-tenth of its capital
does not apply to the endorsements or collat-
eral llap'htles, or to checks certified as good.
During the discussion which followed Mr.
Delano sald ne believed this an unjust attack
on The Comptroller of Currency.
Mr. Butler retorted that he had made no
such attack, and then said in his Judgment the
Treasury and Comptroller were both paid and
plant servants of the banks and We're doine
the business of the banks. e
After debate he withdrew the portion of the
resolution directing the cessation of the ex
change and it was then adopted.
The House at 3io'clock went into committee
of the whole on the legislative, executive and
judicial appropriation bill, Mr.. Schofield in
the chair, and was addressed by MIR. Wood.
The committee then proceeded to consider