The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-12-15

ency OF abolishiDg the offices of collectors,
assessors and other agents of the internal reve-
nue. department. and OF apportioniDg the
amount of tax to be required to be raised from
domestic sources among the States in proper
tion to their population. Referred to the Com
mittee on Ways and Means
By Mr.. Washburne of Wisconsin, calling on
the Secretrry of the Navy for copy of the
contracts made by the bureau of equipment
and recruiting with j. Abeasss ofLisbon, Por-
tugal, for coal, olive oil or other naval supplies,
and for information as to the character of Mr.
Abeassis, with such explanations as may have
been made by officers entering into such con-
tracts. Adopted.
By Mr. Cox of New York, declaring that the
American people learn with horror and indig-
nation of the treatment of American citizens
held as political prisoners under the English
government; that no language is adequate to
condemn such treatment, and urging on the
national executive the imperative duty of i'm
mediate Intervention in their behalf. Referred
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
By Mr.. Sheldon of Louisiana, calling on the
Secretary of War for information as to the pro-
gress made in improving and deepening the
channels of the Mississippi river to the Gulf of
Mexico Adopted.
By MIR. Wilkinson of Minnesota, calling on
the Secretary of State for copies OF correspond
ence with the Russian government as to the
claim of BENJAMIN w. Perkins of Massachu-
sets. Adopted.
resolution was adopted calling on the Sec
rotary of the Navy for copies of the record of
proceedings and all papers, &C., on the sub
ject of line and staff rank in the navy.
Bills were introduced and referred to define
and to extend the jurisdiction and duties of
United States commissioners; to authorize the
Secretary of War to provide for taking mete-
geological observations at military stations in
the interior of the continent, and for giving
notice on northern lakes and the Atlantic sea-
board of the approach of storms; one by Mr.
Homer of Massachusetts, 10 limit ba Eah itxy
of shipowners concerning maritime liens; by
Mr.. Shanks, of Indiana, for furnishing, at the
cost OF the War Department, clothing to needy
and INDECENT soldiers, sailors and marines in
soldiers homes.
Mr.. Ward of New York asked and obtained
leave to have printed and committed to the
Committee on Reconstruction the bill pending
for the admission of Virginia upon certain fun
damental conditions. The conditions are that
the constitution shall never be so amended or
changed as to deprive any citizen OF the United
States OF the right to vote in that State, who
are entitled to vote by the constitution there
of. now to be re-organized, or of the right to
sit upon juries, or of the right to an equal par
ticipation in the school fund and school privi-
leges, as now recognized by the constitution !;
provided that any alteration of such consttu :
tion may be made with regard to the time and
place of residence of voters
Mr.. Schenck of Ohio, presented report from
the agent of the Treasury Department. in Alas
Nd III TtldllOu W luo ulSpOSlGlOu 10 Dc maze OF
the two seal bearing Islands; giving plan by
which it is supposed that 100000 year can
be made by the government from those islands.
Ordered printed and referred to the Commit
tee on Ways and Means.
MIR. Kelley OF Pennsylvania, presented the
memorial of the National Colored Labor Con-
vention, praying that the surveyed public
lands in the Southern States may be sub-di-
vided into tracts of forty acres each and that
any freedman who shall settle on one of said
u. ,11Ix 4 Ia
one year shall receive patent for the same,
the title of said land to rest in the settler and
his heirs, to be inalienable for the period of ten
years from the date of entry; and further, that
grants of public lands made by the govern
ment to railroad corporations of the Southern
States and forfeited by reason of non-compli-
ance with the conditions annexed to such
grants be not revoked but that the lands en-
braced in such lapsed grants may be brought
within the operation of the homestead act.
The House went into Committee of the
Whole on the census bill, and the discussion
was resumed and continued considerable
length on the amendments offered yesterday
by Messrs. Judd of'Illinois and Coburn of In
diana, providing for the apportionment of rep
resentation next August.
Mr.. Coburn withdrew his amendment so as
to admit the test vote to be had on Mr.. judd s
amendment. Finally vote was taken and
Mr.. Judd's amendment was rejected; 81 to &c.
Mr.. Garfield of Ohio, moved to strike out
representatives. He thought it wise to leave
the whole matter of appOrtionment out OF the
bill and let that be reported in another bill,
which could also provide as to the manner
and time of electing members of the House.
Mr.. Allison of Iowa, inquired of Mr.. Gar
field whether he proposed to introduce such a
bill during the present session.
Mr.. Garfield replied that he certainly did
After further discussion the section was struck
out.
Section No. 26, while it requires statistics of
railroad and canal companies and of coastwise
trade and lake and inland river navigation,
having been reached, Mr.. Garfield, from the
Census Committee, offered an amendment re-
quiring similar statistics from express, tee-
graph, fire and marine insurance companies.
In reference to life insurance companies, Mr..
Garfield stated that they based all their calcu-
lations on mortality tables; that they were
more than 100 years old, and that the average
duration of life had increased considerably
since then. Their profits are so great that one
OF the great life insurance companies of New
York had just completed one of the most mag
nificent marble palaces that that city exhibit
cd.
Mr.. Woodward, of Pennsylvania, remarked
that if the statement which he had seen as to
the profits of life insurance companies were
true, the business had become one of the
most stupendous frauds ever practiced.
Mr.. Strong advocated the amendment and
spoke OF the enormous assets of $12 600 000
possessed by nine Hartford fire insurance COM
panies.
The debate was continued at considerable
length, during which sundry amendments were
offered; but the whole subject was brought to
close at 3.15 by the reception of a message
from the Senate announcing its proceedings in
reference to the death of Senator Fessenden
Eulogies of the late Senator were pronounce
ed by Messrs. Peters, Hale, Brooks of New
York, and Dawes of Massachusetts, after which
the House adjourned.