The Portland daily press., 1869-04-09
XLIst CONGRESS First Session.
SENATE.

Mr.. Trumbnll, from the Committee on tn
the Judiciary, to which the Presidents mes
sage OF yesterday had been referred, made re
port recommending that its consideration
should be postponed until the first MONDAY II
december. He made this report, ne saiu' "
direction of the Committee,
Mr.sConklipg from the Committee on Com
merce reported the bill for the announcement
of yachting, ETC., with an amendments IN tne
nature OF a substitute:
Roads, reported, with amendments, the bill il
relation to bridges across the Ohio river; also
with amendments, the House bill to establish
certain post roads.
merce, reported, without amendments, the
House River and Harbor bill.
Mr.. Wilson introduced a joint resolution
authorizing the President to appoint com.
mission to make surveys across the Isthmus OF
Darlen, for ship railway or ship canaI. ne
ferred to the Committee on Foreign heiauons.
Mr.. Sherman offered concurrent resoiutlou
to rescind the resolution to adjourn Saturday
A long debate ensued by Messrs. howard,
Sumner, Stewart, Conkling and others.
The resolution was debated until tne eH :pnas
ton of the morning hour, when as unnnished
business. the bill to amend the act imposing a
tax on distilled spirits and tobacco, ana Tor
other purposes, was taken up
M. Sumner moved to postpone it for the
purpose of disposing OF the pending resolution.
r..
upon that resolution uutil the time fixed for
the adjournment should be near. He was op-
posed to resembling the resolution to adjourn
on Saturday, but was in favor Of providing for
the submission of the Constitutions of Virginia
and Mississippi to the people of these States,
which he thought could be done between now
and Saturday by the passage OF the joint reso-
lgtion:
The motion to postpone the unfinished bust
ness was lost by vote OF 20 to 30.
The Senate then proceeded to CONSIDER the
bill: and several minor amendments reported
from the Committee on Finance were agreed
to.
Mr. Sprague spoke at length, warning the
people against the policy, which, If permitted
to continue must reduce them to servitude
and ruin. He also gave rebuke to the press
TOR not always being engaged in promoting the
cause of freedom and justice. He denied that
he intended to run newspaper, and made a
general statement of what he would do if he
were President. He then read an argument in
advocacy of his bill to provide for loaning the
public money. Toward the conclusion of it he
summed up his views Of the dangers of con-
centrated capital in single proposition name
ly: Nothing is more vicious and cowardly than
five hundred thousand dollars unless it is a
million. This proposition he illustrated by
the history of great monied family in Rhode
Island, which controlled the politics and most
of the business Of the State, SO that when they
took snuff there was great sneezing all over
the State, and which he said attempted to in
1ure his character as a manufacturer, by in
spring the paragraph in his colleagues paper,
to which he (Sprague) had replied the other
day, and by saying to persons who controlled
some of the capital heretofore employed by
him: "Sprague is very much extended; =
"Sprague is investing in the South; "Sprague
is doing very great business" All this with
shake of the head which shook the heads OF
all around, and which was much as to say that
they did not really know how it would come
out
At this point in Mr.. sprague's speech, Mr.
Anthony said he would like to ask him ques-
tiop. But Sprague declined to yield, and said
notice my colleagues desires to put ques-
ton to me. He understands to whom refer,
and the people of Rhode Island understand.
will not be catechised by him, but will an
swer whatever he sees fit to say
Mr.. Anthony then took the floor, but yielded
to a molten to take a recess from till z 3d.
The House bill TO authorize the submission
of Constitutions to the people of Virginia and
Mississippi was laid on the table,
At 4.40 the Senate, on motion of Mr. Fentdn,
went into Executive session.
EVENING SESSION.
Mr.. Wilson, from the Committee on Military
Affairs, reported the joint resolution for the
protection of soldiers and their heirs, which
was amended and passed. 1t provides that
bounties shall be paid or sent by the agents of
the ROV6TuIueub ulf6CG 10 Ln6 SOlul6rs OF C06lr
heirs who may be entitled to them, without
the Intervention of claim agents.
Mr. Wilson called up the resolution to place
Gen. Heintzleman on the retired list, which
was passed.
Mr. Anthony resumed the floor and replied
to Mr.. Sprague. He could be silent, he said
under bis colleagues explanations of exploded
schemes of finance and his long extracts from
history and biography, and disjointed COM
ments upon them. He could be silent under
personal assaults; but he could not promise to
be silent when some of his most respectable
constituents were insulted and maligned in the
Senate. He then eulogized the family referred
to be Mr.. Sprague. They had no connection
with the Providence Journal except as read
ers. The richest family in Rhode Island, no
one had ever heard them boast of their wealth.
The largest manufacturers in Rhode Island,
and probably in the country, no one had ever
heard them vannt the establs ments they had
built up or the variety and perfection of the
facrics which they produce. Nor did theil
prosperity depend, as his colleagues did, upor
the crushing out of all smaller competitors. LII
conclusion, he ridiculed the style and manner
of his colleagues recent speeches, and said tina
notwithstanding the dreadful condition of oul
national affairs, with MIR. Sprague as a leader
in finance, Mr.. Colorado Jewett in diplomacy
and George Francis Train in general states
manship, there was still hope for the country
(Laughter.)
Several other amendments were made to the
pending bill, which now goes to the House tol
concurrence.
The Senate passed the House bill making
appropriations for the improvement of river
and harbors for the fiscal year ending June 30
1862
Mr.. Morton moved to take up the joint reso
luton for the payment of the Senators from
reconstructed States, which was lost.
Mr.. Trumbull called up the bill to punisl
the holding of Office in violation Of the 14tl
amendment.
Mr.. Thurman moved to strike out the secont
section of the Judiciary Committees amend
misdemeanor, punishable by fine, imprson
ment and disqualification from holding office
and opposed it as Furnishing men for opinion
sake.
Mr.. Trumbull defended the section as dis
qualifying none not already disqualified by tn
18th amendment.
Mr.. Davis also opposed the section as de
signed merely to crafty revengeful feeling q
human nature.
Mr.. Fessenden, from the committee of con
ference, reported the Indian appropriation bill
as agreed upon. The report was concurred in
Messrs. Howard, Thurman and Morton fur
Their discussed the pending bill until quartz
past 10, when, on motion OF Mr.. Trumbull,
was postponed, and the Senate concurred il
the House amendments to the bill to ament
the judicial system of the United States. Ad
journed.
The question in reference to the President
message came up. After debate it was referre
to the Reconstruction Committee.
The House then proceeded to consider tn
report on the contested election cases from tn
Sd and 4th Congressional districts of Sout
Carolina.
After statements by Mr.. Cessna and som
fillibustering by the Democrats, the resolution
reported by the Election Committee, declarin
Hoge entitled priaG fdciS to his seat as Repre-
sentative from the Sd Congressional district G
South Carolina, was adopted, and Hoge sworl
in.
Mr. Butler of Mass, from the Reconstruc
ton Committee, then reported bill author
izing the submission of the Constitutions Q
the people, and authorizing the election G
State officers and members of Congress.
Mr.. Paine offered substitute.
The original bill was explained and advo
Gated by Mr.. Butler, and the substitute wa
advocated and explained by Mr.. Paine.
Mr.. Farnswortb argued for the original bill
and against the substitute
After some discussion, Mr.. Garfield offere
an amendment which Mr.. Paine accepted, an
withdrew bis that the vote should be take
either on each of the designated provision
alone or in connection with other portions
the Constitution, as the President might d
rect. The amendment was agreed to-
Mr.. Garfield in order to show the unanim
ty of the House on the subject, called for th
yeas and nays on the passage of the BILL
The vote was then taken. The bill passed
yeas 1A, nays "a.
Mr.. Lynch introduced bill to amend th
national currency act. Referred to Commute
on Banking and Currency.
The House then took up the contested cleo
tiop case from the I'd District of Louisiana, th
majority report being that L. A. Sheldon