The Portland daily press., 1870-04-23
NEW S
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS.
XLIst CONGRESS---Second Session.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, April 22-Mr. Sumner, from
the bill to pay Mr.. Mckenzie $44 900 in addi-
ton to $4,000 already paid him for defending
Fenian prisoners.
The Senate then took up Mr.. Chambers
resolution, directing the President to appoint
commissioners to open negotiations for the an
nexation of the Winnipeg district as a terri
tory or State.
Mr.. Chandler said he had offered the resolu-
ton in the interest of peace and good will, and
proceeded to show the reasons upon which the
negotiations should be commenced; first, that
the Government had shown its rights to nego-
tiation by maintaining itself for time against
all attempts for its suppression; second, that
our own free republic, which had invited the
whole world to come in and occupy the entire
continent, could not continue the theory if q
dominion on our borders that was part of this
continent belonged to q crown; third, the in
jury inflicted upon us in the haste of the Brit
ish Government to acknowledge the rebels as
belligerents upon the breaking out of the re-
bellion and her spoilations on our commerce
during the war must now be paid and made
good. His friend from Massachusetts, tSum-
ner) might apprehend that the Alabama claims
would be complicated by this proceeding. His
answer to that was that he lChandler) had
long since put on record against the British
ing north of the United States of $1,000 ,0O0-
900, one half the expenses of our war. The
time had not yet arrived for foreclOsiDg the
mortgage, but we would now proceed to col
lect the interest Mr.. Chandler continued, re-
marking that Great Britain never could, and
we never expected her to pay the claims in
court, and that the United States Government
now simply proposed to her that if she would
relinquish her title to any part of our CONT
nent we would forgive her debt. Her title to
It was based entirely upon the fact that the
discoverers had raised the British flag upon it.
She had the right of conquest, but that in
volved only the right pnssessed by the con-
quered, and not one lOta more. II might be
said that in the purchase of Louisiana from
the French we had virtually acknowledged
this right, but the nation then was weak; to-
day, instead of purchase, we would merely say
intolerable nuisance and they must leave. So
with Canada; now that that dominion had be-
come an intOlerable nuisance. Is-.as+ to-day
to protect our northern frontier from SNUG
while our treasury. suffered from that cause to
the extent of $.0,O0O,OOO year.
The discussion was terminated by the refer
ence of the resolution to tho Committee on
Foreign Relations.
A bill was passed repeating the act of Feb.
%, 1903, which, Mr.. Sumner stated, was the
last act on the statute book connected with
slavery. 1t prohibited the importation of per-
sons of color into certain States.
The bills to pay deputy collectors and asses
tors and assessors the salary of the latter, and
to protect members of Congress from the i'm
portunities of Office seekers were indefinitely
postponed.
The invalid pension bill, appropriatirg $780,
100000, was passed.
A bill to prevent counterfeiting foreign trade
marks by treaty stipulation was passed. 1t
gives foreigners the right to prosecute in the
federal courts and disposes of doubt existing
since the formation of the government. i.
Mr.. Summers II providing for a return Of
specie payments Has indefinitely postponed.
HOUSE.
The House in committee of the whole dis
cussed the tariff bill, and some amendments
were adopted.
At the evening session the roll was called
three times before quorum was obtained.
The doors were closed and the time occupied
in hearing excuses of absentees. A ridiculous
scene followed, with which Mr.. E'dridge OF
Wisconsin expressed himself ashamed. Six
teen members were fined $40 each, and reso.
luton adopted that the absentees be brought
before the bar of the House Monday.