The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-05-19
Watts From Washington
WASHINGTON, May 10, 70.
CONGRESS.


CONGRESS.
After three or four days rest from
it's arduous labors, Congress reason
bled yesterday. Nothing worthy of
special notice occurred in the House
and / cannot say that the Senate
performed the twelve labors Of
Hercules. Mr.. Fenton, Of New
York introduced a bill requiring the |
Secretary of the Treasury, National
Banks and other Corporations or
Associations, to cause to be published
annually, statement showing
amount Of interest due upon certifi- |
Gates of stock issued by the United
States, dividends, deposits and in
terest accruing from other sources
unclaimed for two years.
Various amendments of the Com
mlttee on Appropriations were con-
Cured in, including the following
" Providing for two additional
clerks in the Office OF the depositary
at Baltimore at o salary Of '$l,400
each, and increasing the salaries of
the cashier from 81, 300 to $4,000; of
one clerk from $500 to $500, and
of two clerks from 81, 200 to $1,000
| each.
The committee recommended that
tho appropriation for the Bureau of
Education be reduced from S14,500
to $500 |; the force to consist of the
commissioner and two clerks of class
one.
Mr.. Drake said if this was done
the bureau of education might as
we'll be abolished, as the commiss-
Toner had informed him it would be
impossible to carry on the bureau
| with such force.
Mr.. Sumner also opposed the
reduction.
Mr.. Patterson said the bureau OF
education was ofas much use as the
bureau of agriculture. This bureau
; should not be struck down in this
way, if any thing the appropriation
should be increased.
Mr. Sawyer said no one knew what
this bureau of education had done
yet he was willing to give it the
amount settled upon by the House
> to see if they could do any good il
: the future.
. Mr.. Morrill, of Nc, chairman o
J, the Committee on Appropriations
Q said there was no law to authoriz,
Q the appropriation, that had beer
: made by the House.
81 Mr. Howard was in favor of redu
. cling the appropriation. In hi
J. opinion, the abolition of this bureau
!, would do no damage to the peopl
ofthe u. s. All the result that h
had seen of the labor Of this burea
! was a fat book, which he had no
d perused it particularly, he could no
d say much Of, but he did not think
q was ofany value. Every State pre-
r vides its own system of education
a and taxes its people for its supporI
= and no institution of learning in ian,
s State has, or can be benefited b
|. this institution. 1t is mere fgur
s head.
b Mr. Yates argued that there shout
q be a national bureau of education
d and thought the appropriation shof
t be at least 500, 900.
81, Mr. Ferry thought there was grea
;; danger in the General Government
y attempting any interference wit
s the subject Of education. 1t was
q matter that belonged to the State
t alone.
a Mr. Upton looked upon this burea
J, Of education as a great nations
/ farce. He wanted no centralizatio
Is of aducation in this country
ID Mr. Drake argued in favor of col
\ tinuing the bureau, but if that We
o not to be done, he urged Senators
is como right up to the mark and wiz
9, lit out as If the amendment W:
is adopted. The commissioner coul
do nothing, and it was no use to pc
% him SO, 900 for doing nothing.
1e Pending the discussion on Il
is amendment, the Senate at 4:30 p. I
ne took recess until 7-30 pm.
to At the evening session the Apr
Id priation for clerks in the Paymast'
or Generals Office was increased fro
m $64, 28o to 81, $3.50. For clerks, &,
is in the Office of the Commissary Ge
10 eral from s34,9sO to S43,680 r.
Id clerks, &C., in the Office of the Chi
a of Ordnance from Sl8,670 to S26, "a
to The appropriation for c. ntingent e
IN penses of the Adjutant Genera
Office was increased from $500
b. $4,000.
rs The amendment increasing the s.
ID airy of the chief clerk of the NAY
90 Department to $500 was oppos,
d. by Messrs. Sherman, Trumbull al
be others.
rs Mr.. Trumbull saidit was time
in get back to peace footing that Il
rs practice of increasing the salary
these chief clerks ought to stop, al
p if not, there certainly was very lit
rs use in having abolished the Assistal
y. Secretaries of the War and Nav
II Departments.
n Messrs. Drake and Cragin said Il
y chief clcrk of the Navy Departmel
es was Woodworking officer, and w
1t now, in addition to his other dutie
m doing the work of the Assistant Sc
30 rotary of the Navy, who was pa
Ia $500. Mr.. Drake said it seemed
1t make a great deal Of differen'
,e whose pay was to be increased; f
20 while the Senator from Illinois o
t, posed this, he had now pending {
is amendment increasing by $500 tt
a. salaries Of all the female clerks.
Mr.. Trumbull said his amendmel
or was to equalize the salaries of Il
N female clerks with the male clerl
20 who did no more duty.
vi Mr.. Sherman thought the Sec
Of tary of the Navy himself could
70 very well dispensed with. 1t was /
es trouble at all to carry on the Nav
y Department; in fact, one head WI
As sufficient for both the Navy al
L. War Departments. To run ii
20 Navy Department was mere ma
Or ter OF routine. Last summer Il
Department run itself with only 6
10 admiral of the navy in control.
y Mr.. Conkling was satisfied tn
j. there rnuat ha an upanual distrih