Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-01-20
FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS.

| CONl A.-r AItOl OONInEOO.
SENATE. A number of memorials for the
| abolition of the franking privilege, were pre-
| scented. Several petitions were presented
and referred.
the morning hour was set apart for business
| from the Committee on the District of Colum-
| bia, pensions, patent and private land claims.
Mr.. Trumbull, from Committee on Judi
ciary, reported adversely the bill allowing
States to determine the qualifications of wit
| nesses in the United States Courts the Com
mittee believing it would be dangerous to give
| the States this power.
The Virginia bill was taken up, and Mr.
Morton continued his speech of yesterday in
favor of it.
Mr.. Morton corrected a statement made by
Mr.. Norton, that a military commission was
| now in session in Georgia to pass upon the
qualification of members elected to the Legis-
lature, by the terms of the act of Congress
The military commission was commissioned
| to pass upon the qualification of those who
| were to take seats in the Legislature.
Gen. Ferry had appointed certain persons
| to take the evidence and communicate to him
| the result of their investigations. They were
| not appointed to try any one, but simply to
obtain information in order to prevent persons
gress, from committing perjury.
Mr.. Wilson said various memorials had
| been introduced during the present discussion
which the Judiciary Committee had no oppor-
| tunity of considering, and that the House bill
| had never been before that Committee, and
therefore moved to refer the bill to that Com
mittee
Mr.. Trumbull opposed reference and APP
pealed to the Senate to dispose of this matter,
Al. L
If the Senate had determined that a state
which had complied with all the conditions
| should not be admitted, let them say so di-
| rectly.
| Mr.. Sumner reiterated his arguments
| against the admission Of state without the
| imposition of further conditions.
After further debate MIR. Drake declared his
| opposition to the admission of Virginia, while
| the fifteenth amendment was still pending.
| He therefore moved to postpone further con-
sideration of the subject until Monday, Feb
| ruary 29th.
A motion to go into executive session was
voted down.
| At the suggestion of Mr.. Edmunds the mo-
| tons of Messrs Wilson and Drake were with
drawn in order to permit vote on the amen nd
ment submitted by him. The Senate then
voted on the amendment of Mr.. Edmunds to
| require the imposition of an oath upon state
| officers, that they are eligible under the l4th
amendment, which was agreed to, yeas As,
| nays l6.
Mr.. Nye voted nay but afterwards changed
his vote, remarking that the Judiciary Com
mittee had changed their grounds, and he fol-
On motion of Mr. Howard the Senate at A.
40 o'clock adjourned.
HOUSE. The bill transferring the Navy
i IL
came up.
Mr. Randall, of Pennsylvania, in order to
obviate the objections made yesterday by Mr..
Dawes, of Massachusetts, offered an amend
ment providing that the proceeds of all sales
| shall be conveyed into the Treasury.
| Mr.. Washburne, of Wisconsin, accepted
the amendment as a substitute for his own.
Messrs. Kelley and iDickey, of Pennsyl-
vania, replied to Mr.. Dawes speech of yes
| tcrday.
Mr.. Dickey of Pennsylvania, replied to Mr.
Dawes charges of extravaganza against the
administration. The estimates submitted
were merely to execute the laws of Congress.
The increase of S49, 900, 900 which the gentle
! man spoke of yesterday, included Sl1 200, 900
for pensions. Was the other end of the ave-
nue. responsible for that? Was the Treasury
| Department responsible for $4,000, 900 in
crease in its estimates, caused by the expense
of the public buildings ordered by Congress,
post offices in New York and Boston, and
other buildings all over the country? 1t was
not for the administrative officers to nullifv
the laws of Congress by refusing to execute
them. Congress had authorized extravagan-
ces, and should take the responsibility of
them, there was a general deficiency of 81,
600, 900.
The gentleman from Massachusetts, should
not have drawn the comparison he did be-
tween the estimates and the last estimates of
Andrew Johnson's administration because the
latter were applied to his successor, and be-
cause the estimates of the last year of Andrew
Johnson's administration was S372, 900, 900,
and its actual expenditures were 1926 200, 900
| their appropriations were usually and gen.
orally created under laws passed by Con-
gress and not at the solicitation of the other
end Of the avenue. They should strike at the
laws and not charge their own sins upon their
| servants.
The morning hour expired at o'clock and
the bill went over until the next morning
hour.
Mr. Conkling of New York, presented a
petition of the ship-owners in New York City,
against the free trade in ships and in favor of
| the removal of all taxation from the ship
building and sailing interests.
| Mr.. Cox of New York, offered resolution
instructing the Committee on Agriculture, to
report as to the establishment of a national
school of Agriculture, and Mechanical Arts
appertaining to agriculture, which was
adopted.
Adjourned.
|