The New York herald., 1870-05-14

Ccnaress-sumner on His Black Hobby
| The Woman Question in the House.
The Tariff Bill as a Comedy-Mr. Cox's
Unfortunate Venture In Peanuts.
Mr.. Sumner introduced bill in the Senate
yesterday, which he called an act supple
mentary to the Civil Rights act, and which in
effect minutely describes several additional
times and places wherein negro shall be as
good as white man, such as theatres, cars,
steamboats, institutions of learning, and even
churches and cemeteries-any institution, in
| fact, Incorporated by national or State autho-
rites. We had hoped, at one time, that Mr..
Sumner, like the Anti-Slavery Society, con-
sidered his work finished and was willing to
let the negro live in peace. We thought that
he had polished up the old subject until there
was no additional polish needed, and we felt
sure once that he was looking round for new
subject which might possibly have
speck OF white in 1t. But 1t seems
we were deluded. He has studied only one
subject all his life and is determined to make
the most of it. Even finances cannot seduce
him away for any length Of time. He will
probably continue legislating for the negro
| against the white man until even Massachusetts
| is disguised and shelves him for some man
like Wendell Phillips or William Lloyd Garri-
son, who seem to have one or two ideas out
side of the negro subject In fact, Sumner
in thus ncglecting his white constituents for
his colored brothers, exhibits spirit of caste
that is simply abominable and in open viola
tion of the Civil Rights BILL The Legisla-
tive Appropriation bill was taken up and dis
cussed, and the question of granting equal
wages to the female as to the male clerks in
| government employ, where the work was the
same, occasioned lively debate, in which
Mr.. Pomeroy seized an opportunity to adyo-
cate woman suffrage.
In tho House the wonted spirit Of contra
! diction that has been some time missing re-
sumed its sway, as in the palmy days. Objec-
ton was made to paying prize money to the
crew of the Kearsarge who sunk the Alabama,
by MI. Maynard, because ii was proposed to
pay it out of the Japanese Idemnity Fund, and
by Mr.. Farnsworth, because he was opposed
to rewarding men for doing their duty. A
bill was reported appropriating three hundred
and twenty five thousand dollars in gold coin
to pay the British government under the award
of the commissioners to settle the claims of
the Hudson Bay Company. To this Mr..
Lawrence objected because the amount was
unnecessarily large. and because he opposed
paying anything to the British gov ernment
until provision is made for liquidating the Ala
bama claims. AS Mr.. Dawes stated, however,
the award being already made sh ould be paid,
and that England delays negotiating the Alaba-
ma claims is no good reason why we should re-
fuse to pay up claim already accepted under
treaty stipulations. The bill was passed. The
I question of leaves of absence came up, and the
Speaker stated that it was a general SUPPOSE
ton that members pay went on while he
was absent on leave, but it was mistake.
The fact was the other way. We suspect
John Morrissey has something to do towards
calling for this statement from the Speaker,
and it would be hard on John if, after his
political disasters and his long illness at home,
he should have been refused his hard-earned
wages in Congress during the five months that
he was absent. The decision Of the Speaker
is likely to put stop to the numerous re-
quests for leave, and consequently, we hope,
| is likely to shorten the session. The Tariff
bill was finally taken up, and, although
the general public will hardly believe it,
it was the occasion of an unusual
amount of jollity. The question was on
fruits, and the festive Cox, with an eye to his
chances for a future election, advocated the
striking out Of the paragraph, in order that
peanuts should be admitted free for his rising
Bowery constituency Mr.. Schenck said the
speech was very good, but it was uncalled for.
1t was merely piece Of electioneering bun
combe, got up to make political capital. There
was nothing whatever about peanuts in the bill.
1t turned out subsequently to be an unfortu-
nate piece of buncombe for Mr.. Cox; for at
tention being thus called to this source of rev.
nue., paragraph was inserted afterwards put
ting duty of two cents a pound on peanuts
which we believe were heretofore admitted
free. Mr. Cox has to settle this matter now
with his constituency among the gods in the
pit
Mr.. Buckley, Of Alabama, wanted more
protection for oranges, and the sprightly Mr..
Cox suggested also alligators, and the pleasant
Butler, of Essex, insisted on huckleberries.
The potato tariff was left as 1t is-at twenty
five cents bushel-considerable discussion
ensuing over proposition to reduce the duty
to fifteen cents. Potatoes are too democratic,
however, for the radical House, and they
could not reduce the duty, although their action
in the matter will probably affect the consti-
tuency of every member Thus between pota-
toes, peanuts, alligators and huckleberries
the Tariff discussion rose to the highest point
of meriment attainable even among the mer-
curial members of the House of Representa-
tives.