The Portland daily press., 1870-05-04
NEW s
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS.
XLIst OONGREss---second Session.

SENATE
WASHINGTON, May 3-The House Joint reso.
luton creating the Soth of May in each year as
of Union soldiers was taken up
Mr.. Sherman said he was opposed to Great.
ing precedent for the establishment OF pub
tic holiday on every conceivable subject. Con-
tracts could not be made on legal holidays, and
they interfered with the ordinary business
avocations, which should not be permitted ex-
cept upon most sufficient reasons.
Mr.. Drake thought the nation could we'll at
ford to appropriate one day in the year to the
memory of her three hundred thousand slain.
MT. Sherman replied that the graves of these
soldiers, IKE that of the revolutionary heroes,
are soon to be lost sight OF, but that resolution
contemplated fixed holiday for all time here
s..er. 1t was then referred to the Committee
Military Affairs-37 to IL.
The House bill, granting a pension to Mrs.
Lincoln, coming up, Messrs. Trumbull and
Mr.. Edmunds said similar bill was now be-
fore the Pension Committee, upon which they
expected to report during this present week
and would alsoqDport certain facts not known
peIore tne senate, upon which Senators would
DC ]usthed IN voting for or against the bill.
He therefore asked that the House bill be
placed upon the calendar, which was done.
"A Dill was introduced BY Mr.. Cameron to
provide medals for the Massachusetts, and
PENNSYLVANIA volunteers. -
from Ine tb bo'nS resolution sppropriatng $25 900
benefit of Wllberforce University was dis
cussed and laid over
Mr.. Trumbull remarked that the distinction
in favor OF colored students demanded the
prompt attention of the Senator from Massa-
Senator would provide a repeal of the charter
because white men were excluded from the
University. (Laughter.)
>, A number of bills were passed, including
those for the relief of J. Ross Brown; limiting
the number of special Treasury agents to ifty.
three; and the Omaha & North Western Rail
road land grant bill.
Mr. Saulsbury's amendment to the latter,
that 2o0 600 acres be reserved to aid Delaware
IN building breakwater and levees, was re-
jected-2O to %.
The conference committees report on the
census bill was adopted, and the Senate ad-
journed.
A joint resolution was adopted, IS to Is, for
final adjournment of Congress on Monday,
July 4th, after which Mr.. Jenckes, of Rhode
Island, proceeded to explain and defend the
the subject, substantially the same as previ-
ously reported
Mr.. Peters, of Maine, objected to the bill !;
that there was nothing in it to prevent rebels
with their hands dripping with loyal blood,
IRON passing examination and obtaining office.
Mr.. Jenckes asked what was to prevent the
appointment of disloyal men to offices?
Mr. Peters said he would have neither rebel
or Democrat in any offices of the Governments.
MT. Beck, OF Kentucky, remarked that the
gentleman from Maine did not seem to care
whether offceholders were thieves or not so
long as they were not Democrats.
A., Mr. Peters replied that they did not have
tnleves IN the Republican party. daughter
on Inc Demeerasi9 eide. % urar H. mat was
new discovery.
The bill was further opposed by Messrs. Pc
tiers, Ella and Benton, and in answer to a ques-
ton by the latter. whether, if competitive ex-
ANIMATION should be applied to the lower
ohces, the same principle ought not to hold
good as to the higher Offices, Mr.. Jenckes re-
pied that the argument for the bill was strong
5000 offices withinithe scope of the bilNand
1000 outside Of it. If the basis was sound the
superstructure would be secure.
Mr.. Sargent moved to insert an additional
section, forbidding members of Congress to So
licit verbally or in writing from the President,
the appointment of any person to Office, and
making the offence msdemeanOr, punisha-
BILE by fine not exceed $1,000.
Mr.. Peters, of Maine, suggested whether the
punishment should not be hanging. Laugh
ter.)
The morning hour expired and the bill went
over.
The House then went into Committee Of the
Whole on the tariff bill. All the remaining
paragraphs relating to iron castings were
struck out. The next paragraph fixed the
duty on all cast or other descriptions of steel
in ing0ts, blooms or billets, or rolled or ham,
mered steel, in bars, rolls, sheets, slips, plates
bands, coils or strips, 8 "a cents per pound,
which, after two hours discussion, was reduced
to PIP cents, and a motion to strike out the
paragraph was rejected. The duty on steel of
circular shapes or forms, and on steel of all
shapes or forms, cast, cut, rolled or hammered
to patterns not otherwise provided for, was
fixed at 3 IL cents per pound, a reduction of
one half a cent from the rate as fixed by the
committee. The next paragraph was on steel
railway bars, cents per pound, and all railway
bars made in part of steel IL cents per pound,
provided that the metal converted is cast or
made from iron by the Bessemer or pneuma-
tic process, of whatever form or description,
shall be elassed as steel.
Mr.. Benjamin, Of Missouri, moved to make
the duty on Bessemer steel 1 cent per pound.
Mr.. Bingham, of Ohio, moved to make it
$36 per ton, an increase of $15 on the present
rate. E77-'f
Mr.: Schepck sustained the amendment in a
lengthy speech. rr
Finally the debate closed and Mr. Bingham's
amendment was agreed to-78 to g.
Mr.. Jones asked leave to offer resolution
for an adjournment over tomorrow. in conse-
quence of the State Fast in Virginia, but sew
eral members objected, and the House ad-
jOurned.