Evening star., 1870-02-03
EVENING STAR.
CONGRESSIOyAL.
Conclusion Yesterdays Proceedings.
DEHlTE ON nLSERInr nIrrERN

DEL Wv D1SIHiCT
SENATE,-After the currency bill had been
further amended and finally passed, yeas SO,
n@Ss -, as stated in The STAR,
MI Morrill,, of Maine, called up the joint
resOiui.en authorizing the Secretary OF the
treasury 10 transfer certain unexpended bal
arces 81 bureaus of the Navy Department to
the Bureaus of Steam Engineering, Equipment
Of NeSeel-. Yards and Docks
ar- Trumbull expressed his opposition TO the
bill.
Mr.. Howe called up his bill more effectually
10 IEeServe the neutral relations of the United
states repeating certain sections of the act of
l'l>, and after debate thereon. the Senate ad-
JOuTned.
HOUSE.-After our report closed-
The Speaker appointed Messrs. Poland, (Ver-
mont. Garfield. (OhiO), and Gov, (New York;
as Regents of the Smithsonian Institute.
Mr.. Clarke (kansas) presented the memorial
Of the Kansas Legislature asking the removal of
the Capital 20 the Fort Leavenworth reserya-
tiOn, and directing the Senators and Represen-
tatives to vote against all further appropria-
tons for public buildings in the District OF Co.
1umbia. Referred TO the Committee on Appro-
pTiatiOnS.
ON motion of Mr.. Bowen. Is. C., the Commit
tee on the District of Columbia was directed
to inquire why the Metropolitan Police force
of the said District of Columbia have not been
paid.
ON motion of Mr.. Cook, the House went into
Committee of the Whole, (Mr. Ferry in the
chair, and took up the Senate bill apprOpri
ating $4,000 for the poor of the District
clothing to be distributed, and assigning store
houses in Judiciary Square to the women's
Christian Association, TO give employment to
INDECENT women.
The bill gave rise to considerable discussion
Messrs. Cook, Maynard and Ingersoll explaining
and advocating it. Messrs. Swami and Law
renee taking the ground that the people of the
the District should maintain their own DOOR
and Mr.. Logan arguing that the proper mode of
reilef was not TO appropriate money, to be used,
perhaps, for election purposes, but to authorize
al IN
the poor.
MIR. Logan offered an amendment to carry ont
his views. and in the course of his remarks said
that if the aristOcratic people of Washington
would devote to charitable purposes the money
spent in fashionable receptions and personal or
namehts, they would not need to ask Congress
Mr. benjamin and Mr.. Lawrence offered
amendments to authorize the municipal author
ities of Washington and Georgetown to levy a
tax for the support of their poor; and Mr.Slocum
offered an amendment to give $4,000 to those
poor persons recently deprived of employment
IN the Brooklyn navy-yard.
Mr. Knott argued that a large proportion of
the proposed pensioners on the bounty of Con-
dress were capable of making their subsistence
charity than members of the House. They could
be found every day Perched in the galleries of the
Capitol. and on political occasions they could
be found marching in tOrchlight PROFESSIONS,
wearing blue capes, and headed by bands of
music.
Being asked by Mr. Stevens to Weld for a
very rarely troubled the House, and that he
verify believed that il members of the House
had been present when the Saviour delivered
the ''Sei mon on the Mount some of them would
have asked him to ''yield for a question: -
fLauglter.l He thought that if Solomon, when he
described the four things that were never satis-
he'd, could have looked down the long current of
ages, he would have added to the list the Cor
POraiion Of the city of Washington. Laugh
teri lie argued that although the money mi ght
be Goled out in charity, it would inevitably have
q political effect, because il would t. nd to draw
10 the District hundreds of negroes from other
States who would be voters to Outvote the resi-
dent citizens III the House wanted to be char
Itable there was one way OF being 50. and that
was for members 10 put their hands in their
own pockets.
MessTs. Slocum and Cox made some remarks
about the discharge of mechanics from the
BROOKLYN navy-yard-the latter saying that the
Navy Departmenthads spent in seven months the
appropriation intended TO cover the year.
Mr. Dawes said he did not know exactly WHY
50 many men had been thrown out of employ
ment IN two bureaus of the Navy Department.;
hut he apprehended that IT arose from the desire
To put into commission larger number of ships
than ever before, and from the consequent en-
plOyment of a greater number of men than
usual He supposed the whole thing Law in the
employ ment of too many men in the early part
of the year, rather than extending it over the
whole wear.
MIR. Randall--Yes, just before an election.
Ar. Dawes do not understand anything OF
Mir. Randall.-wen. it is the fact.
NJ. Cook advocated the bill, but said that he
had no choice as to the means TO be employed in
extending relief. Ii it was thought that it could
he done better by the Secretary of War he was
content that II should be so. He was surprised
at the inJimation that able-bodied men in the
galleries would be recipients OF this charity
lie had a list of the names of over one hundred
poor persons, the youngest OF whom was sixty
siX. AID all disabled. One OF them gave the age
Of one hundred and seventeen years; ten of them
were over a hundred; only two were undsr
seventy. and only three under seventy-fve; and
u was a mere evasion of responsibility TO say
that il was proposed to feed able-b bodied negroes
in the galleries. There was not one i'm ten OF
them that was properly chargeable to the Dis
tTict.
The discussion was further continued in be-
half of the bill bv Messrs. Twitchell, Hamilton
of Florida. and Sargent: and in favor of Mr..
LOgans amendment by Mr.. BOYD, and against
the bill and amendment by Mr.. Morgan, the lat
ter charging that the Secretary of the Navy had,
by an order of that officer, dated MAY q, 1856,
without authority OF Congress, increased by
One-third the pay of Navy officers. which in
crease had taken from the Treasury from 1876
To ISt9, -, ,I63 ,9s1.
Mr. Dawes explained that Congress had. bv a
subsequent appropriation, legaliZed that order,
but admitted Tin answer To a question by Mr..
MOTpan) that be for one did not know at the
time that such appropriation was made that it
was 20 be applied TO that purpose.
Mr.. Ella closed the discussion bv an appeal in
behalf OF the poor of the District; and then
The Committee proceeded to vote on the amend
ment>.
Mr. SlOcum's amendment was rcjected-i2
tn 81
Mr.. Lawrence's amendment was rejected-Gi
L. &C.
Mr.. LoSan's amendment for the issuing of ra-
uons by the War Department (leaving the other
portions of the bill for clothing, &c, as in the
Cri-iUal) was agreed to-71 To s..
The Committee then rose, and the House.
without dispoSing finally of the bill, adjourned
at ;.2I o'clock.