Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-25
Forty-First Congress Second Session.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb, "a.
SENATE.

issued in aid of the roads until the maturity of
the principal sum of the bonds, when the COM
paneS are bound to pay the principal and E-
terest represented by the bonds The report
also says that the secretary of the treasury has
no right, in the face Of the express words Of
an act of congress, TO retain more than one-haf
of the compensation for services rendered by the
company for the government.
Mr.. Edmunds dissented from the report.
Mr.. Stewart presented report from the COM
mittee on the Pacific railroad, to which was re-
ferred the senate resolution in relation to freights
on the Pacific railroads. 1t gives Il history of
the mail service, army transportation, &c., over
the route, and by the isthmus before the open
ing Of the railroad and since, and shows the
great public advantages derived from the rail
road. The report says: at is clear that through
Il new and undeveloped country in the infancy
of the enterprise, the Pacific railroad companies
cannot keep their roads in full repair, furnish
them with new iron when required, pay the in
terest upon their first mortgage bonds and float
ing debt and pay to the government semi-annu-
ally the interest upon the government bonds.
And vet it is clear that it is for the interest of
the government that these roads should remain
in their present hands,"
The committee do not recommend any further
legislation, but express hope that the various
departments will extend to these roads all the
patronage in their power consistent with the
public interest.
The bill, amendatory of the act of last ses-
sion, to provide for and maintain freedom of
elections came up.
Mr.. Vickers criticised the bill as an offshoot
of the unconstitutional measure of last session,
under which military intervention had been re-
sorted to ut state elections, and delivered long
argument against the right of congress to inter
iere in such elections except in cases OF extreme
necessity, when the execution Of state laws were
impeded-
Mr.. Johnston said the Sth section authorized
United States marshal to arrest an election
officer during the progress of an election, thus
enabling them to defeat and overturn elections
He moved to strike out the section. Not agreed
to.
Mr.. Johnston then moved to strike out the
10th section, authorizing deputies at the polls to
arrest any man without process and compelling
ISLANDERS, when called on, to assist in the arrest
under penalty OF two years Imprisonment.
Mr.. Trumbull favored the motion, and APP
proved the purpose of the bill in preventing
frauds at elections, but he reminded the senate
of the consequences should bad men get control
of the machinery provided for in the tenth Sec
ton 1t was said that election frauds in New
York were perpetrated under the auspices of
Tammany hall; should president of the United
States be in harmony with that organization he
would appoint United States marshal of the
same politics, and this officer, having the APP
pointment of as many deputies as he should see
fit to appoint might appoint the very men by
whom these frauds were now committed. These
men would have power to arrest people, indis-
crmnately, without process, and any byStander
refusing to arrest them would be liable to i'm
prisonment in the penitentiary for two years.
Even the funitive slave law the most odious
upon the statute book, did not go thus far, for
it attached no penalty to refusal to assist mar
shall. He was not one of those who believed in
the necessity of this legislation nor that Wash
ing city was the sole source of wisdom aud pu-
ritv; but he thought the people might safely be
left to themselves in such matters.
MIR ,1ohnStOO's motion was rpipctp1--1A tn
Messrs Ross, Upton and Trumbull voted with
the democrats.
Mr.. Johnston's motion, to strike out that part
of the 10th section imposing fine and imprison-
ment for refusal or neglect to assist deputies at
elections, was lost-11 to 3D.
Mr.. Johnston's motion, to prohibit the arrest
of any election officer while in the actual per-
Torrance of his duty, was rejectcd-8 to 81.
Additional amendments by Messrs. Thurman
and Casserly were voted down.
Mr.. Thurman attributed the wholesale re-
lection of amendments to a decree of the party
caucus under which measure, of no immediate
necessity, was to be forced through without the
slightest change, to the exclusion OF more i'm.
poltant business
Mr.. Hamilton, of Maryland, in a two hours
argument, illustrated the tendency of congress
sional legislation to entrench upon the reserved
rights of the states, and argued that the consti-
tutional clause regulating the manner of hold
ing elections the sole reference of ascertain
ing the popular will, and conferred no authority
to impose qualifications upon electors in the
states.
The discussion was further continued by the
democratic minority, for hours, upon the
threatened control Of elections, by federal au-
thority, and similar topics, the republican sem
ators, meanwhile, manifesting an apparent in
difference to the debate, and determination to
SIT all night.
The democratic members seemed disposed to
test the physical endurance of the majority, and
Messrs. Thurman, Bayard and Casserly regu-
larly succeeded each other in the offer and advo-
cacy of amendments, and the delivery of long
arguments upon the Revolutionary" and
"mOnstrous" character of the measure, while
the rest of their associate prepared to continue
the struggle indefinitely. All amendments were
rejected 0iUd 0Oce.
AT nine O'Clock, Mr.. Bayard was awarded the
floor. In the course of al long speech, he denied,
as a base SANDER upon the people of his state,
the charge that the military were needed there to
protect voters from intimidation at the polls,
and asserted that the introduction Of the soldiery
into Delaware prior to elections there last fall,
was only prevented by his own emphatic protest
to the president Notwithstanding, the state
was invaded, under the lead of United States
marshal, by a horde Of Jail birds, from the
neighborhood of Philadelphia, disguised as
deputy marshals.
Mr. Casserly, at seven O'Clock, suggested an
immediate adjournment, and final vote to-
morrow.
Mr.. Sherman asserted the purpose of the ma
jority to pass the bill before adjourning, and
urged the minority to succumb, as they had al
ready occupied eleven hours.
Mr.. Casserly said three, andi perhaps more,
members of the minority intended to speak at
great length.
At 80 A. NJ, the bill passed, by party
votc-39 to 10.
Adjourned.
HOUSE.
When the house was called to order, several
members made efforts to present important
bills for action, but they were objected to, and
the house insisted that appropriation bills should
be proceeded with. The sundry civil approprla-
ton bill was therefore taken up.
Some time was allowed for general debate,
and the principal point discussed was with
reference to the appropriation of $4,000 to re-
imburse eX-Commlssioner Wilson for establish
ing museum in the land office.
MIR. Kelsey, of New York, denounced this as a
fraud, and said he hoped the house would not
vote the money, as the museum was collected at
the expense Of the United States.
When the paragraph making appropriation
for fuel for naval vessels was reached, MrWoOd
made an effort to add on a proviso that coal
should be imported free Of duty, but the speaker
ruled the amendment out of order.
An amendment having been offered making
an appropriation for the detection and punish
ment of persons engaged in counterfeiting ma
uonal bank notes, Gen. Butler opposed the
amendment so far as it related to national bank
notes, and wanted to know why a clause was
not introduced at once to pay all the expenses
of the national banks.
Mr.. Dawes favored the amendment because
the same parties who are engaged in counter
feiting the national bank notes also counterfeit
ed the treasury n ties, and by detecting one all
were detected. The amendment was adopted.
When the paragraph in the sundry civil bill
was read appropriating S280,100 to pay the state
of Massachusetts for coast defenses under the
act OF 1866, Mr.. Garfield moved to strike out
the paragraph, and Mr.. Farnsworth contended
that it had no place in this bill.
Mr.. Dawes explained how the state had ex-
pended the money, and Mr.. Sargent urged the
paymenr as a matter of justice to Massachu-
sets. Mr. Farnsworth insisted upon point of
order, that the paragraph had no place here,
but that it belonged 10 the committee on
claims Mr.. Dawes said the committee on
claims had already acted on it, and had reported
it back and had it referred TO the appropriation
committee. The chair, Mr.. Seotied, Temporal
rily sustained MIR. Farnsworth's point of ORDER
on the ground that while the law authorized
the commission to ascertain the amount due it
did not authorize the assumption of the debt by
the United States. II was therefore not proper
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