The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-04-12
BY TELEGRAPH
TO THE DAILY PRESS.
XLIId OONGRESs---rirst Session.

81 XL1Id CONGRESS- First Session.
WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE Senate met At
IL o'clock. MI Sherman offered the following :
That the Committee on Finance is hereby
instructed, during the recess OF Congress, to
carefully examine the existing system Of taxa
ton, with the view to propose such amend
ments to the bill of the House repeating certain
taxes, now pending in the Senate, as will sim.
pity and reduce both internal taxes and duties
on imported goods now in force, and in such
manner that the aggregate OF such taxes shall
not exceed the sums repaired to execute the
lawsrelating to the public debt and the cur-
rent expenses of the government administered
with the strictest economy, 30 that the taxes
may be distributed to impose tine least burden
upon the people. "a eaIi-I
= Mr. Casserly asked to have the resolution Law
over until tomorrow. $780, -r-EE
Mr.. Cole hoped that the committee would in
clude in their examination the repeal. of the
income tax. ,.f e.zr,fr .-..e.sfe -
Mr.. Sherman said the resolution represented
the views of every member of the Finance
Committee. The income tax he thought was
already covered by it. 1t would give the conn
mittee jurisdiction of the subject, with which
they would naturally be charged at the next
Mr.. Conklipg objected
The Ku-Klux bill was then taken up. Mr.,
Edmunds explained that the amendments re-
ported from the Judiciary Committee were not
designed to enlarge the scope of the bill. but
perfect It SO as to stand the test of the courts.
while m aking it more specific. The change Of
limit for the suspension ct the writ of habeas
corpus from June 1st, 1872 to the end of the
next regular session of Congress, was agreed
upon by the committee as measure of pru-
dence. 1t left to expire at the time indicated
an minority might by h!soustering prevent the
had thought it best to take the bill substan tia-
~ as it passed the House. though he himself
preferred more stringent measure.
e Mr.. Ames spoke in verifcati0n of bis state
ment of the condition of his State, and in re-
ply to certain remarks by Mr.. Blair which he
regarded as personal to himself and his late
colleague Revels. ,,,5s. - :
Mr.. Trumbull opposed the amendments from
the Judiciary Committee, as making the hill
obnoxious TO the objection made to it in the
House, that 1t went to the extent of Furnishing
persons for violating State laws, without any
reference to the constitution or laws of the
United States. He did not think even the
Senator from Vermont (Edmunds) would as
sumo that Congress should pass general
criminal code for States of the Union, It was
understood by members of the House that the
Dill as passed by that body went no further
than to protect persons in rights guaranteed
them by the constitution and laws Of the Unit
ed States, and did not undertake to authorize
federal courts in another way against another
1t was insane to state such was the purpose of
the bill as was now urged as pretext for the
proposed amendments. After referring to the
extent to which the bill had been enlarged by
the committee, Mr.. Trumbull went on 10 COM
bat the theory that under the recent constitu-
tional amendments our government became
centralized and its principles changed He de-
MED that the 18th amendment conferred any
rights Of citizenship not contained originally
in the constitution. While that amendment
enabled Congress to protect citizen from dis
elimination against his rights by a State, it
did not allow Congress to exercise police power
to the destruction of State authority. Con-
gress had not the right to substitute fedela
for State courts. The latter were nearer the.
people and. nearer the administration of JUS
tice between man and man, and the nearer it
was brought to the people themselves the
safer wonld be their rights in person and prop
erty. There would be an end to State govern
ment resulting in an unwlse change in our
governmental system. He then criticised each
OF the amendments and alluded to the danger
apprehended in unnecessary and u1riustifiable
suspensions of the habeas corpus.
Without vote on the bill the Senate ad-
fa HOUSE. sb
The Senate bill, to pay Robert C. Schenck
his salary as Minister to England was passed.
MI. McCrary of Iowa, from the Committee
on Elections, reported a resolution declaring
that the election of members of Congress held
in tennessee on the 9th of November, 1870 was
held on the day fixed by law and was therefore
not void. Adopted. ~ e,.s
The Senate bill donating condemned can
non for the erection of monument to Gen.
Nathaniel Lyon lin Missouri was passed i
The House then proceeded to the considera-
ton OF the Senate amendments to the def
cheney bill. -
Mr.. Casserly did not think there would he
a n1rtio hut IN
have until tomorrow to consider it, the resolu-
ton was accordingly laid over. ~ .-...-.
The general amnesty bill passed yesterday
by the House was received and laid ON the ia
Mr.. Robertson gave notice that he would ask
ion Of Congress ended. .a.ttes
Mr.. Edmunds-Then 1 give notice that
shall object. t5lhA -, p. 3GtlH
Mr.. Robertson replied that be intended to
see whether there was majority OF the Sen
ate disposed to object. 81 - us.0TD
The hour of meeting hereafter was fxe dat II
o'clock. The resolution to admit Blodgett and
Goldthwait was, on motion of Mr. Edmunds,
laid on the table, 10 to IT,. r,srs
Mr.. Dawes proceeded to explain the amend
ments and the action of the select committee
to which they had been referred. He said that
ne himself had introduced the bill originally,
in the absence of the Appropriation Commit
tee, from which it could have been reported
1t contained one item OF 5000 voted at the
close OF the last session to a member of the
House who was not entitled to dollar, and
some other items rendered necessary by the
action of Congress in its last hours; for in
stance, Congress had created the office of as
sistant Attorney General, but no appropriation
to pay the salary; SO it had granted pension
70 the surviving soldiers Of the war of 1872, but
had made no provision to pay them. These
with one or two other items, made up the bill
as introduced by him and passed by the House.
In the Senate other legitimate items were add
ed to it, and If the Senate had stopped there,
there would have been no occasion for lengthy
debate, but in addition to these amendment
there were other amendments covering almost
all the defeated appropriations of last session
The projects of some of them were corrupt
and some simply extravagant and profligate
which had been strangled at the last session.
There was another class of amendments in
the bill that were of very serious character
and which were generally styled Independent
legislation. The committee had recommended
a non concurrence in them and he urged
the House to endorse that recommendation
One of these amendments was for paving
Pennsylvania Avenue from 18th street tt
Georgetown, "a work which would cost govern.
ment 1914, 600 and would cost property owners
He recommended that instead of that propo
sltion there should be an appropriation of 81,
600 to put the present pavement in repair. An
magnificent public park in Washington will
splendid bridges and sparkling fountains AM
splendid obelisks, sweeping out OF existence
the filthy canal full of dead mems bones AM
other uncleanness. Mr.. Dawes exhibited t
the House plan of the proposed park, ant
caused much laughter by his Claude Melnott
description of it. Another proposition was TO
Ieprintlng the national currency, but as tn
house gu, at the last session had laid on the tabl
o.ii lot mat purpose, the Committee recon
mended non-concurrence,
Mr. Cox of N. Y, condemned the defieiepc,
phi on general principles, and said the vote Of
the revenue tariff yesterday proved that tb
| democracy was for reform and the Republica1
party against it. WhY Shnnld tho n.rSs.E-