Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-04-27
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TO THE
Daily Kennebec Journal.
Fo1ty-SGcoDd Congressional Session,
WASHINGTON, %.
WAsIrlNoToN, %.
SENATE.


The unfinished business Of the deficiency
bill was taken up. The pending question was
on concurring in the amendment to equalize
the payment Of men employed in the govern
ment work shops, under the ten hour law.
Mr. Wilson advocated the amendment. He
denied that the eight hour law experiment
had proved n failure, and insisted that it
should have fair trial.
Mr. Morton also denied that the expert
me MT had failed, and said that. he had reason
to believe that in the Springfield armory the
I result OF 1t had been an increased amount of
work over what was done in eight hours un-
der the old system. He said that there was
no doubt that the intention of Congress in
passing the eight hour law was that the hours
of labor should be reduced without any re-
duction of pay.
Mr. CasserIy favored the amendment He
denied that the eight hour experiment had
failed, and said that the reduction of the
mouse OF labor had been going on the last
one hundred and fifty years, and had been
attended not by diminished but by increased
production.
Mr.. Morrill, of VT, said that an attempt of
the government to regulate the hours Of labor
was an insult to the worsngmen of the coun-
| try, and that instead Of being a sign of pro-
gress it was going back tc the fifteenth CEN
| fury.
Mr.. Sumner said that the question of the
wisdom of the eight hour law was not in
VOWED in the pending proposition, which was
necessary as an act of justice to the work.
ingmen against whom discrimination had been
made
| After further discussion the committee
amendment was rejected and the section was
passed substantially from the House.
providing that proper accounting officers are
al, .a.1 Al. e
all accounts in all cases of laborers, workmen
and mechanics employed by or in behalf of
the government Of the United States from the
| 18th Of June, 1868, to the 10Th Of May, 1862
to settle and pay the same without reduction
of hours of labor by the eight hour law, when
it shall be made to appear that that was the
sole cause of the reduction of wages. 1t
also makes sufficient appropriations to pay
| these claims.
The question was then taken on concur
ing in the amendment offered by Mr.. Morrill,
of VT, restricting jurisdiction of the court of
| claims in suits for value of captured and
| abandoned property to cases committed with
in two years after the suppression of the re-
bellon, and in which it appears that the
claimants had never given aid or comfort to
| the rebellion. Lost.
House.
| The House resumed the consideration Of
the resolution in reference to DIR. Howard.
| Mr.. Banks of Massachusetts, said that DIR.
| Howard had one misfortune, that of being
American If he had been an Irishman or
German or African, or even a corporation,
| the House would have risen TO protect him,
| but he was only an American, and what
| rights had an American from an American
government? 1t would seem from the argu-
ments against the resolution, that he had been
touched by the Spanish government. These
| facts could never have occurred with refer
| ence to Englishmen, Frenchmen or Germans.
The responsibility for the enormities prac-
| ticed in Cuba on Cubans on Chinese and on
japanese, lay upon the United States. The
United States were responsible for the mas
sacre of hundreds and thousands by cruel
| and relentless volunteers in Cuba within the
last five years. The United States were re-
sponsible for the execution of eight boys, who
were executed on a charge of having violated
| the grave of Castero. Cuba was of such i'm
portance to the United States that we had
| proclaimed to the world that no foreign ma
ton should lay hands on it, or assume to
| control its government, and the consequence
| was that what was done there was done with
| the permission of the United States. Great
| Britain would have interfered against these
wrongs if it was not for the fact that the
United States stood between Great Britain
nd Cuba. How long was that state of things
| to continue? That vas question for an
other time, but in regard to this question of
protection of an American citizen, who had
| been thus fouly wronged not only in the
| controvention of the laws of God and man,
| but in violation of every compast between the
two countries. This man ought to have at
least kind word from an American House
| of Representatives.
| The House then proceeded to vote.
| Mr. Banks withdrew his amendment Of
| fered last evening.
| The amendment offered by Mr.. Bingham
last evening, was agreed to-l0S to 10.
| Mr. Scotield of Pa, called attention to the
inconsistency of the original resolution,
which affirmed the American citizenship of
DIR. Howard, and that portion just added in
Bngham's motion, which cast a doubt upon
| the matter.
| The Speaker said there could be a separate
vote on the preamble, in which Towards cit
| izenship was positively asserted.
| The resolution apart from the preamble
was adopted-l43 to AZ.
| The preamble was then amended by max
ting it read, 'whereas it is alleged that How
ard has been, after years imprisonment,
etc"
| Mr.. Dawes made an effort to go into COM
mittee of the whole on the tariff bill
Mr.. Dickey, as a question of privilege,
| offered concurrent resolution for final ad-
journment on the Goth of May.
Mr.. Cox remarked that this was protec-
ton dodge.
Mr. Dawes appealed 10 the House not to
adept the resolution, and remarked that the
committee on ways and means had been hav-
ing conferences with Senators in regard to
the condition of the public business and be-
lieved that if the House was to meet at IL
o'clock every day and set till O'Clock every
day, the public business would be carried
through in time to adjourn on the Goth of
May, but he thought it would be unwise to
| fix the time now.
Mr.. Campbell said that so far as he was
concerned and those for whom he spoke,
they were opposed to any adjournment until
the questions of the tarffwere considered and
acted upon.
Mr. Dawes-And l am too.
Mr. Farnsworth inquired of Mr.. Dawes
j tri,th IL, tho