Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-06
CONGRESSIONAL.
Proceedings of the Second Session Of
the FOrty-SecOnd Congress.


IA SENATE
i. Petitions were presented for the enact
ment Of a prohibitory liquor law.
p The following bills were introduced:
BY Senator Lewis (Virginia): Al
!, amendment to the bankrupt law.
BY Senator Wright Iowa: Extend
ing the time for the construction of tn
railroad nom MeGTegOr to the west enC
of O'Brien county.
! BY Senator Ferry (Michigan): For
courthouse and pOstoffice at Crane
, Rapids.
BY Senator Logan: To facilitate thi
administration Of justice.
Senator Rice (Arkansas) unsuccess
fully attempted to call up his resolution
asking why troops are TO be sent to Ar
kansas.
On motion of Senator Scott the Seere
tary of War was requested to furnish {
list Of the officers retired, or asking t.
be retired.
On motion the President was requested
TO communicate all information in his
possession concerning the slave trade Oh
the coast Of Africa, and the measures
taken by Great Britain and other gov
ernments for its suppression.
Senator Sumner said that in view ol
the reorganization of the committees,
he would be compelled, by instructions
from his physician, to ask to be excused
from service ON any committee.
Senator Morrill, (NermOnt) called up
the bill for the endowment Of national
colleges, and spoke thereon.
At the conclusion of Senator Morrill's
address the further consideration of the
bill was postponed for week, and the
Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Bills were introduced and referred as
follows.
By Mr.. Wheeler: To incorporate a
Banking Association, with a capital of
one hundred million dollars, under the
4 style Of the "GOVernment and Manage
ment of the Exchequer of the United
! States OF America"
By Mr.. Myers: Giving two thousand
dollars pension to the widow of General
Meade.
BY Mr. Harris: To allow farmers and
| planters to sell leaf tobacco without re-
strictiCns, and modifying the tax on re-
tail dealers.
BY Mr.. Taffe: To sell certain lands to
the Republican Valley Railroad.
Mr.. Dawes presented a bill for the re-
lief of the Boston sufferers, on which a
( discussion ensued, after which the bill
passed unanimously. The bill CORE
spends with a like bill for the relief of
] Chicago, save that il does not exempt
! lumber.
The House then resumed consideration
Of the bill providing for ten slOops of war.
Mr.. Potter contended that il was not
practicable for a vessel of five or six
hundred tons to carry ten large guns;
that the statement by Mr. SchOfield,
Chairman of the Naval Committee, was
not correct; but that the statement
made by Mr.. Platte, that the vessels
ought to be from fifteen hundred to two
I thousand tons, was nearer the mark.
/ Such vessels could not be built for any,
thing like the sum mentioned. Such
vessels, for war purposes, would cost
/ from eight hundred thousand to one
million of dollars. He believed that the
/ actual cost of these vessels would ap-
! prOach one million dollars for each one
| He concluded: 1.-THE House is entitled
! to much better information than it had
received on the subject, and TO have a
matured plan submitted for the creation
/ of Navy, before they were called upon
/ 10 vote for this bill"
Mr.. Cox argued that Messrs. Hall and
SchOheld had confessed that each was
opposed to the plan Of building ships,
! which was vicious one, and distributed
! private contracts as jobs TO the other
navy-yards, which were also pTOdigsd
and wasteful. Both gentlemen had not
1 laid stress enough in the mischiefs that
require reform. The navy-yards need
/ reform, especially as to employees and
policies, who shall now reform the ac-
| knowledged jobbery and private con-
/ tracts, as the bill was an immature
makeshift, and as something ought TO
/ be done, he favored reducing the num-
/ ber of slOOps to six, three to be built at
/ private yards and three at the navy
/ yards, and TO eXpuriE -pt with a less
sum until information aul better plan
was given.
Mr.. Beck opposed the bill on the
/ ground that money heretofore appro-
( priated for such purposes had been spent
ON worthless ships, four hundred and
! seyenty-One of which had been sold in
the past five years in ways that Con-
gress knew nothing of, and even to the
I lowest instead of the highest bidder.
| He did not know but what these ten
/ vessels would be declared unfit for ser
! vice and sold before they were built.
I
/ Senate by Mr.. Edmunds, Of Yer
mont, that one vessel had been
| sold for nineteen thousand dollars,
( which, getting one coat of paint was
/ sold for twelve thousand dollars in the
/ course of a few weeks.
Mr.. Kerr urged a postponement of the
| bill as the House was not in possession
| Of information to act intelligently, for
| the Secretary of the Navy's report was
/ extremely and disereditably void of such
/ Information. He also opposed the bill be-
cause this country did not aspire to be
great military or naval power. The
army aud navy are now on peace foot
/ ing, and could be further reduced with
advantage. Security was to- be found
not in great standing armies or navy,
but eftectuauy exists in the complete
power Of a mighty nation. What was
mere impertinehce was reform of eX-
isting scandalOus laws affecting our re-
latious with other nations so they could
build up a great and powerful COM
mercial navy.
Mr.. COghly opposed, and Mr. Randall
supported the amendment 10 have half
the vessels built in private yards.
The discussion was continued by
Messrs. Archer, Myers, Lynch, Hale
and SchOfield, all in favor of the bill,
Mr.. Hale defending the Navy Depart
ment from the aspersions cast upon if,
and Mr.. Schofield, Chairman Of the Ma
val Committee, urging that all vessels
cORld be constructed in the naYy-yards
sooner and better than in private yards
Mr.. Garfield offered an amendment
providing that no contract or order for
! the construction Of these vessels be
made until full detailed estimates are
submitted TO Congress, and appropTia-
tiOns made therefore.
Mr.. Sargent opposed the amendment
as dilatory, and advocated the bill.
Mr.. SheilabaTger favored the con-
structiOn Of vessels carrying less than
six guns, as amere effective in enforcing
the neutrality laws.
Mr.. Myers said the bill gave the Secre-
tary full authority TO build these vessels.
No doubt six OF seven Of them viii be
built in naVy-yards, but it would be still
optional for the Secretary to build sew
eral at private yards. This discretion he
was willing to give, but above all he
wanted the ships built, and il would be
subject Of cOngratulatiOn that the ne
cessity Of the project would give EN-
plOyment to thousands OF skilled me-
chanics and labOTers.
The House, under the operation Of the
previous question, agreed, by77 to %, to
Mr.. Halls amendment requiring half
the vessels to be built In private navy
wards; to Mr. Banks's amendment, that
the numberof guns shall not exceed ten;
to Mr.. Gariield's amendment requiring
the plans and estimates to be submitted
to COEgress, aud the appropriation made