The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-13
XLIID CONGRESS..SECO SESSION


ment for refunding all taxes collected during
the war, as they undoubtedly had been burden
some to the people. Uaughter) sssE ISL
The bill granting the right of way to the
| Great Southern railroad III Florida came up.
Mr.. Morrill, of Maine opposed the bill, saying
that the people would be astonished at the ac-
ton OF Congress since 1866 i'll voting away the
public lands to railroads. The bill was passed.
A resolution was adopted that the President
furnish the amount of moneys paid for tele-
graphic dispatches the past three years
Bills introduced ito prevent the destruction of
timber on public lands; providing votes for
congressman shall be by written or printed
ballot; also directing the Secretary of the
Treasury on application of governors of States
to supply them with treasury notes to an
amount which, in connection with the national
bank notes already furnished, shall make SIS for
each inhabitant, provided that real estate Sc
curity is given for payment in fifteen years; for
the erection of public buildings at Fall River.
The Legislative appropriation bill came up
Messrs Pomeroy and Nye opposed the amend
ment repeating the law authorizing the publ
cation OF laws in newspapers.
Messrs. Carpenter Flanagan and Corbett al
so opposed it.
Mr.. Pomeroy moved to lay the amendment
on the table. Agreed, yeas y, nays 81.
An amendment was adopted appropriating
$4,000 for the publication Of laws in newspa-
pers.
Mr. Edmunds offered an amendment provid
ing that after the publication of the laws of the
present Congress their publication in newSpa-
perS shall cease. Adopted.
An amendment was adopted raising the sala-
ries of the assistant secretaryS I'd comptroller,
register, auditor, commissioner of customs and
supervising architect of the Treasury Depart
ment assistant postmaster general, superin-
tendent of money orders and of foreign mails,
commissioner of general land Office and COM
missioner of Indian affairs to $4,000.
Mr.. Sherman offered an amendment to the
amendment increasing the salaries of all the
heads of bureaus to $4,000.
motion to table the amendment was lost.
Mr.. Sawyer moved to add the commissioner
of education to the list Agreed to.
Mr.. Logan moved to add the supervising Off
Ger of the Marine Hospital. Pending the dis
cussion of which the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
The bill granting the Central Pacific Railroad
Company half of the Island of Icerba Buena,
in the bay of San Francisco, was taken up and
discussed. a. 81.
Mr.. Holman, of Indiana, moved to lay the
bill ON the table.
motion, the Speaker called the attention of the
House to the fact that yesterday, under the in
vitation to members to send in the names of
persons to be included in the amnesty bill, the
name of Lebaleon B. Vanel, of North Caro-
lima, was sent up. There had been an implied
obligation that no person should be included
who came within the category of exceptional
cases in the general bill heretofore passed by
the House, namely Members of Congress or
officers of the army and navy who resigned and
had given aid to the rebellion He was glad he
did not know who had sent up the name of
Vance, nor from what side of the House it had
come. The question of that gentleman's relief
from disability had been matter of some con-
sideration and discussion elsewhere, and the
Chair regarded the question of his name as q
violation of good faith. He believed 1t had
been done in ignorance of the understanding of
the House. -
Mr.. Shober of North Carolina remarked that
Mr.. Vance did not come within the category of
excepted cases to which the Speaker referred,
as he had not resigned his seat as member of
Congress- -I ID a. 81 ..t-f..- .r-.-
The SPEAKER said he must be misinformed on
that point. .. t ~
Mr.. Brooks, of New York, remarked that in
consenting to a general shuttle if that was the
proper word, he supposed it included everybody.
The Speaker could not see how Mr.. Brooks
could so understand it.
After further conversation, during which it
appeared that the member who sent ND Mr.
Nances name was not present, the Speaker
stated that he had done his duty in calling the
attention of the House to the abuse of its priv
ileges. Ell 10 .-aF $685. ir.-
The House refused to table the Yerba Buena
blll-73 to 81 A motion was then made to re-
commit the bill with instructions.
The bill was recommitted to the Pacific Rail
road Committee with Instructions to amend by
providing that the President appoint three COM
HlfsSOneTS al tlle expense OF IIe central racine
Railroad To hear all parties interested, who
shall award three months afterwards such
sum for the use of half the island as shall be
just and equitable, to be paid by the Central
Company e.. s-.
Mr.. Leach, of North Carolina, stated that he
was the member who sent the name of z. B.
Vance yesterday to be included in the general
amnesty, and contended that he was perfectly
justified in doing so.
Mr.. Bingham, of Ohio, moved to reconsider
hxrx oh,
Laid over
A resolution, declaring b. f. Myers entitled
to seat from the 10th Pennsylvania district,
was adopted, LEft' w SGD a
Mr.. Wheeler, of New York, entered motion
to reconsider the vote recommitting the Yerba
Buena bill so as to give the Pacific Railroad
Committee control of the bill to bring it before
the House at any time,
O.. Mr.. Harlan, of Indiana, moved to lay that
motion on the table. Lost--68 to 49, The bill
consequently remains in control of the commit
tee. s.f
The Post Office appropriation bill was taken
up in Committee of the Whole. A proposition
to furnish uniform for letter1carriers and that
householders supply letter boxes was rejected.
Mr.. Wood, of New York, offered formal
amendment, and criticised the statement of Mr..
Dawes few nays since as to the receipts and
and expenditures of the Government for the
coming fiscal year. He presented a tabular
statement of the actual receipts from all sources
for the first eight months of the present fiscal
year ending March, 1872 This includes receipts
from duties, internal revenue and miscellaneous
sources, and it amounts to $3.50 sos, 88S SO, which
together with the BALANCE pit same rates would
make the total for the present fiscal year $780,
764 ,S32. So; againsr this expenditure as estimat
ed by the Secretary of the Treasury, for the fis-
cal year ending June 30, 1873, would be $780,
L05, 086.09, and this estimate included over
$4,000, 900 on account of sinking fund, payment
of interest on public debt, &c, and included
about $SO00,0O0 more than Congress would
vote for improvement of rivers and harbors.
1t would thus be seen that there would be q sur
plus Of over 1000, 900 II $25,OO0,0D0 of this
should be paid towards the liquidation of the
principal of the public debt it would leave
$57, 100000 TO be reduced from taxation. He
proposed that this be taken off the, duties on
iron manufactures of iron, tea, coffee, salt
coal and woolens, and also from internal taxa
ton by the income tax and other similar sources
of income. He also animadverted upon the
policy of the Secretary in keeping so large
balance OF cash on hand, which now amounted
to over $174, 600, 900. s..
Mr.. Dawes, Of Massachusetts, replied and
said that Mr. Wood had not controverted
single item of what he had stated as to the ex-
penditures of the Government. The gentle
man from New York had improved on the gem
tlsman from Pennsylvania kelly, but there
were more than $l0Q0OQQ01 ip his estimate of
the revenue. But he asked the House to con-
slider whether it was exactly wise to go on in
extravagant expenditures with no other re-
sources to meet them than the expected in
crease in revenue, The first six months re-
ceipts of the current FISCAL year multiplied by
two would give years receipts as only $4,000;
600 more than the estimates of the Secretary of
the Treasury,
A proposition by Mr. Strong to prevent any
printing whatever on Government stamped en-
velopes, was discussed and rejected.
Mr.. Conger, from the Committee on Com
merce, offered an amendment increasing the
subsidy for the mail service to China to $1,000,
600, provided the service be semi-monthly and
the ships of American construction,
Mr.. Holman, of Indiana, made point of
order on the amendment which the chairman
overruled. Mr.. Holman appealed, and the de-
cision was maintained by avery large majority,
WARRINGTON,
THE TARIFF.
WASHINGTON, March 12.-The statement is
made that the Ways and Means Committee had
decided to reduce the duty on wool and increase
that on woolens, and place chemicals and lnedi-
zines on the free list The committee, however,
have not yet voted on these subjects,
rrH-.,r,