The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-11

pointment of q committee OF lnvestga.
ton. As the report had been referred
to the committe on Elections, he would
leave it there without further allusion
at present.
The House then resumed the consid.
Grafton of the mint and coinage bill
reported yesterday by Mr.. Kelly.
Mr.. Wood addressed the House on
the pending amendment to the second
section, which fixes the salaries of the
officers of the mint, &c. With the
people the question was not so much
the amount to be paid the public en-
ployes as it was to secure competent
and faithful servants. The President
had made the startling announcement
that one-tourth Of the revenue was lost
in its collection, and our revenue was
four hundred millions Of dollars. He
hoped to see the Republican party take
an example from the New York Dem
ocrats in the matter Of reform.
Mr.. Dawes declined to follow Mr..
Wood in that line Of discussion, but
remarked that the Republican party
sent its thieves to the peuitentiary,
whilst the Democratic party sent its
thieves to the Legislature. Laughter
on the Republican side
Mr.. Wood retorted that if all the
thieves in the Republican party were to
be sent to the State prison, there were
not State prisons enough in the United
States to hold the one hundredth part
Of them. Laughter on the Democratic
side
Mr.. Burchard moved to reduce the
salary of the directors of the mint from
$500 to $500. Agreed to.
Mr. Dawes moved to restrict travel
ing expenses to be allowed to the direc-
tors to those actually incurred in visit
ing the different mints and assay offices,
and that it be only on vouchers
certified on oath. Agreed to.
Mr.. Garfield moved to reduce the
salaries OF Superintendent at Philadel'
phia and San Francisco from $4,000 to
$4,000.
Mr.. Kelly opposed and argued against
the amendment.
Mr.. Townsend, OF New York, con.
demned the waste of public time in
discussing bill about the salaries oil
mint officers while the great CONNER
cial interests OF the country were Ian
gushing and decaying, and while il
things went on 50 there would be no
money to pay the officers. 1t a vote
were taken throughout the country, he
had no doubt that it wonld be in fav or
Of the members OF Congress returning to
their private avocations at home. IL
moved to strike out the enacting clause
OF the bill so that the house might pro.
ceed to the needed legislation. Laugh
ter
On vote by the tellers the motion
was sustained-S0 to GO.
Mr. Dickey called the yeas and nays
and the result OF the vote in that way
was the rejection OF the motion; yeas
II, nays 100.
Mr.. Mccormick moved that the bill
be recommitted to the committee with
instructions to report bill which shall
create no new bureaus, no offices, or
increase of salary, and which shall
provide that in the purchase OF nickel
copper the proposals shall be adyer'
tised for, and the contract let to the
lowest bidder.
The section was then amended by
reducing the salary OF the Director o'
the Mint from $500 to $4500, as pro
posed by Mr.. Holman yesterday.
While the question was pending upon
the reduction Of the salaries OF mint
superintendents, Mr. Townsend, Of New
York, said that the country would be
surprised and dissatisfied that Congress
should be spending its time discussing
the salaries Of an officer or two and
negiecting the great and pressing inter
ests which were suffering from neglect.
The House committee on Appropria
tions considered the appropriation bill
without arriving at any result.
After the debate in which charges
were made on one side and denied on
the other that the bill WAS in the inter.
est Of the Lancaster nickel mine owners,
Mr.. Mccormick motion was disagreed
to-ayes, SG nays, "a.
On motion Of Mr.. Kelley the bill was
then recommitted without instructions.
Mr.. Hoar, from the committee on
Elections, called up the report in the
contested election case Of Clark VS..
Giddings, in the Third District OF Texas,
and moved the previous question on
the resolution recommended by the
majority Of the committee, which de-
clares that Clark has prima facie right
to his seat, and that he be sworn in
without prejudice TO the rights OF his
contestant.
Mr.. Farnsworth asked Mr.. Hoar to
Weld the floor, in order that he might
submit an amendment recommitting
the report with instructions to the CON-
mittee to report upon the merits OF the
case.
Mr.. Hoar refused TO admit the
amendment. The previous question
having been seconded, the debate pro-
ceeded upon the case.
Pending the discussion, Mr.. Ser
gean, a member elect from California,
appeared and was sworn in.