Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-04-27
CONGRESSIONAL NOTES.
NAsHINGToSi Apfn ~.
IN THE SENATE:

e IN THE SENATE
The Goat island bill was Ibid before
4 the Senate aid read diiee, Senator Cole
: objecting to a second reading.
Senator Corbett called up the bill de-
elafing the citizenship of persons born
in the Territory of Oregon, and now re-
siding in the State of Oregon. He ex-
g planned that 1t was ihtefided to apply to
persons born under the British flag.
Senator Casserly objected to the BILL
on the ground that the assumed claim
of the United States to the Territory of
Oregon prior to the treaty with Great
Britain, was questionable.
, The following bills were introduced:
By Senator Wilson: To equalize pro-
motion among officers in the army, pro-
viding that the promotion of commits
stoned officers shall be lineal up to and
including the grade of colonel, in caval-
ry, artillery and infantry.
Senator Ramsey, from the Committee
ION POstOffiees and POst-rOads, reported a
bill directing the Postmaster-General TO
Increase the present steamship mail ser
vice to Brazil TO semi-mOnthly service,
for ten years, at a cost to the United
States not exceeding four hundred and
fifty thousand dollars per annum.
Senator Ramsey, from the Committee
on POst0ffices and Post-roads, reported
adversely on the bill to authorize gran
ters of franchises for the construction
and maintenance of bridges and their
appurtenances. Indefinitely postponed.
Senator Harlan, from the Committee
on Indian Affairs, reported without
amendment the House bill for the relief
of the settlers of the Cherokee lands in
Kansas. ,ET.. l,rr..r
Senator Anthony submitted the fol-
lowing, which was referred to the Com
mittee on Rules:
ResolUed, That the twenty-eighth rule be
| amended by adding thereto the following
words: "When bill or joint resolution is
under consideration, any pending amend
Inent thereto may be laid on the table without
prejudice TO the bill, and motion TO lay the
l amendment on the table shall carry with il
/ the amendment in the second degree"
Senator Cole made a report from the
! committee of conference on the legisla-
| tive appropriation bill. He explained
4 that the committee omitted provision
/ in reference to the salaries of Judges of
/ the District of Columbia. 1t had fixed
| the salaries of the Justices of the Court
of Claims at foFty-five hundred dollars,
and had made no increase in the sala-
ries of United States District Judges.
| Senator Carpenter called for the yeas
and nays, and the report was cOncurred
in. Yeas 38, nays II.
Unfinished business beingin order, the |
deficiency bill was then taken up. The |
pending question was on concurring in |
the amendment made in Committee of |
the Whole to equalize the pay of men |
employed in government workshops un- |
der the eight-hour law.
Senator Wilson advocated thetamend- /
II so1 I-nE fIa asr L.
law experiment had proved a failure, |
trial.
Senator Morton, too, denied that the
experiment had failed, and said he had
good reason to believe that in the Spring
field armory the result of it had been
an increased amount of work over what
was done in eight hours under the old
system. He said also 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 with
out any reduction of pay.
Senator Casserly favored the amend
ment. He denied that the eight-hour
experiment had failed, and said that the
reduction of the hours of labor had been
going on for the last one hundred and
fifty years, and that they had been at
tended not by diminished but by in
creased production.
Senator Morrill, VERMONT said that
the attempt of the government to regu-
late the hours of labor was an insult to
the working men of the country, and
that instead of being sign of progress,
it was going back to the fifteenth CEN
tury.
Senator Summer said that the ques-
ton of the wisdom of the eight hour
law was not involved in the pending
which was necessary as an |
act of Justice to the workingmen
against whom discrimination had been I
made. Is
After further discussion the commit
tees amendment was rejected, and the
section was passed substantially as it l
came from the house. Providing that !
the proper accounting officers be and
they are hereby authorized and re-
quired, in settlement of all accounts
for the services of laboTers, workmen
and mechanics employed on behalf of ,
the Government of the United States,
from the twenty-fifth of June, 1868, to
the nineteenth of May, 1859, to settle 5
and paw the same without reduction on
account of the reduction of the hours of
labor by the eight-hOur law, when it
shall be made to appear that that was Z
the sole cause of the reduction of wages. I
1t also makes sufficient appropriation to
pay these claims.
The question was also taken ON con-
curing in the amendment offered by :
Senator Morrill, Vermont, restricting
the jurisdiction of the court of claims, in L
suits for the value of captured and aban- f
ioned property, to cases which We're Q
within two years after the .
of the rebellion, and in
which it appears as proven fact that
the claimants have never given aid or :
comfort to the rebellion, and it was dis &
agreed tO--yeas q, nays 26. S
Senator Stephenson moved the
appropriating five hum I
lred and twenty-five thousand two .
hundred and fifty-eight dollars, expenses
n equipping troops during the rebellion,
md made argument for its adoption.
Senator Sawyer offered substitute
providing for the payment of Kentucky
or arming, equipping and maintaining
roops for the service of the United
States during the rebellion, but provid-
NO that no account should be taken of
Rooms employed after the first of May,
1865. --@ 80
Senator Stevenson objected to this as
Unjust, and read statement by General
Tohn NJ. Palmer showing that State s
rOops were employed and were neces- q
ary to keep the peace in Kentucky in
he latter part of 1865 and 1856.
Senator Morton said he believed that
Kentucky ought to be compensated for
Ter outlay so far as she could make her
lain good, and as he feared the adOp-
ion of Mr.. Sawyer's substitute might Il
work, in justice he moved to lay the y
ubstitute and the original amendment .
N the table, which was agreed TO. r
Senator Corbett moved an amend
nent to the bill relating to the citizen
hip of residents of Oregon-which was
aid over in the morning hour-and it
vas agreed to. ta- e,~-.-r.--
Senator FFelinghuysen moved to re-
consider the vote by which Senator
,Iorrill's amendment restricting the ju-
of the Court of Claims was re-
ected. D
The Senate went into executive ses- s
ION, and soon after adjourned.