The Portland daily press., 1872-12-18
XLIId CONGRESS !.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.
The Vice President appointed the following
committee to consider the question of providing
cheaper transportation from the West to the
Atlantic seabOard:
Messrs. Window of Minnesota, Sherman of
Ohio, Conkling of New York, Ames of Msss
sippi, Lewis of Virginia, Casserly of California
and Norwood of Georgia.
The Vice President also appointed Messrs.
Morrill, Of Maine and Osborne of Florida, to fill
vacancies on the Military Committee.
The Vice President laid before the Senate q
resolution passed by the House yesterday
against removing from the army register and
regimental colors the names of the battles of
the rebellion.
Mr.. Edmunds-I hops that resolution will be
put upon its passage at this time.
Mr.. SUMNER object
Mr.. Edmunds-Then L give notice that I
Shall ask the Senate to take it up tomorrow.
resolution that a committee be appointed
to investigate the alleged frauds in the recent
election in Arkansas was laid on the table.
A bill was passed for the appointment of
keepers of life saving stations at Cape Cod and
Block lslana.
A bill of Mr.. Fenton relative to customs was
referred from the Finance Committee to the
Committee on Commerce.
b The Committee on Public Buildings gave no.
tce that models for Farraguts statue would be
received at the northeast of the Senate wing of
the capitol corridor till January.
The French spolotion bill was taken up.
Mr.. Sherman of Ohio said these claims had
no foundation in law or equity, and argued at
length in support of his views.
Mr.. Thurman followed in opposition to the
bill.
Mr.. Morrill, of Maine made an argument in
it's support.
The Indian appropriation bill was passed
with slight amendments.
AT o'clock the Senate went into executive
session and soon adj ourned.
HOUSE.
A bill creating a commissions to award the
Geneva claims was referred to the Judiciary
Committee
A bill providing for determining the bound
airy line through the Haro channel, as decided
by the Emperor of Germany, was passed.
A bill appropriatlng 100000 fort he Ameri-
can exhibitors at Vienna WAS discussed.
The debate was continued at some length,
Ohio that the American inventors would have
their inventions copied, as the Austrian laws
gave foreigners no protection.
Mr.. Banks of Mass, said that it was expect
ed that the present laws would be so modified
as to afford protection.
Mr.. Hoar of Mass, offered an amendment
that twelve American citizens, to attend the
Exposition be appointed by the President to
report their observations.
Debate continued during the morning hour
without action.
Mr.. Brooks of n. Y, rose 20 a question of
personal privilege connected with statements
in the N. Y. Herald and World, that II. 5.
McComb had testified before the Credit Mob-
lier Investigating Committee, that he, Brooks,
had received certain shares of stock in order to
influence him and through him the Democratic
side of the House in legislation beneficial to
the Union Pacific railroad company. He ut
terly denied the statement and ridiculed the
idea of his attempt to influence Democratic
members for bride of 30 shares of Credit Mo-
bilier stock representing $4,000. He did not
recollect that he ever spoke to Democratic
- H. TT,.o fin
road. McCamb was a man of no character,
mere reckless audacious adventurer who was
shown by the record of the Military Commits
sion now on file in the War Department, to be
a robber and bandit, and he was also known
by the record of the House investigating Com
niittee into Louisiana affairs last summer to
have been engaged in bribery, in order to get
hold of the New Orleans & jackson railroad
He (Brooks) had never owned, directly or lndi-
rectly, single share of the Credit Mobilier
stock, despite the testimony of the perjurer
McComb. The whole thing was fction-a fig
ment of McCombs yillainouS invention. HIS
son-in-law he understood had bought 90 shares
of Credit Moblier, paying for it $685., and 1t
was out of that fgment, perhaps McComb
made up the whole story about 80 shares being
given him (Brooks) to buy up the Democratic
side of the House. In conclusion he appealed
to the Committee of Investigation to search
his conduct from beginning to end, to riddle
him from top to bottom, and if they found
any fault in him to report it to the House and
to disgrace him.
A desultory discussion took place relative to
charging the scope of the investigation and as
to sitting with open doors, but no action was
taken.
Report of the Conference Committee on the
bill for the removal of the wreck from the
channel of Sandy Hook was agreed to-.
The House took up as the special order, the
bill reported by the Judiciary Committee last
session, for settlement with the States of Ohio
Indiana and Illinois, of the five per cent. OF
the net proceeds of the sale of public lands
within those states.
After debate and without action the House
adjourned.