The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-03-02

House passed the Dill WITHOUT dCtlig upon
the amendment. A debate followed on the
bill to reimburse William and Mary Col
lege, Virginia, for property destroyed dur
ing the war. and the House adjourned
without reaching vote.
In the Senate on Monday, Mr.. Conkling
introduced bill to abolish the Office of
Weigher in the Custom House, and to have
the weighing done by Inspectors under the
direction Of the Surveyors of Customs
Mr.. Spencer presented a bill to grant gen
eral amnesty on condition that it shall not
entitle persons benefited to set up any
claim against the United States which ac-
crued during the existence of the war. Mr..
Conkling offered Il resolution requesting
the President to inform the Senate in re-
gard to the recommendations for removals
from appointment to Office that have been
made by the Senators from New York,
Missouri, Illinois and Nebraska. The in
ouiry is designed to show that Messrs.
Schurz, Trumbull, Fenton and Thayer,
who talk so very much regarding the cor
ruption of the civil service and the system
of appointments, have been as urgent as
any others in their applications at the de-
partments Mr.. Morton, in speaking on
the resolution. almost gave the lie direct
to Mr.. Trumbull's assertion that he had
made but few recommendations for office
during the present administration. Before
any vote was reached, Mr. Summers reso-
luton of investigation into the sale of arms
to France was taken up. MIR. Nye made
purely political speech in behalf of the
Administration, and Mr.. Freelinghuysen
followed with what seems to have been the
most eloquent and logical effort that this
prolonged debate has as yet produced. He
discussed the question of the sale of arms,
the New York Custom House difficulties
and the political aspects of the situation,
and demolished the accusations of Schurz
and Sumner against the Government. Mr..
Wright has the floor to-day. In the House
of Representatives there was the usual
Monday Eruption of new bills and resolu-
tons. Among them was one for the con-
struction of life preserving stations on the
coast between Cape Hatteras and Cape
Henry, and another for the creation of
Bureau of Naturalization in the State De-
partment The Civil Rights bill was post
poned for week. The Committee on
Expenditures of the War Department were
directed to investigate all sales of arms and
ammunition during the war between France
and Germany, the House thus accomplish
ing in five minutes all that tie Senate has
been quarrelling over for the past two
weeks A resolution declaring that the
duty on pig iron should be So per ton or
less was rejected. The Deficiency Appro-
priation bill was taken up, and while it
was pending the House adjourned.
In the Senate on Tuesday, Mr.. Anthony
presented the memorial of members of the
American Peace Society asking Congress
to take such measures as will secure uni
versal peace. The bill permitting the free
importation of photographs. paintings and
statuary for exhibition only was passed.
Mr. Conkling's resolution of inquiry into
recon mendations for office was discussed
during the morning hour. The political
debate growing out of Mr.. Summers pro-
posed sale of arms investigation was re-
sumed, and speeches made by Messrs.
Wright, West and SchurZ. The wearisOme
debate is approaching conclusion. In
the House of Representatives Mr.. Beck at
tempted to introduce resolution calling
for information in relation 10 the financial
affairs of the War Department. but it was
objected. Subsequently in debate Mr..
Beck complained that this information had
been concealed, and that for the last three
years he had been vainly endeavoring to
procure it. Mr.. Dawes replied that no
proper investigation would be refused. 4
bill was introduced for the defacing of al
tered OF spurious money, which was recon-
mitted. The Senate bill making the Vel
lowstone tract public park was passed.
The Deficiency Appropriation bill was un-
der consideration up to the adjournment
of the House.
In the Senate on Wednesday, majority
report against and minority report in IA
vor of the claim of Mr.. Abbott to the seat
from North Carolina were presented and
laid over for future consideration. Mr..
SchurZ presented 4 remonstrance, with
more than ten thousand signatures. against
the proposed religious amendment to the
Constitution. The bill to substitute Amer
lean steamship lines to foreign countries,
as agreed upon by the House Committee
on Commerce, was presented by Mr.. kel-
logg. The resolution of inquiry into the
sales of arms and ammunition to France
was taken up, and Mr.. Sumner made a
strong summary of the arguments in its
favor. A vote was taken on the motion to
reconsider Mr.. Conkling's amendment,
which is that the Committee shall also in
quire whether any Senator has been in
criminal collision with foreign Govern
ment, and the motion was lost. Mr.. Schurz
offered an amendment regarding the char
acter of the arms sold. Mr.. Harlan repli-
ed to Mr.. Sumner and the Senate adjourn
ed. In the House of Representatives Mr..
Lynch offered a resolution designed to
cover the grounds of Mr.. Summers propos-
ed investigation, but afterwards withdrew
it. The President was requested to in
form the House i'll regard to the enslave-
ment of Chinese in Cuba by the orders of
Nalmascda. The bill to facilitate bank
clearing house exchanges was amended and
recommitted. Mr.. Townsend offered but
afterwards withdrew a resolution for the
withdrawal of the American claims against
Great Britain for indirect damages. Mr..
Beck's resolution calling upon the War
Department for information in relation to
the sale of arms since the close of the war
was adopted. The House discussed a bill
in relation to a Wisconsin Railroad until
the hour of adjournment.
In the Senate, on Thursday, Mr.. Sum-
ner's resolution relative to the sale of arms
to France was taken up again, and Mr..
Carpenter took the floor. He said that
everything in the nature of business had
been set aside to allow Senators to stab at
the Administration and to attempt to make
up case of foreign grievance against their
own country. He attributed the absti
nence of Democratic Senators from taking
ally pdTG WIFI MeSSTS- summer ana SclufZ
to the fact that they were too patriotic to
take part in any movement to deflc their
own country. Mr. Hamlin, the usually
calm and dignified Senator from Maine, in
the course of the debate which ensued /
declared in the language once used by
Erskine in Parliament, that the preamble !
was ''impotent, insolent, and II public |
ellie" Mr.. Sumner proposed to with !
draw the preamble but objection was made. !
Mr. Sherman raised point of order that .
the preamble could not be laid upon the |
table without carrying the resolution with
it. The Vice President overruled the point .
of order, when an appeal was taken and .
the decision of the Chair was sustained
yeas %, nays IS. Mr.. Edmunds said that .
in translating the French document it was
made to read earns purchased from the
United States - instead of SIN" On this
piece of villany, he said, the effort had
been made by Senators Sumner and Schurz
to get up this reflection upon their own
country. The motion to lay the preamble
on the table was finally carried-yeas 40,
nays 1. Mr.. Summers resolution was then