The sun., 1872-12-12

Mr. Shellabarger REP, Ohio, offered
resolution instructing tho Judiciary Committee
to inquire and report what powers Congress pos
sesscs In regulating commerce among the sew
sral States, In 40 far as such commerce Is trans
ported on railroads and other lines OF transpor-
tation organized and conducted under the laws
Of various States, and whether such lowers In
clude the power to prohibit unequal OF oppres-
uve charges or Determinations made by such
common carriers on freight or passengers from
one State on their way through another st ate.
Adopted.
The Speaker announced the following appoint
ments e to nil yeesneies ;. on a. committees 9p
on CLAIMS Mr. Haxley q Connecticut.
on Ciyil service Rciorm-Messrs. Crockcr Of Masss
os Ps,ent.ST nI DSfai isty 81 S Of Massachusetts,
on Coinage, Weights and Measurcs-Mr. Conner Of
On Agriculture-Mr. Herndon OF Texas.
THE SOLDIERS BOUNTY LAND BILL
The House resumed the consideration OF the
Soldiers Bounty Land bill that was up yestor-
Mr. Dunnen CRep.. Mimi opposed the bill
being unable. he said. to conceive Of a bill moro
mischevous In its tendencies and effects. Did
diers for an equalization Of bounties by giving
them bounty land warrants which would not
MIR. Townsend Cfiep., Pa also opposed the
bill, and d, said that The CSmmittee e on Public
bers. was unanimously Of the opinion that the
bill. II II became law, would be Of immense
at large. He had not received single letter in
favor Of the bill ON the contrary, the soldiers
Grand Army of the Republic, at its session in
Eai' in fssTgGrS lG hed in
principles embraced In the bill.
FRAUD ON THE SOLDIERS.
Mr.. Hawley Rep., Comm alo opposed the bill
and showed how unfairly and inJuriously the
bounty land system had worked as applied To
the soldiers OF the Mexican war. lie calculated
that they had got S55,0QOco0 from the sale OF
actually settled land under them had paid sl5o,-
10000 for II, the difference going into the
measure measure Would work Infinitely more unfairly
than that one, because now any one could go
d see on lands nGder t Ss a sng
this bin two million persons would be entitled
70 land scrip II only one-tenth Of them ap-
ket scrip for 321,O0O,OO0 acres, and which scrip
would only bold good for year. The effect OF
least ten dollars in getting his warrant could not
sell II in the market for iye dollars. The meas
fraud on the soldier lie held most rigidiy to
the policy Of preserving the public lands for the
Mr. Donnan rep, Iowa) argued in support OF
the pill as giving an equality OF benent 70 all the
ders additional facilities under the homestead
law, was restricted TO those who actually entered
land under IL. He also argued that the measure
would help to settle up the public lands.
ONLY POLITICAL SOLDIERS OPPOSE THE BILL.
Mr.. Speer Dem, Pa also defended the bill,
replying ITO the different arguments against II.
Of the Republic, presented by Mr.. Townsend,
and signed, among Others, by Gen. Hartranft,
Governor elect Of Pennsylvania, he asserted that
that organization did not represent the honest
soldiers Of the country, but the political soldiers
companies and monopolists. When he (Speer)
had stated on the stump In his district that Gen.
been denied by the Republican papers and
speakers, and one paper In his district had
M Of Rs Repab
can Committee denied that Gen. Hartranft
Mr. speer-I say that the Governor elect,
through his paper and by his political friends
on the stump throughout my district, denied
that he had ever signed them.
Mr. Townsend-fhe Governor elect OF Penn
sylyania has never, so far as know, or 50 far as
those resolutions, or that he signed them. The
convention was not a political convention, but
convention Of soldiers without respect to
Mr. speer-My colleague evades the point He
knows well that the Governor elect of Pennsy-
Tania neither asserted nor denied anything on
the stump In the recent canvass.
A member-Neither did the President Of the
MI speer-T did not allege that the Governor
sleot had denied l., but do siirn IT., that the he
Mr. Townsend-I should like the gentleman 70
produce any paper under the influence OF the
Governor elect which denied any OF these reso-
IutiOns.
HOW THE HONEST SOLDIERS STAND.
Mr., Speer-I name a paper in my district,
known as the RddbdL published In Altoona,
which charged me fourteen times, think, with
being liar for making that statement In pub
uc speech In that city and yet we have those
resolutions brought here this morning as evil
denoe that the soldiers OF Pennsylvania are
opposed TO this bill. say that the priyates, the
unknown and unlettered brave men-they who
alone deserve the name OF soldlers-are for this
bill but the Officers, those who wore epaulets,
and who never snufed the battle but In the dim
distance, are opposed TO this bill and OPP
posed to anything else that the corporations Of
The country ask them to be opposed to.
Mr.. Townsend-I ask my colleague whether
svery one Of the gentlemen who signed those
resolutions was not on the neld OF battle
Mr. Speer-I believe they were.
Mr.. Townsend-Then my colleage should not
charge that they were not.
NOT THE MEN WHO CARRIED THE hUsKErs.
Mr.. Bpeer-They were not the men who car
ried the musket and knapsack. They were not
the men who did picket duty. They are not tho
men whose little children. ragged and bare
They are the politician soldiers, who arc put
forward by politicians to represent them and TO
win campaigns for them.
Mr. killinger tbep., Pail know one OF the
men who signed those resolutions who went
Into the army as private soldier, lost his log,
and came out Of the war asa Colonel.
Mr.. Speer-Yes, the present Surveyor-G eneral
OF ofpennsylyanis; he has been rewarded with .
Mr.. Townsend-I inquire OF my colleague
whether Gen. iiartrann, against whom he d.
teots his assertions, was not In seventeen bat
Ties during the war;
Mr.. Speer-He may have been In seventy times
seyenteen battles l make no charge OF that
tind against the gallantry OF Gen, HArtranft or
OF any OF them; but say that when they come
they DO NO. ths sos Of r Psan
sylVania. j ask my colleague whether he oan
furnish me with tho resolutions Of = soldiers.