Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-11
HOUSE.


Bills were introduced and referred
authorizing collectors to grant special
orders for unloading steamships al
night, and also establishing a new scale
of fees and salaries for customs officers:
repeating the bankruptcy act
By Mr.. Rice {Kentucky): Repeating
the special tax on retailers of leaf to-
baccO.
By Mr.. Arthur Kentucky: Repeal
ing the enforcement act, abOlishing the
stamp duty on bank checks, and abol-
ishing the special tax on leaf tobacco.
By Mr.. Peak (Ohio): To amend the
act of May %, 1872, for holding United
States Courts at Toledo.
BY Mr.. McHenry: Railroad bridge
across the Ohio at Owensboro.
The House then resumed the consid-
Grafton of the bill reported at the last
session by Mr.. Coleman ,Indiana) TO
enable hOnOrably discharged soldiers
and sailors, and their widows and or
phan children, 60 acquire homesteads
on the public lands, with authority to
assign their certificates and to locate by
attorney.
A debate ensued, in which Mr. How
ley lIllinois) spoke against the bill,
claiming that the bette provisions in it
were already contained in law passed
last session. He stated that the quanti-
ty Of land that would be covered by
these certificates to soldiers, not count
ing sailors, would be four hundred and
fifty million acres. The bill ought to
meet with the condemnation of the
House, as it was for the benefit of the
claim agents and land spectators.
Stenghtes (Michigahl, a member of
the Military Committee, defended the
bill, and contended that it established
no new principle, but merely carried out
what had been the policy of the Gov
ernment after all great wars. He
explained that under the provisions of
the bill there was no danger Of the
certificates getting into the hands of
spectators, for it limited the quantity
that should be held by any one person
to three hundred and twenty acres, and
required settlement and occupation.
The bill was debated until the expira-
ton of the morning hour, when it went
over till tomorrow.
The House then, at half-past one
O'Clock, went into Committee of the
Whole on the Indian appropriation bill,
with Mr.. Dawes in the chair.
Mr.. Sargent, who reported the bill
from the Committee on Appropriations,
made a general statement about it. He
said that the amount appropriated for
the current year for the expenses of the
Indian service was six million three
hundred and siXty-two thousand and
siXty-two dollars; the amount proposed
in the bill was five million three hun
dred and seventy-nine thousand three
hundred and siXty-five dollars, OF near
ly million less.
Mr.. Niblack asked Mr.. Sargent to
give the House an idea of the present
policy and views of the administration
in regard to the Indians.
Mr.. Sargent replied that he was not
authorized to speak for the administra-
tion in that matter, but his own opinion
would be in favor of doing away with
old Indian treaties.
Mr.. Shanks, from the Indian Com
mittee, said so far as his committee was
concerned, it would rigidly adhere to
the conditions and spirit of the treaties
made between the United States and the
several Indian tribes until some other
mode be established, with the consent of
the Indians themselves, and until then
the contracts between the United States
ana InGlanS should be, so far as the In
dian Committee was concerned, most
sacredly maintained. Mr.. Sargent went
on to speak in commentator of the
Indian peace policy, and read statistics
showing a remarkable increased pros
perity among the Indians within the
last two years, the value of individual
property increasing in one year from
three million nine hundred and forty
two thousand dollars TO nine million
nine hundred and forty-one thousand
dollars.
All general debate having been closed,
the House proceeded to consider the bill
by paragraphs, and after getting through
about half the bill the committee rose
and the House adjourned.