The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-27

state whether those charges against the Secre-
tary of War and Secretary of Treasury are
abandoned ~. -
Mr.. Frelinghuysen then reviewed the facts as
stated by Messrs. Harlan, Wilson and Conkling
and insisted that the government had carefully
| avoided selling arms to known agents OF either
belligerent and had acted throughout in strict
accordance with its mutual obligations A good
deal OF time had been spent in discussing the
| question whether the Chief of Ordnance had
the right to sell arms he did SELL What differ
erence did it make as to our relations with
| Prussia whether he had or not? None what
ever. If we had violated our neutrality by SELL
ing these arms, the fact the Chief of Ordnance
| had right under our law to sell them, would
| not make our case any better.
| This whole matter was only question
whether We had violated our neutral obligations
| with Prussia 1t was either that or nothing
Yet under these circumstances, with no charge
OF fraud sustained by evidence, no violation of
any statute, nor complaint from any power of
our having violated our duty, the sales being
known to them all, no allegation of our having
made the sale to a bellegerent, directly or indi-
rcctly, the Senate was called upon to inquire
whether we had not seriously violated or COM
| promised our national honor.
| Without reaching vote the Senate adjourn
| ed. :.
y HOUSE.
- Bills were introduced to improve Newport
Harbor; reducing internal revenue taxation;
Regulating newspaper postage; to preserve the
independence of the departments of the govern
ment and fix the responsibility of removals and
| appointments in the civil service; for the re-
lief of the eaptors of the rebel ram Albermarle
Ihe call of States being completed the sup
Elementary civil rights bill introduced last
MONDAY, by Mr.. Frye of Maine, for Mr.. Hoop
| er OF Massachusetts,, came up.
MIR. Eldridge of Wisconsin suggested it's ref
erence to the Judiciary Committee, remarking
that the members of this side would not con-
sent to have such bill passed without de-
| bate.
Mr.. NiblaclS of Indiana moved to lay the bill
| on the table. -
MT. Scofield demanded the yeas and nays and
the few moments left of the morning hour was
consumed in taking the vote by tellers on the
motion to adjourn and then the bill went over
| TILL next Monday. There being much confusion
| and noise in the hall, the Speaker said that no
business could be transacted till order was re-
| stored and that the condition of the House was
| scandal to legislation. If the members would
| sustain the chair it would not be repeated
| MIR. Banks of Massachusetts offered resolu-
| ton referring to the Committee on the District
| OF Columbia the question of having the locomo-
i've railroad track removed from in front of the
capital. Adopted.
Bills introduced and referred:
by Mr. Shellabarger of Ohio, for the encour-
agement OF foreign commerce of the United
| States.
| 1.-The bill provides for the appointment of
board OF commissioners of commerce to consist
| OF the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of
| the Navy, Secretary of the Interior and the
Postmaster General, to enforce the observance
| OF the contract for the promotion of commerce
| and as to seamen and emigrants to collect, ar
range and report information and statistics con-
| corning commerce.
| To provide for one line of iron steamships to
| British port, one to port of continental Ell
rope, one to the West Indies and Mexico and
one to Australia. The commissioners are to
make contracts for the payment of bounty to
! these and other lines of steamships on the plan
suggested by the Secretary of the Treasury in
the bill recently presented by him to the Com
| mlttee OF Commerce; also bill to promote immi-
grafton to the United States and for the protec-
| ton of immigrants. rr-
By Mr. Burlington; to provide for the desig-
| nation of chief medical purveyor; a large
number OF bills for the removal of political dis
| abilities from persons of the southern States
| were presented and at the suggestion of the
| Speaker included in one bill
Mr.. Eldrdge of Wisconsin suggested that all
citizens OF the United States be Included. u
| Mr.. Garfield of Ohio moved that the bill. with
out further reading, be passed under q suspen-
| sion of the rules.
Mr.. Maynard of Tennessee called for the yeas
| and nays Not ordered.
! Mr.. Garfields motion was agreed to and the
| bill was passed lis to Is.
| MIR. Farnsworth of Illinois offered resolu-
| ton lnstructing the Committee on Public Build
| lngs and Grounds to report a bill for clearing
| away horse and car stables, car tracks and 9TH
| - ""e-SSo DAAAOuAAuiLS SdplIOl. AuOpv-
| ed.
On motion of Mr. Young of Georgia. the
Senate bill removing political disabilities from
1921 persons was passed under a suspension of
the rules without being read.
Mr.. Brooks of New York, from the Commit
| tee on Ways and Means, reported a bill repeal
ing the requirement of stamps on packages of
leilies, mustards, sauces, canned and preserved
fruits, vegetables, meats, &C., as enumerated
ana taxed IN schedule 'C'' OF the internal rev.
enue act. Passed under a suspension of the
>rules. 10Y rHHV
Mr.. Morgan of Ohio introduced bill to sub
stitute the teaching of the German language
for Spanish in West Point Academy
Mr.. Banks of Massachusetts suggested to
make teaching Of German additional to Span
| ish. - - ~
Mr. Morgan modified the bill accordingly and
| it was passed
Mr. Lynch of Maine offered resolution in
STRUGGLING the Committee ON Expenditures in the
| War Department to enquire into the sales of
ordnance storesin the late Franco-German war
with power to send for persons and papers
| Adopted.
Mr. Cox of New York moved to suspend the
| rules and adopt a resolution instructing the
| Committee on Ways and Means to report bill
reducing the duty on pig iron to S. or less.
! Mr. He7ses of Massachusetts desired to make
Mr. Cox objected. -
Mr.. Dawes suggested satirically that the
committee ON Ways and Means be abolished
Mr. Cox said he intended no reflection on the
committee, but the House had voted last Mon
day on other tariff matters and he now wanted
| direct vote on taxes.
The Speaker announced that the vote was 50
| to S3, two-thirds in the negative
Mr. Cox demanded the yeas and NAYS on the
motlon to suspend the rales, and the adoption of
the resolution. Rejected, yeas "a, nays 3d.
MI hetchum of New York, moved to sus-
pend the rules and pass bill extending the
mn LOT ion IF he Dorta I'll.
and Lake Superior ship canal to the third of
March, 1873 Agreed to and the bill was pass
| ed. -
Mr.. Leech of North Carolina, moved to sus-
pend the rules and adopt a resolution declaring
it the Judgment of the House that the tax on
manufactured tobacco should be uniform, at 16
cents per pound. .
Mr., Dawes of Massachusetts, remarked that
it would take $16,000,000 out of the treasury.
The rules were not suspended 80 to 6S, less than
twO-thirds in the affirmative.
| The House at o'clock went into committee
OF the whole on the deficiency bill, Mr. Scofield
in the chair.
/ Mr.. Garfield made statement explanatory
of the bill, which approprates about six and a
quarter millions. He accounted for the bill
| chiefly by the fact that for the first time, the
law requiring unexpended balances of each
year to be conveyed into the treasury went into
effect July 1, 1871.
Mr. Brooks, of New York, took opportunity
by opposing the deficiency bill to speak of the
coalition in the House between the representa-
tives OF the iron interest and portion of the
Democratic side of the House. He had read a
petition from the wool manufacturers of New
| England praying for removal of the duties on
raw woods and on bituminous coal, salt, iron
and lumber required for machinery, and prom
Using in that event that they would not only not
| ask protection for wooden manufactute but will
| raise the wages of the workmen. If there was
to be any discrimination he was in favor of re-
lieving the wool manufacturers of New Eng
| land < es.sr'r
The bill was proceeded with till the clause
was reached repeating the law which requires
the publication of laws in newspapers that be-
ing ruled out of order and being general legisla-
| ton. lsf .s sr.t
| The committee rose, and Mr.. Garfield moved
to suspend the rules so as to make it in order
Pending this motion, Mr.. Coburn, chairman
| of the Military Committee, desired to report
| and have day assigned for the consideration
of the bill to enable discharged soldiers and
sailors and their widows and orphan children
/ to acquire homesteads on public lands
/ Objection was made, and the House, without
taking vote ON Mr.. Garfield's motion, ad-
| journed. ts - r
RECEPTION OF THE JAPANESE EMBASSY
| CHICAGO, Feb. 26.-The Japanese embassy
| reached here at 2.20 this afternoon and were
Immediately escorted to quarters at the Ire
mont House and Grand Central Hotel by a
| committee of the Common Council who had
met them at Aurora 40 miles west of here. In
| the parlorS of the fremont House the members