The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-04-03
CONGRESS--SECOND SESSION.
SENATE.

70 himself and colleague -(Sawyer) by Messrs
wade Hampton, Kershaw and N. G. Butler of
South Carolina, denying positively the state.
ment made by Mr.. Edmunds in the debate on
the amnesty bill, that they were connected with
the Ku-Klux. t &nf, la
Mr.. Blair sent up a letter which was read
from keverdy johnson. denying the statement
Klux clients ton trial in South Carolina and
abandoned the cases. sa.8 szasE
Mr.. sJohnson's letter also says that there is
not the slightest evidence or suspicion to con-
meet Hampton, kershaw and Butler with the
Ku-Klux movement, and that Edmunds must
have been egregiously deceived. 81.
Mr. Edmunds said the question raised by Mr.
JOhnson's letter was one of the precise memory
of words. When he made the statement re-
ferred to, he believed johnson and Stanberry
had abandoned their cases and came away he
fore the trials at Columbia were ended Just as
much as he believed the trials took place at all.
and frankness compelled him to say he believed
it. - 1GA<.s EESEE
Mr.. johnson had said that they remained un-
til their mission the raising of legal question,
was accomplished, and had then come away,
and that that was not abandoning the cases.
Perhaps not, but it reminded him (Edmunds)
of brave American officer of force which
abandoned the capitol to- the British in 1912
who when charged with the abandonment said
the Americans did not flee, but they did not seem
to take any in terest in the matter and went away
As to the gentlemen Of South Carolina referred to
what he had stated, was that he was credibly
informed tqat the judicial officers of the United
States in that district had in their possession
tlemen of being the advisory board of the
Ku-Klux whoever that might be; and he would
now repeat he had good reason to believe
whenever the government should furnish the
machinery necessary to 60 through with these
| trials such evidence would be produced.
Mr.. Blair said that Mr.. Edmund story would
not apply to johnson and Stanberry, because
they did not take sufficient interest in those
cases to come to Washington to them in the
Supreme Court and there was no warrant what
ever for the assertion now repeated by the Sena-
tor from Vermont, as to the charge against
Generals Hampton, Kershaw and Butler He
had hoped to hear no more about it. but as the
Senator had chosen to reiterate it, it became
the duty of those who knew the character of
these gentlemen, to say again it was without
foundation or excuse. That if the evidence
spoken of by Senator Edmunds existed, it was
false evidence; that the gentlemen concerned
were anxious for the opportunity to refute it
and defied the government to prosecute them,
and that probably nobody could be found who
believed the charges, except the Senator from
Vermont, If he did.
Mr.. Edmunds said he never had pronounced
an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of these
gentlemen and he did not now. All he said
evidence as he had mentioned existed.
Mr.. Blair was glad to hear the Senator'S dis
clamor. r-.-..ir ,z5fr .sE
Mr.. Pomeroy from the Committee on Public
Lands, reported with amendment, the bill to
encourage the growth of timber on the West
ern praires. Authorizing the insurance of a
patent for quarter section of land to any per
! son who has patented aud protected for five
years, forty acres of timber therein.
The following bills were introduced: By
Mr. West. reviving the grant Of lands, to the
New Orleans Opelonsas and Great Western
Railroad; by Mr.. Wilson, authorizing the
opening and working of the iron mines, located
on the West Point reservation. W
Mr.. Pratt called up the bill giving construc-
ton to the act of Congress of March Sd, 1857,
requiring the Commissioner of the Land Office
to account to the States of Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois, for what is commonly known as the
two per cent. fund, claimed by those States He
spoke at length in its favor, which was refer
red to the Committse on Judiciary.
MI. Nye presented a Constitution adopted
by the Utah State Convention, to accompany
their application for admission as a State. -lias
The Senate then resumed the consideration
of the Indian appropriation bill The aues-
ton was on the amendment extinguishing the
| title Of the Sissiton and Wahpeton bands Of
Sioux Indians to the land described in the
second article Of the treaty of Feb. 10th, 1867,
except the permanent reservation which on
motion of Mr.. Edmunds was tabled.
A message was received, announcing that the
House had tabled the Senate substitute for the
House bill repeating the duties on tea and
| coffee. az - her81E#
Mr. Morrill, of VT, said that the resolution
of the House was extraordinary, and he would
not now move to refer it to the Finance Com
mittee, because the Senate might wish to dis
cuss it before referring it. He therefore moved
it lie over and be printed.
At o'clock the Senate went into executive
session, and soon after adjourned ls2
-+-.lr-r-r -~-.g- HOUSE. ~,
Mr.. Hooper Of Utah, presented memorial OF
the constitutional convention of Utah for adj
mission into the Union under the name of Des-
eret, which was referred to the Committee on
| territories. " arr -FfF,fF fs.Ffa5
A bill making it unlawful for any register O,
receiver or surveyor ofipublc lands, his wife OF
CLERK, TO locate or purchase any tract of public
land or to act as agent for the purchase Of real
estate OF for the location of lands for any per
| son, was passed. r. F-s& Aef& 2 etsIl
Mr.. Dawes from the Ways and Means Com.
| mittee, reported a resolution denying the right
of the Senate to originate a new tariff bill and
moved to lay that bill ON the table. He stated
the history Of the bill and the presidents bear
ing on the case. ~ TFkQ
Various other bills were reported from the
Committee on Public Lands, explained and
passed, including the following: ar
-e'sTo declare the Usage Indian trust lands in
Kansas subject to disposal for cash only to actua
settlers in quantities not exceeding 16O acres in
accordance with the general principles of the
| pre-emption laws and in reference to lands
granted for improving navigation at the falls OF
Mr.. Brooks of New York, presented me-
mortal from the workipgmen Of New York, ask.
| ing for charter for the Workingmen's Cooper
| alive Colonization National Bank of America
| with capital Of $lO,oOooOo, in 500 shares
tuition is to aid cooperative associations in form
| ing mining, manufacturing and other mechani
| cal pursuits and in colonizing on farms and
| II villages. The funds of the bank are to be in
United States, the directors to be bona fdt
| workingmen .fissSRf f1A+
ME Dawes, from the Committee on Ways
| and Means, offered the following resolution
Resotued, That the substitution by the Senate
| under the form of an amendment to the bill Of
the House for repeating the duties on tea and
coffee of bill to reduce existing taxes contain
ing general revision, REDUCTION and repeal OF
the laws imposing import duties and internal
taxation, Is in conflict with the true intend and
purpose of that clause of the constitution which
requires that all bills for raising revenue shall
originate in the House of Representatives anC
that therefore said substitute for House bill be
| laid on the table
ResolUed, That the Clerk notify the Senate Of
the passage of the foregoing resolution.
Mr.. Dawes spoke IN favor Of the resolution
and gave the history of the bill and of for pre-
cecedents in which the same question was rails
ca and decided in favor of the position taken by
.ne House He did not offer the resolution OF
MS own responsibility alone but by the advice
Means. : : ' '1Er-l
Mr. Garfield of Ohio, also made an argument
IN Iavor OF the resolution and referred to thu
history OF the constitutional convention to show
That twice in that history the whole system o.
goyernment hinged upon the question. az,
| MI Peters of Me-, asked Mr.. Garfield wheth
er ne could devise any definite rule to be follow
Cd liking the limits of the power of the Senate
TO make amendments If the House sent a bill
TO the Senate raising million of revenues could
the Senate put another on or could it add dol
lar to it. rrrrFv- sd -1H
Mr. Garfield of Ohio, replied that the natura
limitation of the right of an amendment was t.
limit it to the subject matter. The Senate coult
not be allowed to extort a meaning out of :
constitutional clause by any mere technicalitv
Ii the House had ever stepped on its rights il
that regard it ought to be censured for sucl
| negligence If there ever was time when tn,
House should assert its rights it was when OH {
mere lay figure of bill Of two lines the, entir,
revenue system of the government was to bt
revolutionized by the action of the Senate. The
resolution was further advocated by Butler
hale, Maynard, Wood, Hoar, Brooks, Camp
bell and Potter. 80 -
Mr. Dawes assured the House that there wa
better prospect of revising the tariff by laying
this bill ON the table than by taking it up. HI
hoped the Committee on Ways and Mean
would be able to report bill In the course o
| a week. tet ~ eTfF
Mr.. HOar of Mass, alluded to the discomfort
In the Republican party and imputed them no
to the faults of the executive but the Inference
of the Senate in selecting subordinate officers O
! the He fr1Isfad thoff ha