Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-04-27
Forty-Second Congressional Session,
WASHINGTON, D. G., April 90.
SENATE

SENATE.
Bills introduced BY Mr.. Wilson, to equal
ize the promotion among officers in the army;
providing that the promotion Of commissioned
officers be lineal up to and including the grade
of colonel.
Mr.. Ramsey, from the committee on post
offices, reported bill directing the postmaster
general to increase the present steamship mail
service to Brazil to a semi-monthly service for
ten years, at cost to the United States not eX-
ceeding S450,000 annually.
MIR. Anthony submitted the following which
was referred to the committee on rules:
Resolved, that the twenty-eighth rule be amended
by adding thereto the following words; When a
bill or JOINT resolution is under consideration and
pending, amendment thereto may be laid on the ta-
BILE without prejudice to the bill and motion to
lay an amendment on the table shall carry with it
an amendment in the second degree.
The deficiency bill was taken up as unfinished
business, the pending question being on concur
ring IN the amendment to equalize the pay of
men employed in government workshops under
the eight hour law.
Mr.. Wilson advocated the amendment.
Mr.. Morton denied that the experiment
had failed, and said he had good reason to be-
lieve that in the g6eldarmory the result of
it had been an increased amount of work.
Mr.. Casserly favored the amendment. He de-
MED that the eight hour experiment had failed,
and it had been attended not by diminished but
by increased production.
MI. MctIlli W ~ bdiu lH6 dlLculpl VI INT Wv
eminent to regulate the hours OF labor was an
insult to the workingmen Of the country.
Mr.. Sumner said the question OF wisdom OF
the eght-hour law was not involved in the pend
ing proposition, which was necessary as an act
OF justice TO workmen against whom discrimina.
ton had been made.
After further discussion, the committees
amendment was rejected, and section passed
substantially as from the house, providing that
the proper accounting officers are authorized
and required, in the settlement Of all accounts
OF services of laborers, wOrkmen and mechanics,
employed by or in behalf OF the government of
the United States, from the 25th of June, 1868,
to the 18th of May, 1869, to settle and pay the
same without reduction on account of the reduc-
ton OF hours of labor by the eight-hour law,
when i shall be made to appear that that was
the sole cause of reduction. 1t also makes
sufficient appropriation 10 pay these claims.
Mi. Stevenson moved an amendment appro-
priating S525,25S,72 to Kentucky for expenses
IN equlpping troops during the rebellion
MIR. Sawyer offered a substitute providing for
the payment Of Kentucky for arming, equip
ping and maintaining troops for the service of
the United States during the rebellion, but pro-
yiding that no account be taken OF troops EN-
ployed after the LIST of May, 1865.
Mr.. Stevenson objected to this rs unjust.
Mr.. Morton moved to lay the substitute and
original amendment on the table. Agreed to.
MIR. Freinghuysen moved to reconsider the
to the restriction OF the jurisdiction of the
court Of claims was rejected.
The senate went into executive session. and
soon after adjourned.
HOUSE.
Consideration Of the resolution in reference 10
DIR. Houard was resumed.
MIR. Banks said DR.. Houard had the mslor-
tune OF beng an American. II he had been nm
Irishman or German or African, or even n cor
poration, the house would have risen TO protect
him; but he was only an American, and what
rights had an American from an American GOV.
ernment? II Houard had been an Englishman
not one hair OF his head would have been
touched BY the Spanish government. These
facts could never have occurred with reference
to Englishmen, Frenchmen or Germans. The
responsibility for enormities practced in Cuba
on Cnbans, on Chinese and Japanese lay upon
the United States.
The United States were responsible for the ex-
ecution of eight boys who were executed on
charge Of having violated the grave of Castana.
no. Cuba was of such importance to this coun.
Try that we had proclaimed to the world that no
foreign nation should lay hands on II or assume