Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-02-02
BY TELEGRAPH
TO THE
Daily Kennebec Journal.
Forty.Second Congressional Session.
WAsHINGToN, 81.


In the Senate to-day Mr. Carpenter said
he should vote for the civil rights bill, but
would offer substitute leaving out the pro-
vision applicable to churches
Mr.. Thurman asked Mr.. Carpenter wheth-
er his substitute retained the provision relat-
ing to schools.
Mr.. Carpenter-Yes sir.
Mr.. Thurman remember listening to an
argument by the Senator year or two ago,
in which he combatted the idea that the fed
eral government had any right to interfere
with the schools, and l would like to know
on what principle he now claims for the
federal government the right to interfere with
education in the States.
Mr.. Carpenter-The question is easily
answered. What doubted then was wheth-
or Congress had the power to enter upon
government scheme of education in the States
and appropriate money to support schools.
But while reflection led me to doubt still
more, | have no doubt of the power of this
government under the constitutional amend
ments, to say that the colored man shall have
his rights in common schools, and on that
subject | hope the republican party will
never back one inch. The distinction seems
to me perfectly clear between voluntary in
situations whether Incorporated or not, which
ought not to be nterfered with, and those
institutions which are founded and maintained
for the general good and at the public ex-
Iense.
Mr.. Thurman-The question is not wheth-
er colored people shall have the benefit of
public schools. The question is whether the
power Of regulation is taken away from the
States so that while you do give colored
people, the benefit Of common schools you
shall be compelled TO give it in particular
way.
Mr.. Carpenter-I ask whether ander this
constitution we cannot provide that no State
shall exclude a colored man from the right to
bring a suit or produce witness. And does
that take away from the States the right to
regulate their courts. Not at all. But it
does say in this particular, you shall not dis
criminate.
Mr.. Davis of Ky, said Mr.. Sumner s
| amendment was to be put upon the amnesty
bill for the purpose Of defeating it. Those
who insisted on the amendment knew very
well that the Southern people would rather
do without amnesty than accept it saddled
with such conditions, and for one he would
say that human ingenuity could not devise a
proposition of the character of the civil rights
DILL that he would accept. He then discussed
at great length the history of the doctrines
of secession, the unconstitutional acts of the
republican party, and announced that having
been born in a land of freedom, he would GO
down to his grave in the assertion of the right
Of free thought and free speech.
Without reaching vote the Senate went
into executive session, and adjourned till
Monday.
House.
In the House to-day the matter of the syn
dictate was discussed at length Mr.. Dawes,
chairman of the ways and means committee
closed the debate. He said if the charges
made against the secretary of the treasury,
that he had made transactions with the syndi-
cate in defiance of the law were true, and if
the House pronounced it true, that fact would
deal blow at the credit of the nation more
severe than any it had sustained even from
rebellion and war. He argued that it was
not in defiance of the law, but it was carrying
out the law according to its plain object and
purpose, and under the very necessity of the
case. The secretary has been arraigned, not
for want of economy but for violation of the
law, and to that arraignment he had pleaded
and had VIGOROUSLY shown that he had not
violated but executed the law. Surprising
the syndicate had made such profits as alleged
and made them at the expense of the govern
ment, which was not the case, what profit
had the United States made out of the trans
action in negotiating $500, 100000 of five per
cent. bonds, and Withdrawing the same
amount of six per cent. bonds? 1t made a
saving of two millions year, or twenty
millions at the end of ten years.
That put at interest would make S26, 900, 900
at the end of ten years. The present value
of that saving was Sl4.840 900, if the calcu-
| lation were carried out on the whole one bill
| lion five hundred million dollars for thirty
years. When the longest bond shall cease
| the saving in interest invested sem-annually
| at six per cent. would amount to one billion
seven hundred and seventy-three million
nine hundred thousand dollars. The pres
ent value of that saving was three hundred
| and thrty-nine million seven hundred and
ninety thousand dollars. The benefit of sue
cess of funding that $500, 000,0 did not end
there; it had SO strengthened American
credit abroad as to render it certain that the
balance of that debt could be funded at five
per cent In that connection he read let
| ter of assistant secretary Richardson, dated
London, Dee 80, relating to a conversation
which the writer had with the governor of the
bank Of England, who is represented as say
ing that till recently he had always thought
| the debt could not be funded, but that it had
been shown that the resources of the country
were universal and the determination to
maintain the credit so fixed and settled that
we should soon be able to borrow money at
| four per cent. Such sentiment expressed by
| the governor of the bank of England could
not fail to have a favorable effect on Amer-
can securities. The secretary might turn
from this puny arraignment to the public
Judgment upon his course. Having reduced
the public debt about $500, 900, and hav-
ing by funding $1,000 900 not only saved
twenty-stx million but assured the saving OF
three hundred million more, and whatever
might be the vote of the House on the resolu-
ton the security could turn that, to other and
greater verdicts of American people and of the
countries of Europe. A vote was taken and
the resolution declaring the secretary of the
treasury in negotiating the loan, had
neither increased the bonded debt nor in
Cured expenditure contrary to law, was
adopted by yeas ITO, nays SO.
The House then went into committee of the
whole and resumed the consideration of the
appropriation bill.
After the committee got through about
forty papes of the bill while thirty papcs were