Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-02-29
UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
SENATE.

GLIDING churches was adopted.
The Amnesty bill was taken up. Mr.
Summers amendment being the Supple
mentary Civil Rights bill, was adopted,
the Vice President giving the casting
vote on tie. Morton offered an amend
ment providing that before any person
could take the benefit of the bill, he
must swear that he never belonged to the
Ku-Klux or any such organization.
Adopted, Yeas, 81 Nays, -. No other
amendments being offered, the vote was
then taken on the bill as amen led, and
it was reiected-a two-thirds vote being
necessary.
Mr.. Sumner offered preamble setting
forth the alleged manufacture and sale OF
arms and ammunition in the workshops
of the United States government for the
French, to be used against Germany, in
1870 and resolution for the appoint
ment of a select committee of seven to
investigate all sales of ordnance made by
the government of the United States
during the war between France and Ger
many; to ascertain the persons to whom
they we're made, the real parties in inter
est, and the sums respectively paid and
received by them. The committee is to
have power to send for persons and
papers, and to conduct the examination
in public.
Mr.. Wilson introduced a resolution in
structing the Committee on Foreign Re
lations to consider the eXpediency Of
passing u Joint resolution authorizing the
President to communicate to the govern
ment of Spain the protest of the United
States against the action Of the authori-
ties of Cuba towards the Chinese laborers
in that island. Adopted.
The motion to reconsider the vote by
which the Chicago Relief bill was passed
was carrjed-25 to %.
Mr.. Sumner, in a discussion of his
Franco-German arms bill said The sub
iect was interesting and important III two
aspects-as it concerned ourselves and MS
it concerned foreign powers. All must
unite in desire to relieve our country
from suspicion, especially suspicion of II
moral obliquity. He would speak not of
men, but of facts, and if anybody should
be pointed at by the statement he was
about to make it would be the fault of
the facts, and not his. He had brought
forward the subject with great reluctance,
and after long delay. The main facts
had been brought to his knowledge be-
fore Christmas, but he had postponed
bringing them into the Senate, because
he knew they had been laid before the
President and Secretary of War, and he
had reason to believe that they would in
stitute an inquiry. They had not done
so, however, but the Secretary of War
mad made to the House OF Representa-
tives % report upon this subject. The
character of that report would appear as
he proceeded, and the Senate would
Judge whether it did not fall under some
of the suspicion attached to the whole
transaction.
Mr.. Wilson said The sales commenced
in 1865, and continued until 1871. The
arms, &C., sold by the Government from
the 1st of april, 1865, to the Both of June,
1871, amounted to S151, 026, l42 81, every
cent of which had been faithfully account
ed for and paid to the Treasury.
HOUSE.
The bill so long pending in the House
to devote the proceeds from the sales OF
public lands to educational purposes in
the States was shorn of its Capitalization
features, restricted principally in its
benefits to the illiterate sections, and
deprived of its miXed-school system. In
this shape it goes to the Senate.
! The Arkansas contested election case
of Boles against Edwards was taken up ;
the unanimous report of the Committee
being that Boles, the contestant, is en-
titled to the seat, and after some discus
sion, the report was agreed to without
division, and Mr.. Boles was admitted
to his seat and sworn in.
Mr.. Myers presented the remonstrancc
of Philadelphia printers, type-founders,
binders, gold-beaters and paper makers
against the passage of an international
copyright law.
Among the bills introduced were the
following;
For the revival of commerce by the
construction of ten first-class iron steam.
ers of not less than 5000 tons each, to
connect the ports of the United States
with foreign ports, and to secure to the
government the use of the same for post
al, naval and other purposes.
For the payment OF the value of cotton
taken by the governments also, for the
payment of the value of the Odd Fellows
lodges destroyed during the war.
To amend the National Banking act.
To place printers material on the free
list.
To increase the circulating currency
100000.
A bill allowing respondents in criminal
cases in the United States courts to testi-
fly in their own behalf, passed-yeas, LAG ;
nays, 43.
A resolution calling for information as
to the manufacture of fire. arms at the
Springfield armory also, as to the diff
ference between the eight and ten hours
system. Adopted.
Mr.. Hale, of Maine, in discussion of
U. S. naval affairs, mentioned the fact
that the number OF men to which the
navy was limited was $500, and if the
nation should get into war, it would be
impossible to send out three additional
vessels, all fully armed, with the present
force to which the navy was limited
The whole point of his argument W s
that the blame should fall where it prop
erly rested. If there was no navy as n
legacy from the past, and if the country
had not now respectable naval estab-
lishment, they should not grumble at
any expense that was inevitable. The
navy now possessed of tile $50 vessels
that belonged to it during the war, only
l79 vessels of all classes. OF the rest,
some had decayed, or sunk, or been sold;
of scores and Afties of others he did not
know the fate ; he had not been able to
! follow than thav wern not On tln