The Portland daily press., 1872-12-12
xLrrD CONGRESS.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Dec 1.-THE Senate bill au-
thorlzing the admission of the statue commem-
or1t've of the soldiers who fell in the late war
was passed.
The Vice President laid before the Senate a
concurrent resolution in regard to the holiday
recess. but MIR. Cole objected and it went over
bills Were passed placing colored persons who
enlisted in the army ON the same footing as
other soldiers as to bounty lands; authorizing
the settlement of claims of the estate of the
late Admiral Dahlgren.
When Mr. Summers supplementary civil
rights bill was reached on the calendar, Mr..
morrill, OF Maine, objected and it went over.
A bill was introduced providing for RECON-
putitlon OF accounts between the United States
and States growing out of moneys expended by
States in the war of 1872
Mr. Sherman from the Finance Committee,
reported the House bill for the reduction of
9f1cers and expenses of the Internal Revenue
Bureau, with amendments providing that the
offices of assessors and assistant assessors shall
cease to exist at such times in the districts re-
spectively as the Commissioner of Internal
revenue may find practicable prior to July L.
1873; authorizing the appointment of twenty
five additional agents until July l, 1874. in ad-
dition to those provided for by existing law, so
as to provide that I'll of the additional commits
SION OF ~ per cent shall be paid to the collec-
tor receiving the tax on all spirits produced af
ter the ONCE OF the assessor shall cease accord
ing to this bill.
MI. Vickers from the Committee on Political
Disabilities, reported the House bill removing
those of L. @. G. Lamar, which YVES passed
The House resolution for the holiday recess
came up and was adopted. Adjourned.
HOUSE
Mr.. Beck of KY, from the Ways and Means
Committee, reported back adversely the bill
amending the act of May, 1872, for the abate-
ment of the taxes on distilled spirits destroyed
by accident while ia bond. Tabled.
Mr.. Hawley of Connecticut, presented a me-
moral of the Centennial Commission, asking
the aid of Congress in the matter Referred to
Mr.. Kelley of Pa. was excused from the Civil
Service Committee of Reform.
A resolution was adopted instructing the Ju-
dietary Committee to inquire and report what
powers Congress possesses in regulating COM
merce among the several States, so far as such
commerce is transported on railroads or other
lines of transportation, organized and conduct
ed under the laws of the various States whether
such powers include the power to prohibit uu-
equal or oppressive charges or discrimination
made by such common carriers IN freight or
passengers from one State on their way through
another State.
The Speaker announced the following ap-
pointments to fill vacancies on committees: on
Elections, Foster of Ohio; on Claims, Hawley
of Connecticut: on Judiciary, Shoemaker of
Pa; On Civil Service Reform Croker of Mass,
and Dodds OF Ohio; on Patents, Esty of Mass
on Coinage, Conner Of Texas; on Private Land
Claims, Giddnss of Texas on Agriculture,
Hundon of Texas.
soldiers bounty land bill, which was up yes
terday.
Mr.. Dunnell, of Minnesota, opposed the bill
as mischievous in its tendencies and effects
Mr.. Townsend, of n. Y, also opposed the bill
and said that the Committee on Public Lands
of which Mr.. Dunnell and he were members,
was unanimously of the opinion that the bill,
if it became a law, would be of immense disad-
vantage to the soldiers and to the nation at
large. He had not received single letter in
favor of the bill.
Mr. Hawley, of Conn, also opposed the bill
and showed how unfairly and injuriously the
bounty land system had worked as applied to
the soldiers of the Mexican war.
Mr.. Hawley calculated that those soldiers got
$36, 600, 900 from the sale of their land warrants
and that the actual settlers had paid $3.50, 000,-
900 for it, the difference going into the hands Of
land spectators. The pending measure would
work infinitely more unfairly than that one,
because now any one could settle on the lands
under the homestead and presumption laws.
Under this bill, 100000 persons would be en-
titled to land scrip. If only one-tenth of them
applied in the year, that would throw on the
market 32.000,000 acres, and the scrip would
only hold good for a year. The effect would be
that the soldier who spent at least $40 getting
his warrant could not sell it in the market for
S.. The measure would therefore prove to be
practically fraud ON the soldier He held
most rigidly to the policy of preserving the
public lands for actual settlers.
The bill was defended by Messrs. Donnan
and Speer.
Pennsylvania politics were brought into the
discussion Mr.. Speer asserting in relation to
the Grand Army of the Republic resolutions
presented by Mr.. Townsend and signed by Gov
ernor elect Hartranft, that the organization did
not represent the present honest soldiers of the
country, but the political soldiers and officers
who were controlled by railroad companies and
monopolies He (Speer) had been repeatedly
called liar by the Republican press for stating
that Hart, anti signed these resolutions, which
do not represent the soldiers of Pennsylvania.
He asked his colleague to furnish the resolu-
lions of a soldiers convention or the letter of a
single soldier of Pennsylvania, who carried a
musket, in opposition to this bill. They are
the political soldiers put forward by politicians
to win campaigns for them
Mr. Townsend replied that the convention
was composed of delegates chosen by the sol
diers who carried the musket and knapsack
during the war.
my of the Republic was a demi-political organ
ization, run in the interest of politicians and
railroad corporations.
Mr.. Townsend replied that it was semi-po-
Htieal organization, because composed of men
who were soldiers. The soldiers of the war
were Republicans, while those of the rebellion
were Democrats. Excitement on the Demo-
cratic side; Mr.. Randall of Pa. saying shat is
not SOY
Mr.. Speer then denounced Mr.. Townsend's
statement as false in fact and disgraceful to a
Representative from Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Townsend in conclusion asserted that the
rebellion was gotten up by the Democratic par
ty OF the South, assisted by the moral inhuelce
of their eoadiutors, the Democratic party Of
the North, and that nine-tenths of the soldiers
of the war were Republicans.
After further debate of conventional nature
the bill went over at the expiration of the morn
ing hour, till tomorrow.
The French spoliation bill was postponed
and the House went into Committee of the
Whole, Mr.. Dawes presiding, on the Indian
appropriation bill. The usual annual debate
on the Indian policy of the administration, the
absurdity of making and continuing treaties
with the Indians, and the possibility of civliz-
ing the Indians, took place and was participated
in by Messrs Sargent, Garfield, Beck Niblack,
Conner and Shanks.
The committee rose and reported the bill to
the House, when it passed Yeas Ill, nays As.
The House nonconcurred in the Senate amend
ment to the House bill for the removal of the
sunken wreck off Sany Hook and ordered a
conference committee.
Adjourned.