The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-01-23


tanned in the treasury for reimbursement
to the United States OF the expenses, and
the remaining 95 per cent paid to the
claimants, together with the interest as
aforesaid, unless the amount received
from Great Britain shall prove insufficient
IN which case the claimants shall be paid
pro rata. =,
Mr.. Ames, from the Committee on Fl
nance, reported an original bill establish
Ing Si,80 G5. as the custom house
value OF the sovereign or pound sterling
of Great Britain and par OF exchange
The bill also provides that all contracts
made after the 1st day OF January, 1874
based on the assumed par of exchange
with Great Britain Of 81 pence TO the
dollar or $444i to the pound sterling
shall be null and void. And it is also
provided that generally oil foreign coin Ns
expressed in the money of account o! the
United State, shall be that of pure
metal Of such coin Of standard value
and the value Of foreign standard coins in
circulation in this country shall be estt'
mated annually by the directors OF the
mint, and promulgated on tho 1st day Of
January by the Secretary Of the Treasury.
at the expiration Of the morning hour,
the unfinished business being q bill to
provide for the construction Of six new
sloops Of war, increased by amend
ment to ten, was resumed, and the
amendment offered by Mr.. Sherman,
yesterday providing that neither OF the
vessels shall be commenced until COM
plete plans, models and specifications Tor
il shall be proposed, was agreed to.
Mr.. Sherman offered an amendment,
which would virtually repeal the eight
hour law so far as the construction Of
these vessels was concerned.
Mr.. Sherman subsequently, withdrew
his amendment.
Mr.. Morrill,, of Vermont, offered On
amendment providing that the Board oI
Survey, having power to authorize
changes in the plans for vessels, shall es'
innate the cost Of such changes, and that
contractors shall be bound by such esti'
mates. Agreed to.
Mr.. Casserly moved to substitute the
main points OF the House bill for a bill re.
ported from the committe on naval affairs
The last bill was then passed; yeas 20,
nays s.. ..-. ,..sv
Mr. Ramsey moved to assign Monday
for considering the postal telegraph bill.
DTr. Conkling said he would object TO
fixing any day for the consideration Of
that bill, until some action should first
have been taken 10 abolish the tranking
privilege.
The Senate then resumed the consider
alton of the Calendar and several bills
granting pensions were passed. A bill to
allow women TO vote and hold office in
the Territories, was indefinitely post
poned.
On motion of Mr.. Ramsey the bill to
abolish the ranking privilege was taken
up by vote; yeas 2S, nays 1S, The follow
| ing Senators voting in the negative:
Amcs, BayArd, Carpenter, E1mlnds,
Hamilton, N. D. Hill, johnson, Lewis,
Machep, Northwood, Pool, Rob- N and
Stevenson. ~,
MIR. Morrill,, OF Vermont, ouered on
amendment providing that no allow
auce shall now or hereafter be made to
Members Of Congress in lieu Of the
Franking Privilege. Without this, he
said its abolition would be farce.
Mr.. Hamlin said that to give the
country the full benefit of the abolition
of the Franking Privilege, te bill ought
to be amended so as to re and limit
the amount of public prin,
Mr.. Frelinghuysen did NOS favor the
abolition of the 'Franking Privilege, be-
cause he thought it undesirable that
there should be any tax imposed by Gov
eminent upon communication between
the people and their Representatives.
To him personally it would be o relief TO
be deprived of the ranking privilege, but
he looked upon it as n privilege valuable
the people, and of which they ought not
10 be deprived because it was abused.
The abuse oI it, however, should be cor
rected, and that could be best done by
limiting the privilege to postal matter
weighing not moro than one ounce, and
by the preparation Of o single compendi.
um in one volume OF information about
public affairs, the most necessary and USE
lul TO the people.
Mr.. Edmunds spoke Of the bill as an
utter delusion. Tho abuses Of the frank.
ing privilege ought to be corrected, but
the benefits Of the privilege belonged TO
the people and not 10 the members OF
Congress, and the people should bear as
they ought to bear the burden Of It. II
however it was 10 be abolished, he was
in favor of abolishing it honestly and
completely, and not as proposed by this
bill. He hoped no one would accuse him
OF shirking the question.
Mr.. Conkling-Are you for it or against
Mr.. Edmunds am against abolishiDg
it, most decidedly. I hope tho Senator
understands me.
MIR. Conkllng: do now. Laughter.
Mr.. Upton said he would vote TO cor
rect abuses Of the privilege, but not to
abolish it.
Mr.. Wilson said he did not regard it as
privilege at all, and ho was willing
now, rs he had always been, to relinquish
it unconditiOnally; but he was not san
guine 0s to the saving 10 be affected by
abolishing it.
Mr.. Bill gave notice that when the leg.
islative appropriation bill came up, he
would offer an amendment increasing the
compensation OF the members Of Con-
gress, and ho moved that In the mean
time the pending bill be laid on the table.
Lost.
Tho amendment offered BY Mr.. Nor.
rill, Of VT, was then agreed 10.
On motion of Mr.. Carpenter, the bill
was then so amended as to apply TO the
abolishiug OF the franking privilege on
the first Of July next. The bill was then
passed. YeAs-3Gi nOys-1G.
Adjourned.
The Senatorial Elections.
sPRNoFIELD, Ills, January 22.-The