Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-25

and correspondence IN relation to the
troubles in Arkansas in answer to a resol u.
ton of the House. Referred.
Consular.
Mr.. Swami from the Committee on Ap-
preparations reported the consular and di-
plomatic appropriation bill. Referred.
The bill appropriateS S3,347, ,304, includ-
ing Sl50,000 for the survey of boundary
between the United States and British pos
sessions from the Lake of the Woods TO the
summit of the Rocky Mountains. 1t also
includes Sl,929,S19 to pay the claims Of
British subjects allowed by the Joint Com
mittee.
Bureaucratic Government.
The House then went into Committee OF
the Whole, Mr.. Woodford in the Chair, on
the legislative, executive and judicial ap-
preparation bill.
Beck Unmasks the Bank Monopoly.
A motion by Mr.. O'Brien to strike out
the paragraph for the Bureau of Education
gave rise to long discussion, in the course
Of which Mr.. Beck alluded to the finance
bill and its veto, declaring the Comptroller
of the currency had misled the President in
regard to the four millions of the National
currency authorized, but now issued, by
stating it was not taken, and leaving the
impression that it was not called for, which
was untrue, and all this in order that the
twenty-five millions which was to be redis-
tributed when the whole amount was
taken up, might not be called for, but
might be left with the Eastern banks. He
(Beck) did not charge the President with
falsehOod in the matter, but the President
had imposed upon the country inadver-
tently, by using language which led the
people to infer thatthis four millions had
not been taken up because it was not
wanted. That was one reason why he
(Beck) objected to the swelling up of
bureaus that could not be relied upon to
give correct information. After further
discussion the motion to strike out the par
agraph for the Bureau of Education was
withdrawn.
Agricultural FOlIies.
The usual annual discussion over the ap-
preparations for the Agricultural Depart
ment occupied several hours and covered
the familiar range of subjects, such as the
worthlessness or local inferiority of seeds,
the supplying to the Northwest of such
seeds as would grow only in the Valley of
the Mississippi, and sending down South of
Pennsylvania rye and Beerk's oats.
Fresh Franlking Frauds.
In the course Of the discussion, which was
generally of an amusing and discursiye
character, Mr.. Ward asserted that some of
the departments were making use of official
postage stamps to circulate the speeches of
members, and on being pressed for specifi-
cations, he named the Comptroller of the
Currency as one of the officials who had
thus circulated speeches of several members
of the Committee on Banking and Curren-
cy. He denounced it as favoritism, partial
ity, wrong and almost a crime.
Mr.. Randall stated the subject matter had
been informally called to the attention of
the Banking Committee. The abuse con-
sisted in the Comptroller of Currency
sending out the speeches of some members
of the Banking Committee TO various banks
and persons. But the COMPTROLLER had
stated as a justification that the postage was
no greater with the speech than it would
have been on the correspondence without it.
A member-The speech must have been
very light. [LaughterJ.
Mr.. Ward-The practice would involve
favOritism.
Mr.. Randal-I believe the speeches of
most of the members of the Banking Com
mittee were sent out in that way.
NJ MerrimOn-None of mine.
MIR. Randall believe il was the fault of
the Comptroller of the Currency, Mr.. Knox,
and think with The gentleman from Illi-
nois (Ward) that the thing is all wrong.
But that is not the first step in that direc-
tion, for enormous quantities of seeds are
sometimes sent out in the same way
through the Agricultural Department.
Mr.. Cobb, Of Kentucky, offered an
amendment, fixing the postage on agricuL
tural reports at ten cents, but on objection
Of Mr.. Willard of Vermont, it was ruled
out Of order.
Mr.. Lawrence offered an amendment re-
quiring the Commissioner of Agriculture