The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-06-05
From the Maine State Press.1
History of Seven Days.
The news for the week ending Thursday
June 4th.
CONGRESS.

+t' OON6hEoSs
Congress has been busily at work the past
week largely on the appropriation bill. In the
Senate on Friday in connection with the bill to
create the new territory of Pembna out of a
part of Washington Territory, discussion
arose over an amendment to the bill to allow
women the right to suffrage, which, in connec
ton with the vote on the amendment, shows the
great change that is taking place in the public
mind on this subject. Such Senators as An
thony, Carpenter, Morton and Sargent advocat-
ed the amendment but it was lost by vote of
10 yeas to 27 nays. We are sorry to find that
So statesmanlike man as Senator Morrill, and
so eminently progressive Senator as Mr.. Ham,
lin were opposed to impartial suffrage. No
vote for years ought to afford greater encour-
agement to the advocates of this subject than
that in the Senate last Friday, The bill to
make new territory failed to pass. On the
same day the House took up the bill reported
by the Banking Committee. 1t is a better
measure than that of the Senate as it provides
for the retiring of 40 per cent. of the legal ten
der notes and has altogether tendency toward
honest money with free banking clause. The
first question was on the substitution of this
bill for the Senate bill which resulted in the
loss of the motion to substitute by vote 112
yeas to liz nays.
This bill being lost, the next vote was upon
the Senate bill which was lost by the emphatic
vote of yeas rs nays 164. The former meas
ure was defeated by the extreme expansionists
and the ultra hard money men, such antipodes
as Judge Kelley of Pa, and Gen. Hawley of
Conn. voting against the bill. The Maine del
egation voted for the bill The vote on the latter
measure shows the strength of the out and-out
printing press money party. The whole sub
ject is now before conference committee of
both Houses.
On the same day the bill for the reduction of
the army by mastering out seven colonels, nine
lieutenant colonels and other officers of lower
rank in greater numbers with 5000 enlisted
men was taken up. 1t is claimed that 81 ,OOO,-
600 would be saved by the bill. There was con-
siderable discussion on the bill but on SUBJ
sequent day it was passed by the House.
What It's fate may be in the Senate, there is
no indication. The Speaker also announced
Messrs Poland of Vt, Ward of Ill, Woodfold
of N. Y, Sawyer of Ohio, and Sloss of Ala,,
special committee to inquire into the condition
of Arkansas. te
Friday the Senate attended to some unim-
portant business and adjourned to Monday,
The House did not do much of Importance.
1t, however, sent the legislative, judicial and
executive appropriation bill to conference
committee after rejecting the greater part of
the Senate amendments Both Houses ad
journed Memorial Day.
Monday the Senate spent a large portion of
the day on the Indian appropriation bill,
many items of which were increased over the
House bill. The House did good days work.
1t failed to agree to the Senate bankruptcy bill
and sent it to conference committee. The
amended tariff bill was passed by vote of
III to 40. The bill makes number of changes
in the present law but as it yet has to pass the
Senate, we refrain from noticing details until
that time. Ship planking is put on the free list
and tax of one-half of one per cent is i'm
posed on all sales of stocks, gold, silver, bonds
etc. An attempt to renew the income tax failed
A bill requiring the branches of the Pacific
Railroad to be run as a continuous road was
passed; also resolution requiring the collec-
tion of per cent of the net earnings of the
Pacific Railroad as provided by the act of 1862
Mr.. Butler attempted to get up the civil
rights bill, but the Democrats "fllibustered"
and thus prevented its reference to the Judi
ciary Committee.
The House also concurred in the Senate CEN
tennial bill which very distinctly declares that
Uncle Sam doesn't intend to pay the bills A
bill authorizing women otherwise qualified, to
practice law in the courts of the United States
was ordered to third reading by vote of SO
to 65 but Mr.. Rice of Iii. gs llantly offered dia
tory motions and defeated it's final passage
In the Senate, Tuesday, the bill abolshing
moietes etc. was reported. 1t provides instead
a sum of 100000 to be used by the Secretary
of the Treasury to compensate informers of vi
olatons of the revenue laws. The pension ap-
preparation bill was passed as it came from the
House with the single exception that pension
agents were authorized to charge 25 cents in
stead of 20 as provided by the House for fixing
vouchers The price now is 30 cents. In the
House the Poland bill relative to courts apd ju-
rors in Utah was passed, yeas $50 nays So. The
bill was severely denounced by the Mormon
delegate Cannon. A despatch from Salt Lake
City represents that the Gentiles are loud in
their rejoicings over the success of the bill.
The Senate, "Wednesday, passed bill ex-
empting savings bank deposits from taxation
under certain conditions; passed the pension