The Portland daily press., 1874-03-04

SENATE.
WASHINGTON. Mar. /:

- POtitiOu was pIcScuttu VI d large numDel
OF prominent business men of New York set.
ting forth that they are alarmed at the assump-
tl0n of the Secretary of the Treasury in issuing
United States notes without the outbounds Of
the law. that no civilized government had ever
resorted to the issue of irredeemable paper
money in time of peace, and asking Congress
10 put an immediate stop to any further issue
OF greenbacks by the Secretary of the Treas
ury and cause the retirement at once of the
legal tender reserve issued. Referred.
Mr. Davis, from the Committee on Appro-
prlatlons, reported the annual fertilization APP
preparation bill without amendment Placed
on the calendar
MIR. Logan, from the Military Committee,
reported unfavorably upon the bill authoriz-
retto site near Philadelphia for powder mag
azlne and tile committee were discharged from
the further consideration thereof
MI Sherman said the Senators from Mchi-
gan, MI Ferry, and Indiana, Mr.. Morton. who
DESIRED to speak on the financial question were
Doth lndisposed but probably would be here to-
morrow and he hoped the financial question
would then be discussed He thought the cen.
tennlal bill might be disposed of in an hour
ana would not like to see it antagonize with
any other questions.
Mr. West said he had been instructed by the
COMMITTEES on appropriations to urge the pas
sage OF the army bill and he moved that the
pending measure and all other orders be laid
ASIDE for its consideration.
a, NAA' ouuucI CliOuSnC IL WOulu De DeSL 10 feIer
Tie centennial bill to the committee OH apprO-
priations. That committee could examine it
anu see II the country would be willing to pay
sum OF money tor celebration that would be
counted by millions.
Mr. Scott asked the gentleman if he was OPP
posed 10 national exhibition on July 4th
1876.
MI Sumner replied that he was not but he
desired to see such an exhibition on a grand
scale.
Sppf oo.I
Dill to the committee on appropriations when
Congress had not said whether the exhibition
should be national or international.
Mr.. Vests motion was lost yeas 16, nays 90
MI. Stewart from the committee on rail-
roads, reported with amendments the bill re-
ported by him January 26th, to provide for the
Incorporation and regulation of railroad com
panies in the Territories. Placed on the calen-
dar. The bill provides that any number of
persons not less than Eve may become body
structing and operating railroads in any of the
Territories except Indian Territory, and after
complying with the numerous requirements
which are deliberately prescribed tor the organ
izatiOn of the corporation shall have the
right of way through pnblic lands to the ex-
tent of one hundred feet on each side of their
located lines of the road as shown by the maps
to be filed with the Secretary of the Interior
Mr.. Clayton from the committee on military
affairs reported without amendment the House
bill tc provide for the inspection of disburse-
ments of appropriations made by officers of
the army.
Mr.. Carpenter said that he gave notice Fri
day last that he would call up his Louisiana
bill for the purpose of reference yesterday but
the Senator from Indiana, (Mr. MOrtOn) hav
ing been confined TO his house he had not call
ed up the bill. He understood that the Sena-
tor would be here tomorrow and at that time
he (Carpenter) would ask that the bill be re-
ferred and submit his remarks.
The bill in reference TO the Centennial Ex-
hibition was taken up, the pending question
mont, making the exhibition national in its
character instead of international.
Mr. Sherman moved to refer the bill to the
committee on appropriations without instruc-
ton to aid the exhibition either national or
International and believed Philadelphia the
best place to hold it, but he wanted the bill
carefully prepared. Congress should not pass
the bill as it was now before the Sem ate and
thus commit itself hand and foot. If the
trustees of the exhibition should contract a
debt of $50,000,00O the government of the
United States would haye to pay it. He did
not mean to be understood as saying that these
trustees would contract such obligations as he
knew them to be men of character, but the bill
put it in their power to do so. He did not op-
pose an international exhibition and believed
that Congress had to some extent committed
itself in favor of such a celebration, having al
ready proclaimed to the world that it would be
held.
Mr. Stewart moved to amend the motion to
refer so as to instruct the committee to provide
for national exhibition.
Mr. Ferry of Connecticut said it would be
best to refer without instructions
Mr.. Stewart withdrew his amendment.
Mr. Stevenson was not opposed to a proper
celebration Of 4th of July, 1876, but denied the
power of Congress to take money from the
national treasury to aid such an enterprise.
Mr.. Scott read a letter just received by him
February %, from gentleman thoroughly con-
versant with tho affair, stating that the de-
ficiency in the Vienna exhibition was about
100000 forms, a large part of which will be
made up by returns to come in from railroad
ticket agents.
Mr.. Stevenson did not believe in inviting the
crowned heads of Europe. He wanted the 4th
OF July 1876, to be a day of thanksgiving. Let
tue people hang their garlands on the tombs of
our honoied forefathers. Let there be ma
charge of it and the celebration should be in
Washington, Philadelphia and New York
Mr.. Scott said that six of the powers of the
earth had accepted the invitations to partic-
pate in the celebration and this morning he re-
ceived information that two more, Austria and
the Sandwich Islands had also accepted.
Pending the discussion on the motion to refer
the bill to the committee on appropriations the
Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Townsend of Pa, from the Committee
on Public Lands, reported bill to amend the
homestead law. Passed.
Mr.. Conger of Mich, from the Committee on
Commerce, reported bill to amend the act to
prevent the determination of fur bearing ami
mails in Alaska so as to authorize the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to designate the months
in which fur seals may be taken for their skins
on the islands of ST. Paul and st. George, and
the waters adjacent, and the number to be
fob md ham oh, fclo r,1
The House proceeded to the consideration of
the bill to regulate commerce among the sever
al States, and Mr.. M'Crearv of Iowa, who re-
ported the bill from the Committee on Rail-
roads and Canals, addressed the House in ex-
PLANTATION and its advocacy. %ne bill rela ted
exclusively to interstate commerce and he as
serted it to be the right and duty of Congress
to regulate such commerce. 1t provides for
two things only in the nature of reformation.
First, that persons engaged in railroad COM
merce shall not make unreasonable or eXtOr-
tionate charges; aaG second, that they shall not
make unjust discrimination in the matter of
charges. The bill was, therefore, declaratOry
of the common law itself. 1t had not been
prepared in any spirit of hostility to railroads.
1t required from them that which the common
law required of them.
He argued that the power of Congress over
interstate railroads was plenary and unlimit-
ed, except where limitation were imposed by
the constitution, and was equal i'll extent to the
power OF any Slngle government over common
carriers. He asked the House to consider Sc
riously whether this great commerce, these vast
combinations these powerful monopolies hav-
ing to do with the rights and interests of 49,
600, 900 of people ought to be left permanently
free and independent of any legislative con-
troll. The States could not control them. Any
attempts to do SO by States would be held as
void, as the State of Pennsylvania had demon
strated. The question, therefore, confronted
Congress whether it should let this commerce
remain without regulation, or should assert the
power which the constitution conferred on Con-
gress over the subject? He knew water trans
portation was one of the features in the solution
of the question. He knew, too. that Congress
might spend any amount of money in the i'm
provement of the Mississippi river and on op
ening up other water routes, and commerce
would still need the aid of legislation to COM
pei railroad companies to connect with
these water routes on fair and reasonable
terms AS to the provision of building great
national railroad, it shodld be considered, if at
all, as last resort, but even if there was such
road Congress would still need to control the
!a'irOad SO as 70 compel them to connect with
IL. congress was the only power that had the
Ilght and on which devolved such reasonable
rules and regulations as the case required. He
hoped Congress would not hesitate to discharge
its duty.
Mr. Arthur of KY, of the Committee on
Railroads and Canals, followed in a speech
against the bill as being proposition in the
nature OF an experimental explorer OF the elias
ITCHY of constitutional government. He
quoted from the debates on the constitution