The Portland daily press., 1874-06-11
Forty Third Congress-First Session.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON. June

| several memorials were presented ana DIS
| introduced to abolish the board of Indian CON-
missioners Referred to the Committee on
| Indian Affairs.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs were dis
| charged from the further consideration of the
bill TO encourage Geographic communication
with Asia and bill granting Cornell Jewett
the right to construct a telegraph to Asia
A bill relating to the Geographic commune
cation between the United States and foreign
countries was reported by the Foreign Commit
| tee and calendared.
| A memorial was presented of the Ohio edi-
torial association relative to postage on news
papers.
The bill to amend the custom laws and to re-
| peal meieties was called up
| The pending question being on the motion OF
| Mr.. Conkling to amend the 29th section so that
| the bill should not affect suits or actions COM
| menced or forfeitures incurred prior to May
| list, 1876
| Mr.. Carpenter said he would vote for the
| amendment as he did not think Congress had
| the power to take away the vested legal rights
| of informers in suits already commenced.
| Mr.. Salisbury denied that informers had any
| vested rights. They had become odous to the
people, and all traces of them should be wiped
out
| Mr.. Wadlegh spoke against the amend
ments and referring to the informers,
| SAID that these men had already dsgraced the
| country. His friend from Wisconsin was not
SO ignorant and so little versed in public af-
| Ittio DO hoo W nave ACdlu VI dJ "hu uio W
| adJutors.
Mr. Howe said he had read in the report
made by the Committee of the other house that
| this man Jayne had been instrumental in COM
mencng 50 suits against men charged with
fraud upon the revenue of the country. Of
this number 4S had been prosecuted to judg-
ment, and in every the judgments
against the party charged with fraud. He had
heard great cutlery against informers but not
a word against the raScals detected by them.
nj r. SarOpnt said III absolutely necessary
for the Treasury to use detectives to find ont
frauds on the revenue, and this bill took away
too many safeguards to insure faithful collec-
tion of the revenue.
informers. He read from memorial of the
New York Chamber of Commerce signed by
A. A. Low, in which it was asked that the
voice of detectives be hushed, and said if
burglar should rob the house of Mr.. Low he
would employ detective to arrest him. Yet
that burglar would be gentleman compared
with the mean, sneakng smuggler.
The amendment of Mr.. Conklng was agreed
to; yeas 81, nays 26.
Mr. Stewart moved to strike out the 18th
section which fixes penalty of $4,000 for any
attempt to defraud the revenue by means of
false or fraudulent invoice, and provides for
the forfeiture of the particular item of mer-
chandise to which such fraud or alleged fraud
relates instead of the whole invoice as under
the present law.
Mr.. Conklng spoke against the moiety bill
as one that would greatly impair the revenues
OF the government and produce disorder. He
argued in favor of having the whole invoice
forfeited in case of fraud, and said unless such
was the case frauds would go on as regularly
as the march of time. MIR. Conkling had a let
ter read from A. T. Stewart, who while not in
favor of creating by law body of informers to
whom there shall be held out inducements to
pay into the business of others, is yet unable to
| suggest and better system so long as it is de-
termined to retain our present high rates OF du-
ties.
The question being on the motion of Mr..
Stewart to strike out the 18th section, it was re-
jected; yeas IL, nays 81.
Mr. Sargent moved to amend the 18th section
by striking out penalty of $4,000 for each
offence and insert in lieu thereof 'for each
offence be fixed in any sum not exceeding $50
900 nor less than $50, or to be imprisoned for
any time not exceeding two years or BOTH
Agreed to.
Mr. Hamlin moved to amend the 18th sec
ton so to provide that only package or case
containing articles u1dervalued should be for
feited. Agreed to.
Mr.. Wright moved TO insett the 9Th section
stricken out in Committee of the Whole, which
provided for the examination of books, and
papers upon order of the courts.
Mr.. Bayard moved to amend the section so
that it would read. 'and the said attorney
shall be permitted to make an examination of
the entries referred to in said notice. at which
examination the defendant or claimant or his
agent may be present." Agreed to. He also
moved to amend the section so to provide that
the owner of books or papers should have, sub
ject to the order of the court, the custody of
them except pending their examination in
court as aforesaid.
The section as amended was agreed to- The
bill passed. yeas IS, nays3. The Senate at
O'Clock adjourned
HOUSE.
Mr.. Dawes from the Ways and Means Com
mittee, reported back adversely on various bills
including the following: To abolish the tax on
CIGARS tobacco and snuff; to remit duties on
certain goods destroyed in the Boston confla-
grafton; to repeal the tax on deposits in savings
banks; to repeal the act of March IS, 1862 to
strengthen the public credit; to repeal taxes on
distilled spirits aud tobacco; for the issue of
convertible bonds; 10 impose an income tax
to remove all internal taxes from apple brandy;
to repeal the duty on salt
A bill was passed admitting free merchandise
recovered after being sunk two years.
bill remitting the duties on certain goods
destroyed in the Boston sonfagration was re-
ferred to the committee of the whole.
The bill was passed abating the duty on dis
titled spirits in the cistern room of distillery
warehouses.
The conference report on the army appropria-
ton bill was agreed to.
The Geneva award bill was taken up.
Mr. Bass of New York, opposed Mr.. Buffers
substitute, and Mr.. Wilson Of Indiana, sup
ported it,
Mr. Eldridge of Wisconsin, recommended
that the money paid under the Geneva award
should be covered into the treasury.
Mr. Kellogg of Connecticut, said that if the
money was devoted from its true purpose it
would be blot upon the country similar to
that committed in the French spoliatOn claims.
Mr. Starkweather of Connecticut-My col
league seems disposed to keep poor men out of
their pay.
Mr. Kellogg-No, sir; that will do for clap
trap.
Mr. Starkweather-It will do for argument
Mr. Frye of Maine, spoke in favor of Mrl
Buffers substitute. He declared that it was a
fight between insurance companies-mainly of
New York-and the people of the country.
Mr. Treman of New York-Are you not
aware that about 100000 of it goes to insur
ance companies in Boston which have failed,
and that it is to be handed over to losers in the
Boston fire?
Mr. Frye-What arrant humbug that isl
have heard the gentleman iTremain) talking in
that way privately aud otherwise in the inter-
est of insurance companies. The overwhelm-
ing power of these insurance companies is felt
in the House to-day, and in the hotels at WASH
ngton and all around. IL was sufficiently
strong enough to make itself felt even at Gene
va, where these insurance companies sent some
of the best lawyers of the country, who were
at the same time counsel for the United States,
and to ship them back here on the floor of the
floor of the House as lobbyists 1t was almost
an Almighty power til at could do that
Mr.. Treman-What authority have you for
saying that when Mr.. Evarss was counsel at
Geneva he was also counsel for any one of these
claimants who now presents demand?
Mr. Butler-Because he said so before the
Judiciary Committee of the last House.
Mr. Tremain-On the contrary, there is a let
ter in this House written by him yesterday de-
nying it in toto.
Mr. Butler-And he was on the floor md
put it to him to his face and he didn't dare to
deny it, and he cannot come on this floor and
deny it.
Mr.. Kellogg-He cannot deny it here. You
had the advantage of him and refused him OPP
portunity to deny it,
Mr. Butler-Pardon me, sir, do not do that:
1 do not come from Connecticut
Mr.. Woodford ndignantly)-And as a grand
son of Connecticut, am gratified.
Mr. Butler (scornfully)-So am 1.
Mr.. Frye proceeded with his argument in
CONFIRMATION of the idea that the United
States government appeared at Geneva in the
character of a claims agent without contin-
gent fee, interrupted Butler) He read from
Fisk's letter to Mr. Adams, impressing upon
him that he should be careful not to commit
the government as to what should be done with
the sum to be recovered.
Coming to the question of Mutual Insurance
companies, he referred to the remarks of Mr..
Tremain yesterday, that the motion to strike
them out of the bill was fraud on the COM
mittee and to his own reply that they were got
in by a fraud.
Mr. Tramain-N;1I tho oap+1a,,,r allow mo