The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-21
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
WASHINGTON, March 20, 1874.
THE FOUR HUNDRED MILLION BILL.

WASHINGTON, March 90 1874.
THE FOUR HUNDRED MILLION BILL.
After the reading Of the journal, Mr.. DAWES, OF
Massachusetts, Chairman OF the Committee OF
Ways and Means. gave notice that on Monday
next he should ask the privilege OF bringing before
the House the consideration OF what Is generally
termed the Four Hundred Million bl with the un-
derstanding That amendments reducing the
amour; would be admitted. He should himself
introduce an amendment to limit the issue to
1856, oOo, 900.
The SPEAKER stated that at the close Of the
morning hour on Monday the bill in relation to the
Louisville and Portland Canal would come up. and
after that the bill 10 prevent the importation OF
infectious and contagious diseases. After this
latter OIL was disposed OF ne would recognize the
gentleman from Massachusetts.
THE GEORGIA CONF EsTED ELECTION.
The House then proceeded TO the consideration
OF the Georgia contested eectlon case, the MAJOR
ber Is not entitled to the seat; THAT Andrew
Sloan, the contestant. is; t g minority report tax
ing the opposite position. All the republican MEN,
bers OF the committee JOIN in the ma ;orIty report
and all the democrats IN the minority report.
After discussion TILL two O'CLOCK the election case
went over till tomorrow.
THE ARMY MEDICAL CORPS.
Mr.. SCHUMAKER, OF New York, presented a
memorial, preamble and resolutions OF the Medical
Society o. tie city OF Brooklyn aud Kings county,
New York, composed oil $50 members, physicians
and surgeons asking Congress to place the rank
OF the medical corps OF the army on the same .Oo-
ing in regard to rank pay and promotion with the
medical corps OF the navy and with other stan
corps.
The House then proceeded to the consideration
OF business in relation to the District OF columbia.
THE DEBTS OF THE DISTRICT.
A bill approprlatlng S25O,U00 Tor an iron and
masonry bridge across the eastern branch Of the
Potomac, near The Present AnacOstla bridge, was
reported from rne District committee, ana alter
discussion the enactlng clause Was stricken out.
"A Oil to PROVIDE LOT the PAYMENT Of scaool
SION. The oil apprOpriates $4,000 Tor the pay OF
school teachers rom the lst OF september, 1878, to
the LIST oi Marcn, 1874. the money to be regarded
as an advance to be deduci ed from moneys which
Congress may hereafter appropriate Tor eXpendi-
lures In the District
Messrs. G. +. HOAR, rep.) OF Mass. and FRYE
(repl OF Me-, advocated the Dill. The latter stated
that there were lew cities in the United States
that had a school superior TO the Franklin school,
where he sent us own children. Other members
OF Congress and the government employees sent
their chIloreu to tue public school, aud yet they
PAID no taxes Tor the sup Yort OF tue schools. The
teachers mad not had dollar Oh pay Tor seven or
eight months.
AIT WILLARD, (rep) OF VT, argued against the
idea that members OF Congress and government
employees did NOT pay taxes In tue District such
an idea was absurd and preposterous, as no person
spent dollar who did not thereby contribute 10
the pawn Mt OF taxes. He regarded the oil as a
Confession upon lis face OF the bankruptcy Of the
District, and 1t was OF the severest reflections
that could be made on the organic act that au-
thOr1zed
TWO SEPARATE AND ANOMALOUS GOVERNMENTS
! in the District. The Board OF Public Works did
Whatever 1t Pleased IL ran III debt to any extent,
: the Board came 10 Congress and SAID, "Our trea-
sury Is empty We bankrupt, and Congress
owe II TO Itself to pay these people, Ihis would
go Just as long as toe Board OF public works
was authorized to make the expendi lures IL was
maSlng aud to incur the debts lt was mourning.
The persons who had taken the bonus OF the Dis
trlct and the certificates OF Indebtedness OF the
Board o. Pubic WORKS at 1ty or sixty cents on the
dollar would be coming to Congress and saying,
''Iou created TINS Board oil Puoic WORKS; they are
your Officers ana you must see that their paper IS
not isnonored." he nau no doubt that the credit
not any credit when relied on taxation IN the Dis
trict, but thai 1t relied on the treasury OF tue
United states.
MIR. sPEER, (dem.) OF Pa, opposed the bill, and
commended that Congress might as well be asked TO
that the district authorities should have regulated
the length OF the scnool term according to the con-
ditl0n oil tnelr school Iund.
GOVERNMENT SHOULD PAY TAxEs
Mr.. ELDRIDGE, (dem) OF Wis, member OF the
District Committee, advocated the bill, and re-
MINDED the House that the bill was not the voun.
tary act OF the District Committee, put was re.
ported in obedience to the order of the House.
He thought that the government ought to pay
taxes in proportion to It's property in the district
Mr.. PELHAM, repl OF Ala. another member OF
preparation to 100000, as tnat sum would be
necessary for school expenses during the present
session, and there was no probability OF their ever
Mr.. Cox, (dem.l OF N. T., said that ne had re.
Gently introduced resolution In reference TO the
pay OF the police OF the District. That mad been
followed by a resolution looking TO the pay OF the
firemen, and now the gentleman from Massa.
chuSettS (Mr. u. r. H0ar) mad made the d7'gu
7pentun1 al nltserecordtdHi on behalf OF the scnoo
teachers. He appreciated the argument, but he
| thought the police and fremen as Indispensable as
the school teachers. Speaking for ms own con-
| sttuepcy, which was made up OF men OF all
nations, the very intelligence OF all nations
laughter)-and OF all renglous--Hebrew, Catholic
Hardshen Bapusts, &c.-he would say that
! many OF them were reluctant to pay
any school tax Tor any State or city
school system. some Of them had peculiar scru
pies about paying this tax, ana there was some
reason In that, out when Il came to the question
! OF taxing the people OF his district by forced
! loan-ior that Vas all that this bill was-then he
| would not be fair ana square representative oil
his district be did not vote nays ON that propo
sitIOn.
Mr.. O'BR1EN. tdem) OF Nd, said he would vote
for the DILL but he could not do so uniess he had
the privilege OF giving the reason Tor his vote tic
argued that the constitution OF the District gov
/ ernment was such as to make the general govern
meDt responsible ior It's acts. Besides ne mad an
arectlon Tor the school teachers Of the District
| lie meant, OF course, the female teachers. Laugh
/ teri lie knew their worth. The er0rnd o. MS
affection 1or them was that one VINO was shor
tme ago a teacher was now MS wife,
Mr.. HOLMAN, (dem.) oil Ind, opposed the Dill
and argued that the most objectionable part OF II
was That which declared IL to be an advancement
10 be deducted from iuture appropriations Tor ex
pendtures, in the lace OF declaration IN law Of
last session that the Board OF Pubic Works should
| nave no power TO make any expenditures on
behalf OF the general government lie moved 70
strike out that part OF the bill.
Mr.. q. +. HOAR imnlored the House not tn be