The Portland daily press., 1874-03-11
FORTY Third Congress Session.
SENATE,

WASHINGTON, Mar. TO-
=, MI. Conkling paid a tribute to the virtues of
the late ex President Fillmore, and offered the
1olIowlng resolution ..-
Resolved, That the Senate has heard with
deep regret of the death of Willard Fillmore.
formerly Chief Magistrate of the United States
and Vice President, and that a committee of
three Senators be appointed by the Chair To at.
tend the funeral on behalf of the Senate.
Mr.. FentOn seconded the resolution.
MI. Hamlin spoke briefly in support of the
resolution, which was unanimously adopted.
;. MI. Wright from the Committee on the Ju-
diclary, reported and recommended the passage
OF the bill declaring it the true intent and
meaning OF the Pacific Railroad acts of 1864 and
iooo' that Tor the contraction of the central
Dranch OF the Union Pacific Railroad lands and
Doh9s were granted for one hundred miles next
the Missouri river and no more and prohibiting
the issuance OF bonds or patents for lands for
any extension of said road or ofthe Hannibal &,
St Joseph Railroad in excess of The one nun
bred miles next to the Missouri river.
The bill was placed on the calender
MI. Hamln presented resolution of the
Legislature of his State in favor of enlarging
the arsenal at Augusta, Me. Referred to the
COMMITTEE on Military Affairs.
Mr. Morrill, of Maine, presented memorial
Ut the citizens of his State who were engaged in
commerce during the war and had vessels de-
stroyed oy armed cruisers other than those
mentioned in the Geneva award. Referred to
the judiciary Committee.
:, MT Morrill, of Maine, reported favorably on
the Dill appropriating $4,000 to defray the ex-
Pehses OF the committee in investigating the
District of Columbia affairs.
During the discussion Mr. Morrill, of Maine.
moved to reduce the amount to S. 700, 600.
fendlng the discussion the morning hour ex-
pired and the bill went over
ME- Boutwe ell said the state of his health was
such that he must ask the Senate to excuse him
IN ypin
tigate the District of Columbia affairs. He was
excused
The Chair appointed as committee to at
tendthe funeral of ex-President Fillmore
Messrs Fenton, Hamilton and Bayard He
also appointed as members of the Board of
Visitors to West Point Military Academy,
Messrs. Howe and Dennis and Iugalls.
The Military Committee reported unfavora-
bly, on the bill to ascertain the losses sustained
by the people of Northern California and
dations, and it was indefinitely postponed
Mr.. Ramsey called up the House bill to pro-
vide for issuing and recording commissions to
pos masters appointed by the President and it
was passed.
The bill to equalize the distribution of ma
tional bank currency was then taken up and
Mr.. Feny of Mich, delivered lenthy argu-
ment in favor of free banking on the nationa!
banking system.
The Senate went into executive session a nd
after few minutes adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Thomas of Virginia offered a resolution
instructing the Judiciary Committee to en-
quire what legislation is necessary to compel
the State of West Virginia to assume and nav
its proportion of the debt of the State of Vir-
ginia at the time of separation and organiza-
ton of West Virginia.
Mr. Adams of KY, offered a resolution in
structing the Committee on Indian Affairs to
make thorough investigation into the facts in
connection with the Indian contracts. Adopt
ed.
Mr.. Ellis H. Roberts, a member of Commit.
tee on Ways and Means, modified a statement
which he made in his speech last week and
which he had been understood as asserting that
the Secretary of the Treasury had recommend
ed an increase of taxation to the amount of
$40, 100000. He had merely meant to convey
the idea that was the inference he had drawn
from the Secretary's letter in December last to
the Committee on Ways and Means. He made
the explanation at the request of the Secre-
tary.
Mr.. Dawes, chairman of the Committee, ask
ed Mr.. Roberts whether he understood the Sec
rotary of the Treasury at no time urged on the
House the imposition of increased taxation,
anC whether he (ROberts) was authorized by
the Secretary of the Treasury to announce td
the House and the country that the Secretary
no longer desired any additional taxes to be inn
posed.
Mr.. Roberts said he was not authorized nv
the Secretary of the Treasury to make any
statement different from the letter he submit
ted to the Committee of Ways and Means in
December.
Mr.. Dawes said he did not want to stand be-
fore the House and country as undertaking te
oppose the policy of the Secretary of the Treas
ury. He had endeavored to be entirely faith
full to that officer. and whenever he had found
it necessary to differ from him he had done il
frankly and stated wherein that difference con-
sisted. He (Dawes) had understood the Score
rotary OF the Treasury not only to recommend
the imposition of additional taxes, but to fee
it his duty to press it on the consideration Of
the House. He should be exceedingly graft
fed if anything hal occurred in the receipts oil
the Treasury, in the revival of industry or from
any other cause which had led the Secretary OF
any other officer of the government to feel Their
was less necessity now than seemed to be il
December to urge increased taxation. His on
~ sollcitude was to ascertain if through SOM
other organ, the Secretary of the Treasury wa
hes ro OF saying to the House that after al
ne was not quite SO anxious for taxation
Mr.. Roberts expressed the hope that the gen
teman from Massachusetts would not obiec
to his (Roberts) modestly correcting the use o
words which the Secretary OF the Treasury
thought were not warranted by his letter q
think the Secretary desired any other organ il
the House than the distinguished leader of the
House on whom the House was so accustomed
to rely.
The Senate joint resolution with reference t,
the bronze statue of Jefferson was passed
Mr., Fort from the Committee on Territorie
reported a bill TO prevent the useless sIaus hte
of buffaloes, which was passed.
Messrs Dawes and Cox were excused from
serving on the Committee to attend Mr.. Fill
more's funeral, and Messrs. Swan and Bass
were appointed in their place.
The House went into Committee of the
Whole on the legislature, executive and judc
airy appropriation bill and YVES addressed b,
Mr.. Beck. He undertook to prove the correct
ness of an assertion he heretofore made and
which had been controverted by Mr.. Garfield
in regard to the estimates and appropriation
for currency for the fiscal year The fact
seemed to be that the appropriations were
1919, 000,0 900 to which was to be added the 81.
100000 extra for the navy, which the estimate
only amount to $3OS,0OO,00O, so the appropria
tions for the year were SIS, 900 900 more tina,
the estimates He also undertook to prov,
that the expenses of the current year were il
excess of the preceding year. He asserted tina
the appropriations for 1871 and 1879 were 1901,
900, 900, including $154.000 900 for the sinking
fund, for interest of public debt, and all othel
items, and that the appropriations for 1872 and
1873 were $299, 100000, including S159 200, OO(
for the sinking fund end. This left $l4O, 900,
600 as appropriations for the regular service Of
1872 and 1873, excluding the sinking fund
while the appropriations for the regular ser
vice for 1873 and 1874, excluding the same
items, were $172,O00,000 or $32O,0OO,O 900 thar
1872 and 1873. He claimed to have demon
strated beyond the chance of mistake that 4
sinking fund was included in all the figures
given for the expenditures of every year since
$50, and he said Mr.. Dawes had done wrong
in taking back at the request of Mr. Garfield
what he had said in regard to the sinking fund
He had no doubt that Mr.. Dawes was glad tc
be relieved by Mr.. Garfield in order to shield
his party, and the newspapers had taken it W
and shown how the gentleman from Massa-
thusetts had been slanderng his own party anG
the gentleman from Ohio was again the hero O!