The Portland daily press., 1874-06-10
Forty Third COngress-First Session
SENATE.

" u,
The Chair notified the Senate that he had
memorial from the Harpers and Appletons rel
alive to newspaper postage, but being In print
he could not present it.
The Joint resolution for the termination of
the treaty with Belgium was passed.
The District Committee reported bill for the
government of the District of Columbia.
The Sutro Tunnel bill was reported and plac-
ed on the calendar.
A resolution by Mr. Anthony that o'clock
be the hour of adjournment the 22d inst, was
laid over.
The circumstances of New York bankers
against the tax on sales of coin and securities
were presented; also memorials of publishers
that the postage on newspapers be one cent
pound, and two cents pound on other printed
matter.
The report of the conference committee on
the army appropriation bill was made and
agreed to.
A large number of petitions favorng the set
tlement OF difficulties with nations by arbitra-
tration were reported back by the Foreign Com
mittee with written report on the subject
HOUSE.
In the Louisiana case the resolutions de-
claring neither Pinchback or Sheridan were
elected. were adopted.
Mr.. Butler of Mass, from the Judiciary
Committee, reported substitute for the Gene
va award bill.
The bill having been read in full, Mr. Frye
of Maine offered an amendment to strike out
the following proviso that mutual insurance
companies who have paid loss shall be in
Identified for the same, such indemnity to be
ivlded among the members who contributed
to pay such loss at the time, but no member of
any mutual insurance company shall be indem-
nifled for any war premiums paid in such COM
pany.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
bill to amend the customs revenue law and to
repeal the moeties.
Mr.. Conkling said when the later sections of
the bill were referred to he would endeavor to
show that many things were incorporated in it
which should not be there. He thought the
whole proceeding way to expose the colec-
ton of the revenue to various hazards, though
he was not seeking to find fault with the bill.
Mr.. Sherman said subcommittee of the
Committee on Finance had gone carefully over
he bill after it was perfected by the House, and
had also conferred with officials of the Treasu-
ry Department as to the practical workings of
the bill. The Committee on Finance having
amended the 10th section of the bill in regard to
the penalty for attempting to defraud the reve-
nue. by false invoices, Sc, by the addition of
the following: (which forfeiture shall only ap-
ply to the particular items of merchandise to
which such fraud or alleged fraud relates, and
anything contained in any act which provides
for the confiscation of the entire invoice in
consequence of any item or items contained in
the same being undervalued, be and the same
is hereby repealed"
Mr.. Chandler said that this amendment was
in the interest of smugglers, and he felt sure
the Committee or Finance did not want to
make any law of that nature. He moved to
strike out the amendment.
Mr. Bayard denied that the amendment
would protect smuggers. The section provid
ed for penalty of $4,000.
Alter further discussion Mr.. Chambers mo-
ton was rejected, yeas 19, nays 49, Mr.. Ham,
lin voted to strike out; Mr.. Morrill, is not re-
corded.
The section was agreed to as amended by the
committee, yeas 30, nays ID.
Mr.. Morton from the conference committee
on the currency bill, submitted report and
asked to have it printed, He gave notice that
after the expiration of the morning hour to-
morrow he would call it up for consideration.
Mr.. Hamlin submitted resolution instruct
| ing the Committee on Commerce to inquire
into the expediency of making an apprOpria-
| ton to enable the Lighthouse Board to continue
| experiments relative to fog bells or other sig
| nails for the benefit of the merchant marine
| Agreed to.
Mr.. Hitchcock, from the Committee on Ter
ritories, reported favorably the House bill for
| the admission of New Mexico as State.
Mr.. Buckingham from the Committee on
| Commerce, reported with amendments the
| House bill establishing life saving stations and
| making appropriations therefor
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
moiety bill. Quite number of amendments
| were made not affecting the leading features of
| the BILL and several sections struck out.
Mr.. Scott inquired if the moiety bill would
be unfinished business tomorrow.
the Chair replied in the affirmative.
Mr.. Sherman moved to adjourn. Agreed to.
Mr.. Tremaine of New York intimate1 that
| the Judiciary Committee had not consented to
have that amendment offered and he asked
whether the chairman (Buter) hadt the right to
admit the same and exclude other amend
ments.
Mr.. Poland of Vermont proposed to offer a
| substitute for the bill, but the Speaker an
-
of the committee on contingent expenses of the
| department of judiciary was now before the
| House.
| Mr. Durham of Kentucky from that commit
tee reported resolution directing the Attorney
! General to institute legel proceedings against
| E. V. G. Blake, clerk of the middle district of
| Alabama and the sureties on his bond for the
| recovery of whatever sums may be due by
Blake to the United States as such clerks
| Adopted
Mr.. Sener of Virginia reported bill to abol-
| ish the western district of Arkansas Passed
| without objection.
Mr.. Sener of Virginia also reported bill to
amend the act of September oath, 1889 in rela-
| ton to the bonds of clerks of the U. S. Courts.
| Passed.
The House then took up the Geneva award
bill, to which Mr.. Poland! of Vermont offered
a substitute.
Mr.. Butler of Massachusetts, addressed the
| House in explanation and advocacy of the sub
| stitute presented by himself from the judiciary
committee. Referring to the proposition to pay
insurance companies, he said there wassan ac-
tive lobby at work in favor of these insurers
| aud underwriters who had received two dollars
| for every dols they lost. The majority of the
| committee held that all losses should be paid
| for losses inflicted by all rebel cruisers for
| whose acts the United States government had
| declared Great Britain liable. Congress should
| not shelter itself behind the decision of the
| Geneva tribunal on new rules of International
| law made after the fact, but should pay
| under the old International rules of law.
The next question was what classes should
| be paid. The committee said that, first, every
direct loss should be paid.
Second: All war premiums should be paid to
| those who had proposed to pay these vast war
premiums instead of transferring their vessels
| to English, German or French subjects.
Third: Payment should be made to those in
surance ompanies that had IN ide losses.
Mr.. Tremain of New York addressed the
| House in opposition to the substitute reported
| by Mr.. Butler. He argued that the claims for
war premiums ought not be paid. and for the
| good reason that the Geneva tribunal had de-
| cded they were not chargeable. He also
argued against the exclusion of the claims of
insurance companies who could not show that
| their losses were more than their premiums.
In the course of his speech he asserted that the
bill never could have been reported at all unless
| the Mutual Insurance companies had been pro :
vided for in it, and yet the first act of the
chairman, who had the bill in charge, was to
admit an amendment to strike sout that pro-
| vision.
Mr.. Frye of Me. asserted that the committee
had been deliberately cheated into admitting
| that provision.
A long debate followed in which Mr.. Bur-
| leigh of Maine spoke ten minutes in support
of Buffers amendment After an agreement
to vote on the bill at 8 o'clock tomorrow, the
| House took recess
rr Evening Session.
Mr.. Wilson of Indiana, from, the joint select
committee upon the district investigation, re-
ported bill to reorganize the district govern
ment. Ordered to be printed and recommitted
After several speeches on miscellaneous sub
| jects adjourned.
It q IL Il i q N.