Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-23

Mr., Iremalne-AS 10 the war prelnt-
UNI claimants, the owners OF uninsured
vessels that were destroyed by other cruisers
than the three for which England was held
responsible, and as to insurance companies
that cannot show by the account OF their
general business that they have sustained
losses, understand that this bill does not
preclude them from asking legislation from
a subsequent Congress.
Mr.. Butler-Un the contrary, this bill
leaves the matter open to the war premium
claimants. AS to the otheis it IS silent.
Mr.. Poland-Does this bill positively
and absolutely forbid any payment to be
made to insurance companies for these
three vessels
Mr. Butier-<ft absolutely forbids it, but
leaves it open to legislation hereafter, as it
does for war premiums.
Mr. Z. r. Hoar asked whether the report
provides for the payment of only that class
of claims about which there can be no dis
pute. and leaves all others to the future
Judgment of Congress-
Mr.. Enthusiastically that.
Mr.. Beck believed there was strong
feeling that undisputed claim. should be
paid at once.
Discussion was continued some time,
and the report was finally agreed to as it
came from the committee.
PopuIar Vote for President.
iir. Smith. of New Y ork, reported joint
resolution for an amendment Of the Con
stitution in regard to the election of Presi-
dent and Vice President, by the direct vote
of the people, and by Congressional dis
tricts. Ordered printed, and recommitted,
with leave to report at any time next ses-
sion.
EelIey's 65 Bonds.
Mr.. Kelley asked but failed TO obtain
consent to have an order iuade fixing the
Sth of December next for the consideration
of his bill for the issue of convertible bonds
and for reduction Of the interest on the
funded debt.
Sunday Appropriation Bill.
The House then resumed the consldeTa-
tion of Senate amendments to sundry civil
appropriation bill, That appropriating
81 300, 600 TO pay the floating debt Of the
District was cOncurred in after an amend
ment by Mr.. Randall, devoting $1,000 Of
it to paying working men. Senate amend
ment appropriatiug S2j0,00O for building
for the WOmen's Christian Association of
Columbia, was c6nctirred id. That for a
like appropriation for
The Little sisters of the Poor,
the committee recommended nOn-concuT-
renee.
Mr.. E. r. Hoar advocated the amend
ment and said that objection had been pre-
viously made to this appropriation on the
ground that the property would be under
the charge of bishop or of church author
tiles. He had inquired carefully and found
that no such thing was true. This was
corporation of the District of Columbia,
and under no ecclesiastical authority what
ever, although the sisters were Catholics.
Thbe einn Fl 9Sf SI fes6s;f DE cSafFed Rse ct
diverted from that by any authority with
out The Intervention of courts. In admin
istration, there was no distinction on &C
count of sex, color and religious belief.
Mr. Garfield said the only ground OF
which the committees recommendation was
made was that this was an organization
exclusively of people of one denomination.
The chartered members were wholly OF one
religious sect and of one society within
a religious sect. He ASSUMED there was
not mont Catholic woman in America who
could be one Ofthe cOrpOrators ofthat home.
The committee had therefore made the
point that Congress ought never commit
itself to the aid of an exclusively sectarian
institution. If the amendment for the
woman's Christian Association were in
favor of any one sect, he would have voted
to strike it out.
Mr.. Butler, (Of Massachusetts,) ado
YOU believe there is single Catholic woman
in the Woman's Christian Association
Mr.. Garfield know of no reason in the
world why any woman Catholic or other
wise cannot be in that association if she
desired.
Mr.. Butler-Is there a single Catholic
woman in the association?
Mr.. Garfield-I do not know that there
is. but there is nothing exclusive in it.
Mr.. Buller-Is there any more exclusion
in one corporation than the other?
Mr.. Garfield-VeTy much more.
Mr.. Butler-lH what?
Mr.. Garfield In this that the ASsocia-
ton known as the WOmans' Christian As
sOciation does not as such belong TO any
church. But here is All order whose very
title-Li.tle Sisters Of the Poor-is de-
scriptive of an order within the Catholic
Church.
Mr.. Cessna want to know whether or
not Protestants as we'll as Catholics receive
the benefits Of this institution.
Mr. Garfield understand that its 6ene-
ficiaries are taken without regard to n
ligious denominations.
MIR. Cessna-Then these little sisters
ought 10 have the money.
Mr.. Parker, of Missouri, eXIr sssed re
gret that Mr.. Garfield had put himself be-
fore the House and country in the attitude
he assumed to-day. His speech had led
him (Parker) to believe that there must be
a ranking somewhere in the geutleman's
breast-a prejudice against these little
Sisters, because Of their religious title. He
himself was not Catholic, and lot much
of a Protestant (laughter), but he would
call the attention of the House, and the at
tention especially of Mr. Garfield, who led
| a division Of the army during the war, to
the fact that when these Catholic nuns were
On the BattIefelds
gathering the wounded and dying and
| bringing consolation to their minds, and
when they knelt before the dying no one
stopped to inquire what their religious faith
was. The white-bonneted nun was seen
bearing consolation to the gallant soldiers
| of the Republic on every battlefield, and
| now the refusal to give them this small aid
must be based on religious prejudice alone.
| Mr. Butler, of Massachusetts, recalled
| the fact that when in New Orleans hun
dreds of his command were dying of feTer
and the malaria of swampS, they were
cared for by Sisters of Charity, and the
question what their faith was had never
been asked. The only question asked was,
Were they sick and dying, and then they
were taken into the hospital of the Sisters
of Charity and treated as carefully and as
well as if they had been Of the faith. With
| that knowledge, and with the remembrance
of how glad the soldiers used 10 be to see
these bonnetted nuns come near them in
the field and hospital, he would
cut off his right hand before he would
strike down this appropriation from any
religious prejudice against the Catholic
faith. As to Mr. Garfield's statement, that
none but a Catholic could belong to the
Association, that was true in the sense thai
none would undertake these self-denyin:
VOWS, that entire self-devotion to charity
and their fellow-men, but those who wer'
driven to that stern religious faith. Blu
when they had once taken their vows
they were the almOnterS of all mankind
without regard TO religion. He hoped tn
Senate amendment would be cOncurred Il
even without a division.
a II