Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-03-14
XLIIId CONGRESS.
SENATE.

bENATE.
The Senate discussed the tariff question, or
that part of it where an error of a comma had
led to the loss of half million of dollars of
revenue, and which might lead to the loss of a
larger amount. Mr. Sumner remembered hay
ing been told by a learned Judge of the United
States Supreme Court that he never regarded
punctuation i'll interpreting a statute, and it
was not believed the Government would be a
loser in the matter when decision was
rendered.
Mr.. Merrimon's amendment to the currency
bill was adopted by yeas % to nays 25. Mr.
Merrimon's amendment as adopted instructs
the committee to report as soon as practicable
bill providing for the increase of the national
bank circulation, SO that the whole volume
thereof shall not exceed $500, 900, 900.
The currency bill being under discussion
MIR. Schurz spoke at length in favor of specie
resumption. Mr. Morton, of Indiana, in reply
ing said our currency was the best the world
ever saw of its kind He argued that specie
payments could not be maintained now as we
owe about 81, 800, 900, 900 in Europe, 5000, 000-
900 in Government bonds, and $500, 900, 900 in
railroad and other securities. The interest on
these bonds had to be paid in gold, thus drain
ing the country Of $6O,000,000 Of SIC, 1000, 900
every year. Russia had her bonds held in
England, Germany, and France, and was an
nually drained of her gold to pay the interest
thereon. The result was that Russia had
suspended specie payment for years so with
Austria and so with Italy, and all those coun-
tries are now in state of suspension and must
continue so for some time. This country is in
the same condition and must remain SO. Under
the present currency the country had pros
pered more than 1t ever did before, and the
system would admit of expansion Of the cur
rency when necessary.
The Senate considered the bill to provide for
the appointment of commission on the sub
ject of the alcoholic liquor traffic. Schurz, of
Mo-, spoke against legislative action, and
Buckingham, of Conn, in favor of it. Flanagan,
of TeXas said so far as he was concerned he
had no hesitancy in announcing it as his belief
that Congress had the ability to legislate on the
subject. The Constitution gave Congress
abundant authority to do 80. Such legislation
would be for the welfare of the whole nation.
During speech on the currency question,
Schurz, of Mo, was called to order by the
Chair for reflection made on Morton of Ind.
Morton said in his remarks that Schurz was
a foreigner and did not understand the fnan-
clal questions of the United States. In apollo
giving ScburZ said Does the Senator say that
his words were in a Pickwickian sense? Then
l say / used mine in Pickwickian sense also
The Naval appropriation bill as it goes from
the Senate back to the House increases the
appropriation for the equipment of vessels
from 81, 100, 900 to $1,250,00 that for pro-
visions for officers, seamen, and marines is in
creased from 81 800, 900 to 81, 352. 600 that for
repairs and preservation of boilers and ma
chinery is increased from 81, 500, 900 to 81
$4,000. The contingent expenses of the Naval
Academy are fixed at $3.50 instead of $780,
600. Twenty thousand dollars are appropriated
for the contingent expenses of the Marine
Corps instead of $4,000.
The bill to provide for the appointment of a
commission in regard to the alcoholic liquor
traffic was taken up. Mr.. Bayard, of Delaware,
opposed the passage of the bill on sthe ground
that the Federal Government would be inter
fering in matters within the jurisdiction of the
States. Mr.. Flanagan, of Texas, favored the
bill, and spoke of the evil effects of intoxica-
| ting liquors. He believed the use of alcoholic
liquors was the cause of the split between the
North and the South.
| Mr.. Scott, of Pennsylvania, presented petit
ton of workingmen of Pennsylvania Illinois.
and Michigan against any increase in taxation.
Referred to the Committee ON Finance
Mr.. Sherman of Ohio, from the Finance
Committee reported fayorably on the House
bill Ill relation to import duties on fruit, being
the bill to correct an error in the late Tariff
bill, which was passed.
| Mr.. Oglesby, of Illinois, from the Committee
on Public Lands, reported favorably on the
House bill extending the time for the com.
pletion of the Green Bay and Lake Michigan
Canal, and it was passed.
MI dlus VI DcluNuI6, lIOIu Uu6
Committee, reported resolution directing the
Secretary of the Treasury to inform the Senate
what, if any, additional legislation is required
to prevent defalcations by officers receiving
and disposing of United States revenue stamps
and publlc>money.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Potter of N. Y, reported bill to es
tablish an additional Judicial District in thu
State of New York. Referred to the Committe,
of the Whole.
The House took up the bill for the distribu
ton of public documents printed by authorit
of Congress- seeds furnished by the Agricul
tural Department, for the free exchange O
newspapers between publishers, and for the fire.
transmission of weekly newspapers within tn
county where published.
During the discussion Mr.. Garfield, of Ohio
said he would vote for that part of the bill al
lowing free transmission to weekly newspaper
in the counties of their publication. The Who'll
country newspaper press had been almos
fatally crippled by the repeal of the frankin
privilege. In his judgment the 5000 week.
newspapers of the country were the best res
opponents of public opinion. A man VIII
climbed to the fifth story of q metropolta
newspaper Office at II o'clock at night an
slashed off an editorial and sent it off to tn
country, called that the public sentiment of tn
American people. In country newspapers tn
editor quiet, sensible man, who in the cours
of the week saw men from every township l
the county, and had his mind filed with tn
best thoughts of his county, wrote notices an
editorials in the course of the week which gay
more OF the public sentiment of that count
than all the metropolitan journals in tn
United States could give Of that county. TIL
repeal of the frank threatened to carry down
very large number of country papers tina
could hardly live il the present order of thing
continued The weekly newspapers of Ne
York now came by mail into districts in low
1900 miles off, and weighing three times o
! much Rs the single country newspapers, an