The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-05-20
Forty Third Congress-First Session.
SENATE.

morning hour, and the legislative appropriation
bill was taken up.
making the Office of Congressional printer APP
pointive by the President instead Of. elective
by the Senate, from the date of the first va
cancy. Carried unanimously, and the Superin-
tendent of Public printing remains an Office ia
the Senate.
Mr.. Morrill, of VT, submitted an additional
section repeating the clauses of the last sundry
civil appropriation bill, which appropriated
$500, 900 to replace worn out and mutllated
national bank currency, each national bank to
reimburse the treasury for printing its notes.
Mr.. Sargent said the effect would be to re
lieve national banks from the cost of printing
their notes, and raised point of order that it
was new legislation and could not be recei we'd
under the rules adopted yesterday.
The Chair (Mr. Ingalls,) sustained the point
of order and ruled the amendment out.
Mr.. Morrill, appealed but the decision was
sustained.
An amendment providing for the employ
ment of 81 clerks of class three, instead of 81,
in the Office of the Auditor for the Postofice
Department was agreed to.
The appropriation for contingent expenses in
the executive Office was increased from $4,000
to $4,000.
Several minor amendments were adopted
providing for the Third Assistant Secretary of
State, allowing additional clerks In the State
Department, ETC., and authorizing the unex-
pended balance of the $3.50 900 appropriated
for the Geneva Commissioners to be used to-
wards the payment of expenses Of the Fishery
Commission which meets at Halifax in July
next.
Ten chiefs of divisions were authorized in
the Treasury Department.
Mr.. Edmunds submitted an amendment to
the third section, which prohibits civil officers
of the government receiving perquistes or max
ing private use of public property so as to pro-
vide that it should not prevent the employment
and payment by the Department Of Justice of
district attornys, as now allowed by law, for
the perfor nance of services not covered by
their salaries and fees. Agreed to.
The pay of the officers of the document room
Increased yesterday, was replaced at the old
figure
Several amendments for the increase of the
salaries of subordinate officers were ruled out
on points of order.
Mr.. Morrill, of Vt, moved to amend the Sd
section of the bill 10 the clause forbidding civil
officers using the governments property for
81 cuff Chs eh S1
the section.
After some discussion Mr. Morrill, withdrew
his amendment.
Mr.. Frelnghnysen submitted an amendment
providing that the section should not be con-
strued to prevent the Commissioner of Agri-
culture from residing in the Department, and
said that he offered the amendment in good
faith.
Mr.. Edmunds said the fact of the Commits
sioner residing in the Department had been a
reproach in the eyes of the people of the coun-
try fer years
Mr.. Pratt inquired if the rooms in the build
ing occupied by the Commissioner as his resi-
dence, were necessary for public service.
Mr.. Edmunds said government was paying
from 100000 to $500, 900 annually far the rent
of a building in this city, and if these rooms
|. were not needed for the Agricultural Depart
Fment they could be used by the Interior depart
ment.
Mr.. Cameron defended Judge Watts, while
Mr. Salisbury denounced the Agricultural De-
partmeut as useless. ~
Mr.. Morrill, of Maine, moved to lay the
amendment on the table, Lost-yeas %; nays
The amendment was then rejected. Yeas 81,
nays %.
On motion of Mr.. Howe, the appropriation
| for the purchase of books for the library of
| Congress was increased from $4,000 to $4,000.
MIR. Window submitted an amendment for
| an increase of four in the clerical force of the
| office of the Comptroller of Currency, which
reinstates the number dropped by the House.
| Agreed to-
| Mr.. Morrill, of Maine, offered an amendment
authorizing the Secretary of War to detail en-
| listed men for duty in the Adjutant Generals
| Office. Agreed to. He also submitted amend
| ments to reinstate five clerks in the office of
| LIST Comptroller of the Treasury, and two in
| the Office of the LIST Auditor. Agreed to-
| MI. Sargent moved to strike out the follow
! ing words in the first section of the bill, ''or
shall make any private of such property or of
| services or labor of any person in the employ
| ment or service of the United States which
service or labor is paid for by the United States,
| provided this shall not be construed to deprive
any officer of the United States of such fees as
| are or may be expressly provided by law in ad-
| dition to the salary or compensation of such
| officer, or of the use of such property as may
be expressly by law to the use of such officer y
| Agreed to.
| The section as amended reads that no civ
il officer of the government shall hereafter re-
| ceive any compensation or requisite directly OF
| indirectly from the Treasury or property OF
| the United States beyond his salary or com.
ponsaton allowed by law, provided that this
| shall not be construed to prevent the employ.
ment and payment by the Department of Jus.
tice of district attorneys as now allowed by law
| for the performance of service not covered by
| their salaries or fees.
Mr. Flanagan moved an amendment fixing
| the compensation of the pages of the Senate al
| So instead of 50 IL per day. The amendment
| was ruled out on point of order under the rule
| adopted yesterday.
Mr.. Frelnghuysen moved an appropriation Of
$2500 for the museum of the Agricultural De
partmeut. Rejected-yeas IA, nays g. He
next moved an appropriation of $1,000 for chem
icals1and apparatus and $4,000 for microscope.
| for that department Agreed to.
The bill was then reported to the Senate and
|
with the exception of the section relating to
covering into the Treasury of unexpended bal
| ances, which was modified so to provide il
should take effect July LIST, 1875, instead Of
1874, as the committee recommended. The
clause appropriating $15,40O for an assay of
fee at Charlotte, n c., which the Committee
| on Appropriations struck out, was reinstated
by the Senate with an amendment striking ou
the item of $11 900 for clerk.
The bill was then read third time AM
| passed.
Mr.:Sargent, from the Committee on Appro
priatons, reported with various unimportan
amendments the sundry civil approximation
bill, which was ordered to be printed.
Mr.. Frellnghuysen moved to proceed to tn
consideration of the civil rights bill, upon
which motion the yeas and nays were ordered
| The roll call showed but 50 Senators pres ,nt
and there being no quorum, at $50 the Senat
| adjourned
HOUSE.
The House took up the Senate amendment t.
the naval appropriation bill, in which som
concurred and others -concurred. The latte
was sent to committee of conference Til
Speaker appointed Messrs. Hale of Maine, SEQ
field of Penn, and marshall of ILL.,
The bill to remove the political disablitie
from Thomas Claiborne of Tennessee, wa
passed.
The House took up the bill from the Way
and Means Committee, to amend the custom
laws and to repeal notifies.
Mr.. Dawes of Mass, moved to strike out tn
third section and add provision to the .sxtl
section. that any informer may have perpetus
right of action againt federal officer who
paid any money by an informer.
Mr.. Beck Of KY, offered an amendment pre-
hibiting any member of Congress acting a
agent or attorney for persons sued by the gov
eminent.
Mr. Roberts explained the bill.
Mr. Beck opposed the third section of tn
LII IpQC MOI tJ n
and papers He considered the moiety system
a disgrace to any country, alluded to Ben. Bu
Ter and Senator Conkling as counsel for custom
house officials.
Mr.. Wood followed at considerable length i
discussion of legislation as it affects taxation
and revenue.
Mr. Beck of KY, in the course OF his re
marks alluded to the statement OF Judge Davl
before the Committee on Ways aud Means thu
when the Phelps Dodge matter was settled !
the Treasury Department, Senator Conkn
and Gen. Butler were standing by and demand
ing these penalties, thing he said, which n