The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-07
Fortj Third Congress-First Session.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Mar. 6.
Mr.. Scott presented resolution of the Phil
adelpha Board of Trade, asking Congress 10
revise and amend the customs and revenue SO
that honest importers may not be injured BY
the action of men who inform and put import
ers to unnecessary trouble, when there is no &C.
casion for it. Referred to the Finance Com
mittee.
Mr.. Anthony presented a com munication
from Mr.. Clapp, public printer, requesting the
privilege of replying to certain charges, but on
the motion OF MIR. Morrill, of Me-, it was refer
red to the Printing Committee.
Mr.. Chandler from Committee on Commerce
reported adversely ON bill to create Nation
al Board of Registration for sea-going vessels.
Mr.. johnson, from the Committee on the
District of Columbia, reported, with amend.
ments, the bill to incorporate the Washington
Inebriate Asylum.
Mr.. Thurman introduced bill appropriating
$4,000 to pay the expenses of q joint select
committee TO inve tigate affairs of the District
of Columbia. Referred to the Committee on
Appropriations
Mr.. Howe submitted resolutions nstructing
the Secretary of State to com municate to the
Senate the report made by Prof. GallaEdlet on
the exhibition of art at Vienna. Agreed to.
MI. Oglesby, from the Committee on Public
Lands, reported favnrably bill to protect tim
Der lands of United States government reser-
vatiOns and lands, purchased by the United
States. Placed on the calendar.
MIR Ramsey called up the resolution intro
duced by him on Wednesday in regard to cheap
transportation, and addressed the Senate in its
favor. He said the annual products of Mime
sofa were over q, 900, 900 bushels of wheat, up
on which the average freight was about 81
cents per bushel in the winter and 40 In the
summer If grain could be moved at half of
these rates it wonld add nearly $4,000, 900 20 the
annual income of his State The same might
be said 10 regard to all the States of the Miss
issippi valley There were three practical
ways of doing this: First, by improving the
navigation of the Mississippi river from the
Falls of st. Anthony to the Gulf of Mexico,
which could be easily and cheaply done, first,
by daming up the waters in the lakes of the up
per Mississippi, storing it up for the dry season
and so obtaining uniform depth of five feet
for the upper Mississippi.
By continuing the other improvements now
under way, and by deeping the channel be
tween New Orleans and the Gulf. These
would give cheap freight by 0arges to New
Orleans and by steamers to Europe.
Second, by deepening the channels between
the lakes, and but small appropriation from
the United States wonld be required for this
purpose as Canada would do the rest, and then
under reciprocity treaty our ships could be
loaded at Duluth for Liverpool and SO have too
competing water ways.
Third. all the Western States are not so fav-
Orably situated as Minnesota with water routes
to Europe. The Western States want and
must have an all rail route for freight. The
constitutional right to charter and aid such
work is undoubted. Ea ,h State surrendered to
Congress the right to regulate Interstate COM
merce and this Congress obtained the right alb
solutely necessary to the prosperity of every
Western State. 10 regulate Interstate COM
merce in as complete a manner as State can
regulate commerce within its own limits, our
systems OF railroads was adopted for the day
of small thugs, when wheat was imported into
Minnesota. A mere inspection of the map
shows the Western roads radiating from two
nd hn by1v odc Of Nnct
ern roads now open have only the same four
trunk lines that were in operation twenty years
ago when they only had million bushels of
grain, but now we must provide for hundreds
of bushels. We need reforms in the present
roads and doubte track freighr railroad, char
tered and controlled by Congress, with the max
imum rates OF six mills ton per mile. This
was practicable, and with such road Compel
ing with water ways by the river and by
the lakes, would give the West what alone
would supply access to the markets of the
world for the products of her fields now rotting
in her guaneries or burning for fuel
The morning hour having expired the Senate
resumed the consideration of the centennial
bill, the pending amendment being that of Mr..
Stockton, as additional Instructions, directing
the Committee to report in favOs of an inter-
national exhibition.
Mr.. Sargent offered an appropriation for the
exhibition.
Mr.. Stockton withdrew his amendment.
l.
nal act on this subject had been VIGOROUSLY
disregarded. One Of these provisions was that
Congress should not be called upon to pay
cent toward it, but here was an attempt to
commit Congress, which ought to be resisted
on the Threshold and which he would result
The$, 3000,0 600 now proposed would be but flea
bite.
The public faith was just the reverse, it hav-
ing been expressly declared that not dollar
Of the peoples money would be spent.
The question recurring on Mr.. Frelinghuy-
sens amendment, instructing the Committee
on Appropriations to report in favor of appro-
priating sum of money not to.exceed $4,000.
600 to defray the expenses of the exhibition.
1t was rejected, 80 Gays to II yeas, as follows
NaysaAllisona, IA Anthony, Bragg, Boreman,
Davis, Fenton, Gilbert, Goldthwaite, Gordon,
Hagen. Hamilton of Texas, Howe, Johnston,
Lewis, McCreery, Merrimon, Morrill, of Maine,
Morrill, of Vermont, Norwood, Oglesby, Pratt,
Ransom, Sargent, Salisbury, Sherman, Ste
venson, Stewart, Sumner, Wright-33
Yeas-Rayard, Cameron, Clayton, Dennis,
Dorsay, Flanagan, Frelinghursen, Hamin,
Hitchcock, Logan, Pease, Ramsey, Robertson,
Scott, Spencer, Stockton, West-1Z
The bill was then referred to the Committee
on Appropriations without a9dvsion.
As amended and referred the bill IS as fol-
lows:
Be it enacted, etc., That the President be re-
quested to extend a respectful and cordial
invitation to the Governors of each one of the
United States to be represented and to
at Philadelphia under the auspices of the gov
eminent of the United States tn the year 1876
MI. Wright moved to proceed to the consid-
Grafton OF the liquor commission bill. Agreed
without further debate, yeass26, nays "a.
The Senate then took up the bill to equalize
bank currency, and soon after adjourned to
Monday.
The Secretary of the Treasury is directed to
furnish information as to pension agents, num-
Der of pensions paid by each, with cost, Sc,
prior to and since the war.
The bill authorizing the Secretary of the Ma
Wy to contract with some sculptor for bronze
statue of the late Admiral Farragut after dis
cussion and explanation, was pasted.
The House proceeded to the consideration of
reports of a private character.
The following among the private bills were
passed:
Authorizing payment of prize money to the
officers and crew of the United States steamer
Bienville; granting an annuity to Mary Swift,
daughter OF the late Commodore TruxtOn.
Mr. Cox, of New York introduced a bill to
amend the Shipping Commissioners act Re-
ferred.
Mr. Butler, of Massachusetts, presented the
resolution of the Massachusetts Legislature re-
scinding the resolution of censure against Sen
at0r Sumner.
Mr.. Cox, of New York, obtained unanimous
consent to introduce bill reserving 10, 900 COM
plete suits of army uniforms, not injured by
moth, for inmates of the National Asylum for
| disabled soldiers.
Mr.. Couger, of Michigan, having introduced
bill to change the dame of the ship ''Wm.
| M. Tweed" to tNewburgh," Mr.. G. f. Hoal
| susg sted that the House would like to hear
| from Mr.. Cox on the subject
Mr.. Cox said he had no personal alusion to
make. Tweed was no longer an influence in
New York politics He was as extin.t as the
"Dodo." Laughter,] His friend from Mich
igan lConger) knew that bird. Parties were
sometimes killed by one man just as one hor
net; if be felt good he could break up camp
meeting. [Leughter.l He wanted to know
| who the Republican hornet was.