Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-03-26
XLIIId CONGRESS.
SENATE.

1
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 hav-
ing been told by learned Judge Of the United
States Supreme Court that he never regarded
punctuation iu interpreting q statute, and it
was not believed the Government would be
loser in the matter when decision was
| rendered.
| Mr.. Merrimons amendment to the currency
bill was adopted by yeas % to nays 25. Mr..
Merrimons 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 S400, ZOO, 900.
The currency bill being under discussion
Mr.. 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, ,000, 900 in Europe. 5000 000,-
900 in Government bonds, and S400 600, 900 in
railroad and other securities. The interest on
these bonds had to be paid in gold thus drain
ing the country Of SEQ, 600, 600 OF $40, ,00O. 900
every year. Russia had her bonds held III
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 80 with
Austria and go with Italy, and all those couD-
| tries are now in state Of suspension and must
continue go for some time. This country is in
| the same condition and must remain 60. Under
the present currency the country had pros
pcred more than It 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 tho 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 10 far as he was concerned no
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 so. Such legislation
would be for the welfare Of the whole nation.
During a 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
foreigner and did not understand the finan-
| clal questions Of tho United States. In apollo
gizing Scburz said: Does the Senator cay that
his words were in Pickwickian sense? Then
| say used mine in Pickwckian 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, 1000 to 81, ,250,0 900; that for pro-
| NlslOnS lot Objects, seaneD, anu marines 10 III
creased from 81 800, 900 to 81 352, 600; that for
repairs and preservation Of boilers and ma
chinery is increased from 81, 500, 600 to 81,
| SCI, 600. The contingent expenses of the Naval
Academy are fixed ut SAC, 600. 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
| troA A;, folr Mr. nfD Dalo
opposed the passage Of the bill on the ground
that the Federal Government would be inter-
ferng 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 favorably on the House
bill in relation to import duties on fruit, being
| tho bill to correct sn error in the late Tariff
bill. which was passed
Mr.. Ogiesby, of Illinois, from the Committee
on Public Lands, reported favorably on the
House bill extending the time for the COM
pletion Of the Green Pay and Lake Michigan
| Canal, and it was passed.
Mr.. Bayard Of Delaware from the Finance
| Committee reported q 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 public money.
Mr.. Potter. Of n. Y, reported bill to es-
tablish an additional Judicial District in the
! State Of New York Referred to the Committee
of the Whole.
| Tho House took up tho bill for the distribu-
ton Of public documents printed By authority
| Of Congress. seeds furnished by the Agricul-
tural Department, for the free exchange Of
newspapers between publishers, and for the free
transmission OF weekly newspapers within the
county where published.
During the discussion Mr.. Garfield, OF Ohio,
said lie would vote for that part Of the bill al-
lowing free transmission to weekly newspapers
in the counties of their publication. The whole
country newspaper press had been almost
fatally crippled by the repeal Of the franknS
privilege. In his Judgment the 5000 weekly
newspapers Of the country we're the best real
! exponents of public opinion. A man who
| climbed to tho fifth story of metropolitan
newspaper Office at II o'clock at night and
slashed Off an editorial and sent it off to the
country, called that the public sentiment OF the
American people. In country newspapers the
editor, a quiet. sensible man, who in the course
of the week saw men from every township IN
the county, and had his mind filled with the
best thoughts of his county, wrote notices and
editorials in the course Of the week which gave
more of the public sentiment of that county
than all the metropolitan journals in the
United States could give Of that county. The
repeal of the frank threatened to carry down a
very large number Of country papers that
could hardly live if the present order Of things
continued. The weekly newspapers Of New
York now came by mail into districts in Iowa
1000 miles of, and weighing three times as