Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-04

CON CIR ESSIONAL.
Senate Debate on Centennial,
The Power of Congress to Make
Such an Appropriation
Questioned.
No Action on the Bill.
The House Tackles the Railroad
Problem.
Congressional Power over Com
mcrce.
Senate Debate on Centennial.
SENATE

The "Christian Soldiers Prayer.
WASHINGTON, March 3.-The chaplain
in his opening prayer invoked Providence
to rebuke the great demon Slandef, now
stalking forth and casting his shadow over
all the earth, and that the hand of the will
ful detracter as it wrote, might be paralyZed.
MIR. Fenton presented a petition of a
large number of business men of New
York City asking Congress to put an i'm
mediate stop to any further issue of green
backs by the Secretary of the Treasury,
and TO cause the retirement at once of the
legal tender reserve issue. Referred.
In presenting the petition Mr.. Fenton
said the signers represented at least five
hundred millions Of capital.
Mr.. Logan, from the Committee on Mil
itary Affairs, reported favOrably on the bill
authorizing the Secretary OF War TO issue a
supply of arms TO Nebraska. Placed on
calendar.
Mr.. CTagin called mp the bill authorizing
corrections in errors in the prize lists.
Pending discussion the morning hour ex-
pired and the bill went over.
Mr.. Stewart from the Committee on Rail-
roads reported with amendments the bill
introduced by him on Jan. 20, to provide
for the incorporation and regulation of rail-
road companies in the territories of the
United States. Placed on the calendar
MIR. Ramsey introduced bill TO place
the name of Bvt. Maj. Gen. IL. P. Virclear
upon the retired list of the army. Re-
ferTed.
squabbiins over the Order of EsusI.
ness.
sir. Scott said the Chairman Of the
Finance Committee on Friday last gave
notice that he would call the financial
question up again to-day, but he had been
assured by that gentleman (Sherman) that
on account of the stiffness of the gentle
man who desired to speak, he would not
aRtagOnize financial obeisance with the
centennial bill,
Mr.. Sherman said the gentleman from
Michigan (Ferry) and the Senator from In
diana (MOrton) who desired to speak on
the financial question were both indiSpOsed,
but would probably be heard tomorrow.
He proposed that the financial question
would then be resumed. He thought the
centennial bill might be disposed of in an
hour. and would not like to see it antag-
onized with any other measure.
Mr.. West moved that the pending
measure and other orders be laid
aside: that the Senate proceed with the con-
sideration of the army bill.
Mr.. Sumner said lie thought it would he
but right to offer the centennial bill to the
Committee on Appropriations. That Com
mittee could examine and see if the coun-
try would be willing to pay a sum of mon
ey for celebration which would count by
millions.
Mr.. Scott said it would be idle to send
the bill to the Committee on Appropriations
when Congress had not said whether the
Exhibition should lie national or inter
national.
Mr.. Vests motion to take up the army
bill was lost by yeas 10, nays 80.
The Louisiana Election Bill.
Mr.. Carpenter said he gave notice Friday
last that he would call up his Louisiana
bill for the purpose of reference on Mon
day, yesterday but the Senator from In
diana (MOrtOn) having been confined to
his house he had not called up the bill.
He understood that Senator would be here
tomorrow. At that time Mr.. Carpenter
would ask that the bill be referred and sub.
NIT his remarks.
Mr.. Hamilton of Maryland said he de
sired to speak on Louisiana affairs, and
would ask that the subject be taken up as
| soon as the pending bill was disposed Of
The bill in reference to the
Centennial Exhibition
was taken up, the pending question being
an amendment of Mr.. Morrill, of Vermonf
making the Exhibition national in it.
character inste,d of international.
| ssNir. Sherman moved to refer the billtO tn,
Committee on Appropriations without in
struction. lie would votefor alarge appropri
alton to aid the Exhibition, either natiOna
or international, and believed Philadelphi;
the best place to hold it, but he desired
that the bill be carefully prepared. Con
| gresS should not pass the bill rs it was nov
| before the Senate and thus commit it self
| The bill as it stood bound Congress ham
and foot. If the trustees of the Exhibition
| should contract debt of
Fifty Million Of Dollars,
| the government would have TO pay it. IL
| did not mean to be understood rs savin.
these trustees would contract such Obliga
tiOns, as he knew them to be men Of char
| acter; but the bill put il in their power {
do so. He did not oppose an internatiOna
| exposition and believed that Congress {,
some extent was committed in favor of sue
a celebration, having already proclaimed L
the world that il would be he'll
| The people of his State favore,
the exhibition and desired to see il held il
| Philadelphia. They were willing to con
tribute of their means TO aid it, but Liz
| prudent people would know how much i
cost. He said the bill should be referred
Mr.. Stewart hoped the bill would b,
referred and provision made for an appro
| priatiOn of a sufficient amount to have
| national celebration which would be
| credit to the country. He moved l.
| amend the motion to refer so rs to in
struct the committee TO provide for a ma
! tional exhibition.
| Mr.. Ferry of Connecticut said It woul
| be best to refer without instructions.
Mr.. Stewart Withdrew his amendment
Mr.. Stevenson said there were too man,
| important questions involved in this bill
to permit him to remain silent. He wa
not opposed to a proper celebration of tn,
4th of July, 1876, but
Denied the Power of Congress
to take money from the National Treasur,
for such an enterprise. He quoted from
former debates on the subject to show thai
the exhibition was a local affair and Con
greSs Was only asked to give il dignity
Should Congress appropriate funds for it, a
least twenty to twenty-five millions would
be required. The whole debate upon thi.
subject had illustrated better than anythin.
he could say
The CareIessncss
with which public business was transacted
by the Senate. Congress had no power tC
pass this bill, and all the precedents founC
would not justify an open violation o.
law.
Mr.. Scott read a letter just received 10y
him dated Feb. 2S, from a gentleman
thoroughly cOnyersant with the affair, stat
ing thai the deficiency in the Vienna EN
position was about four million forms,
| large part of which would be made up by
returns vet TO come in from railroad ticket
agents.
Mr.. Stevenson denied the right of Con-
gress to appropriate money for stock job
bling corporation, and said the occasion
would be too sacred to mix up with il:
wares and merchandise, dollars and cents.
1t would not be in accordance with our re-
publican institutions 10 entertain the
| crowned heads Of Europe in the manner
they are received by their brother sOveTeignS
| in foreign countries upon the occasion Of a
visit, and the peoples money should not be
used for such purpose. He wanted the
! Fourth Of July, 1876, to be a day of thanks