Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-04
Provisions for Winding up the
Freedmen's Banks.
Interesting Discussion about
Cheap Transportation.
The House Sends the Army Re
duction Bill to a Confer.
enee Committee.
Bill Extending Time for Southern
Claims RecOmmitted.
Eads' Jctty System Discussed
Civil Rights Still Slumber.
SENATE.

ter of the Ereedmen's Saving and Trus
Company. Passed. The bill authorize
the appointment of three commissioners b
the Comptroller of the Currency TO win
up the affairs of the company.
Savings Banks
! Mr.. Sherman, from the Committee OF
Finance, reported fayorably on the Hous
! bill explanatory of the act of June 80
Ices, on savings banks. Passed. 1t read
as follows: ''That all deposits made in in
stitutions now existing which do business
only as savings banks, and are recognized
as such by the laws Of their respectiv,
States or by Congress are hereby declared
to be exempt from taxation the same as
deposits in savings institutions having nc
capital, and though they have capital stock
or bonds for the additional security of theil
depositors and pay dividends thereon; and
no tax shall be assessed upon the deposits
made in such institutions or collected OF
them on said deposits otherwise than as
herein provided; that all the profits of such
savings banks, less the aforementioned
dividends on stock not exceeding :he rate
of pei centum per annum, are divided
among the depositors, and that the capital
stock is invested in the same class of Sc
curities as is issued for invested depositors,
and that interest at rate of not less than
Il per cent. be paid in all cases to their de-
pOsitors, to be made good, if necessary,
from the capital stock.
Diplomatic.
The morning hour having expired the
Chair called up unfinished business, being
the cheap transportation resolution of Mr..
Window. II was laid aside informally,
and the Senate proceeded to the considera-
ton of the Consular and Diplomatic ap-
preparation bill. Several amendments were
agreed to. The bill was then read third
time and passed.
The Pension Bill Passed.
Mr.. Sergeant called up the pension APP
preparation bill which was read. He ex-
planned that the total amount appropriated
by the bill was S29,9S0,0O0, a decrease of
100000 as compared with the bill of last
year. The pension roll would be smaller
and smaller every year unless Congress
should improperly increase it by putting on
new cases. The only new amendment re-
ported by the committee was one to fix the
fee for preparing vouchers and administer
ing oaths at % cents in each ease, instead
of 20 cents, as in the House bill. After
discussion the amendment was. agreed to
and the bill was read third time and
passed.
Cheap TransPOrtatiOn-The Four
Great Water Routes.
Mr.. Window then called up the cheap
transportation resolution submitted by him
on the 18th of MAY, instructing the Com
mittee on Appropriations to report amend
~ fI,a zlaraHfnrr rix-ar harl,r
propIiation bill to complete surveys and
estimates for each Of the improvements re-
commended by the Select Committee on
Transportation upon the four routes indi-
Gated in the report of that committee. He
said it was not his intention to go over the
subject of cheap transportation again, as
the committee bad fully reviewed ii. His
object now was 10 obtain an expression of
the views of the Senate on the subject
The cost of these surveys would be about
$4,000. lie came before the Senate with
d firm conviction that to carry out the sys-
TEN of improvement recommended by the
committee would reduce the cost of living
to farmers, mechanics, and laboring people
at least fifty per cent. He believed the Com
mittee Oh Transportation were of opinion
that the enhanced value Of the lands in
eight States alone would be 100000.
a Fifth Route,
Mr.. Scott submitted an amendment as
follows: sand also upon a ronte from the
mouth of YOnhigheny river to Slack Water,
up said river to its headTaters at the foot
of the Allegheny Mountains; thence by
canal to Cumberland, interesting there
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal" Agreed
to.
Mr.. Chandler said he did not think the
Senate of the United States had informa-
ton enough before it to pass upon reso-
luton of the mandatory character of this.
Who knew what the cost of these improve
ments would be? If the country should go
on the next 16years making as rapid strides
as it had during the pas IS years, it would
have abundance of cheap transportation
from West to East.
Mr.. Salisbury submitted an amendment
as follows: "And also for a ship canal to
connect the waters of the Chesapeake bay
with
Delaware Bay
at such point as will best promote the
foreign and coastwise commerce of the
country
Mr.. Window said the agricultural and
ldDOllilE llAtNlCclo vi tllt CbulllIN Nll HUI
propose to wait sixteen years for that which
could be accomplished in five or six years.
Conventions all over the country had called
on Congress and demanded it 10 act one
way or the other upon this subject. He re-
viewed the work performed by the Trans
portation Committee in examining into the
subject, and said that that committee, COM
posed Of nine Senators, had unanimously
recommended the Improvements. Yet the
honorable Senator (Chandler) from Mich
igan said, let us continue TO investigate.
Go OH sixteen years longer. He (Windom)
for one was not willing to wait sixteen
years and hve-sixths of the people of the
country were not willing to wait. The sys-
TEN of improvements heretofore followed
under the river and harbor appropriation
bill was most unwise. Small apprOpria-
tions,
Scratching
a little here and little there, perhaps to
carry the vote of Representative of some
district, had amounted TO nothing whatever.
The amendment of Mr.. Salisbury was
rejected.
Grants Riparian Joke.
Mr.. MerrimOn submitted an amendment
as follows: '.And also for ascertaining by
such survey whether it is practicable to
construct a ship canal, passing near the
Atlantic seaboarl, from the city of New
York to Galveston, Texas"
Mr.. Morton said the adoption of this res
olution did not commit Congress to con-
struct any one of the works described in it.
The question must be met promptly by
Congress.
Mr.. Sherman said the proposition of the
gentleman from North Carolina (Merri-
mon) had no bearing whatever upon the
subject. The proposition before the Senate
was to cheaper transportation from the
West to the East, and that submitted by
the gentleman applied TO the seaboard.
There had been enough money already ex-
pended by the survey of the Atlantic coast
to pay for the survey proposed here ten
times. The question of cheap transporta-
ton would control the politics of this
country.
Mr.. salisbury said that, not having any
political aspirations outside of his own
State, he would vote according to the die
tateS of his conscience. Congress should
be very careful in taking the first step in