Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-03-20
Mines and Mining-LicensiRg Of
Fishing Vessels-DiscussiOn of
the Appropriation Bill.
The $4,000 Appropriation for
the Improvement Of the
Mouth Of the Mississippi
Still Hangs Fire.
The Army Appropriation Bill Re-
. sumed-SeVeral Amendments
Suggested-Etc., Etc.


SENATE.
WARRINGTON, March Ex-senator
Spencer, from the committee on COM
merce, reported favorably on the house
bill to improve the mouth of the Missis-
sippi river, ,appropriating thirty thousand
dollars for that purpose, such appro-
priatiOn to be available from the passage
of the act, and asked its immediate con-
sideration.
Objection being made by Senator
Salisbury, the bill went over.
Senator Dennis, from the committee
on commerce, called up the bill re-
ported yesterday from that committee,
amendatOry of the act to prevent the
determination of the fur.bearing ami
mails in Alaska. Passed.
Senator Chandler called up the senate
bill to authorize the employment of
certain aliens as engineers and pilots.
Passed.
Senator Buckingham submitted a
resolution instructing the secretary of
the interior to communicate to the sem
ate the number of Indians, including
women and children, captured or killed
by United State troops during 1873, to-
gether with the number of citizens and
soldiers killed by Indians during the
same period. Agreed to.
Senator Dennis from the committee
on commerce reported without amend
ment the house bill repeating the
thirteenth section of the act of March 8,
1856, regulating the carriage of passen-
gers on steamships and other vessels, etc.
The senate then proceeded to the con-
sideration Of bills on the calendar. The
chair announced that the consideration
of the bill to equalize the distribution of
currency would be resumed, that being
unfinished business.
SenatorWest moved that the financial
bill be laid aside, and that the consider
alton of the army appropriation bill be
resumed. Agreed to.
Senator Allison called up the bill ap-
propriating ten thousand dollars to pay
the expenses of the joint committee to
investigate the management of the af-
fairs of the District of Columbia. Passed.
The senate then resumed consi9era-
ton of the army appropriation bill, and
took up the section appropriating ten
thousand dollars for the army medical
museum, and medical and other neces-
sary works for the library of the sur
geOn-general's office. Agreed to.
The second section of the bill in re-
gard to the unexpended balances was
amended to read as follows: That all
balances of appropriations, for what
ever account, made for the service of
the departments of the quartermaster.
general and of the commissary-general
of subsistence, prior to July l, 1872,
which on the thirtieth of June, 1874,
shall remain on the books of the treas
ury, shall be carried to the surplus fund,
except such as the auditor of the treas
ury, whose duty it is to settle accounts
against such appropriations, shall certify
to the secretary of the treasury to be
necessary in settlement of such accounts
pending in his Office. The committee
on appropriations have reported in favor
of striking out the last section of the
bill as it passed the house, which pro-
vided that all claims of all citizens who
remained loyal during the war, for stores
or supplies taken or furnished during the
rebellion for the use of the army of the
United States, or for the use or loss Of
vessels o. boats while employed in the
military service of the United States,
including any such claims now pending
and undetermined in any department
of the government, shall be presented
to the southern claims commission before
November IL, 1875, who shall have
jurisdiction to hear and determine the
pending and undetermined in the de-
partment Of the quartermaster-general
or commissary-ge of subsistence
shall, on the passage of this act, be
transferred to the southern claims COM
mission, together with the evidence
thereon. The house further provided
that there should be two additional
members, and that the commission is to
devote their time exclusively to the
claims transferred, but the senate COM
mittee reported in favor Of striking
out that section, and inserting the
following: 1.-THE quartermaster-gen
cOmmissary- general, and the third aud
itor of the treasury, shall continue to re-
ceive, examine and consider the justice
and validity of such claims as shall be
brought before them, under the act of
July 4, 1854, and the secretary Of the
treasury shall make a report of each
claim allowed by them, at the COM
mencement Of each session of congress,
to the speaker of the house of represent
atives, who shall lay the same before
congress for its consideration"
Messrs. Scott and Bowman favored
the amendment proposed by the com.
mittee, and it was agreed to.
Mr.. Logan moved an amendment
appropriating twenty thousand dollars
to continue experiments with the mod
ern breech-loading system of ordnance.
Mr.. West raised the point OF order
that the amendment had not been sub
mitted to the committee, and no
notice had been given of intention to
offer.
Mr.. Logan said the secretary of war
favored such appropriation, and he read
a letter from that officer in favor there
of. He asked that the letter be referred
to the committee on appropriations and
gave notice that he would move an
amendment to a future appropriation
bill.
Senator West asked unanimous con-
sent to offer an amendment repeating so
much of the act of July 1858 as forbids
detailed officers of the army acting as
paymasters, and authorizing the secre-
tary of war to make such detail and pre-.
scribe bonds which he may consider
necessary. Objection being made it was
Withdrawn. He then gave notice that
he would offer it as a substitute for the
bill to increase the pay department of
the army, when that bill should come
up, on the ground that there was no use
of increasing the staff of the army after
the rank and file had been reduced.
OeUalOI OiCfSnSOA du dLl6uu-
ment conferring upon the court Of
claims jurisdiction to determine all
claip7s growing out of the war, Of persons
who remained loyal or who took the
oath of allegiance under the Presidents
proclamation of December, 1858, and
abolishing the southern claims commits
sion.
Pending the discussion Senator Logan
moved that the senate proceed to the
consideration of executive business.
Agreed to, and the senate then went
into executive session and soon after ad-
journed.
HOUSE.
Immediately after reading the journal
the house resumed the consideration of
the senate bill reported last Tuesday
from the committee on mines and
mining, supplementary to the act CT
May 10, 1872, to promote the develop
ment of the mining resources of
the United States, to which bill
various amendments are pend