The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-30
Forty Third Congress First Session
SENATE.

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and merchants against any further issue of pa
per money by the government. and asking that
the present issue of the legal tender reserve be
withdrawn. Referred to the Finance Commit
tee
Mr.. Ferry of Michigan, presented petition
ia orng the substitution of legal tenders for
national bank notes. Referred TO the Finance
Committee.
Mr.. Conkllng introduced bill amendatory of
the national currency act of June, 1854 Re-
ferred to the Finance Committee.
Mr.. Boutwell, offered bill for an efficient
system of quarantine Referred to Committee
on Commerce.
Mr.. Morrill, of Vermont, offered resolution
of inquiry into the amount of illuminat. ng gas
consumed and paid for the federal government
at Wash ngton. and if the cost could not be
diminished. He said that some years it cost
one hundred thousand dollars. The resolution
was agreed to.
The chair asked the attention of the Senate
that he might obtain advice. He said that the
press of the country had called attention to the
abuses growing out of the use of the contingent
fund of the Senate. He was aware of but one,
and that was OF furnishing stationery to the re-
porters' gallery of the Senate. He had signed
three orders already for that purpose and this
morning he found another on his table awaiting
bis signature. He said he could find no law
authorizing the giving of such orders, and he
was willing to give his check to cover what had
been thu ordered In answer to 1 request he
read two orders for large quantities of station
cry. He stated they were not official reporters
but newspaper reporters in the gallery.
Mr.. Hamlin said when he filed the chair the
stationery had been used quite literally and
quantities were handed over to reporters.
After further debate the Committee on Con-
tingent expenses were instructed 70 investigate
as to the amount of stationery furnished re-
porters, and report whether the practice should
not be discontinued.
The morning hour having expired Mr.. Ferry
of Michigan, was called TO the chair, and Mr..
Carpenter addressed the Senate on Louisiana
affairs.
He reviewed at great length the condition of
affairs in Louisiana, proposing as he said, to
lay the case before them in all its nakedness
and then if the Republican friends thought 1t
proper to take it on their shoulders and march
through the next Presidential campaign he
would bid them joy (Laughter.)
Ee read the constitution and election laws of
Louisiana and argued that the action of both
the Yarmouth and Lynch returning boards
was Illegal. He then proceeded to give in detail
the proceedings of the Supreme Court in Louis
lana on the action of the Yarmouth election
boards &C., and also gave incidents relative to
of6ce-holding as showing the high standing
there.
After an executive session of a half hour the
doors were reOpened and the Senate adjourned
till tomorrow, when Carpenter will resume his
speech,
Mr.. Maynard from the Banking and Curren.
CIV Committee, reported bill to amend several
acts relating to national currency aud to estab-
lish free banking. The bill was read.
Mr.. Maynard also reported adversely upon
the bill to establish depository as branch of
the Postofice Department Referred to the
Committee of the Whole with the understand
ing that it would be called up for discussion in
two weeks.
Mr.. MAYNARD also reported bill limiting the
amount of U. s. notes in circulation to $780,
100000 and allowing their exchange into con-
vertible 1865 bonds. Referred to the Commit
tee of the Whole.
The House went into Committee of the
Whole on the army appropriation BILL
Mr.. COburn of Ind, continued his argument
in favor of the reduction of the army.
Mr.. Hawley of Conn.,, declared that he was
not opposed to economy in the army, nor op-
posed necessarily to the reduction of tee aggre-
gate force. He wished it done, however, in
accordance with some well considered system
He wished it done as any wise manufacturer
or business man would reduce his own scale of
operations. Should they instruct superinten-
dent or manager of large establishment to
discharge the force of working operatives while
he continued to purchase the usual supplies of
raw material and to employ large number of
men in the counting room, and pretended to
run and use the usual number of MACH nes to
attempt to reduce the working force of era
tives men in1the army while leaving the whole
grand machine in its whole force was just as
upwise Congress had alreaey done great
damage to the army by i'll considered irregular
methods of reduction affecting the various
staff corps. If Congress wanted to be ecOnomi
cal it should begin as Gen. Sherman said, at
the head of the army. Better he said turn him
adrift and cut out the 80 pages of the army reg
lister than touch one infantry regiment.
Mr.. Nesmith of Oregon protested against the
reduction, which he said was got up in accord
ance with the views of the humbug Peace Com
u1issioners whose ideas of managing Indians
was by preaching to them Christ and him cru
Cited If God Almighty had gone preaching
the gospel in that wilderness he would not have
kept the hair on his head twenty-four hours
The first effective missionary the Indians ever
work had been continued by jackson, Sheridan
and others. Congress might save few mil
lions by reducing the army, but every dollar
saved would be responded to by the blood of
the frontiersmen and by the wall of their wild
ows and orphans.
Mr.. Crooke of New York opposed the reduc-
ton of The army and said that the people of
New York struck hands with the people of
Oregon in the demand for that protection which
the wrong afforded against hostile attacks on
the sea coast and against Indians in the Terri
tories.
Mr.. Beck of Kentucky had no doubt that the
army could be reduced to the point proposed
an below it, provided the army was kept for
the purpose referred to He arraigned the gov
Arnment generally for extravaganza in connec-
ton with the Navy Yards, collections, etc
Discussion was further participated IN ny
Mr. Whlttemore of Tennessee, Mr.. kendaiI OF
Nevada, Messrs McCormic and Morey OF La,
and without coming to vote the committee
arose.