Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-01-29
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

NdLlOllal leSiSldClOH loT lHcTedSluS Iue IIdus-
portation facilities of the country was discuss.
ed. Mr.. Bogy, of Illinois, argued in favor
of improving the western rivers; but said if
the Government undertook the construction
of the railroads of the country, it would prove
work Of such magnitude that nothing would
come of it. Mr.. Brownlow had read speech
opposed both to initiation and immediate spe-
Gle payments. Mr.. Gordon opposed imme-
diate specie payments, but held that expan-
sion, giving a suf6cency of currency for the
needs of the producing classes, was the surest
road to specie payments, by means ofincreased
development and prosperity. Mr.. Chandler
advocated declaration that the government
would, at a specified time, resume specie pay
ments, when the Secretary of the Treasury
should borrow s1O0,000,000 and allow the
national banks to redeem their notes in green
backs The House consumed the day in de-
batting an additional rule, which was finally
amended and passed, providing that all mo-
tions to suspend the rules, except where the
rules may be suspended by majority vote,
shall be seconded by majority, as in the
case of the previous question.
In executive session on the 21st, the Senate
confirmed the nomination Of Mr.. Waite, of
Ohio, to be Chief Justice of the United States
Supreme Court-all the members present vo-
ting aye Nine members we're absent. Mr..
Merrimon, of North Carolina, obtained the
floor and spoke on the financial question. He
favored present increase Of the currency,
and declared that there should be return to
specie payments on the 4th of July, 1876, the
centennial anniversary Of the independence
of the United States. He complained of the
unequal distribution of the currency, by which
the South and West were kept needy, while
their rich productions went to the North and
East, which also managed to keep all the
money. Mr. Edmunds said that there was no
contrivance of legislation by which money
could be retained in the South and West, un-
til they, by their economy and industry, enti-
tied themselves to be the owners of it. MIR.
Merrimon said if the South had the capital
she would build cities, railroads, and manu-
factories, and Wall street would not be in New
York, but in Charleston, Savannah, or New
Orleans In reply to a question from MIR.
Edmunds how he proposed to get capital
there, Mr.. Merrimon said, 1--WE want your peo.
ple to come there" Mr.. Edmunds rejoined
that he would say "amen" to that, but with
out reference to the civil rights bill at all,
northern men who 60 to the South want their
social and legal rights and the dignity of la.
Dor respected as it is in the East; and he men
toned an instance in which New England
er, educated and polite, and of excellent
character, had gone to North Carolina and
entered business, was heartily welcomed as a
man of business, but Stunned by society be-
cause he was Yankee. Mr.. Merrmon said
that there was some other reason in the mat
ter that such stories we're untrue. If a man
was entitled to respect he would receive it; if
not, he ought not to 60 there. The Senate
passed a bill to limit forfeitures for revenue
violations to the goods actually undervalued,
and not the whole invoice Iu the House
bill was passed authorizing the Legislatures
of each Territory, except Utah, to make as
signment of judges at each session, and in cases
of neglect the Judges to make their own as
signments also resolution requesting the
President to extend invitations to other nations
asking them to take part in the centennial Gel
ebration. The West Virginia contested elec-
ton was then considered.
In the Senate, on the 22nd, Mr.. Boutwell,
made a speech on the currency in reply to
speech delivered few days previously by MIR.
Schurz. In the course of his remarks, Mr..
Boutwell, having referred to the prosperity of
the South, Mr.. Gordon denied that such pros
perity existed, and quoted from statistics to
show that the wealth of Georgia, the most
prosperous of the cotton.g growing States was
s53,OOO,OOO less than in 1860 A bill was
passed providing for fire extingulshers for the
capitol, and also bill appropriating $4,000
for typographical survey of the grounds for
the capitol extension and improvement there
Of; also bill prohibiting the publication in
the Congressional Record of speeches not &C
tually delivered. Mr.. Morton submitted a
resolution, which was ordered to be printed,
looking to the appointment of commission to
investigate the railroad and water-route sys-
TEN of the country in order to ascertain what
legislation is necessary to secure speedy trans
portation at reasonable rates. In the House;
the committee on Ways and Means reported
a bill legalzing the issue of the S44,OOO,OOO
reserve by re-enacting the provisions of the
act of 1866 authorizing the issue of s4OO,OO0,-
900 of legal tender notes, and limiting the
Circulation to that amount.
In the Senate, on the 23rd, the post route
bill was passed, after several amendments
were discussed and rejected. The bill, as
passed, has not yet been published. A bill
was introduced to reduce postage on public
documents sent to colleges and other public
institutions to twenty-five cents a volume.
Mr.. Pratt offered resolution, which was
agreed to, directing the committee on post Of
fees and post roads to inquire whether just
construction of the constitution does not re-
quire that all post Offices should either be es-
tablished by Congress, or that its consent be
given after they have been established by the
Postmaster-General. The Senate then, after
an executive session, adjourned until Monday.
The House was occupied in a discussion of
the West Virginia contested election cases
until 2 o'clock, when the Speaker announced
that the committee on the District of Colum-