The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-04-07
Forty Third COngress-First Session
SENATE.

claim of 6. w. Curtis Lee to the Arlington es-
tate. Referred to the Judiciary Committee
A petition accompanied the bill. In which the
petitioner says that the property was devised to
him by his grandfather, and that the title of
the government to the property is defective
He, however, recognizes the sacred use to
which the property is put and has no desire TO
disturb it, but THINKS he should be compensated
for his right therein.
Mr.. West introduced bill amendatory to
the act to limit the liability of ship owners.
Referred to the Committee on Commerce. The
bill provides that the non-liabillty clause of the
act OF March 8, 1851, shall apply to all vessels,
steamboats, and other craft engaged in inland
navigation.
The Louisville & Portland canal bill was re-
ferred to the Finance Committee.
The bill for the REDEMPTION and reissue of
United States notes and for free banking, was
taken up, the question being on the mot: on of
Mr. Merrimon of North Carolina. to strike out
the entire bill, with the exception of the first
and second sections.
As amended these sections fix the amount of
United States notes at $4O0OOO0OO, and pro-
vide for the issue of SAG, OOO, 900 additional ma
tional bank circulation.
Mr. MI; Sherman said the effect would be. to
as reported by the Committee, and they had
been unanimously agreed upon by the Commit
tee. To strike out the 5th and 9th sections
would be by Inference to authorize an increase
of the public debt.
Mr.. Scott moved as an amendment to the
section authorizing an increase of $46OO0,O 900
national bank currency, the following, ''and
each national banking association now organ
Ized or hereafter to be organized, shall keep
and maintain as part of its reserve, as required
bv law, one-fOurth part of the coin received
by it as interest on the bonds of the United
States, deposited as security for circulating
notes or government deposits, and that here
after one-fourth OF the reserve now preserved
by loans for the national banking associations
shall consist of balances due to an association
available for the redemption of its circulating
notes from associations in cities of redemp-
ton and upon which balances no interest shall
be paid"
The amendment was accepted.
Quite a number of amendments looking to
the restriction of the volume of currency and
the redemption of legal tenders were voted
down. The question then came upon the bill
substitute for the bill of the Finance Com
mittee, and it was adopted yeas %, nays "a.
The bill having been considered in the Com
mittee of the Whole, it was then reported to
the Senate, the question being, "wlll the
Committee of the Whole"
The amendments of the Committee of the
whole were cOncurred in.
Pending the third reading of the bill, the
measure was denounced in the severest terms
and the Senate warned that it was taking a
fatal step, by Messrs. Conkling, Anthony
Sargent, Stewart, Schurz and Thurman, the
latter saying that the dominant PARTY had
turned deaf ear to its President Secretary of
mittee. and accepted the report of Democrat
from North Carolina. The Republican party
would break on this bill and his own wasn't
much better.
The bill then passed
Yeas-Allson. Bogy, Foreman, Cameron,
Carpenter Clayton, Dorsey, Ferry of Mich,
Goldthwaite, Harvey, Hitchcock, Ingalls,,
johnson, Lewis, Logan McCreary, MerrImon,
Morton, Norwood, Oglesby, Patterson, Pease,
Pratt, Ramsey Robertson, Spencer, Upton,
Nays-Anthony, Chandler, Conkling, Coop
er, Cragin, Davis. Fenton, Frelinghuysen,
Hagar, Hamilton Of Nd. Hamilton of Texas,
Hanlin, Howe, Jones. Kelley, Morrill, of Vt,
Sargent, salisbury Schnrz, Scott Sherman,
Stewart, Thurman and Wadleigh-24.
Gordon. BrownlOw, Mitchell. Sprague, Con-
over, Ransom and Wright, who would have
voted for the bill were pared with Bayard
Flanagan, Boutwell,, Morrill, of Maine, Steven
son, Stockton, and Edmunds, who would have
voted against the bill.
The bill as passed reads as follows:
That the maximum amount of United States
notes is hereby fixed at $500, 900. 900; that S46,-
10000 in no es for circulation, ia addition to
such circulation now allowed by law, shall be
issued to the national banking associations now
organized and which may be organized here
after, such circulation shall be distributed
among the several States as provided in sec. 1,
OF the act of July IL, 1870; each national bank
now organized or hereafter to be organized, shall
keep ana maintain as part of its reserve re-
CURED by law, one-fourth part of the coin re
ceived by it as interest on bonds of the United
States, deposited as security for circulating
notes or government deposits and that here
AFTER only one-fourth of the reserve now pre-
scrloed by law for national banking associa-
tons shall consist of balances due to an asso-
claton, available for the redemption of its cir
culatng notes from associations in cities of re-
dempton, and upon which balances 10 interest
Shall be paid. Adjourned.
HOUSE.
Under call of the States many bills, none
of which were of general interest, were re-
ported and referred.
Mr. Kasson, of Iowa, from the WAYS and
Means Committee, asked leave to report back
the Senate bill in relation to Customs duties on
imported fruits, with an amendment adding
the following proviso to the Senate amend
ment:-Provided. that duties imposed by vlr-
tue OF this amendment shall not be levied or
collected on fruits entered for consumption at
any port prior to July LIST, 1874.
The question giving rise to debate Mr.
Kasson withdrew the bill, as he had no right
to the floor.
The Senate bill extending to the 3lst of Dec,
1876, the time for completing the Central rail-
road of Wisconsin, was passed
The bill donating $40 acres of the Fort Steil-
acorn reservation for an Insane Asylum in
Washington Territory was passed.
Mr.. Grassland, from the Committee on Elec-
tons, made a report on the Kentucky contest
ed election case, that Young, the sitting mem
Der was entitled to the seat.
Mr.. Hazleton offered a resolution instructing
the Judiciary Committee to report on bin
amendatory of several Street Railroad charters
in the District of Columbia, so as to define
what will be legal days work for conductors
and drivers and to reduce the same from six
teen hours to reasonable time ann to protect
them from a reduction of wages below the ex-
listing rates. Referred to the Judiciary Com
mttee.
Mr. Butler of Massachusetts moved that the
bill to suspend impeached officers pending
trial be made the special order for Tuesday OF
next week. Agreed.
Under suspension of the rules Mr.. Spear Of
Commerce to Inquire into the question of buy
ing capitaton TAX on immigrants at the port
Of New Pork. Referred to the Committee on
Commerce.