The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-06-09
KIM CONGRESS.
SENATE

, II.
The committee on finance, reported favors
bly, OF the House bill to amend the charte
of the Treedmen's Savings and Trust Com
pany. Passed The bill authorizes the ap
pointment of three commissioners by Tn,
comptroller Of currency to wind up the af
fairs Of the company.
Mr.. ShermsA,, Of Ohio, from the commit
tee on finance, reported favorably on tn,
House bill explanatory OF the act of June
80, 1864, In regard to savings banks with an
amendment which was agreed to and the
bill was passed.
The morning hour having expired, the
chair called up the unfinished business
which was the cheap transportation resolu-
ton of Mr.. windon, of Minnesota. It was
laid aside unfortunately, and the Senate
proceeded to the consideration Of the consular
and diplomatic appropriation bill. Several
| amendments were agreed to. The bill was
then read third time and passed
MIR. Sargent, of California, called MP a
pension appropriation bill which was read
He explained that the total amount appro.
priated by the bill was SIS, $50, 900, de.
crease of 100000, as compared with the bill
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 amend
ment reported by the committee Yves one to
fix the fee for preparing vouchers and ad-
ministering oaths at % cents in each case in
stead OF 20 cents as in the House bill. After
discussion the amendment of the commit
tee fixing IL al % cents YVES agreed to- and
the bill was read the third time and passed.
Mr.. Window then called up the cheap
transportation resolution submitted by him
on the 18th of May, instructing the commit.
tee on appropriations to report amendments
to the pending river and harbor sppropria-
ton BILL to complete the surveys and esti-
m a fO Of a inn mr. ont
mended by the select committee on trans
pOrtatiOn upon the four routes indicated in
the report of that committee. He said il was
not his intention to go over the subject of
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION
again as the committee had fully reviewed
it. His object now was TO obtain an express
sion of the views of the Senate on the sub.
ject. The cost of these surveys would be in
the neighborhood of 100000. He came be-
fore the Senate with firm conviction that
to carry out the system of improvement
recommended by the committee would re-
duce the cost of living to farmers, mechanics
and laboring people at least so per cent. He
believed that the committee on transporta-
s son fbst tbe the aS Onc0
lands in eight states alone would be
81 ,OO0, 900 900 upon the completion of the
improvements recommended. He hoped
the resolution would have no opposition,
but be passed, so that hereafter when the
Senate should be called upon to act upon
the question of improvements it might do
so with intelligence.
Mr.. Scott submitted an amendment, as
follows: "And also upon q route from the
mouth of the Allegheny river to slack water
up the said river to its head waters at the
foot of the Allegheny Mountains, thence by
- l. N,... A<~I s.~k@ Al
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal" Agreed to.
Mr.. Chandler, of Michigan, said that he
did not think the Senate of the United
States had information enough before it TO
pass upon a resolution of the mandatory
character of this. Who knew what the cost
of these improvements would be? IL the
country should go on for the next sixteen
years making the rapid strides that it had
during the past sixteen years, n would have
an abundance of cheap transportation from
the west to the east.
Mr.. Salisbury, of Delaware, submitted an
as follows: "And also for
SHIP CANAL
to connect the waters of Chesapeake Bay
with the Delaware Bay at such a point as
will best promote the foreign and coastwise |
commerce of the country"
Mr.. Window said that the agricultural aud |
laboring interests of the country did not |
propose to wait 16 years for that which |
could be accomplished in five or six years.
all over the country had called |
upon congress and demanded that it act one
way or another upon this subject. He re-
viewed the work performed by the transpor-
tation committee in examining into
The subject and said that the com
mittee, composed of nine senators, had |
recommended Improvement.
Yet the honorable senator from Michigan
La, 80.
90 on 16 years longer. He (Windom) for
one was not willing to wait Is years, and
five-sixrhs of the people of the country were
not willing to wait. The system of improve
ments heretofore followed under the river
and harbor appropriation bill was most I'M
wise. Small appropriations. scratching 9
little here and little there, perhaps to carry |
the vote of the representative of some dis
trict, bad amounted to nothing whatever.
The amendment of Mr.. Salisbury was re-
jected.
Mr.. Merrimon, OF North Carolina, snb-
United an amendment as follows: "And |
also for ascartaining by such survey whether |
it practicable to construct a ship canal |
passing near the Atlantic seaboard from the
city of New York to Galveston in the State
of Texas"
Mr.. Morton, of Indiana, said that the adop-
ton of this resolution did not commis con-
gress to construct any one of the works |
by congress.
Mr.. Sherman, of Ohio, said that the propo-
sition OF the gentleman from North Carolina
(Merrimon) 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 expended I
upon the survey of the Atlantic coast to pay
The question of a cheap transportation
would control the politics of this country.
Mr.. Salisbury, of Delaware, said that, not
having any political aspirations outside of
his own state, he would vote according to
the dictetes of his conscience. Congress
should be very careful in taking the first
step involving the country in this great
scheme ofinternal improvements.
Mr.. Carpenter, of Wisconsin, said that the
81 ho ronuiro6 these 4