The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-01-29
XLIIId CONGRESS.

Mr. Bogy addressed the Senate on the finan-
cial question, favoring an imitation of the cur
rency He thought there had been an unequal
distribution of the currency. The six New
England States had received $4,000 900,
| when they were entitled to but $50 600, 900
| the Middle States had received an excess of
| 50, 900, 900, while the Southern States were
deficient in their portion SOL 900, ,000 and the
Western States S21, ,000,0 000 He advocated the
reissue of the $44, 900, 900 legal tender reserve,
an additional issue of $50 900, 600 in legal tend
ers, and an issue of S25, 600 in national
bank notes to Western banks.
petition of citizens of Pennsylvania was
presented asking for the appointment of a
commission to regulate the sale of alcoholic
| liquor
During the salary bill debate, Mr. Flanagan,
Cf Texas. said if there was guilt pertaining to
any Senator who advocated the passage of the
| bill increasing salaries he was guilty. He
| favored the passage and voted for it out OF the
purest motives. as he believed Congress had a
right to enact said law. He thought $1,000
not an excessive salary, and had remarked
when the bill passed that it should have been
| $4,000 Since then he has not changed his
opinion. He had drawn the money (producing
the greenbacks from his pockeD; % Here they
are, sir; this is my pay; 1 am going to fight
! for it till the last" Uaughter) 81 have not
stolen that pay; have done nothing that
preys upon my conscience; have endeavored
| to earn it," (Renewed laughter Carpenter,
| of Wisconsin. said he had spent the back pay
drawn last session faithfully and thoroughly,
and he knew of no power under the Constitu-
| ton to get it back. 1t would be question be-
| tween the Government and his creditors, and
he would leave them to fight it out" Oaugh-
| ter.)
Mr.. Sumner presented petition of 35.179
! persons of Ohio against the proposed theo-
| logical amendment to the Constitution of the
United States. He said the total length of the
petition was 9J3 feet Referred to the Com
| mittee on Judiciary.
Mr.. Cameron. of Pennsylvania. in discussing
the Salary BILL thought the whole system of
mileage wrong. 1t cost him but $5 to come
from Harrisburg here, yet he received $4S
mileage. Members might go around every
which way to get to the capital and think
| themselves justified in drawing mileage for
the whole distance travelled. The Government
of the United States thinks it is right in send
ing the mail for Elmira from here to Baltimore,
then to Philadelphia and New York, and then
to Elmira, though Elmira is nearer to Wash
ington thanit is to New York.
Mr.. Sargent, of CAL, presented petition of
Susan B. Anthony and others asking that
| women be allowed to vote or that the same
right be extended to them as to colored men.
Mr.. Cameron. of Pa, presented the memorial
of the Russian Mennonites, setting forth that
they desired to become citizens of the United
States, and asking that they be allowed to
occupy public lands. Objected to.
Mr.. Conkling offered substitute for the
House Salary bill and all the amendments. re-
pealing the act Of March 3. except that portion
relating to the salaries of the President and
Supreme Judges, and providing that all back
pay returned be declared the money of the
United States: the bill was passed after dis
cussion in which the leading members took
part by vote of so Yeas to Nays.
The House resolution to fill the vacancies in
the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian In
stitution was taken up and passed. The Chair
appointed Mr.. Sargent. of California member
of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian
Institution on the part of the Senate
Eulogies were pronounced on the late James
Brooks and W. d. Foster, and resolutions OF
respect adopted.
Mr.. Ferry. of Michigan. said as he shared in
the public anxiety that the Senate should act
on the question of finance Immediately. he
proposed to modify his substitute for the reso-
luton of the committee, go as to narrow the
subject down to moderate increase of the
currency. He, therefore, withdrew the sub.
stitute formerly presented by him, and sub.
mtted the following:
" That the Committee on Finance be directed
to report to the Senate, at as early day as
practicable, such measures as will restore com
mercial confidence. and give stability anC
elasticity to the circulating medium through a
moderate increase of the currency"
MIR. Frelinghuysen presented a bill to secure
resumption of specie payments without con
tracing the currency and it was referred tC
the Committee on Finance. II authorizes tn,
Secretary of the Treasury to issue 1925, ,000, ,00
of six per cent ten-forty bonds. to be disposed
of from time to time, for the purpose of pur
chasing $500, 900, 900 of gold coin. with which Il
redeem legal-tender notes of the United States
and it shall be in the discretion of the Secretar
of the Treasury, so soon as he shall deem it ex
/, pedient, with such amount of gold as for tn
, time being he may have procured to commenc
and continue the redemption of legal tenders
When redeemed they are not to be reissued
, except in exchange for gold coin at par an
4 when so reissued they shall be redeemable i
gold coin. but the total amount of legal tender
, outstanding and redeemed shall at no time e,
ceed 1856, 900. The bill further provide
l that if after commencing said redemption. tn
= Government shall be unable to redeem pal
of said legal tenders in god the Secretary ma
> redeem them by exchanging the aforesaid bond
, at par for them.
s Over 100 bills were presented on the oper
O ing day of the House.
! Mr.. Dawes offered a resolution directing th
Surgeon General of the army to detail one c
e more medical officers of the army to visit til
e towns at which cholera prevailed during 1877;
S or such of them as the Surgeon General ma
n deem necessary, and confer with the healt
! authorities and the resident physicians of sue
u towns and collect all facts of importance wit
: reference to such epidemic, and to make d
d tailed report on or before January, 1875. II
: stated that his attention and that of the Su
q geon General had been called to the great in
portance of the subject by letters from NJ
j. Proctor Knott, formerly Representatiy
e from Kentucky. The resolution was adopte,
+ Mr.. Wheeler from the Committee on Appr'
: priations, reported the Army Appropriation bill
: appropriating $28, 449,9 which was made
) special order. The original estimate called f,
: S34, ,85l, ,618. The Secretary of War, on the r.
= vision ordered by the House, reduced them
q S32, 76S716 The Committee on Appropr
n alton has further reduced them by the sum
Il 81 3lS 799
B Mr.. Stephens made a long speech on IL
e civil service bill, in which he admitted that h
g opposition sprung from no prejudice on a
8 count of color.
. . The House Committee on Railroads al
Canals agreed to bill regulating charges
9 railroads for transporting passengers al
!, freight.
# The Military Committee is about equal
b divided as to the course to be pursued in IL
! case of Gen. Howard.
The Civil Service Committee have begun 8
Il investigation to determine whether the bus
IS ness of the Government cannot be manage
l. more economically.
v Mr.. Sypher, of La, asked leave to introdut
q joint resolution, which he said had the al
~ proval of the President. 1t recited that we
: authenticated reports specifically brought
the capital by Bishop Wilmer, of Louisian
t show that in certain localities of the South Il
q people are destitute and in a condition
starvation owing to the failure of the crop
= and it directs the Secretary of War to issl
u army rations in such quantities as may be I
! quired to alleviate the immediate suffering
J the inhabitants OF those destitute commuI
! ties.
Mr.. Butler of Massachusetts spoke in fav
o of the supplementary Civil Rights bill, closil
: Mr.. Pratt's amendment to the Salary b
Q which provides that the pay for the balance
this Congress shall be such amount as to NAL
4 the total, with that already received ($10 O0(
~ {, o. 600 for each wear, was rejected by As ma