New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-13
WASHINGTON.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE GENEVA AWARD


p,sIrssu.RP PRACTICE IN THE LAST HOURS
or THE SESSION
Try TELEGRAPH rHE TRIBUNE.1
WASHINGTON. Nav 12.-The Senate spent more
than eight hours to-day in discussing It's bill LOT
the distribution of the Geneva award and, after IN
6nte trouble and vexatiOn, passed 1t by vote that
barely exceeded quorum The obstlnacy ana
.harp practice of of the Senators were amazing
md win hardly be credited. The stubbornness with
which those having charge of the bill acted, III OPP
position to what they knew to be the views OF a
majority of Senator'S has rarely been equaled, and
the result was only accomplished by such practices
as are rarely seen in legislative bodies. The bill
passed substantially it came from the Judiciary
Committee although there apparently no END
to the amendments offered and voted on.
IL was understood Yesterday that vote would he
reached at o'clock to-day, and that the bill would
then be disposed of without further debate. Sena-
tor Schurz led of in capital speech Ill favor OF au
hitting the insurance companies to the court Tor a
decision on their claims He put the case very
strongly. and said we were bound by the award
Senator COnkling followed on the same SIDE speak
ing with great clearness. Then came Senator Bout
we'll who answered some of the arguments of Ere
hnghuvsen who had spoken in favor of the bill. He
was opposed to requiring the insurance companies to
show their profits The merchants who lost by the
cruisers might with equal fairness be required TO
display their profits to the world.
There was a good deal of talk by the friends OF
the bill of the immense realized by the insur-
ance companies in risks and other policies, and
about the companies taking advantage of the war;
&c; but Senators Thurman, Stockton, and others
held the question on high ground and said that the
business of insurance companies as legitimate
as that of merchant, and that it was no crime TO
risk money to keep our commerce on the ocean dur
ing the war; Senator Edmunds, in closing the de-
bate. spoke an hour in favor of the bill; but his
speech was full of fine points of law, and very stupid
to the ordinary listener.
The first amendment voted on was that of Thur
man, introduced yesterday providing that in
companies shall have the rights before
the court other claimants. The bill, of course
was considered at first as in committee and the first
action not final. The amendment was agreed
to- after a sharp discussion. by a vote of 81 to ~
EQUATOR Sherman then presented an amendment
providing that all accounts claims on the award
should be stated on the basis Of United States
gold coin at the rate at the time of the
loss. Senator Sherman explained this amendment
briefly, and Senator Edmunds opposed it on the
ground that the claims were already made upOn the
basis of paper currency, and that it would not be
inst or proper to change them Other opposition
followed. but as the provision came to be under
stood one after another Senator gave in his support
and il was agreed to by vote of 81 to p. Senator
Edmunds fought both amendments very earnestly.
TIE next vote was ON COnlding's amendment
which referred the claims under the award to one
of the United States Circuit Courts to be designated
by the President differing only from the House
hill an this respect that the House bill places the
cases in the several Circuit Courts. The amendment
was we'll argued by Senator C0nkling and others on
the ground of economy, and because a case from
such court could be appealed, and was Therefore
freer from any charge of injustice The amendment
was lost-Yeas, %; Nays a.
Senator Sargents amendment providing for
court of three judges instead of five was also lost
by vote of p to %. Senator Sargent then offered
an amendment providing that the cases already on
tile in the State Department should be regarded as
conclusive, thus avoiding the necessity of claimants
having to prove their claims twice. He thought that
If the Geneva Arbitration and the State Department
accepted the claims as just, they ought to be &C
knowledced The proposition did not receive half
dozen votes.
Senator Stewart next offered an amendment, prefix
ing il by speech against the insurance companies
lie thought If they were to be paid, the Government
ought TO be reimbursed for her expenses, past and
prospective, before any claimants were to be paid.
lie was pretty roughly handled by Senators Thur
man and Stockton for this amendment, and reminded
that only about a third of the money would go to
the insurance companies He was asked if he de.
aired that the sailors and sufferers should pay
the Government for obtaining their dues
from foreign Government. The amendment was
carried-Yeas 81; Nays, 20. Senator Sergeant then
proposed that OF ships should give bonds for
the payment of sailors Claims but 1t was defeated
without division. Senator Morrill, of Maine made
good Fourth Of July speech on the subject of the
flag and the necessity of carrying it, and offered an
amendment including war premium claimants that
is, merchants who had to pay an increased premium
OIL account OF the war; He was very well answered,
and his proposition failed by q to %.
b. the time these votes were taken, which were
attended by cOpous speeches. it began to grow late,
and Senators became restless. 1t was suggested
that the promise agreed upon yesterday should be
kept, and that talking should cease. In reply to
this Senator Stockton made an indignant speech
reminding the majority that they had broken faith
from the very start, and that they had rushed
matters through because he and Others did not feel
like violating the agreement. He did not
think other gentlemen were so considerable. BY
this time the Senate rather SHINY attended
Senators departing one after another for their din
ners. Consideration of the bill was finished, in
Committee at about o'clock The Committee then
arose and all portions of the bill were adopted ex
cep. Humans and Stewards amendments Senator
Edmunds desiring another vote on them the roll
was called first Humans. The call had not
proceeded far before it discovered that num-
Der of the friends had gone. and when the
vote announced it stood q TO 80 and was lost.
A short time before the amendment was carried in
Committee 10y vote of 81 to a. The record shows
that but one yote-that of Senator Conover-was
had left the Senate.
IL