The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-05-07
XLIIId CONGRESS.


the session by the late Senator Sumner, with
an amendment, and recommendation of the
majority of the committee that IL be passed as
amended. Placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Window, Of Mimi, called mp the bill to
enable the Mennonites Of Russia te effect q
permanent settlement on the public lands of
the United States. Mr.. Ferry, OF Conn, said
he had received information that these Men
nonites desired to leave Russia on account Of
the Russian Government requiring them to
perform military duty, and that in this country
they expected to be exempted from such ser
vice. He was not willing that any such body
Of people should come here under the protec-
ton OF our laws, settle within our territory,
and be exempted from contributing their share
to the common defense. In his belief, il an
amendment be inserted in the bill requiring
them to become citizens of the United States
not one Of them would settle here.
The House bill amendatory of the acts to
provide national currency and to establish
free banking, was referred to the Committee
on Finance
Carpenter, of Wis, introduced resolutions
setting forth that the people Of Cuba have de-
clared themselves free and Independent of
Spain; have established a government for
themselves and abolished negro slavery, and
for more than five years have successfully re-
sisted all the efforts of Spain to reduce them to
submission and re-establish the condition of
negro slavery in that island; and that the war
between Spain and Cuba has been and is now
being conducted with degree of barbarity
shocking to all Christendom and there is no
reasonable prospect that Spain will ever be able
to re-establish dominion over the people of
Cuba and that it has become the duty of the
United States to recognize Cuba as one of tho
Independent nations of the EARTH and that the
United States will observe strict neutrality be-
tween the contending parties during the further
prosecution of the war, and will accord to each
of them helligerent rights and equal privileges
and advantages in all ports nrd places within
the limited States.
Mr.. Edmunds. of VT, from the Judiciary
Committee reported unfayorably on the bill
for the relief of purchasers of lands sold for
direct taxes in the insurrectionary States.
Mr.. Clayton, from the Committee on Military
Affairs, reported bill to equalize the bounties
of soldiers. who served in the late war. Placed
on the calendar. The bill provides that there
shall be paid to every honorably discharged
non-commissioned officer, private soldier,
musician, artificer, and WAGNER. including
those borne on the rolls as slaves, who served
the United States in the war of the rebellion,
the sum of eight and one-third dollars per
month for all his time of service between
April ~, 1861, and May 0, 1865 or in case of
volunteers, up to the time Of the muster out Of
the volunteer organization to which he be-
longed. In case of the death of any such per-
son the payment is to be made to his widow
and children. Any bounties heretofore re-
ceived from the United States, or any State,
are to be deducted from the allowance hereby
stitutes, or to persons discharged as minors
No attorney shall be allowed, on pain of fine
and imprisonment, to receive more than $40
for prosecuting any claim under the foregoing
provisions.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration
of the bill to authorize the issue of supply of
| arms to the authorities of the State of Ne
braska. Mr.. buckingham, of Conn, submitted
| an amendment providing that supply of arms
should also be iseued to the Indians to protect
themselves from the raids of settlers. This
amendment was finally withdrawn, and another
offered, providing that the State of Nebraska
| should furnish the Federal Government with
good and sufficient bonds that the arms should
| not be used for any other purpose than that
named in the bill, protection against Indian
hostiities."
HOUSE.
The Senate currency bill was taken up in the
House and after discussion the bill passed by a
vote of 140 to 102. The bill goes to the Presi-
dent for his signature, and If signed fixes the
maximum amount of United States notes III
circulation at s400;000.0 900.
Mr. Woodford, of N Y, from the Committee
on Civil Service Reform, reported bill to pro-
vide for commission to reorganize the customs
service. Referred to the Committee of the
Whole. Bills for the reorganization of the
Treasury Department We're presented.
The bill known as the House Currency bill
was taken up, and passed by vote of 12S to
lie. Several amendments to the bill were
offered, but rejected, and the bill passed as
originally presented. The status of the finance
question now is that while the House bill has
to await the action of the Senate, which may or
may not be favorable, or may be delayed in
definitely, the Senate bill, which has passed the
House, goes directly to the President for his
signature.
Mr.. Bundy, of Ohio, from the Committee on
Mileage, reported bill to abolish mileage to
members of Congress, and providing that they
"a IA rOai1 min
and from Washington once each session. He
demanded the previous question, which was not
seconded-69 to II. Mr.. Maynard. of Tenn
moved to recommit. Mr.. Young, of Ga,
moved to table. Rejected-64 to 169 Mr..
Bundy again moved the previous question, and
it was seconded. The motion to recommit was
rejected, and the bill was then passed-yeas,
1856 nays, 40.
Mr.. Hale, of N. Y. moved to make the Con-
gressional printer an officer of the United
States, instead of, as now, an officer of the
Senate. Adopted.
Mr.. Holman, of Ind, moved to reduce the
item of the Presidents salary, in the appropria-
ton bill, from $50, ,0C0 to $25,00 He argued
that the increase of salaries last session, in
Guiding the Presidents salary, was unconstitul-
tional. Hale, of Me-. Butler, of Mass, and
others opposed the amendment. The discus
sion resulted in personal encounter. in which
Cox, of n. Y, and Butler and Dawes. of Mass.
tookpart
Mr.. Purman. of Fla. moved to strike out
the proviso which forbds the publication of
the laws in newspapers after March, 1875 He
advocated his amendment as preventing the
abolition of subsidy of $50 900 to newspapers.
He believed In party newspapers; but he had
no respect for so-called independent papers,
which were '.neither fish, flesh nor fowl, nor
even good red herring" He also protested
against the repeal of the franking privilege,
which had been one of the greatest acts of in
justice ever perpetrated on the people living
outside of large cities. Dunnell, of Mimi.
advocated the measure, and other members
took part in it, and the motion to strike out the
provision which appropriates $40 900 for the
publication Of the laws, was rejected.
MIR. Morey, of La. introduced a joint resolu-
ton for the furnishing of rations forage, and
clothing to the people suffering from the iniln-
dation from the overflow of the Mississippi
and its tributaries. He sent to the clerk s desk
and had read extracts from correspondence
detailing the frightful condition of things along
the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers. He said
| that the present inundation was greater than
any that had happened since 1847, and the
people never were more destitute. In reply to
Mr.. g. +. Hoar, he gave the number of people
needing aid at from TO- 900 to $4,000. Mr. Cox,
of n. Y, remarked that the proposition was
rather extraordinary. The Government might
as well be called upon to furnish aid to the 40,
600 starving people of New York city. After
some further discussion the joint resolution
was referred to the Committee on Military
Affairs with leave to report at any time
An item appropriating $4,000 for postage
stamps for the State Department reopened the
subject of franking. Mr.. Butler, of Mass,
proposed to appropriate only 81 900 for furnish
ing postage stamps, at the cost of manufacture,
while Mr. Garfield appealed to the committee
either to restore the franking privilege openly
and squarely or else take the exactly opposite
course, and let the Post Office Department sell
its stamps to all comers at their face value.
Mr.. Coburn, of Indiana from the Committee