Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-06
Senate Debate ON Relief for the
Overlooked.
Acorn Tells Some Bitter Truths.
How Millions of Leyee Taxes
Have Been Squandered.
The KellOggites Itching to "Han-
die" the Relief Funds.
House Discusses the Centennial
Bill.
Hale Predicts a Deficit of Ten
Millions.
SENATE.

sions, reported back a bill amendatory 10
the act granting pensions to certain soldiers
and sailors of the war of 1872, and to re-
store to the pension rolls those persons
whose names were stricken therefrom in
consequence of their disloyalty to the Gov
eminent Placed on the calendar.
sI5e,00O i'm Lieu Of ee50,0o
Mr.. Morrill,, of Me-, from the Committee
ON Appropriations, reported back the bill
for the relief of persons suffering from the
overflow of the Mississippi river, which APP
propriated $4,000, with an additional sec
ton directing the Secretary of War to issue
temporary supplies of food and army
clothing to those suffering and appropri-
ating 100000 additional for that purpose.
Mr.. Edmunds moved an amendment, pro-
vidiug that the provisions Of the bill should
expire on the LIST of September next.
Mr.. Pease spoke of suffering existing in
his State on account of the overflow, and
the inability of the State authorities to re-
lieve the restitution.
Mr.. Alcorn said care should be taken to
distribute this food and clothing judicious-
". He referred to a telegram published
this morning that the negroes around Mem
phis were now declining work, alleging
that the government of the United States
was going to feed and clothe them. The
difficulty was that under this bill labor in
that country might become demoralized.
The people of Louisiana and Mississippi
had been taxed largely for the construction
of levees, and they should have been prop
erly made to resist the freShet. If the mon
ey had been properly expended, the object
would have been accomplished. Louisiana
alone had spent twelve million dollars upon
Mississippi levees, and the State Of Missis-
sippi has spent ten millions since the war
for the same purpose. Five million dollars
honestly and properly expended, would
have been sufficient TO protect the State of
Mississippi from overflow. The trouble
was the
Money Had Been Squandered
by irresponsible and reckless parties. The
people of Mississippi had no faith in their
local government. When he LETT Missis-
sippi short time ago the water was not
up TO the flood line by twens, eight inches,
but the leveeS were so badly constructed,
they would not stand. The economical
way to relieve the people, was for the Gov
eminent to take charge Of these levees and
give the poor people employment in recon-
Structing them when the water goes down,
and not let the negro suppose the Federal
Government was going to feed and clOthe
him. He would rather have the country
bordering on the Mississippi River given
away, than have the people struggling all
the time against these wrongs. The Secre-
tary of War should have the exclusive con
troll OF the relief fund. The State Of Ar
kansas should also be included in the bill.
There was suffering in that State as well as
Mississippi and Louisiana. He thought
Mississippi was able TO take care of its
poor, but the Legislature could not be con-
vened for fifteen or twenty days, and by
that time those in want would be beyond
any aid.
MIR. COnkling said, be fore hearing the
Senator from Mississippi he thought he
would have voted for the oil, but as that
Senator had stated, the State was able TO
take care of its own poor. Any aid
that Congress should give should be in the
nature Of an advance to be returned to the
Government hereafter. As no one in Mis-
sissippi was DISTINGUISHED, he did not see
how it was the people had no voice II the
management of their own affairs. He in
quired from the Senator the name Of the
person who was President of the Upper
Levee Board.
Mr.. Mcorn said it was II. F. Alcorn his
son.
Mr.. COnkling said he would not remain
silent and listen to insinuations that the
National Administration was responsible
for the sins of omission aud commission
in the Southern States. The misrule in
Mississippi was not brought about by carpet
baggerS or non-Tesidents, and the Senator
(Mr. AlcOrn) might as well charge this NAL
administration he complains of, upon the
Sultan of Turkey.
Mr.. AlcOrn inquired if the Senator from
New, York (ConHing) did not know that
in 1867 and 1865, Congress passed 4 law,
forbidding any one from holding office in
any Southern State, unless that person
should take the iron-clad oath, and did he
not know that the oath
Excluded all the respectable Men
of that section, and that they could not
vote.
Mr.. Conkling said that he did deny that
any man had been denied the right to vote
after the State Government organized.
Mr.. AlcOrn said il was true his son was
President Of the upper leyee board, but it
was also true that the District over which
he presided was overlooked to-day. He took
the office agai.s his (AlcOrn's) advice, but
probably did so to prevent frauds, as con-
tracts were to be given out, and he did no
doubt save the Government great deal of
money in that District. Should this ap-
preparation be made now the disbursement
of il should be left solely with the Secre-
tary Of War, and not put into the hands of
those who were
Itching TO Get Hold OF IL,
and from whom the negroes would not get
very much. Officers in his State were not
the choice of the payers, and Inc would
rather appeal to the Secretary than to those
satraps placed over the people. He charged
that Gen. AmeS had removed citizens from
the boards in the districts now overaOwed
and put i'll their places persons who had de-
frauded the people.
Mr.. Upton said when the discussion on
this bill commenced he was told that the
people of Mississippi were suffering. 1t
had been kept up so long that he now had
serious appreilensians that they had ex-
pired, and he therefore thought the appfo-
priation had better be made for
Funeral Expenses.
Laughter
Mr.. Sargent moved to recommit the bill
to the Committee on Appropriations.
Mr. Pease said he deplOred this recon-
struction debate which had been dragged in
by his colleague. He desired to repel the
insinuatiOn that the money would be mis-
applied by State officials. Gen. Ames was
an honest man, and the people Of Alissis-
sippi, without regard to political faith, gave
him the credit of being one.
Mr.. Sargent'S motion to recOmmit the bill
was agreed TO.
The Senate resumed consideration Of the
supplementary
Civil Rights Bill.
Mr.. Gordon gave notice he would submit
an amendment to strike ont the provisions
of the bill giving all persons full and equal
enjoyments of the common schools and pub
lie institutions of learning or belevplence
supported in whole or in part by general
taxation,
The Senate then went into executive ses-
sion,