The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-06-16
f0rty Third COngress-First Session.
SENATE.

several udyS 10 nave Un6 Oils from the Commit
tee on POst-offices considered and would object
to other committees being called before that
Mr.. Carpenter said that having been in the
chair all the session the bills entrusted to his
care by the Judiciary Committee had not been
presented as he had no opportunity of doing 80
He now asked the indulgence of the Senate to
report several bills and immediate action on
some of them. He then reported favorably on
the Senate bill to provide for writs of error in
certain criminal cases. Passed.
He also reported unfavoraby on sundry bills
amendatory of the act for the removal of causes
in certain cases from state courts, inrelation to
Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the United
States in certain cases; and amendatory of the
act to further the administration of justice, all
OF which were indefinitely postponed.
He also reported favorably on the House
bill authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury
to deliver to the Connecticut historical society
certain papers relating to the claim of Silas
Degue. Passed. ,...-.....
ing the removal of causes from state courts to
the Circuit Courts of the United States
Mr.. Edmunds, from the Judiciary Commit
tee, recommended that the Senate disagree to
the amendment of the House to the Geneva
award bill and ask ascommittee of conference.
Agreed.
The amendment was rejected, 16 to 49,
Mr.. Thurman moved to strike out the 18th
section of the bill which authorizes the service
of process upon the agent of defendant in
wy NiNii ouie uOt dhCCtluS q tlII6 " real eS-
tate. -sF
Mr.. Bayard moved to amend so as to provide
that the section should not apply to cases of
libel or SANDER. In support of the amendment
he said that Washington city was the great
headquarters for newspaper correspondents
and the section as proposed by the Judiciary
Committee would permit the services upon
them OF processes as agents for the publishers
OF the papers they represent. A paper might
be sued out in the District of Columbia simply
hU irwin IL
Mr. Wadleigh said that this was alarming
legislation and he could not vote for any such
measure. 1t offered an opportunity for great
fraud upon men living in one State and doing
business in others by agents. man might be
ruined and not know it, for process could be
served against him without his knowledge of a
suit having been brought.
Mr.. Bayard's amendment was rejected, 20 to
80.
Mr.. Carpenter moved to amend the section
so as to provide that copy OF process served
on an agent shall actually be delivered to the
principal of such agent anywhere in the Uuited
States. Agreed to.
Mr.. Wadleigh said that this bill applied to
the District of Columbia, and he thought that
very objectional. Every one knew how the
people of the District were influenced by the
party in power, and how could the press of the
United States criticise the actions of the party
having control of the government if it was to
be tired by jury in District which must be
idlS0iy luIutuCtu ny but SONcruuleUG. Lie
bill struck blow at the liberty of the press
and he was opposed to it. 4l.
Mr.. Conkling, from the JudiIiary Committee
reported with an amendment the House bill to
protect persons of foreign birth against forcible
restraint or involuntary servitude.
Mr.. Anthony submitted resolution for the
payment of expenses incurred by the court
to investigate the charges against the Congress
sOnal printer out of the contingent fund of the
Senate. Agreed to. FsaT
Mr. intro n for fIa;
provement of the mouth of the Mississippi
river Referred to the Committee on Com
merce. fa la --g-ts
Mr. Alcom, from the levee committee, re-
ported with amendment, the bill to provide for
the appointment of a commission OF engineers
to investigate and report permanent plan for
the reclamation of the alluvial basin of the
Mississippi river subject to inundation. Placed
on the calendar. ~ a u
Mr.. Ramsey introduced bill tosprovide by
prepayment for postage on printed matter. Re
ferred.
Mr. Morrill, of Me-, introduced bill for the
delivery of certain bronze ordnance to Fisk
Mills for the Rawlins statute. Referred
Mr.. Pratt gave notice that at the earliest OPP
po1lunity he would III up tine bill amendatory
of the act giving pensions to the surviving SOL
dieIs of the war of 1872. .
Mr. Edmunds requested the chair not to APP
point him member of the conference commit
Gee on the Geneva award bill, as he would be
compelled to leave town this evening.
The chair appointed Messrs. Frelnghuysen,
Wright and Thurman.
Mr. Scott gave notice that after the transpor-
tation resolution is disposed of he asked the
Senate to take up the House bill for the pay
ment of awards made by the Southern Claims
Commission. He said there was a thousand
claimants mentioned in this bill and they were
anxious to get their money.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration of
the resolution instructing the Committee on
Appropriations to report amendments to the
river and harbor appropriation bill and for the
survey of four routes from the Mississippi riv-
er to the Atlantic seaboard, recommended by
the Special Committee on Transportation.
Mr.. Pratt objected to Congress entering upon
the work of improvement recommended by the
committee as the present financial condition of
the country would not permit it, '''.
MI Edmunds, from the committee of con-
ference on the bankrupt bill, made report
| which was agreed to. He explained the report
| and said the most of the amendments were of
a verbal character and the bill was substan-
| TALLY as it passed the Senate with the excep-
ton of the section relating to voluntary bank
ruptcy. AS the bill passed the Senate that
| section provided that voluntary bankrupt
should pay 33 per cent of his Indebtedness. As
modified by the conference committee volun-
| tary bankrupt could be discharged upon paw
ment of 80 per cent. of his Indebtedness, with
| the consent of one-fourth the number of cred
itors, representing onethird of the value of in
| debtedneSS.
| Mr.. Conover read lengthy argument upon
| the subject of cheap transportation and recon-
mended the construction of a ship canal across
| the Florida peninsular. He submitted an
| amendment to the river and harbor appropra-
| ton bill, appropriating $685. 900 for the survey
| of such canal. Referred to the Committee
on Appropriations
| The House bill to authorize the Secretary of
| War to transfer $1,000 suits of ole and disused
| army clothing to the National Home for dis
! abled soldiers. Passed.
The resolution instructing the Committee on
| Appropriations to report amendments to the
river and harbor appropriation bill for the sur
| vey of the routes recommended by the Trans
portation Committee, was agreed 10. Yeas 46,
| nays 6.
The postoffice appropriation was then taken
| up. N
| Mr.. Chandler gave notice that after the
pending bill is disposed of he will antagonize
the river and harbOr bill against every other
| bill.
Mr.. Stevenson called up the bill to pay John
| j. Anderson of KY, for cotton belonging to
| to him and used in the defence of Nashville,
| Tenn.
Messrs Sargent, Pratt and Stockton, were
| appointed conference committee ON the pen
| sion appropriation bill.
| Pending the discussion on the bill for the re
| lief of Anderson, Mr. Conkling raised point
| of order that no quorum was present and the
| Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Durham of Kentucky, from the confer
| ence committee on the bill amending the char
| ter of the Freedmen's Savings Bank, made a
report, which was agreed to. The Senate re-
| cedes from its substitute and agrees to the
| House bill with various verbal amendments,
| and with an additional section making all de-
posits from now until July l, 1875, special de-
| posits, and investments made of them to be for
| the benefit of such special depositors.
| The House at II. 20 went into committee of
| the whole on the sundry civil appropriation
| bill.
Mr.. Buffers amendment repeating the law
| for civil service commission as amended by
| giving preference to discharged soldiers and
| sailors and their dependant relations, was
| agreed to without division.
| Mr.. Kellogg of Connecticut, offered an amend
| ment similar to that offered by Mr.. Kasson
| Saturday, requiring the heads of the executive
departments to prescribe the rules and regula-
tons governing the appointments to Office. The
| amendment was agreed to, SO to IS. 1t reads
| as follows after having been modified on mo-
tions of Butler and Starkweather: "And it
shall be the duty of the officer at the head of
each of the executive departments at Washing
ton to prescribe and publish rules for ascertain
ing the qualifications of applicants for appoint
ments at their disposal or made under their au-
thority. and to make such appointments only
from candidates who have the qualifications of
| honesty, efficiency aud fidelity, and not as re-
wards of merit, party zeal, giving preference
only to those who have the additional qualiti-