Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-02-09
FOrty.E0urth Congress First Session.
SENATE.
WaShinofnn

|
| Washington February s.
| A number OF House bills were referred to APP
propriate committees Among them a bill making
an appropriation to pay fourteen crippled and dis
abled Union soldiers from Dec. 6, 1872, to June
80, 1915.
| Mr.. sherman, from the Finance committee, re-
ported adversely on the bill to secure deposltors
IN the Freedmen's Bank from ultimate loss. Ia
| bled.
| Mr.. Wright from the Finance committee re-
ported bill to pay the First National Bank Of st.
Albans, W., the value of certain treasury Lotes
| held by said bank the financial agent of the
United States, and forclbly taken thereirom by ra
ders from Canada in 1854
This bill proposes to pay said bank S2S, $50. The
committee on Finance PROPOSED an amendment to
strike out that portion allowing interest ON the
amount from October 18th, 1864, to the time of
payment.
After some discussion Mr.. Sherman asked that
| it be laid over urtil to- morrow, so ordered.
| Mr.. Morton submitted a resolution that the COM
mittee on the District of Columbia be instructed
| to consider the proprety of reporting bill to
provide government for the District Of Columbia,
under which the people through the electro elec-
tive franchise may regulate and central their do
affairs, inconsistent with the protection,
regulation and control by the United States, of
public property and the exercise Of such juri,dic
tion may be necessary in the national capital.
Agreed.
| On motion Of Mr.. Morrill,, the Senate then took
mp the centennial bill 1t was agreed that the bill
should come up unfinished business to-mor-
row.
| Mr.. Cooper Of Tenn, was appointed member
| of the Senate committee on Finance in place of
Mr., Ferry, who at his own request was excused
this morning from further service on that COM
mittee, as it conhicted with the requirements of
presiding officer.
Mr. Boutwell, submitted the following and gave
notice that at the proper time he would submit it
as an additional section to the bill under consld-
Grafton during the morning hour, in relation to
public lands in Alabama, Mississippi and other
States:
affected by this act shall be offered for SALE they
shall be appraised under such regulations as may
be prescribed by the Secretary Of the Interior;
and no sale shall be made at less than the mini
mum fixed by such appraisement Provided,
that no sale be made at less than Sl25 per acre.
Ordered printed.
message was read from the President of the
United States, enclosing the correspondence be-
tween the State department and foreign govern
ments, in regard to the centennial exhibition
Laid on the table. (None Of the correspondence
| is of cent date and most Of it is already pub
| lished).
| Mr.. Eaton submitted q resolution providing
that as q mark of respect to the memory af o. 5.
Ferry, late senator from Conn.,, the business of the
Senate be suspended, that his former associates
mig pay their tribute Of respect to his character
and services. Agreed to.
Appropriate eulogistic remarks were made by
Messrs. Eaton, Sargent, Bayard, Howe, Freling-
hysen, Thurman, Wadeigh and English, and as
a further mark Of respect the Senate at o'clock
adjourned.
The bill authorizing that actions in cases of
death resulting from wrongful act, neglect or de-
fault in the District Of Columbia, providing that
the amount received should not be above $4,000,
was passed.
Bills introduced: Repeating the bankrupt act
After some discussion of technical points the bill
was passed us to S..
! Mr.. Hunton of Va, from the Judiciary commit
tee reported bill to amend section Sc Of X. 5. by
adding the following:
| "In the adjustment Of the account of said OH
GERS an appeal shall be from the decision Of the
accounting officer Of the Treasury, to the Auor-
ney General whose determination shall be final"
Passed.
| The House at o'clock went into committee of
the Whole, Mr.. lIaskins of n. Y. in the chair, on
the consular and diplomatic appropriation, and
was addressed by Mr.. Duunell of Mimi, in oppo-
sition to the bill, which he declared struck at
American commerce, and at American honor.
The government was not bankrupt, and he ap-
peaed to the other side of the House, not to write
across the forehead Of the country, the word l.
"shame."
| Mr. Hewitt of " V, also opposed the bill,
which he said would inflict serious if not iirepar-
able injury the commerce of the country He
reminded his own side Of the House that States
manshp did not consist in retrenchment only ;
that economy might easily travel within the limits
of parsnony, and that reform might be pushed
beyond the limits of prudence and justice. He
should not have differed with the committee if it
had contided itself the reduction of the European
missions, even if it had wiped out mission whose
very name was a scandal (auding TO the English
missiop), he should have felt that then patriotic
American might visit foreign lands with greater
satisfaction, and might escape that humiliation,
which once felt would not down until the cause
was removed. He could not however, agree with
the recon ne adation of the committee in reference
to the South American Missions. The trade of
those countries with the nlted States was much
| larger than the trade of several European coun-
tries, at which American missions were matained.
As to the proposed reduction of consuates, he also
dissented most seriously from the reconmenda-
tons of the committee, and reminded the House
that where countries have no consuis, they can
have no trade, and that trade is developed and in
creased Just in proportion to the extension Of the
consular system.
Mr. Wood in speech of some length warned
the house to do nothing to impair or TO injure the
foreign commerce of the country. If this bill was
TO save twenty millions from the treasury instead
OF four hundred thousand dollars, he would not
vote for it, ii by doing be would impair the ctfi
cheney and progress OF the foreign industry oil the
nation. AS to foreign missions he regarded them
contrary to the consular system, and did not at
tsch SO much importance to the necessity Of keep
ing them up, but so long as they were kept up
American ministers abroad should be paid enough
to enable them to live respectfully IN the European
aCceptaliOu OF tnc ttru Iespectapig ~ NeH cA
terror presentation at court, respectable IN their
power to appear on all public occasions at proper
way.
The committee rose without taking action on
the bill, when message was received from the
Senate announcing the action of that body in re-
gard to the death of the late Senator Ferry Of
Conn.
Eulogies in honor of the deceased were pro-
nounced by Messrs. Phelps Of Conn, Seely of
Miss, and Garfield.
An interesting feature in the proceedings was
the fact that Garfield, in lieu of any remarks OF
his own, read speech which had been prepared
on the subject by Mr.. Starkweather Of Conn.,
since dead.
Adjourned.