The Portland daily press., 1876-06-21
Forty Fourth COngress-First Session.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, d, c.. Ju

he would never consent 10 the publication OF
great mass of information to bring scandal up-
on the names of brave and honest men. On
numerous instances soldiers who were killed in
battle were charged with their guns In any
case where men had plundered the treasury he
would have their names published to the
world and nail them to the gate posts. The
communication was referred
Sherman, from the finance committee, re-
ported favorably on the House joint resolution
authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to is
sue ten millions silver coin i'll exchange for le-
gal tender notes. and asked the present consd-
Grafton. Objection was made by Morton, and
it was laid over, and Sherman gave notice he
would call it up tomorrow. House bill repeal
ing bankrupt law postponed until tirstday next
session.
Sargent. FROM the committee on appropra-
tons reported bill with amendments, and
gave notice that he would call it up for consid-
GRAFTON as soon as the Indian appropriation was
disposed of.
Christiancy. submitted q substitute for the
bill to amend the law in relation to legal ten
der of silver coin. Ordered printed,
The Indian appropriation bill was considered.
AS it came from the House it appropriated
$1,000, liz SO. The Senate committee on appro-
priatons had added 1898, 096.35 The amounts
proposed by the committee were nearly all
agreed to.
Logan opposed the striking out of the third
section of the House bill providing for the
transfer Of the government of the Indians to
the War Department, which he argued meant
war upon them andl would lead to their eXtinc-
ton.
The Senate at 5.25 went into executive ses-
sion, and when the doors were reopened took
recess.
EVENING SESSION.
Amendment to strike out section proposing
to transfer the government of Indians to War
Department was agreed to; so also were amend
ments proposed by the committee TO strike out
the sixth section, providing that the dstribu-
ton of all annuites, goods and provisions shall
as far as practicable be made at the various mi
litary posts, and the seventh section providing
that the certificate of the judge of any United
States court as to the good moral character of
the applicant attached to the application of any
citizen of the United States for a license to
trade with the Indians shall be accepted as con-
elusive evidence of the fitness of such person TO
receive a license.
Bill having been considered in committee of
the whole was reported to the Senate, when
Herman demanded a seperate vote on the ques-
ton of striking out the third section, when
Maxey made speech in favor of the transfer to
the War Department Bogy also favored the
transfer.
During further discussion Mr.. Ingalls, pro-
posed that the discussion of this amendment
be informally laid over, and that the Commit
tee on Indian Affairs be instructed TO report
Immediately House bill 2677, transferring the
Indian Bureau, and that the discussion be con-
tinued on that bill.
Without action on the question, the Senate
adjourned.
The House passed bill providing that judg-
ments and DEGREES of U. S. courts for the pay
ment of money shall be liens on real estate of
the debtor; also bill providing that whenever
real estate shall be sold on judgments and de-
crees in chancery, the same rights shall be al
lowed as by the statute of the state.
Mr.. Frye Of Me-. reported bill to allow any
person charged with the commission of crime
when on trial in any federal court, to be COM
petent witness, which went over without &C.
ton.
Mr. Douglass of Va, chairman of the COM
mttee on the Freedmen's bank, made report
in reference to the communication from the
Secretary Of War of June 18th, as to the pay
ment of NOR eys due colored soldiers, sailors
and marines. The statement OF the committee
is that the provision made hast in part been
defeated of its purpose by fraudulent con-
tinuance of the late bureau of refugees, freed
men and abandoned lands, whereby many
such soldiers, sailors and marines have been
prevented from securing payment of their just
claims; also that the settlements covering these
delinquent claims have been filed with the
Second Auditor of the Treasury by Gen. o. o.
Howard, late commissioner, and G. O.. Bull
cock, late chief discussing officer of the bureau
in which fraudulent vouchers and other false
evidence of payment have been filed and used
by these officers by which they obtained i'm
proper credits for moneys alleged to have been
paid out by them to such colored soldiers and
marines.
To remedy this evil the committee reports a
bill directing the proper accounting officer of
the Treasury to settle claims for pay of bounty.
prize money or other moneys due to colored
soldiers, sailors or marines, or their legal repre-
sentatives in case it shall be established on
proper investigation that they have failed to
receive payment ON settlement heretofore
made and in which vouchers purporting to rep.
resent their actual payment have been filed
with the accounting officers of the Treasury by
the disbursing officers of the late Freedmen's
Bureau. The I'd section directs that in every
case where the investigation shall prove that
the claimants have not in fact received pay
ment of their claims, the fact shall be reported
to the proper accounting officers OF the Treas
ury, who shall thereupon settle such clal ms.
The next section directs the Attorney Gener-
al to institute proper legal proceedings against
all persons who shall be shown to be implicated
in those frauds in order to vlndicate public JUS
tice and to prevent loss to the government
Mr.. Kasson of Iowa made point Of order
that if one of the sections of the bill provided
for an expenditure of money it should be re-
ferred to the committee of the whole.
Douglass-The correspondence shows that
these accounts have been settled and the money
paid over to the Freedmans Bureau for the
purpose of paying these men, and the bill SIM
ply provides that their accounts shall be set
tied and charged against appropriations hereto
fore made
Kasson-Do l understand the gentleman to
say that no money has been paid to any of
these colored men?
Douglass-It has been paid over to the COM
missioner of Freedman's Bureau and has not
been paid to parties entitled to it.
Kasson-Then it is very clear that this bill
provides for another disbursement, and of
course it is desirable to see the evidence before
the House shall pass that bill.
Douglass-If the gentleman had not been SO
prompt in making the point of order had in
tended to state to the House that the preamble
intends to be only an epitome of the report as
it came from the Secretary of War.
Kasson-lt was necessary to make the point
of order promptly or it could not be made at
all.
Speaker pro tenn (Cox)-It is very evident
that the point of order is well taken as the
fifth section provides for the payment of such
expenditures as may be necesstated by the H.
vestigation provided for
Douglass-I yield to the decision of the chair
and now l move that the House go into COM
mittee of the whole for the purpose Of consider
ing bills.
Kasson-I suggest to the gentleman from
Virginia to allow the report to be printed as we
do not know the amount of money that may be
called for under that bill
Hoar-This bill recites an assertion of gross
ly fraudulent conduct on the part of disting-
uished Major General Of the army who gave
his right arm to the service of his count ry
This House took pains the other day to remove
from member of this body on the other side
(meaning Mr.. Brown of Kentucky a c3nsure
which affected his personal honor, the minority
of the House rising with his political friends in
their desire to do that gentleman most ample
and abundant justice Now L ask the majority
of the House il they think it is fair to p-ess
press that bill in relation to Major General
Howard without having the evidence on
which the bill is based printed.
Holman-At any rate this paper ought to be
printed, and trust inasmuch as the gentleman
from Virginia has the right TO report at any
time that he will allow it to be printed.
Douglass thereupon moved that the bill and
correspondence be printed and recommitted,
and it was so ordered.
Mr. Randall, chairman of tho Committee on
Appropriations, reported the sundry civil SER
vice bill (the last general appropriation bilD
which was ordered printed. The bill appropr-
ates $14, 1877, $40 against $685. 644 $50 in the
responding bill of last year.
The House then proceeded to the consdera-
ton of the bill equalizing the bountes of SOL
diers and was addressed by Mr.. Thornburg in
its favor.
1t allows to all enlisted men, soldiers, sailors
and marines. Including slaves and Indians)
So 1-3 for their per cent. of service between the
18th of April, 1861, and the 9th of May, 1865,
deductiDg all bounties already paid under the
United States or state laws. The bill is not to
apply to substitutes. men who were prisoners of
war at the time of enlistment or men dis