The Portland daily press., 1876-01-20
Forty Fourth COngress-First Session,
SENATE.

By Mr.. Conner to provide for uniform duty
on sugar. Referred to the Finance Committee.
By Mr.. Boutwell, to provide for the organ
ization of the Bar of the two Houses of Con.
gress. Referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Mr.. Sherman called up the Senate bill TO
amend the act of June Goth, 1874, amending the
charter of the Freedmen's Saving and Trust
Co., and other purposes. Several amendments
were proposed by the Committee on Finance
which were agreed to aud the bill was passed.
Mr. Sherman said the Committee on Finance
had considered the eXpediepcy OF the govern
ments purchasing the Freedmen's Bank build
ing but thought it best not to pat an amend
ment for that purpose on this bill. That ques
ton should be considered by the Senate
hereafter. In his judgment the government
should purchase the building.
Mr. Wright OF Iowa called up the Senate bill
granting relief to Eva Eta Henry and Guy
Carleton, the heirs of Gen. James A. Carleton,
deceased, which was discussed at some length
and laid over.
He also called up the Senate bill for the relief
of Peasly q McCieary OF Nashua, N. III. Pass
After the expiration of the morning hour Mr..
Morton moved to lay on the table unfinished
business, being resolution of Mr. Davis to APP.
point special committee to investigate the
books and accounts of the Treasury Depart
ment, and take up the resolution submitted by
him before the holiday recess to Inquire into
the election in Mississippi. Rejected, yeas 25
nays 80.
N1r. bdydru submitted Il EesOlutlOu Us u
substitute for that reported by the Committee
on Rules instructing the Committee on Rules
of the Senate and House of Representatives to
examine and after conference, report what
amendments should be made to the present
| joint rules for the government of the govern
ment of the two Houses of Congress and also
what legislation is necessary in regard to the
22d joint rule. Ordered to be printed and laid
| over. fs
Mr.. Sherman submitted resolution that
l tho Prpgi6ant ba rpuuaStad Ia tha hnilA-
| ings and grounds situated in Columbus. known
| as the Capitol University, proposed to be do
mated to the United States by p. Mitchell of
| said city for the purpose of a mint, to be ex-
amined for the purpose of ascertainng whether
| or not said buildings and grounds are suitable.
| Agreed to-
The senate resumed the consideration of the
| resolution submitted by Mr.. Davis in regard to
| question being on motion of Mr.. Edmuads to
| strike out "a special comm ttee" and insert
| "the Committee on Finance" so that the inves-
tigation shall be made by the, Finance Commit
| tee instead of special committee
to Mr.. Davis and il defence of the Treasury De
| parsment from the charges against which there
was no ground of investigation, should be left
to the Committee on Finance. That commit
| tee would do the best it could, but he would
| prefer to have the special committee appointed
| and the Senator from West Virginia look for
| himself The business of the Treasury De-
| partment was extensive and complicated. He
had often heard it said that the manner Of
keeping accounts in the Treasury should be
| changed but he thought it would be a serious
| matter to improve on the plan OF Alexander
Hamilton, Gallatin and other noted financiers.
Eaton did not want to say anything to injure
| the credit of the government, but the condition
| OF the accounts of the Treasury should be
probed and examined. He was engaged him
| self about six months ago with one of the
| shrewdest bankers in the United States in
examination of the finance reports from 1871
| to 1874. The time occupied in the examination
| was about three weeks, and he did not hesitate
| to assert that there was not an accountant in
the United States who could take the finance
| reports and the debt statement and come with
| in $50, 100000 of the amount Of the public
| debt. In his opinion there should be three
| departments in the Treasury-one of public
| accounts, another of commerce, and third of
public labor There was something wrong in
| making up the accounts OF the government,
and there should be change.
Herman favored the investigation being made
/ by special committee. ai..-. i.-. A. ....
Dawes said if the Senator from West Vlr-
gnia would state that he had reason to believe
any one had attempted to make the books of
| the Treasury Department falsely state the con-
| dtion of the public debt, he (Dawes) would
vote for the special committee, but if the whole
purpose of this resolution was to ascertain If
| the books of the Treasury Department could
| not be kept in more simple manner, it was
| evident to him that the finance committee
| could make the inquiry The Senator from
| statements as to whether he charged fraud or
| whether his purpose was to ascertain IT the
| manner of book keeping could be simplified.
Mr.. Davis said that not only the Senator
from Massachusetts, but other Senators had
| attempted to put words in his mouth He
| Davis had not said there was fraud or any
one has altered the books, but he did say the
| statements sent to Congress from year to year
4 1nI hoo ot.n f.,pfk AI,&
| table of 1870 did not agree with the Registers
report, but since then the Registers report had
been made to agree with that table.
Mr.. Dawes said that if the Senator from w.
| Virginia charged that there was fraud, he
| (Dawes) would go with him in pressing an in
| vestlgation SO that "no guilty man should es-
| CAPE"
Mr. Frelinghuysen hoped the amendment of
| the Senator from Vermont (Edmunds) would
be adopted, He said next to the liberty of this
country was the credit of the people. If it
| was true that there had been such laundering
| it was akin TO fraud
Pending the discussion Mr.. Sherman moved
| that the resolution of MIR. Dawes be laid aside
| in order that the Senator from Indiana (Mor-
| ton) might cal! up his resolution in regard to
the Mississippi elections and submit the re-
marks which he was prepared to do. Agreed
| to.
Mr. Morton then spoke at length in favor of
| his resolution. 7J. ..-.-..-
The Senate at 8. Is p, m. proceeded to the
consideration of executive business and 10
short time the doors were reopened and the
| Senate adjourned. s....1 d..
Mr.. Tarbox of Mass offered resolution d.
| recting the Committee on Foreign Affairs to
consider the proper legislation necessary to
carry into effect the treaty with the Hawaiian
Islands. Adopted
Mr.. Blande of Missouri offered a resolution
4 calling for information on the subject of the
L of 10 md unit mi o.
to Union soldiers. Adopted.
Mr.. Grape of Mass. offered a resolution for
the payment of the widow of the late Represen-
tative James Burlington of Mass his salary
from the date of bis death to November, 1875.
Referred to Committee on Accounts.
Mr.. Springer of Illinois introduced consti-
| tutonal amendment providing that Congress
shall not pass any special or local laws in re-
gard to granting pensions, bounties, lands or
prize money, or for correcting the records of
any department in relation thereto; granting
relief to any person or authorizing the pay
ment of auy claim, giving to any corporation
association or individual the right to lay rail-
road tracks, or comforting any special or exclu-
sive privilege on such corporation regulating
the practice of courts, comforting special juris-
diction in particular case; that in all cases
where general law can be made applicable,
no special law will be enacted, and that the
courts may determine whether any special law
could have been embraced in general enact
ment. Referred. ..,
MIR. John FL. Bagley of New York said he
had been recorded as having voted for Mr..
Holman's resolution whereas the fact was he
was in favor of resumption of specie pay
| ments. -
| The House at 1850 went into committee of
the whole on the centennial appropriation bill
and was addressed by Mr.. Phillips of Kansas
in advocacy of the bill. r.
| Mr.. DeBolt of Missouri, referring to the fact
that this bill, like the former ones on the same
subject, provided that government should not
be responsible for any debt contracted By the
centennial commissioners, asked Mr.. Phillips
of Missouri what assurance he had that the
next Congress would not be called upon for an
other appropriation? - 80
| MI. Phillips replied that it would be compe-
tent for the next Congress to do what it was
competent for this Congress to do.
| Mr.. Harrison of Illinois next addressed the
committee on the same side of the question.
Speaking of the importance of giving a nation
al character to the celebration, he said he had
Travelled considerably in Germany in 1874, and
some hundred persons had told him they were
coming to the Exposition, bus that last year,
travelling again in Denmark, Sweden and parts
| of Germany, be found that persons who had
intended to come had changed their minds,
saying the American people were too mean
about it, aud the celebration was to be purely
local. "But," said Mr.. Harrison, 'fLet this ap-
| preparation pass to-day, the news Of it will
| reach EurOne tO-mOrrOw mOrninp and a no W