The Portland daily press., 1876-05-26
Forty Fourth Congress-First Session.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 25.
Petition of G. E. Knott of Massachusetts,
asking Congress to provide for the permanent
Centennial star on our national flag, was re.
ferred to the Military Committee.
Mr.. Paddock, from the Committee on Post
offices and Post-roads, reported with amend
ments in the nature of a substitute for the bill
to restore the franking privilege. Placed on
the calendar
Mr.. Wright, from the Civil Service Commit.
tee, reported back the bill fixing the salary of
the President of the United States at $4,000
per annum, together with message OF the
PRESIDENT returning the same, and recommend
ed the bill be passed Notwithstanding the OBJ
jections of the President. Mr.. Wright said he
had been directed by the committee to request
the Senate to act on the bill as soon as posi-
BILE, Placed on the calendar.
AT IL. 35 legislative business was suspended
and the Senate resumed consideration of the
impeachment with closed doors.
Before reaching any decision at As the
doors were re-opened.
The Senate then went into executive session,
and after short time adjourned until to NOR
row.
HOUSE.
On motion of Mr.. Cox the Senate amend.
ment to bill authorizing the appointment of re-
ceivers of the national banks were concurred
House then went into committee of the whole
on the bill revising and simplifying existing
laws, imposing duties on imports and to reduce
taxation. y
Mr. Morrison addressed the committee in ex-
PLANTATION of the bill.
After speeches on the tariff question by Nor
rison and Burchard of Illinois, the report of
the Committee on Foreign Affairs on the EN-
ma mine investigation was presented by Mr..
Hewitt of New York. who proceeded to address
the House.
The report is very lengthy, large part of it
being composed OF comments upon the testi-
mony The following is the summing up. The
committee find as to the inquiries announced
at the beginning of the report:
First-Upon the authority of the despatch of
the Secretary of State, that it was not proper
for the American Minister at the Court OF st.
james to connect himself as director with
the Emma Mining Company of London. This
position is confirmed by the authority of Phil
limore lvol. 2, page 1914, who says: I'm truth,
| every state ought by expressly forbidding am
| bassadors to combine engagements in private
trade or commerce with the sacred duty of rep
resentation, to prevent any question of the
kind ever arising. The Roman law on this
point ought to be inflated
Second-That the relations of Gen. Schenck
| to the vendors of the Emma mine were of such
character as to cast suspicion upon his mo-
tives and subject his action to unfavorable crit
| icism. But the committee believe he was not
| guilty of fraud or of any fraudulent nten-
| ton in connection with the company or the
| vendors of the mine.
Third-That his subsequent speculative deal
| ings in the shares of the company were not
| compatible with his diplomatic station and the
maintenance of position of honor and use
fulness at the court near which he was accred-
tied.
The committee therefore submit the follow
ing resolution and unanimously recommend its
passage by the House:
Resolved, That this House condemns the &C.
ton of Gen. Robert c. Schenck, U. s. Minister
at the Court of St. James, in becoming direc-
tor of the Emma Silver Mining Company of
London, and his operations in connection with
the shares of said company and the vendors
thereof aSill-advised, unfortunate and incom-
patible with the duties Of his official position,
The report went over till tomorrow, and Mr..
Hendee. a member of the Committee on the
District of Columbia, presented to the House
as privileged question, the fact of clandestine
procurement of report which the chairman of
that committee had prepared, and of its publ
cation. AS that paper had gone to the country
as the report of the committee, he declared
that no report had been agreed upon and had
not even been discussed for more than an hour,
He offered a resolution instr netting the District
Committee to inquire as to the manner in which
the copy of that paper had been obtained for
publication, and by whom and from whom it
was obtained
House then adjourned.