The Portland daily press., 1876-02-02
Forty Fourth C0ngress-First Session.
SENATE.

mittee.
Mr.. Sherman, from the finance committee,
reported back the concurrent resolution pro.
posing com non unit of money and accounts
between the United States and Great Britain,
with reasons why it should be passed, and
asked that Ithe whole matter be printed and
recommitted. 1t was so ordered.
Mr. Morrill, of Maine, from the committee on
appropriations, reported with amendments the
House bill making an appropriation for the
ed on the calendar.
Several bills were introduced and referred
AT the expiration of the morning hour the
$50 District of Columbia bill was takeu up.
Mr.. ingalls, called attention to the fact that
the bill relating to rights of preemption and
homestead settlers which passed last Thursday
was still retained by the clerk at the request of
Senator, and raised the point of order that
such proceeding was not right.
The clerk was instructed by the Speaker to
read the rule by which any bill can be retained
two days after its passage in order that senators
may make motion to reconsider, but such
motion cannot be made after the bill has left
the Senate.
After debate the resolution was passed that
the Committee on Rules report on the expedi-
ency OF so amending the rules as to require the
secretary of the Senate, at the request of one
or more senators who voted in the affirmative
on any bill or joint resolution, not to transmit
to the House of Representatives until the time
for reconsideration shall have passed, rf
The District Of Columbia bill was then taken
up.
Mr.. Bayard denounced the Shepherd gov.
ernment of the District and said every man in
the District whom he (Bayard) had conversed
with said the removal of Shepherd was only
nominal thing. His men Were still in Office
and his influence was around the commission
erS.
He had been informed that the counsel en-
ployed by Shepherd and his associates when the
taxpayers of the District were fighting them
were paid with these 365 bonds. He had also
been informed that $25, 900 of this money had
been paid to one of their party papers for pub
fishing the testimony taken before the commit
tee There had been cases where vigilance
committees swept city governments from exist
ence for one-half the wrong committed in this
District. He believed the commissioners could
pay the interest on these bonds if they would
take the money in their hands to do it and not
keep it to appropriate hereafter for another
purpose. In conclusion he favored the adop-
tion of the provision in the House bill that
nothing in the resolution should involve the
government of the United States in any oblga-
ton to pay the principal or interest of the
bonds which have been issued contrary to or
not in pursuance of the law, and at the proper
time he would move to restore that provision to
the bill.
Mr.. Morton said the Senator from Daleware
spoke OF such extravaganza not being permit
ted to exist in any community having self gov
ernment. Who voted to destroy the right Of
self government in this District and who was
in favor of now governing the District by COM
missioners? The popular government had
been stricken down here, and it was at the ap-
probation of every Democratic Senator.
MIR. Stephenson asked if all the abuses COM
planned of in the district did not spring up
under the popular government in the hands of
the party to which the Senator from Indiana
belonged.
Mr.. Morton said he had understood hereto
fore that the Board Of Public Works had been
charged with these enormities. That board
was an appointed government and not one
elected by the people. He complained of that
in the beginning. This debt was not saddIed
upon the people of the district by government
elected by themselves, but was put upon them
by an appointed government. In reply to a
question of Stephenson's he said the joint
committee which made the investigation into
the district affairs reported unanimously in IA
vor of the Board of Commissioners, but it was
intended that the government by them should
be only temporary and committee was ap-
pointed to prepare system of permanent gov
ernment A bill was prepared and rejected at
the last session and the Board of Commission
ers. therefore continued. He (MortOn) never IA
vored the issue of the 365 bonds, but the Sena-
tors of both sides did faver their issue, and if it
was mistake it could not be said that it was a
mistake of the Republican party.
Mr.. Stephenson inquired if the legislature
suffrage had not approved the contracts made
by the Board of Public Works.
Mr.. Morton replied that those contracts did
not receive the sanction of the legislature and
that was fact which the Senator from Ohio
(Thurman) had complained of. In conclusion,
Morton argued that those who voted for the act
of June 20, 1874, voted to complete any legal
contract made by the Board of Public Works,
be they few or many.
SargentS amendment was agreed to,
After further discussion Senate went into
executive session and at $40 adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Pierce of Mass, from the Committee on
Commerce, reported bill granting an Ameri
can register to the Hawaiian bark Arctic. >
Mr.. Wood of New York, opposed the bill as
adverse to public policy and expressed the
opinion that one of the principal reasons why
the United States had lost control of the carry
lug trade of the world was the attempt made
by ship owners during the war to evade dam
ger by sailing under the protection of foreign
flag, as in the case under consideration.
Mr.. Pierce advocated the bill and explained
that the Arctic had been employed as the sup
ply ship of the whaling fleet aud that if she
had not changed her flag the feet would have
been kept without supplies.
Mr.. Hereford of w. Va, defended the bill,
advocating it as centennial measure.
Mr.. Kasson of Iowa, said he supported this
single proposition because it was in the right
uiSooiop, ouu uO uOpCu tuc COmulbtt0 Ou
Commerce would do the same for all ship own
ers who were in the same situation. If Con-
greSS expected to restore American commerce
it had got to liberaze its legislation far beyond
the proposition involved in this bill. He hoped
to see the time when the Americans might buy
ships wherever they could get them and put
them under the American flag at least for a
limited period so as to restore American men
to the habits of the sea, and American mer.
chants to knowledge of commerce and the
world, and then if Congress pleased to restove
the protective principle and to require all bot
toms to be built in this country it might be So
but while American ship yards were sileut as
they have been for years, it had been deemed
necessary to protect the interests of American
ship building and therefore positive prohibition
been transferred to another flag. The gentle.
man from New York (Wood) did not certainly
oppose the bill on that theory.
Mr.. Wood replied that he was not specially
opposed to the passage of this bill, but that bis
remarks were intended to be general in their
application. Mr.. Wood was as advocate of
free ships and had been always in favor of free
trade. believing that American industry Amer
lean enterprise, American capital and Ameri-
lean progresslveness enabled this country to
compete with all other countries
After further discussion the bill was passed,
Mr.. Goodwin, from the Committee on Public
Lands, reported a bill providing for the sale of
the Kansas Indians lands.
Ine morning hour having expired, the bill
went over to the next morning hour and the
House took up as a special order the proposed
amendment to the constitution reposted from
the Judiciary Committee, which is that mo
person who has held or may hereafter hold the
office OF President shall ever again be eligible
to said Office
To this proposition Mr.. Frye member of the
j Jodiciary Committee, offered the following as a
substitute:
From and after the 4th day of March, 1856,
The term of Office of President and Vice Pres
dent of the United States shall be six years,
aud any person having been elected to and held
he office of President, or who has for two years
held such office, shall be ineligible to re-elec-
;ion.'
The subject was discussed by Messrs. Knott
II Kentucky, New of Indiana, Frye of Maine
McCrary of Iowa, Caulfield of Illinois, Law
renee Of Ohio, and Harrison of Illinois.
MIR. Knott gave notice that he would call the
previous question on Wednesday at the expira.
Of tha ho,