The Portland daily press., 1876-08-11
Forty Fourth Congressional Session,
SENATE,

ton of the Senate to print 1000 copies of the
majority and minority reports of special COM
mittee which recently investigated the Missis-
sippi affairs, was agreed to and the resolution
passed. GAS passed the bill provides that
1900 copies be printed for the Senate and $500
for the House.
Mr.. Allison called up the conference report
on the river and harbor appropriation bill, and
bill as agreed upon by the Committee on ap-
preparations was exactly $5,000,000.
Mr.. Conkling said the committee had taken
from the appropriation for the removal of
rocks in Long Island Sound $4,000, reducing
the amount for that work to $250,0OO. A more
been made in the whole bill. The rocks could
be no more plainly seen on any chart of the
coast survey than they could be seen in the
tariff Of marine insurance. There they stood
as danger and raising the rates of marine in
surance every day in the year. He thought the
committee had in this made very grave error.
Mr.. Herman concurred in the views of his
colleague as to the improperly of reducing
the appropriation tor He'll Gate i'm
provement. He also spoke of the
ment andisaid it had been reduced from $780,
900 to $4,000. These were works of national
importance and should not be sighted for
works in interior of no importance.
The Senate agreed to the report Of the con-
ference committee on the river and harbor ap-
preparation bill. AS agreed upon it includes
appropriations of $3.50 900 for removing OBJ
structions in East River and He'll Gate, New
York, and $4,000 for Boston harbor.
The Judiciary committee reported the follow
ing as substitute for the House joint resolu-
ton proposing an amendment to the constitu.
ton concerning religion and common schools:
Resolved BY the Senate and House of Repre-.
sentatives, two-thirds of each House concur
ring therein that the following article be pro-
posed to the legislatures of the several state
&c opdn m tho mt IF fha
United States, which, when ratified by three
fourths of said legislatures shall be valid as
part of said constitution, namely
Article 16. No state shall make any law re-
specting an establishment of religion or prohib'
iting the free exercise thereof and no religious
test shall be required as qualification to any
Office or public trust under any state. No pub
lie property and no public revenue of, nor any
loan of credit by or under authority Of the
United States or any state, territory. district or
municipal corporation, shall be appropriated to,
or made or used for the support of any school,
educational or other institution under control
of any religious or anti-religious Sect organiza-
ton or denomination, or wherein the particular
creed or tenets of any religions or anti-religi0us
sect, organization or denomination shall be
taught and no such particular creed or tenets
shall be read or taught in any school or insti-
tuition supported in whole or in part by such
revenue or loan of credit, and no such appro-
pration or loan of credit shall be made to any
religious VI dutl-ItliSluuS StCt, OrSdulAdLOu Or
denomination, or to promote its interests or
tenets; the article shall not be construed to
prohibit the reading of the Bible in any school
or institution and it shall not have effect to
impair rights Of property already vested.
Section 2. Congress shall have power by
appropriate legislation to provide for preven-
ton and punishment of violations of this arti-
cle
The vote on agreeing to the report was SO
nays to 10 nays.
leigh, Wallace and Whyte voted in the mega
tive.
Mr.. Edmunds who voted in the negative,
changed his vote to the affirmative just before
the vote was announced and then entered a
motion to reconsider the vote by which the re-
port was agreed to. After some discussion his
motion was rejected without division.
The resolution to print 10000 extra copies of
the message OF the President and accompany
ing documents in regard to the recent difficulty
at Hamburg, S. c., was then taken up.
Mr.. Sherman referred to the last clause of
the St. Louis platform and said it was con-
cessiOn to the soft money men. Gov. Tilden
was against it. 1t was intended for the In
diana election and intended to have double
meaning. In Ohio the repeal of the resump-
sumption act and an initiation measure, while
in New York it was only held to be repeal of
the resumption clause of that act 1t had pur-
pously devised double meaning. He then re.
ferred to the statutes of New York to show
that Gov. Tilden himself had approved an act
of the legislature of that state, providing for
the return of specie payments at the same
time named by Congress (Jan. /, 1879 yet he
now called this resumption act OF Congress
sham. Sherman then referred to Hendricks
and spoke of him as an inflationist
Mr.. Mcdonald denied that Gov. Hendricks
had ever advocated the initiation of the curren-
cy and said that the Senator from Ohio could
not point to an instance where he had
Mr.. Sherman resuming said he could not re-
member all the speeches OF Hendricks, but he
was certainly regarded as being on that side of
the question. He then spoke of the plan of
Tiden to resume specie payments and said
that he favored the boarding of gold and silver.
How did his proposition differ in the slightest
degree from that of Gen. Grant in his last mes
sage? Gov. Tilden also said that the country
must have enough coin to redeem fractional
currency. He was behind the times This
had been already done SO that this part of his
platform had been accomplished by the Repub-
lican party and the first of it had been recon-
mended by President Grant to Democratic
House of Representatives 1t was dsregarded
by that House. Referring to the public debt
he said since Gen. Grant came into power the
expenses of the government every year had
fallen below the income. One yesr they paid
800. 100000 on the public debt and another
$102, 100000. Every year, even in the hardest
times, the Republican party had saved money
aud appliediit to the payment of the debt.
In reply to Mr.. Bogy, Mr.. Sherman said he
would leave the exchange of note which was
legal tender for a silver dollar not legal ten
der above 500 obtained with the holder. He
said that he was willing to leave the question
of repeating the law of 1878 to allow the use of
silver and make it legal tender to commits
sion. He said both Hayes and Tilden were
committed to specie payment, and the ques-
ton was which party, which set of men could
be trusted to bring about this great result.
Mr.. Mcdonald said he would support the
resolution of his colleague, Morton, because he
was in favor of giving the people more light
on the subject.
Mr.. Boutwell, presented tables of losses on
each thousand dollars collected and expended
arranged by the administration since the foun-
dation of the government, showing that the loss
on each thousand dollars received during the
administration of Gen. Grant was SO cents, and
on each thousand dollars expended Sc cents.
He argued that this showed the Republican
party had kept its promises of 1868 to put down
fraud and reform the public service.
Pending the discussion, Mr.. Window called
up the House bill to provide temporarily for
expenditures of the government, and it was
passed.
Senate at $40 o'clock went into executive
session, and when the doors were reopened ad-
journed.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Lord offered resolution reciting that
the right of suffrage prescribed by the condi-
amendment, and that the exercise of said right
should be faithfully maintained and observed
by the United States and that it IS asserted
that the exercise of said right is in some states,
Notwithstanding efforts of good citizens, resist
ed and controlled by fraud, intimidation and
violence, so that the object of the 10Th amend
ment is defeated, and that all citizens, without
distinction of race or color, are entitled to the
rights conferred by said amendment, and de-
claring that all attempts by force fraud, terror
or otherwise to prevent a free exercise of the
right of suffrage should meet certain, condign
and effectual punishment, and that in any case
which has heretofore occurred or may hereafter
occur in which violence or murder has been or
shall be committed by one class or race or an
other, prompt punishment of the criminals is
imperatively demanded, whether the crime be
punishable by fine and imprisonment or one
demanding punishment of death.
Reading the resolution occasioned very gen.
eial surprise to Republicans, coming as it did
from the Democratic side. There was hurried
consultation among the Democrats, followed
by motion Of Mr. Clymer to send the resolu-
ton to the judiciary committee.
Mr.. Lord was pressed by the Republicans to
call the previous question, which he did. Great
confusion followed on the Democratic side of
the House, and it was apparent not many had
been consulted by Lord. On seconding the de-
mand the Democrats began fllibustering, and
nearly all abstained from voting. Vote stood