The Portland daily press., 1876-07-21
Forty Fourth Congress-FIrst Session.
SENATE,


section requiring the Attorney General of the
United States to ascertain the amount of ex-
penses incurred in the two suits against the
Leavenworth, Lawrence 81 Galveston railroad,
and the Missouri, Kansas 81 Texas Railroad
Co., aud test the validity of the title to such
lands claimed by railroad companies and pro-
vidng for the payment of the same by the Sec
rotary of the Interior to settlers who brought
the suits.
Pending discussion the morning hour expir-
ed and the bill was laid over.
Mr.. Patterson submitted a resolution re-
questing the President to communicate to the
Senate if not incompatible with public interest
any information he may have in regard to the
recent slaughter OF American citizens in South
Carolina. Agreed to-
Mr.. Window, member of the conference
committee on the Indian appropriation bill
said that the conn ittee thus far had been una
BILE to meet because the managers on the part of
the House thought it best not to hold meet
ing until after the Senate should express itself
on the separate bill for the transfer of the In
dian bureau to the War Department which was
recently passed by the House.
Senate then resumed the articles of impeach-
ment against Belknap,
Mr. Blair of the counsel for the defence op-
ened his argument. He addressed himself to
the question of jurisdiction and argued that the
impeachment should be dismissed on the ground
that more than One-thrd of the Senate voted
against it, He could not account for the per-
sistency of this prosecution unless the mana
gers expected that these senators who voted
against jurisdiction would stultify themselves
and vote for conviction now.
Mr.. Robertson of S)uth Carolina thought
such language towards senators very harsh
Mr.. Blair explained and said he did not mean
to be personal towards senators. He only spoke
| of the action of the managers as having the APP
pearance that they expected senator's would
stulify themselves by voting for the conviction
Of defendant. He then reviewed the articles of
| impeachment seridtim.
DIo;r tol l.. Il.
| ny in support of his argument that the charges
| had not been proven and claimed that the at
| taching of such Importance to things Of a tri-
| fling nature showed the weakness of the cir
| cumstances upon which the prosecution rested.
| He also argued that the managers had sup
pressed great part of the truth in the case.
| Abiding to the testimony Of Associate Justice
Miller of the U. S. Supreme Court, as to the
| good character of the accused, Mr.. Blair said
| that he was one of the purest men on the Su-
preme bench, man whose vigor of intellect
| everyone recognized, but he came to give his
| testimony as to the good character of defend
ant when others through the organized assas-
sins of CHARACTERISTIC press-frowned him
that his client should be dismissed because
there was not the legal two-thirds of the Senate
asserting jurisdiction.
| Mr.. Merrimon submitted two questions
which he said he would like to hear discussed
| by the counsel. First was a senator dissent
ing on the qde stion of jurisdiction not bound
| by the majority just as dissenting Judge on
the Supreme Court bench was bound by the
majority; second. what was meant by the term
conviction in the Constitution, whether there
could be conviction without disqualification to
| hold office?
Mr.. Blair replied that senator voting in the
minority was not bound by the majority. In
| regard to the second question he expressed the
| opinion that there could be conviction without
disqualification to hold Office, though he had
| not examined into the matter carefully.
After some discussion as to whether mana
| ger should go on with the argument on the side
OF the prosecution today in the absence from
| illness of Mr.. Carpenter, who was to reply, the
/ Senate sitting as a court on motion of Mr..
Conkling took recess for ten minutes.
| Upon reassembling the impeachment pro-
| ceedingS were suspended temporarily and legis-
| lative business resumed
Mr.. Window introduced bill to continue
for ten days from date the provisions of the act
to provide temporarily for the expenses of the
| government. Passed.
Mr.. Anthony introduced bill authorizing
the Congressional printer to continue the pub
lie printing for period of ten days in advance
| of the regular appropriation. Passed.
| A message was received from the House an
nouucing the passage by that body of the bill
to continue the act to provide temporarily for
/ the expenditures of the government till July
3lst, and on the motion of Mr.. West the Senate
/ cencurred therein.
Senate at O'Clock adjourned.
HOUSE.
The House proceeded to vote on the second
section of the bill for the protection of the
Texas frontier, and it was rejected-yeas SO,
| nays SC.
The bill was then passed.
The following is the text:
That for the purpose of giving efficient protection
/ to the country between the Rio Frande and Nneces
/ rivers in the State of Texas from cattle thieves
robbers and murderers from the Mexican side of the
river the President of the United States is hereby
1 authorized md kaop 4bo
Rio Grande river from the mouth of that river to the
Fort Darean and above necessary two regiments of
cavalry for field service in addition to such infantry
force as may be necessary for garrison duty and to
assign recruits to said regiments fill each troop to
the number of hundred privates. and they shall be
up to that strength as long they shall be required
| in that service
1t was attempted ON motion of Mr. Hale of
Maine, to adjourn the House from to-day till
Monday to give the members a rest from the
| hot weather and to allow the conference COM
mittees to work uninterruptedly without their
| members being repeatedly called to vote on the
| various questions. This motion failed, but it
was agreed that when the house adjourn to-
| morrow it be to meet again Monday next.
Mr.. Randall of Pa, made the conference re-
port on the sundry civil appropriation bill and
| proceeded to explain it. He said that the esti-
mates submitted by the department amounted
to over $32,0OO,0OO; the bill as originally re-
| ported by the Committee on Appropriations
| amounted to $14,626,9 S1: that as it passed the
| House it appropriated 1885,, 1926 with unex-
| pended balance of $569,OOO; that the Senate
had increased it by 81, O6S, 800; thatn confer
ence the Senate yielded to the amount of $4,-
1925 and the House 1921 ,134; the bill now
appropriated SIG, 357 ,905 against $26 GA $50 in
the like bill last year-a saving of $40, 286, 445
| He regretted the statement made in the Senate
that these large reductions would have to be
met by deficiency bill next session, and he
warned the executive officers from being in
duced by such statements to make expendi-
lures or to incur obligations beyond the sums
| appropriated in the bill. He felt that under
this bill no department of the government
would be crippled and he declared that the
next House would discountenance any def
| cheney bill.
Mr.. Hale Of Maine the Republican member
OF the conference committee, followed in fur
Their elucidation of the report but he did not
agree with Randall that there would be no de-
ieiency bill required next session. Even the
incidental expences of the House itself will 4
result in deficiencies. 1t ould be only when
such deficiencies were reported that the actual
expenditures OF the year would be known. He
referred to the speech made by the late Senate
Morrill, of Maine to show that instead of the
Senate being 1000, 900 apart from the House
it had yielded $22,O00,000 and that the real
difference between the two houses on all the
appropriation bills was only between So. 600.
900 and $8,000,000.
After long discussion the report was adopt
ed.
The bill goes to the President for his sigma
ture.
Randall from the Committee on Appropria-
TONS. reported bill .appropriating $1,000 for
the expenses Of the joint select committee on
Chinese immigration. Passed.
Also bill extending to the 31st of July the
bili making temporary provision for expenses
OF the government.
MIR. Phillips of Kansas, made the conference
report on the bill for the sale of the reservation
OF confederated Otoe and Missouri Indians in
Kansas.
The report was not agreed to, ayes 6S, nays
Another veto message to the bill to revise
the Revised Statutes in connection1wth post
office matters was received and referred to the
Post Office Committee.
Sampson of Iowa, from the Committee ON
Patents, reported back the Senate bill TO pun
ish the counterfeiting of trademarks. Passed.
House at o'clock adjourned.
Grimes and Casualties.
The house and barn of True G. Sanborn at
Sundown, N. H., were burned Wednesday
night Loss about $4,000; partially insured.
The fire was caused by children playing with
matches.
Sheppard Pratt Wiley murdered his wife at
Pemberton, Pa, Monday, under the in