The Portland daily press., 1876-01-28
Forty Fourth Congress-First Session.
SENATE.

Delegation OF the Ch0ctaW, creek and CherG-
kee Indians now in Washington, asking the
on the Indian Territory roads. Referred to the
Committee on Territories.
Mr.. Boutwell, presented a petition of the
citizens of Boston, asking the abolition of two
cent stamps on bank checks. Referred to the
Finance Committee.
He also presented report prepared by the
chief clerk of the Treasury Department and
submitted to the Secretary in December 1872,
in regard to erroneous practices in accounting
in the treasury, which had grown up in usage
or been authorized by law Mr.. Boutwell, said
that when the report was prepared, bill was
submitted to the Committee on Ways and
Means of the House, which was approved by
that committee and passed by the House, but
failed IN the Senate. That bill was for the
purpose of correcting all such erroneous prac-
tees. He thought that the report prepared by
the chief clerk was of sufficient importance to
be printed for the use of the Senate, and there
fore moved to have it printed. Agreed to.
MI. Morrill, presented petitions of manufac-
turers OF envelopes, stationery and printers
material, asking for a law to discontinue the
sale of stamped envelopes by the government
post-ofice.
Mr.. Sargent of California submitted a pre-
amble and resolution recitng tie provisions of
the third section of the act of July /, 1872, in
regard to aid for the construction of a! railroad
from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean,
to the effect that the lands granted said road
not disposed of within three years after the
completion of the road should be disposed of
for settlement at the price therein named, and
directing the Committee on Public Lands to
inquire at what date said road was completed,
if the time fixed for the sale of such land had
expired, and what further legislation is neces-
sary to carry into effect the act of 1862 above
referred to. Agreed to.
Mr.. Clayton gave notice that Tuesday he
would call up the bill to amend section 1903 of
N r6 IN fhn -
tions on the disposal OF public lands in the
states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana.
Arkansas and Florida.
Mr.. Morrill, called up the joint resolution to
authorize the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia to pay interest on bonds The
amendments reported by the Committee on
Appropriations to strike out of the House bill
the clause prohibiting any further issue of the
3.65 bonds, and that nothing in the bill shall
be construed as binding upon the government
of the United States to pay the interest or
the bonds issued contrary to or in pursuance of
the law, were agreed to.
The bill was discussed until the expiration If
the morning hour. when it was laid aside and
the bill to confirm the presumption and home
stead entries of public lands within the limits
or raIlaoad fronts in cases where such entries
have been made under the regulations of the
Land Department was taken up
The pending amendment being that submit
ted yesterday by Mr.. Howe, providing that
nothing in the act shall be construed to affect
the title which the State of Wisconsin or its
assigns may have to lands granted to the state
to aid in constructing railroad, approved
June Sd, 1856 it was rejected-yeas s, nays Al
Mr.. Howe then submitted an amendment
providing that The Commissioner General oil
the Land Office shall not hereafter restore such
lands to market without authority from Con-
gress Reiected-yeas II, nays 81.
Mr.. Howe next submitted an amendment
providing that nothing in the act shall be held
to confer on the general land office the power to
restore to market any land once granted to a
state for railroad purposes. Rejected
Mr.. Frelinghuysen submitted an amendment
providing that nothing contained in the act
shall affect any rights that are now vested.
Rejected. Yeas 16, nays 80.
Mr.. Cameron of Wisconsin, submitted an
amendment to strike out of the Sd section the
words, ''or when the grantee was in default lin
the performance of any of the conditions i'm
posed by such grant," so that toe section shall
read, THAT all such presumption and home.
stead entries which may have been made by
permission of the land department or in pur
suauce of the rules and instructions thereof
within the limits of any land grant at time
subsequent to the expiration of, such gram
shall be deemed valid and compliance with
the laws, and the making of proof required
shall entitle the holder of such claim to a pat
ent therefor" Agreed to.
Mr.. Merrimon submitted an amendment thai
the act shall not be SO construed as to imply
any obligation of the United States to compen-
safe any person on account of any claim or
right embraced or affected by is. Rejected
Yeas 16, nays 80.
The bill having been considered as in Com.
mittee of the Whole was reported to the Sem
ate and the amendments made by the commit
tee agreed to.
The bill passed. Yeas "A, nays9.
Mr. English presented several petitions OF
Citizens Of New Haven asking.a repeal of the
law providing for the resumption of specie pay.
ments and for the reception of greenbacks by
the government in payment of !duties on par
with gold coin. Referred to the Finance Com.
mittee.
On motion of Mr. Morrill, of Maine, the
House bill to provide for the payment of inter
est on the 365 District of Columbia bonds was
taken up SO as to come up as unfinished bust
ness tomorrow.
Senate at 4.3O p. m. adjourned.e
HOUSE
Mr.. Whitehouse of New York offered a reso
luton authorizing the Secretary of the Navy tt
render Professor Orion certain facilities in con
necton with the proposed survey between Pan
anna and Southern Peru.
question of privilege was raised by Mr.
Dunnell of Minnesota in reference to some re.
marks made by Mr.. White of Kentucky some
days ago which were regarded as offensive tC
Mr.. Adams. clerk of the House, and which
Mr.. White had at the time agreed to expunge
from the report of his speech in the Congress
sional Record. Mr.. Dunnei. however, com
planned that portion of the offensive matter
found its way into the report and he asked
that one of the members from kentucky might
be allowed to make a statement to the House
in vindication of the clerk. The House bavine
given its assent, Mr.. Knott of Kentucky quoted
the offensive remark, which had reference to
the first vote vote of Mr.. Adams when mem
Der of Congress on what Mr.. White designated
the salary !grab,' and secondly, rejecting on
Mr. Il no. Tnfo
Mr. Knott defended Mr. Adams record in
both these connections. The discussion was
participated in by Messrs, Hale of Maine,
Blackburn of Kentucky, and Dunnell of Min
nesota.
Mr.. Hoar of Massachusetts objected to fur.
Their alteration of the record, and there the
matter ended.
Mr.. Hereford of West Virginia, from the
Committee on Commerce, reported back ad-
versely on the bill to establish department of
commerce. Tabled
Mr. CANON of Illinois, from the Committee
on Post-ofices, reported bill to amend sec.
tions 1898 and 1894 providing penalties for the
sending of obscene matter through the mails.
The bill having been read, Mr.. Cougher of
Michigan criticized it as being too general and
sweeping, in that it would apply to newspa-
pers in which an offensive advertisement might
be inserted.
Mr.. Cannon defended the bill, claiming that
it was mere modification of the existing law
and that it did not apply to advertisements in
newspapers unless they were received or pub.
lished in pursuance of a scheme to disseminate
this offensive kind of literature.
Mr.. Cougher, in view of Mr.. Cannon's expla-
nation, withdrew his objection.
Mr.. Hoar criticised one of the descriptions of
prohibited matter used in the bill-things adopt
ed for any indecent or immoral purpose-as
being too broad, and recalled the time when
anti-slavery newspapers were brown out of the
mails as immoral publications.
Mr.. Cannon defended the bill from Mr..
Hoar's criticism and claimed that the whole
scope of the bill was devised for the purpose of
preventing the circulation of obscene matter
through the mails.
Mr.. Chittenden of New York, moved the re-
committa of the bill, and expressed his desire
to go before the committee in order that he
might show by recent transactions that occur
red in Brooklyn the improperly Of such law.
Mr.. Bland of Mo-, suggested that such law
would exclude from the mails the newspapers
containing the reports of the Beecher trial.
Mr.. Cannon avowed himself in favor of ex-
Guiding the reports of trials of an obscene char
acter or of a character calculated to corrupt the
morals of the country.
Mr.. Hoar of Mass, referred to the bill re-
ported by Mr.. Poland and said the press was
quite right in its opposition to that law, but in
his judgment the bill clearly exposed the press
of the country to q danger hundred-fold
greater than Mr.. Poland's bill. The bill was
recommtted.