Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-01-28
FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
FRIDAY, January IS.

Mr.. Hitchcock presented memorial OF ter
ritortsl assembly of New Mexico, asking the
passage OF an enabling act for the admission
of New Mexico into the Union. Referred TO
Committee on Territories.
Mr.. Morrill,, of Maine, from Committee on
meDt the b ssd he snend
call it up on Monday.
Mr.. Ferry, from Committee on Post Offices,
Smith, postmaster at Pennington, New
Jersey, $500 for postage stamps stolen from
his office in December, 1873. Passed.
MI; Morton, from COMMITTEES on Privileges
and Elections, submitted q report that there
is no vacancy in the Office OF Senator from
Louisiana, and recommending that the
laid ON the table; that F. B. S. Pinchback
was duly elected as Senator from Louisiana
January, 1873.
Mr.. Salisbury, Mr.. Merrimon and Mr..
Cooper exp essed their dissent as members
of the Committee on Privileges and Elec-
tions from the report of the majority.
Mr.. Hitchcock introduced bill 70 provide for
| the payment OF claims for Indian depreia-
tons. Referred 10 Committee on Indian
Affairs.
Mr.. Merrimon introduced bill to prescribe
an oath of office. Referred 10 Committee on
the Jud iciary.
Mr.. English introduced bill to revise,
amend, and consolidate the statutes relating
TO patents and copyrights. Referred to Com
mlttee on Patents.
Mr.. Morton gave notice that on Thursday
OF next week he would ask the Senate To
take up for action the Louisiana Senatorial
case.
Mr.. Logan introduced bill TO establish a
mint for the coinage of gold and silver at
Chicago. Referred 10 the Committee on FL
nance.
The unfinished business, being the bill in
reference 10 the payment of the
INTEREST ON THE DISTRICT 3.65 BONDS,
the question being on the amendment OF Mr..
Allison prohibiting any further issue OF the
bonds beyond the sum OF sis, 009, 900.
Mr.. Sargent moved further provisO that
all the certificates already issued and con-
verted into 3.65 bonds, all issuel and not yet
converted, and all certificates to be issued
shall not In the aggregate exceed the sum OF
$4,000 eco.
Mr. Hamilton asked Mr. Sargent If he sup
posed thai this would stop the issue OF these
Doncs. These Commissioners had already
issued five millions In violation OF law, and
now 1t was proposed to recognize q / the GER
tjficates that they had issuel or would issue.
The next thing they would have the issue up
To fifty millions. This thing must be stopped
somewhere.
Mr.. Sargent said he did not agras with the
Senator that the law had been violated. II
was loosely drawn, and the Commissioners
had miscOEcelved its scope. His amend
ment was to limit positively the issue TO
Sl5Co9,000.
Mr.. Sherman said in reply to the structures
of Mr.. Allison on the actio1of the Commits
sIOners, that they were men of ability and Of
high character. He disagreed with Mr.. Sar-
gent that the law was loosely drawn He
thought il was very carefully drawn, and
showed that IL was the work Ofable lawyers.
",
that under its provisions the Comm ssioners
were expressly authorized TO 90 what they
had done. Nothing could be more clear,
and his friend from Iowa (Allisou) was en-
tirely mistaken. There was not in the
la W any distinction between the legal con-
tracts made ny the Board of Public Works
and the District government 1t would have
been wrong to make any such distinction.
TIE Board Of Public Works were the crea-
lures of Congress, and Congress was respon-
sible for all action taken by them in pursu-
of q Al TCf ~af uaea
the Commissioners Shall carry out all exist
ing legal contracts made by the Board OF
Public Works. II was their duty TO execute
these contracts in their fullest details, and
the Board OF Audit was expressly empow-
cred TO approve OF il. IL was not their
fault the committee had made mistake IN
estimating the probable amount. These
Commissioners had no reason TO act improp-
erly, they were not citizens Of this District,
they came here from distant states and found
this law directing them what TO do. They
nad examined all the contracts with the
greatest care, and a they were bound to do,
they executed all valid contracts. They did
not make these contracts. Why should they
be reproached? Not one single act was done
by them but had to be, and was, passed upon
by the board OF audit. They mad nothing
whatever to do except TO say what con-
tracts Were legal and what were not
They paid no money; they carried no bonds.
This was all done by the Board of Audit
These commissioners had even no control
over the measurement, which was done by
an officer of the army, designated by Com
gress. These Commissioners naturally feel
sensitive at the criticisms passed upon them
Tor doing their duty in executing the instruc-
tions of Congress. Mr.. S. then detailed the
operations OF the Commissioners as gathered
from their report, and rel terated his opinion
that the Commissioners, in the extraordi-
nary emergency in which they were called
TO act, had acted properly aud in manner to
promote the public good. They had, when IL
was better, compounded with the contrac-
tors and changed the nature OF the work, and
IN no case that he had heard OF was
there any complaint. He then discussed the
character of the SIS bonds, and said though
not In name, they were in fact a government
bond. The appropriation to pay the interest
on these bonds ought to be made directly
rom the Treasury; and what proportion is
proper for the citizens of the District TO pay
should be levied by taxes and paid into the
Treasury, just as other citizens of theUnited
states pay their taxes into the Treasury. He
would rot oppose this bill, because there
was so little time left, but the bill was wrong.
II was taking money from the Treasury APP
propriated for school and other purposes In
the District, and creating deficiency which
would have TO be made up later in the ses-
sion.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Journal OF yesterday was read by Mr. Thos.
w. Petit, the new reading clerk, and late
tally clerk or the House, successor TO Dr.
Mehaffey.
The Speaker announced the following as
members of the select Committee on the
and the Jay Cooke failure. viz: MeSsrs.
Glover, (MO.;) New, (Ind.;) Lewis, (Ala.;)
Pratt, (Iowa,) and Smith, PA
Mr.. Whitthorne TENN offered a resolC-
ton authorizing subcommittee OF the
Committee ON Naval Affairs, consisting of
Messrs. Whitthone, Willis and Danford, be
permitted TO make inquiry, directed by the
House, into the management of navy yards
and the misappropriation of the money ap-
prOpr:ated for the construction OF vessels Of
war, so far as said inquiry relates TO the
Norfolk navy yard at that place. Adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Morrison, (Ill.,) it was
by unanimous consent ordered that the ses-
sion OF to- morrow Saturday be for debate
only.
ANTI STATES RIGHTS.
Mr.. Goodin, Kansas asked leave to offer
the following joint resolution for immediate
consideration by the House:
ResOiUei, That the people of the United
States constitute nation in the sense, to the
extent and for the purpose defined in the
federal constitution.
ReSolCed, That the government OF the
United States is federal union and was
formed by the people of the several states in
their sovereign capacity; that the rights and
powers OF the United States government are
defined and limited by the federal constitu-
ton, and these rights and powers cannot be
enlarged nor diminished except by an