The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-03-24
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.


lection of agriculture against iajurious in
sects, which authorizes the appointment of .
commissioner to investigate and gather in
formation relative to the Rocky mountain
, locust, chinch bug army worm, hessian fly
potato bug, and other insects injurious tC
vegetation, in order to devise successful
methods for their destruction, etc. The bill
; was amended so as to include the cotton
worm, tobacco worm, etc, and passed. Mr.
Hitchcock moved that the bill to enable the
people of New Mexico to form a constitution
and state government, and for the admission
OF said state into the union on an equal foot
ing with the original states, be recOmmitted
to the committee on territories. Agreed to,
The senate then took up the resolution f0f
the admission of Pinch6nrk, and Mr.. Chris
tianey addressed the senate in opposition to
the resolution, arguing that Pinchback had
not prima facia case, and Kellogg was net
governor of Louisiana dejure. Mr.. Howe
spoke in favor of the admission of Pinchback,
but without coming to a vote the senate went
into executive session and adjourned,
In the senate, on the Sth, Mr.. Cameron,
of Wisconsin, presented a petition by over
10000 persons in regard to secret societies,
The petitioners declare their opposition to
all secret organizations. At the expiration
OF the morning hour the chair laid before the
! senate the unfinished business " mich was the
L y. ..
back as senator from Louisiana. Mr.. West
spoke in favor OF the admission of Pinchback
Ihe debate was lengthy and was participated
IN by Messrs. Logan, Harvey and Morton, who
| favored the admission of Pinchback, and Pad
| dock, Morrill, TNt1 and Edmunds, who pf1-
posed it. The question being on the amend
ment of Mr. Edmunds to insert the word "not'
| before the word " admitted" it was agreed to
| -32 to %. The question bein< on the reso-
lutisn as amended, it was agreed to by this
IaFa,, NJ Al l. 4 art
| to enable the people of New Mexico to form
a constitution and state government and for
admission of said state into the union, so it
would come up as unfinished business to-
morrow. After executive session the senate
| adjourned.
! In the senate, on the 9th, Mr.. Cragin,
from the committee on naval affairs, reported
back the bill authorizing the payment of
! prize money to the officers of the Farragut
| fleet, and asked that it be referred to the
committee on appropriations, So ordered,
| The house bill granting pension to Eliza
| beth r. Dyer, widow of Alex. B Dyer, late
! brigadiergeneral and chief of ordnance L..
| ). A, passed. Mr.. Gordon called up the
resolution submitted by him Tuesday, in
! structing the committee on finance to aseer-
I tain, If possible, what amendments to our
! revenue laws are necessary TO Secure ecuh-
/ omy and a certainty of collection of the in
! ternal revenue, and to prevent the recurrence
of official frauds in that branch of the public
service. Mr. Gordon said the resolution pro-
posed radical change in the revenue laws.
Had this resolution been dopted eight wears
ago even Joyce would have been compelled
| to act as an honest man. The whisky dis
tillers would have paid the tax and the
whisky ring would been impossible. Money
enough would have been saved to the gov
ernment to pay the cost of one hundred cen
tennial exhibitions or build the Pacific road
not only to California but around the world,
if there was land to sustain it. He believed
that there should have been received into the
treasury since 1864 over 81 200, ,0O0, 900 from
tax on whisky, but instead of that only about
$450,000,000 had been received. Mr.. Morton
said the senator (GOrdOn) had declared that
OOO,OOOOO0 had been stolen. Some money
had been, stolen but the senator was rather
extravagtnt in his figures. The government
was substantially in the hands of the demo-
cratic party in 1865, 1866, 1867 and 1868. The
tax collected on whisky during these years
are as follows; In 1866, S3S, ,26S, 900; in 1867,
$3S, $4,000 1868, $1S,655,0O0. And this with
tax of two dollars per gallon on whisky. In
1873 the tax collected whisky was $52,-
100000; in 1874 $49.000,00O, and in 1875
100000, and this with tax less than one
half as much as that imposed under the
johnson administration. After further dis
cussiOn the senate went into executive ses-
sion and adjourned.
presented a communication from the com.
missioner of agriculture in answer to a reso.
luton recently submitted by Senator Jones,
of Florida, in regard to the growth of Sea
island cotton. Ordered printed and referred
Senator Sherman presented the resolution of
the Cincinnati chamber of commerce oppos-
ing any change in the present law requiring
a draw in any bridge TO he erected over the
Ohio river. Referred. The senate then re-
sumed the consideration of unfinished busi-
ness, being bill to enable the people of New
Mexico to form constitution and state gov
ernment and for the admission of said ter
ritory into the union on an equal footing
with the original states. The bill provides |
that the constitution to be framed republican
in form, etc, shall be submitted to the people |
of the territory for their ratification or reiec-
ton, at an election to be held in November;
and if such constitution is ratified, the acting |
governor shall certify the same to the presi- |
dent of the United States, who shall there |
upon issue his proclamation declaring the |
state admitted without any further action |
whatever on the part of congress. The bill |
was read a third time and passed The
amendments of the house to the bill changing |
the time for holding terms of the district |
court of the United States for the district of |
West Virginia, were agreed to, and the bill |
passed, but subsequently Senator Edmunds |
made motion to reconsider the vote by |
which 1t was passed, which was agreed to, |
and the bill was then referred to the COM
mttee on the Judiciary. The chair then |
announced that the consideration of unob-
iected bills on the calendar would be resumed |
at the point where it was left off YESTERDAY |
The first bill was that of Senator Wright re- |
ducing the salary of the president of the
United States to that of twenty-five thousand
dollars per annum, but before it was consid-
cred the senate went into executive session
and adjourned TO Monday.
In the senate, on the 18th, the bill to
provide for and regulate the counting of
votes for president and vice-president came
up. Mr.. Bayard briefly addressed the sem
ate in opposition to the bill. Mr. Morton
said that the bill presented three important
changes from the old method, which he pro-
posed to point out. The bill provides for
debate or explanation while the vote was
being counted; it provides against the dis
reimbursement of any of the ststes, and it
provides that the vote of every stite shall be
counted. Mr. Boutwell, said he lad not the
faith in the wisdom of the bill that the chair
man Morton] had, although he should prob
ably vote for the bill. Mr.. Thurman said it
was time that some such measure was adopt-
ed, for he could easily foresee that the votes
of the states might sometime be thrown out
TO such an extent to plunge the country
into anarchy and rebellion. Mr. Whyte said
he would have it left Just where our fathers
and the constitution left it. Mr.. Allison in
trOduced bill providing for an agreement
with the Sioux Indians in regard to a portion
of their reservation. The senate went into
executive session and soon adjourned.
HOUSE.
In the house, on the 9TH, the senate
amendments to the house bill to provide for
the purchase of material and for continuance
of work on the custom-house building at st.
Louis were concurred in. Mr.. lawrence in
troduced a bill to prevent monopoly and ex-
orbitant charges in trading establishments at
military posts, and TO secure good order at
the same; also a bill to protect witnesses on
/ trial OF impeachment cases. Referred. Mr..
| Banning presented resolutions of the Gin
| cinnati chamber of commerce adverse TO any
/ law requiring a draw to be provided in every
/ bridge hereafter to be built across the Ohio
/ river. Referred. Mr.. Walling reported bill
/ to amend the homestead act, by authorizing
! proof Of residence, occupation, cultivation,
/ etc, to be made before the Judge of any
court of record in the county and state n