The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-11
Forty Fourth Congress-First Session.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.
Mr. Howe of Wisconsin, from the Joint COM
mittee on library, reported back the petition of
Rear Admiral Wilkes asking an investigation
as to the reason for stopping the publication of
the results of the exploring expedition under
his charge, and refusing to make payment
therefor. He asked that the committee be dis
charged from the further consideration of the
subject. 1t was ordered that the written report
presented by the committee be printed,
Mr.. Cragin, from the Naval Committee, re-
ported adversely on the petition of Command
er VIM. Gibson, retired, asking to be restored
to the active list. The committee was discharg.
ed.
The bill to extend the time for the construc-
ton and completion of the Northern Pacific
Railroad was passed by vote of 30 yeas to Is
nays.
The consideration Of the bill appropriating
ST., 100000 to aid the Centennial Exhibition was
resumed, and Mr. Norwood of Georgia. spoke
in opposition to it.
Senator Frelinghuysen, from the Committee
on Judiciary reported with amendments the
Senate bill to amend the 18th section Of act to
establish judicial courts of the United States,
approved Sept. 24th, 1889, in regard to the issue
of writs of mandamus by the U. s. Courts, the
appointment of persons to give them and the
collecting of tax for the payment thereof. He
said the bill passed the House and Senate at
the last session, but for want of time did not
receive the approval of the President The bill
was laid over till tomorrow.
The chair presented communication from
the Secretary of War in answer to a recent res
olution of the Senate, enclosing a statement of
the aggregate number of organized militia of
the several states. Tabled and ordered print
ed.
The Senate resumed the consideration Of bill
to extend time for the construction and COM
pletion of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
No tn md
to read "that this extension is granted upon
the express condition and understanding that
where REDEMPTION and homestead claims were
iniatory or private entries and locations were
allowed upon lands embraced in the grant of
said county prior to receipt of orders of with.
drawal at respective district land offices, the
lands embraced in such entry shall not be held
as within the grant of said county, and shall
be patented to the parties lawfully entered I'M
der provisions of the section," &c. Agreed to.
Senator Edmunds submitted an amendment
to the 4th section so as to provide that the act
shall not be construed to affect private rights
otherwise than as herein provided; and further,
that the act shall, as we'll as the charter of the
company and other acts and the resolution re-
lating thereto be subject to alteration. amend
ment or repeal, at the pleasure of Congress.
Agreed to.
Senator Ipgersoll moved to strike out the
proviso in the second section, so that it sEonld
not apply to lands heretofore patented to the
county nor to entries already cancelled and up.
on which the purchase money had been return
ed to the respective parties in interest. Agreed
to.
The bill was then read third time and pass
ed, yeas So, nays Is.
Yeas-Allison, Boutwell, Cameron of Pa, CAM
eron Of Wis, Caperton, Clayton, Conkling, Cragin,
huysen, Hamilton, Hove ingalls,, Jones Of FIa,
Morrill, Of Me-, NORTH Of w. Morton, ogesby, Pad,
dock, Patterson, Randolph, Sargent, Wallace and
Nays-Bayard. Booth, Cockrel, Cooper, Davis,
Goldthwaite, Harvey, johnson, McCreary, McDon-
Thurman, WadleIgh, White and Withers.
The morning hour having expired the chair
submitted the unfnishe business, being the
House bill appropriating $1.5OOOOO for the Gen.
NAL.
Mr.. Norwood opposed and Mr.. Mitchell sup
Mr.. Randolph obtained the floor but yielded
for an executive session, after which the Senate
adjourned.
The morning hour having been disposed
of, the House at 1922 went into the commit
tee Of the whole on the consular and diplomat
ic appropriation bill.
Mr.. Hale of Maine commenced his argument
by showing the importance in the past history
of the country, of the maintenance of foreign
missions, particularly the mission to England
during the rebellion. 1t would not be in the
light of all history of the past to cast slurs up
on diplomacy as thing not needed, and as a
thing which should be given up. He proceed
ed to criticise the speech of Messrs. Holman,
Springer and Cox in ridicule of the state paper,
and to account for the presents made by Minis
ter Baker to the Turkish officials, which he
justified on the ground of custom, saying it
had always been the fashion since the days of
Queen Sheba for oriental nations on exchange
OF treaties to exchange gifts. Passing on to
the consideration of the consular part of the
bill, he said that one of the distinctively i'm
portant things that American consuls attended
to insforeign ports, was giving relief and pro-
lection to American seamen in distress, and he
found that among the expurgated consulates in
this bill were three where there had been ex-
pended in!1S74 over.$S000 for the relief of Amer
lean seamen. If there had been no American
consuls at these ports, American seamen
would have had no relief.
Mr.. Lynch of Mississippi replied to that part
of his colleagues (Slngleton's) speech, in
which he spoke of the South being so overtax-
ed and burdened by debts that for many it was
impossible to obtain the common necessaries
OF life. He went on to show that the people
of Mississippi were taxed only 81 mill on the
dollar, of which only mills went for general
purposes, aud that they paid comparatively
nothing for the support of the general govern
ment. In conclusion he appealed to his COL
league to induce his party leaders to readopt
tuition and enforcement of the law. Gap.
plause.)
Mr.. Blaine of Maine then addressed the
committee, every seat in the House and gal
leries being occupied, and the closest attention
being given to his remarks.
Mr.. Blaine's speech in full will be found in
another place.
Although Mr.. Blaine spoke from printed
notes, yet his delivery was SO fine, his manner
so impressive, and the subject of his speech so
important, that there was not the slightest di-
first sentence to the last On the contraryathe
hall and galleries became more crowded as he
proceeded.
Mr.. Tarbox Of Massachusetts, said Mr..
Blaine's speech attempted the vlndication of
the financial policy of the party which had
ruled the country without let or hindrance
since the flower of peace blossomed on the
country, and was an attempted impeachment
OF the political action of that party, which had
had no power at all in the councils of the ma
ton.
Mr.. Randall of Pa, defended the action of
the committee in reporting this bill. The
committee had in no degree interfered with
any commercial interests of the country. The
committee had given the bill more considera-
ton than had been given any similar bill dur
ing his term in Congress. Jas to the diplomat
ic portion of the bill there were two questions
involved-the one reduction of salaries, the
other an abolition or consolidation Of missions.
In regard to the first he defended the commit
tee on the ground of necessity of economy and
frugality. AS to the consolidation of the South
American missions he recalled the fact that in
1869 a Republican House of Representatives
had voted for a like consolidation, which had
only failed to become law because of the on.
position of the Senate. AS to the mission to
Greece the committee had been informed by a
gentleman who had held the office under Mr..
inn AIMS ad aIpt5ir finV Akak
yalueless eitheriin diplomatic or com mercial
point OF view, and that there would be as
much reason in sending minister to Daho-
mey as to Greece. The committee had not
proposed to interfere with the mission to Port
ugal, as it was necessary to maintain a repre-
sentative there for reasons which were mani
fest to anybody. He closed by defending the
action of the committee in regard to China and
the South America consulates.
The committee then proceeded to consider
the bill by sections for amendments.
Mr.. Chittenden of New York moved to strike
out the paragraph making appropriations for
salaries of ministers to France, England. Rus
STA and Germany. He claimed to be- as GOOD
an economist as any man on the Democratic
side of the House, but he believed it would be
more honorable for the nation to abolish those
high offices than to degrade them. The sala-
res of those ministers had been fixed under
the Democratic administration at 81. 800. and
certainly none would say that the cost of living
had decreased since that time. He warned the
gentlemen on the other side that if thew ex-
pecte1 to conciliate the American people by
that kind of economy, they we're mistaken