The Portland daily press., 1876-07-14
Forty Fourth COngress-First Session.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON ID. C. Jul,

ueTtu pTlul6us
Mr. Anthony introduced an act authorizing
the President to invite the International Sta
tstical Congress to hold its tenth session In the
United States, and to appoint delegates to
the ninth session thereof. Referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations.
Senate sitting as court OF lmpeacumenG at
IL 40 adjourned till tomorrow on account of
absence of the witness Evans
Legislative business was then resumed
The message from the President transmit
ting reports from Gen Sherman and Gen. Terry
in response to the Senate resolution of the 9TH
inst. calling for information in regard to the
trouble with the Sioux Indians, was ordered
printed on motion of Mr.. Paddock.
Senate non-concurred in amendments OF the
House to the bill to provide for the sale of res
ervaton of the coniederated Ot0e and Missouri
bands of Indians in Kansas and Nebraska, and
a committee of conference was asked for
Mr. Boutwell, submitted resolution to print
1000 copies of the testimony and report of the
special committee which recently investigated
affairs In Mississippi. Referred to the Printing
committee.
Mr.. Bayard submitted an amendment to pro-
vide for printing the views of the minority re-
port. Referred to the same committee.
Mr. Frelinghuysen reported continued dis
agreement between the Senate and House con-
fereeS on the consular and diplomatic appro-
priation bill, and moved new conference com.
mttee be appointed. He went on to say that
the salaries of that service were fixed in 1856
and could not be made less unless the positions
were made simply decorations for millionaires.
The House insisted on change of the law and
he would let this AMI all other bills fail before
he would consent to it,
The unfinished business, the post route BILL
was then taken up but was laid aside for the
harbor and river bill. As reported from the
committee it increased the House bill by $780,
314. The committee had endeavored to reduce
the bill as much as possible but had failed to
bring it within the House estimates.
Committee reported amendments strikin g
out the appropriations for the improvement of
several Massachusetts harbors, but the Senate
struck them all out except the one striking out
$4,000 for Salem harbor, which was agreed to.
Bill for building military posts on the Yellow
stone and Mussel rivers was passed.
Messrs. ingalls,, Paddock and Ransom were
appointed on the conference committee on the
sale of certain Indian lands. Adjourned.
HOUSE.
House concurred in Senate amendments to
the bill to revise and consolidate the statutes
in relation to the postoffice department. re-
ferred resolution for adjournment on the 25th
to the committee on ways and means, ordered
printed report of committee on elections de-
claring neither Mr.. Butts, the contestant nor
Mr. Mackey. the sitting member, entitled to
seats, and listened to the report of the confer
ence committee on the silver bill.
Mr.. Payne explained that in regard to the
proposition to make tie silver dollar a legal
tender for all debts, public and private the
committee were unable TO agree but two of the
House and all the Senate cOnfereeS recOmmen-
ded the omission from the hill of all that relat
ed to the silver dollar. He showed that owing
to the extraordinary decline in the price of sill
yer within the last four months and most re-
markedly within the last ten days the silver
dollar of the weight and fineness prescribed by
law is today not worth more than 80 cents re-
latively to gold and less than 80 cents relative
| ly to greenbacks. So extreme and sudden a
change in the value of the silver dollar made
the proposition of declaring it legal tender a
most startling proposition and one of revolu-
| tionary character.
Mr.. Landers of Indiana, one of the House
conferees, opposed that part of the report
which omitted all reference to the silver dollar
and argued in favor of the restoration
of the double standard which had
been the standard of the country from the
foundation of the government up to 1869. He
asserted that there had been more change in
the legislation of the country on the subject OF
| gold than on the subject of silver. If silver
was demonetized and gold made the only STAN
dard he predicted that the pay of laborers
would fall to 40 cents per day.
Mr.. Fort of Illinois regarded the pending
question as one OF the characterization of silver
and asserted that the public debt and almost all
| the private debt of the country had been CON-
tracted when the standard dollar was a legal
tender. The bondholder should be held up to
his contract and should be paid in the comod.
| ity which he agreed to accept.
In the course of the debate which was con-
tinued by Messrs. Bright of Tennessee, Kelley
OF pennsylvania, and Burchard of Illinois, in
tavGr OF the report, and by Messrs Cox of New
YorB, and kassan of Iowa. against il, Mr.. Gar
field said: II have never since 1 have been in
public life seen any proposition which had in
in it so many of the essential elements of ras-
cality and swindling Il do not say that that is
itsl purpose but its effect as the amendments
InC fQd n1n+sT Ait,
You may recollect the old shock of 1887, and
| the later shock of 1857 and again in 1873. Put
them all together and the financial crisis and
| the utter breakdown of this country in all of
them would be ligh! compared with the shock
which the proposition would bring upon the
country by law known as long ago as the
| Greek days of Aristophanes. 1t has always
been true that where there were too legal
standards of money the weaker and less
valuable will drive out the more valuable. Pat
this law into operation as suggested and every
| particle of gold will leave the country just as
fast as it can be transported abroad. Do that
and revolution in financial and monetary
| affairs utterly unparalleled in the history OF
the country will follow on the act"
The debate was further CONT nued by Messrs.
Phillips, Holman, Savage and Willard of
| Michigan, against the conference report and by
| Randall, Hewitt and Cox in favor of it.
The report was adopted, yeas 100, nays Is,
| as follows:
-, Yeas Adams, Bagby, Bagley of N. Y. Bagley OF
Michigan, Ballou, Banks, Banning Beebee, Bell
Blair Bliss, Bradley, Brown OF Kansas, Buckner
Burchard Of Illinois, Burchard of Wisconsin, Bur-
leigh, Gambler, Cannon, Caldwell, Caulield Coch-
Cutler, Danforth, Darrell, Davy, Durant, Eames
Ellis, Ely, freeman, Frye, Garfield, Cause, Gibson
Hans0k Harris Of Ms Harrison
Y, Hill, Hoar, Hoskins, Hubbel, Hurd, Hurbut
jerks, Jones of New York. Kasson. Kehr, Kim
ball, Lamar, Landers of Conn.,, Lapham, Lawrence
IeaVe0WOrtl. IemOVnp. T,vn6e
McDougall, McDill, Meade, Mlken, Miles, Mon
roe, Mutcher Nash, Norton. Oliver, O'Neill, Park
Potter, Powell, Rainey, Randall, John Reilly Of Pa
Robbins of Pa, Ross Of N. j., Rusk, Sampson, Sch
leischer, Singleton Sinickson, Smas, Smith of Penn
Ihornburgh, Townsend Of N Y, Townsend of Pa,
Tucker. Tufts, Tumey, Waddeu, Wait, waldron,
Wes Of vi Mse &C. W VAIL; Of P
of n. Y, Williams of Michigan, Williams of Del,
Willard of Alabama Willis-129
Caldwell of Alabama, Caldwell of Tenn, Campbell
Cass9n Gate, Clark Ono OF Mo- Glymer, Cowan, Cqlber-
nell, Eden, Egbert, Evans, Finley, Forney, Fort,
Glover, ,Goodin, Harris OF Va, Hartzel, Hatcher
Henderson, Holman, Hopkins, House, Hunton, Kel.
Mackey of Pa, Mcfarland, New, Phillips of Kan.
sas, Poppeton, Rea, Reagan Joseph B. Reilly, Rid
die. Robinson, Savage, Slemons. Sparkle. Spencer,
Springer, Stevenson, Stone, Terry, Throckmorton,
Van Worries, Vance of o., Vance of N: G., Walker
Of Va, Wiard,i Williams of Indiana, Wilson of w.
Va, Woodburn-75.
Mr.. Sparks of Illinois, from the conference
committee on the Indian appropriation bill, re-
ported that the committee had been unable to
agree.
The same committee, Randall. Sparks and
Hurlburt, were reapponted, the Senate con-
ferees being the same.
Mr.. Watt of Connecticut, from the select
committee to investigate the charges prep AIRED
by Mr.. White OF Kentucky, against Adam s, the
clerk of the House, for interfering to nfiue nee
legislation, reported that there was no toun da-
ton whatever for the charge.
Messrs. Lynde, Lord and Frye were appoint
ed a committee of conference on the bankru pit
bill. Adjourned.
F. Q r e L G. n
n,ruu, xu.rrnr.