The Portland daily press., 1876-02-10
Forty Fourth Congress-First Session.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. g.
bill was passed appropriating $4,000 for
improvement of the capitol grounds.
Mr.. Sherman, form the Finance Committee,
reported a substitute for Mr.. Davis resolution
relative to defaultng officials. 1t directs the
Secretary of the Treasury to furnish state
ment of all balances due the United States
from public officers and others formerly but not
now in the public service, and setting forth as
near as practicable the period over which such
accounts extended, amounts involved and to-
gether with the character of stocks held by the
United States the amount of such stocks and
if default had been made in the payment of in
terest thereon. Agreed to.
& resolution by MIR. Anthony authorizing
Capt. Temple and Lieut.. Commander Whiting
of the navy, to accept decorations from the
King of the Hawaiian Islands, was passed.
Mr.. Wadleigh introduced bill to legaize
assignments of the pay of army and naval Off
GERS and others in government SERVICE Refer
red to Military Committee.
A resolution was adopted that the Committee
on Public Buildings inquire and report upon
the eXpedency of making adequate provision
for the completion of the Washington monu-
ment.
Mr. Wright called up the Senate bill TO pay
the First National Bank of ST. Adams, VT,
$685. the value of certain United States
treasury notes held by said bank as financial
agent of the United States, and forcibly taken
therefrom by raiders from Canada, in 1864, the
pending amendment being that reported by the
Committee on Finance, to strike out the clause
providing for the payment of interest on that
| amount from Oct. 10, 1864, until the time of
payment, which was agreed to and the bill was
passed as amended.
Mr.. Boutwell, introduced bill to repeal the
pre- emption and provide for the sale of timber
upon public lands.
bill to extend the time for the construction and
completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad,
the pending question being on the amendment
reported by the Committee on Railroads on
January Is and "a, to extend the time eight
years instead of ten, making the bill apply to
the main line of the road via the valley of the
Columbia river to its terminus on Puget Sound,
and that it shall not apply to the branch line of
said road from Lake Pend Doreille, across the
Cascade Mountains to Puget Sound, sc.
Mr.. Sargent moved that it lay over SO that an
amendment could be offered to protect home
stead settlers.
After further debate the bill was laid over
till to morrow
At the expiration of the morning hour the
bill appropriating $1,5OO,OO0 to aid the centen-
Mr.. Morrill, of Maine spoke at length in fa-
vor of the bill, and said the centennial exhibit
ton had become a national question upon
which Congress could not turn its back The
honor of the nation was involved in its sue
cess.
Mr.. Edmunds followed Mr.. Morrill,. He be-
lieved that Congress had the right to appropri-
ate money for the centennial exhibition but
| it had declared in the beginning that Congress
would not be called upon to make any appro-
priation. Our ministers abroad, however, had
not informed foreign governments as it was in
| tended they should be, that the United States
Government was not responsible for the exhi-
bition, and he believed now that the Govern
ment was bound to the appropriation. He
| gave netice that he would offer an amendment
requireing the Centennial Committee and
Board of Finance to file with the Secretary of
the Treasury the acceptance of the provisions
of the bill before receiving the money.
Mr.. Sargent said that if the Government was
going to aid the exhibition at all it ought to
be done with willing hand He was willing
to give the $1,50O,000 without any acknowl-
edgment that Congress was bound to do He
was willing that the bill should pass without
amendment, but if amended he would give no.
| tice that he would move to strike out the pre-
amble.
After long debate the bill was laid over till
tomorrow. Senate adjourned at 515.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Banning of Ohio, asked leave to offer a
resolution calling on the Secretary of War for
| information as to the number of draft horses
| and mules in the service of the army their
cost, places of purchase, etc., also as to the cost
| of mounting regiments of cavalry.
Mr.. Thornburgh of Tennessee, objected, on
the ground that the information called for would
l OCCupy tu6 WuOt6 ClGrlCdl IOrC0 OI GQG D6parG-
ment till the close of the session.
| The bill authorizing the sale of land in Vim
cennes, Ind, to certain railroads, reported from
| the private land claims committee, was debat-
| ed and lost liz to 119.
The House then went into committee OF the
whole on the diplomatic appropriation bill, and
was addressed by Mr.. Springer of Illinois, in
| defence of the economic features of the bill.
| He argued that the people had deliberate pur-
pose in view in the elections of 1874, that there
must be retrenchment, economy and reform in
the government and had sent majority to the
House which would respect and carry out the
| wishes of the people.
Mr.. Cox of New York, supported the bill as
| one of retrenchment. In his experience in the
House OF over sixteen years he had never known
| an appropriation bill to have been presented
with more care more heed, more information
given in advance than this bill was. He denied
that the contemplated reductions would work
an Injury to commerce or navigation.
Most of Mr.. CoXS remarks as well as those
| OF the previous speaker were of humorous
| character, which Kelley of Pennsylvania, said
was unworthy of the House. The latter said
as to shipbuilding being lost art in this coun-
try, as asserted by Mr.. Cox, that no industry
| in this country has grown so well within the
last few years as shipbuilding, and iron ships
| are now being built not only for American mer-
| chants, but also for foreign merchants, and
| gave statistics to show that iron shipbuilding
had grown from 2061 tons in 1869 to Il, 666 tons
| in 1872, and had gone on increasing every year.
Mr.. Kelley continued his remarks by favor.
| ing protective tariff and opposing the revenue
| bill reported by the Committee on Ways and
Means. If, he said, the latter became law,
| the farmers of Illinois would burn their grain
| for fuel, the workshops of the country would
| be struck down and immigration prohibited
| In brief discussion as to the further course
of debate, it was understood that Blaine would
| address the House tomorrow, and that a gene
| raj debate would close tomorrow.
The committee rose and the House at five
| o'clock adjourned