The Portland daily press., 1876-08-15
Forty Fourth C0ngress--First Session.
SENATE,

resolution providing for the appointment of
Joint committee of three Senators and three
members of the House to prepare suitable
form of government for the District of Colum-
bia and report at the next session OF Congress-
1t authorizes the committee to sit during recess,
The resolution was passed.
Mr.. Edmunds called up the concurrent reso-
luton of the House proposing to suspend the
10Th and 18th joint rules for the remainder of
the session, which provide that no bill which
shall have passcd:one House shall be presented
for concurrence to the ather on either of the
last three days of the session, and that no bill
or resolution that shall have passed the House
of Representatives and Senate, shall be pre-
sented to the President of the United States
for his appreciation on the last day of the ses-
sion. He submitted an order that the resolu-
ton be respectfully returned to the House of
Representatives, with the statement that as
the House had cot notified the Senate of the
adoption OF the joint rules or the present SEES
sion as adopted by the Senate on the 10th of
January last and transmitted to the House on
the 22d of the same month. There are no
joint rules in force. Agreed to.
Mr. Window submitted the report of the
conference on the Indian appropriation bill.
Mr., MorrelI then addressed the Senate in
opposition to the Hawaiian treaty.
vening Session.
Mr.. Herman opposed Ia substitute to the
House bill prohibiting money to be used for
sectarian purposes. He had no objection to
| that the substitute would occasion strife and
| discord in the states and transfer the question
| to the political arena.
Mr.. Whyte of Maryland opposed the bill.
Mr.. Chrlstiancy favored the substitute by the
| Senate judiciary committee and considered that
now was favorable time to pass and thus put
| it outside of party politics.
Mr.. Morton favored the bill and asked if
large sums of public money had not been used
| tor sectarian purposes in New York state.
KarDau had hnap civ m
hospitals aad orphan asylums.
Mr.. Morton argued that it states were al low
| ed to establish UNCONVENTIONAL schools the per
| petuity of the nation void be endangered For
same as supporting the Catholic church. Re-
| ligion should not be maintained at public ex-
pense.
Mr.. Edmunds argued that no man should be
taxed to support the religious views of another.
Mr.. Stevenson deprecated religious debate at
| the end of long session.
Mr.. Bogy said that the "nigger' was dead,
| the bloody shirt was of no more use and now
the old Pope of Rome was to be the bull which
| all are to attack in the coming campaign.
| At O'CLOCK the Senate took vote on the
| proposed constitutional amendment and it was
| rejected, yeas %, nays Is, not two-thirds vot-
| ing in the affirmative. 1t was defeated by a
| strict party vote.
WELL Bruce Burnside, Cameron Of Wis, Christiancy
Clayton, Conkling, Cragin, Edmunds, Ferry, Frel-
inghuysen, Harvey, Jones Of New Mcmillan, Mitch
Sargent. Spencer, Wadieigh and VESTS. '''''
NAYs-Messrs. BOgy, Cockrell, Cooper. Davis
siasB Sase ks Rsna kE
and Stevenson-16.
Mr.. Logan favored the treaty and Messrs.
West and Edmunds opposed it.
After debate the bill to carry into effect the
Hawaiian treaty was passed. Yeas 20, nays IL.
Mr.. Logan called up the report on the issu-
| ing of artificial limbs.
Mr.. Clayton favored it and then went on to
defends Arkansas from the attack made on his
| state by Jones in the House.
| the report was then agreed to.
A resolution of Mr.. Spencer that commit
tee of five Senators be appointed to investigate
| the late election in Alabama was offered, but
| objected to and laid over.
The motion to take up the House resolution
| for final adjournment was lost, against "a.
HOUSE.
| Met at 10 o'clock in continuation of Satur-
days session.
Mr.. Cox asked leave to offer resolution d.
recting the Committee on Foreign Affairs to
| enquire into the conduct of Consul General
| Webster of Frankfort-on-t he-Main, and U. S.
Minister to the German empire in refusing to
| receive and forward to this government the ad-
dress OF the Democratic association of the city
Of Frankfort-on-the- Main, congratulating this
country on its Centennial celebration.
Mr.. Kasson objected.
House on the condition of public affairs ia
Mississippi, and denied the statement made
that there had been frauds committed in the re-
cent election in that state.
The Senate concurrent resolution authorizing
the House Committee on Enrolled Bills to
make certain corrections in the enrolment of
| the consular and diplomatic appropriation bill
was agreed to.
Henry Watterson, member elect from Ken.
lucky to till the vacancy Occasioned by the death
Of Mr.. Parsons, took the oath of office, (modi-
l fied)
Senate bills for printing the report of the
Belknap impeachment trial, and for the APP
| pointment of a Joint committee to frame a gov
eminent for the District of Columbia, were
passed.
Mr.. Schlecher of Texas, made a speech in
advocacy of the silver bill His speech closed
the legislative session of Saturday, and that of
today began.
Mr. Randall submitted report of the COM
mittee of conference on the Indian appropria-
bill. Agreed to,
Mr. Randall made some general remarks de.
Tending the course of the House in the matte r.
He rehearsed the efforts made to reduce the
expenses of the government and said that one
plan OF procedure adopted was to make re-
duction of 10 per cent. in all salaries of $1,000,
and provide for reduction of 20 per cent. in
| the force of clerks aud employees. These two
provisions, he said, if fully adopted, would
have secured much larger reduction of the
appropriations and the discharge of all super
| numary employees of which there still large
Number.
1t was we'll known, he said, all over the land
that private establishments of every kind have
reduced their rates of compensation of their
employees A signal instance of this is shown
| at Lowell, Mass, which is the guide to all New
England. The working people there have
themselves consented to reduction of 10 per
cent. as just and fair, and it is not the first,
either, to which they have recently been sub.
jected.
The House, he stated. considered this not an
unreasonable reduction in the amount under
the circumstances, but this reduction has al
most wholly failed because of the obstinacy of
the Senate and the Senate conferees, in relation
thereto. The reduction in the number of
clerks and employees has been only partially re-
allied as the House conferees were forced to
yield part of their recommendations. 1t will
surprise many he said, when they learn the
| fact that fully one hundred thousand persons
receive pay from the federal treasury.
In order that no harm should possibly come
from the reduction of this foyce, he said, the
committee directed the attention of the execu-
tive officers OF the government to the law in
reference to the hours of labor required from
been required to devote six hours day to the
service Of the government, but recently that
time has been extended to seven hours.
After referring to and naming several acts
that had been tackled on to tho appropriation
bills, he proceeded to explain in detail the re-
duction in the various appropriation bills Civ
ing figures to show where economy had been
enforced by the committees.
The Speaker laid before the House mes
sage from the President in regard to the river
and harbor bill, stating that if it had been
compulsory to spend the money therein appro-
priated he would have vetoed it, but as it was
not be would take care that no public money
should be expended on useless works or npon
any that were not clearly national, The mes
sage created quite sensation.
Mr.. Regan of Texas, moved its reference to
the Committee on Commerce from which the
bill had been originally reported. He criticised
the President for assuming that his personal
judgment and discretion were to determine
how far appropriations in the bill were to be
applied to the objects defined and characterized
that as an act of personal government.
Mr.. Hereford of W. Va, chairman of the
Committee on Commerce. condemned the mes
sage very severely
Mr.. Randall denied the intimation of the
President that the collection of the revenue
had been in the least degree crippled by the
appropriation bills.
Mr.. Pierce of Mass, expressed his cordial
concurrence with the position taken by the
President
Mr.. Kassan of Iowa, defended the position