The Portland daily press., 1876-08-12
Forty Fourth Congress-First Session
SENATE.
WASHINGTON. d.

At the expiration of the morning hour Mr..
Logan moved to postpone the unfinished bust
ness resolution to print extra copies of the
Presidents Hamburg, S c., message) and take
up the bill for the equalization Of bounties.
Rejected-Yeas q, nays 26.
Messrs. Key and Mcdonald voted with the
Republicans in the affirmative, and Booth.
Burnside, Uhlistiancy, Edmunds, Howe, Nor
rill, Sargent and Sherman voted with the DEM
ocrats in the negative.
Senate then took up the bill to establish post
routes.
Senate agreed to amendments to the most
route bill appropriating $1500OO for the restor-
alton of the fast mail train on the New York B.
Hudson River, and Lake Shore & MICHIGAN
Southern railroads between New York and
Chicago, and on the Pennsylvania railroad and
its connections between New York and St.
Louis. Cincinnati and Chicago, and also appro-
prlattlng $4,000 for the restoration of the fast
mail service on the Philadelphia, Wilmington
& Baltimore railroad and on the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad and its connections between
Washington, St Louis and Chicago.
Mr.. Sherman said that he would be compell-
ed to leave the city this evening on account of
an engagement and would like to have the
joint resolution OF the House to provide for a
commission to enquire into the change which
had taken place in relation to the value
of gold and silver, causes thereof &C., disposed
of to-day. He asked that it be taken up for
consideration by unanimous consent.
Mr.. Logan objected and said he had a bill of
as much importance as that mentioned by the
Senator from Ohio. He gave notice that he
would move to take up the House bill to equal
ize the bounties of those who served in the
late war for the Union, as soon as it was in or
der TO do so.
Mr.. Anthony, from the Committee on Print
ing, reported bills to print extra copies of the
report of the proceedings in the Belknap i'm
parchment trial, and of the commission of
engineers appointed to report permanent
plan for the reclamation of the alluyial basin
of the Mississippi river
Mr.. Cooper introduced bill to amend the
provisions of section 1866 of the Revised Stat
utes of the United States relating to the col
lection of duties on imports and tonnage. Re-
ferred to Committee on Finance.
Mr.. Window called up the House bill to pro.
vide means to detray the expenses of the Dis
trict of Columbia until Dec. l, 1876. by author
taxes by a loan to the amount of $41S,059.
Mr.. Edmunds submitted an amendment pro-
viding that such loan be temporary and repaid
out of the first taxes available. Agreed to-
He then spoke in opposition to the bill, and
said the District of Columbia now owed more
than 500 100000 Congress at its present ses.
sion had made explicit provision that the debt
of the District should not be increased and
now the first thing in regard to the District
was proposition to increase the debt to the
extent of $5O0,000. For one he was willing to
have the District get along the best it could
till December, when the taxes became DUE
They might have to delay the opening of the
schools month or two, and would have to cur
tail expenses. When the District was abso-
lutely swamped by this debt of $2000O0O0 it
was necessary to stop. He thought that the
United States would be responsible for this loan
| in political sense as Congress had exclusive
| legislation over the District.
After further discussion Mr. Edmunds SUBJ
mitted an amendment to strike ont all after the
enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof
provision appropriating 100000 out of any
money in the Treasury not otherwise appropri-
ated as share of the government towards the
expenses of the government of the District for
the year beginning July 1, 1876. Agreed to,
and the bill as amended passed.
The chair laid before the Senate a message
from the President. Ordered printed and re-
ferred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
Senate resumed the consideration of the post
| route bill and an amendment authorizing the
| 1st Assistant Postmaster General to receipt and
| approve contracts, the second assistant to APP
prove and sign contracts for mail transporta.
ton, and the third to approve and sign contracts
| for supplies, was agreed to.
Amendment authorizing fast mail train from
Washington to New Orleans, via Richmond,
| and appropriating $4,000 was agreed to; also
| for daily mail between Chicago and the east
| ern terminus of the Union Pacific, the expense
| not to exceed 1875 900.
| additional section to the bill, to restore the
| franking privilege, reported by him from the
| Committee on Postofices and Post Routes. the
18th of May last. lit provides that it shall be
| lawful to transmit through the mails, free OF
postage, letters, packages or other matter re-
| lating exclusively to the business of the gov
| eminent of the United States, and also that of
| Senators, Representatives and Delegates to
Congress, the Secretary of the Senate and
Clerk of the House of Representatives may
| send and receive through the mail free of post
age letters and documents
Mr.. Howe moved an amendment so as to
allow Senators, Representatives and delegates
in Congress, the Secretary of the Senate and
the Clerk of the House to send and receive
letters and documents only, and not packages
and other matter, relating exclusively to public
business. Agreed to.
Mr.. PaddOck's amendment was agreed to-
YEAs-Messrs, Allison, Burnside, Christiancy,
Cooper Cragin. Davis, Dawes. Dennis. Edmunds,
Kelley, Key, Morey, Merrmon, Mitchell, Norwood,
Paddock, Patterson, Randolph, Ransom, Salisbury,
NAYs-Messrs. Anthony, Bogy, Booth, Cameron
of Wis, Clayton, Cockrell Ferry, Hamlin, Herman
Logan, McCreery, Mcdonald Mcmillan, Morrill, and
Ogesby-15.
The bill was then reported to the Senate and
the amendments made in committee of the
whole agreed to.
Mr.. Hamlin moved to further amend, so as
to provide that contracts made by the Post
master General for the fast mail service shall
not be for longer period than two years.
Agreed to-.
Mr. Hitchcock renewed his amendment made
in committee of the whole, approp rating
$4,000 for the fast mail service between Chi
cago and Omaha. Agreed to.
The bill then was read third time and
passed-25 yeas Is nays.
The Senate bill approprlating $4,000 for the
erection of lighthouse and fog signal on
Whale Rock, at the entrance Of Narragansett
Bay, was passed.
The joint resolution of the House proposing
an amendm emit to the constitution, Prohibiting
the appropriation of money for the support OF
schools of religious sect, was taken up when
the Senate adjourned till p. m.
Evening Session.
The joint resolution of the House was taken
up, and the amendment of the Judiciary COM
mittee was opposed by Mr.. Randolph.
The question being on the amendment of the
judiciary committee, it was agreed to.
YEAs-Messrs. Allison, Anthony, Booth, Bout
WE'LL burnside, Cameron Of Wis, Christiancy, Conk-
g Ho%s ngy dpsn Ha
Mitchell, morrill,, ogesby Paddock, Patterson, sar,
gent. Spencer, Wadleigh and West-27.
Eaton, Gordon, Kelly, Herman, Key, McCreery,
Maxey, Norwood, Randolph, Ransom and Stevens
Is.
Messys. Clayton, Wright, Morton and Win
dam, who would have voted in the affirmative.
Mcdonald, Wallace, Salisbury, Thurman and
Bayard, who would have voted in the mega
tive.
The question then being on ordering the
joint resolution as amended to third reading,
1t was agreed to, yeas q, nays 15
1t was ordered that the amendment be read
third time at one o'clock to morrow.
HOUSE.
The resolution authorizing the military COM
mittee to investigate the management of ma
tional homes for disabled volunteers, during re-
cess, was adapted after sharp discussion.
The report of the foreign committee on the
Venezuelan claims was taken up.
The bill repeating so much of the army ap-
preparation bill as limits the number of Indian
scouts to 300, and continuing in force the stat
ute authorizing the employment of 1000 scouts
was passed.
Mr.. Springer of ILL.,, submitted the report of
the committee on foreign affairs in regard to
the Venezuelan claims together with the fol-
lowing resolution:
Resolved, That the President of the United
States is hereby requested to withhold further
demands upon the government Of Venezuela
on account of the awards to the mixed commit
tee under the convention of April 18th, 1866,
till the 4th of March, 1877, and the Secretary of
the State is authorized and directed to suspend
all further payments to holders of certificates
awarded by said mixed commission, till said
time unless Congress shall otherwise direct
During the discussion Mr.. Banks of Mass a