The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-20

ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
no THE DAILY INTELLIGENCER
CON G R E S S.
HOUSE..
WAsuNoroN, January 10.
AMENDMENT IN RELATIoNTo LANDS.

Mr.. Blaine offered a resolution calling
for information 'on the subject Of the
transfer Of lands within the railroad lin.
its, allowed 10 the Union soldiers. Ad-
opted.
The Speaker then called on the com.
mittee for report.
Mr.. Sprague introduced a constitution
al amendment providing that Congress
shall not pass any special or local laws
in regard to granting p0rsons bounties,
lands or prize money, or for the correct
ing Of records t'any department in rela.
ton thereto. Granting relief to any per.
son or authorizing the payment OF any
claim given to any corporation, associa-
ton or individual. The right to lay rail.
road tracks or comforting any special and
exclusive privilege on such corporations;
regulating tho practice OF the courts OF
comforting special jurisdiction in par
ticllar case; that in all cases where the
general law can be made applicable,
no special law viii be enacted, and that the
conftS may determine whether : any
special law could be embraced in the gen.
eral enactment. Referred.
The House then went into Commit
tee ofthe Whole on the state Of the Union,
| Wood in the Chair on the centennial
appropriation bill, and was addressed BY
MIR. Phillips, Of Kansas, in advocacy of
the bill. tN
Mr.. Harrison followed OIL the same
side. Abiding to the suggestion that the
House by It's vote on Holman's resolution,
on the l4th Of December, had committed
itself against all subsidies, he recalled
the fact that when the resolution was
offered it had been askedwhether it would
not cut of the centennial appropriation,
and that Holman distinctly stated that
he did not consider the word subsidy In
that resolution as covering the centennial
appropriation. The House had there
fore voted for that resolution with a res
ervation in favor Of the .centennial-not
mental reservation, but an outspoken
one. :, ga.
Referring to the enthusiasm Of old
John Adams over Fourth OF July cele-
brations, and to the fact that he made
orations which might be called "spread-
eagle" he expressed the desire that there
might to-day be more "spread.eagleism"
in the land. The common eagle, he said,
taking his flight from the extreme limit
Of eastern civilization in 1776, would have
made its flight to the western limit in q
single day, bnt the proudest monarch Of
the air, dipping himself in the Atlantic
and then looking at the setting sun, ever
intent and sailing onward, takes days and
weeks before he cools his pinions in the
spray Of the broad Pacific. And yet, he
said, We are told that the people shall not
bc taxed Mt the rate Of three and half
cents for the country's birthday. He
khoped that the bill would pass. He hoped
that his Southern friends would not allow
this opportunity to pass without proving
TO the North that they have as much
pride in the Fourth OF July as any other
men. la
Mr.. Atkins, OF Tennessee, asked Har-
rison whether he meant that the gentle.
men who opposed the bill were disloyal
to the Government.
Mr.. Harrison-Not by any means.
Mr.. Atkins-I hope not. hope no
such test will be made. We have heard
enough Of that.
Mr.. Harrison-I did not fight myself,
but have read history sufficiently to
know. that the brave men who did fight
are always the first to ''join hands across
the bloody chasm."
Mr.. Atkins-I am willing to "join
hands across the bloody chasm2 but !
am not willing to vote for thisbill.
Nj. Cochran spoke in opposition to
the bill as unconstitutional. He said he
: ad pledged his word to his constituents
in Pittsburgh that he would vote against
every subsidy, aud this was a subsidy.
lie should therefore vote against this
bill, and when he went home 10 his peo-
pie ,he would be able to look them IN the
eye and say, 1 kept the pledge which l
made to you when l was elected. Zap.
plause on the floor and in the galleries.
Mr.. Kelley spoke in answer TO Mr..
Cochran and in support Of the bill.
Mr., ,Regan (Texas) spoke in favor OF
the bill and gave as one OF the controlling
motives in his own mind this reason: A
great and protracted civil war, with the
long controversy which led to it, and a
system Of Reconstruction measures Just "a
disastrous as the war, have SO wrenched
and disturbed the constitution and have
so perverted the principles of civil lib.
erty and just government as to make a
serious and earnest recurrence 10 the
principles OF the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence, Of the Constitution and Of the
spirit and genius OF the government a
paramount necessity. ,,..
Mr.. Frye supported the bill.
\ SENATE.