The Portland daily press., 1876-01-15
Forty Fourth Congress-First Session
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.
HOUSE.

Forty Fourth COngress-First Session,
WASHINGTON, Jan. 49,
HOUSE
Mr.. White of Ky. offered bill reducing the
salaries of public officials exceeding fifteen hum
dred dollars 20 per cent. He moved the pre-
vious question on its passage.
Mr.. Kasson of Iowa suggested that though
the motive of the bill was excellent and its OBJ.
ject admirable, it seemed to violate the const-
tuition. as it Involved the Supre ne Court judges
and the President. He thought that it should
be referred to some committee. The previous
question was not seconded and the bill was
referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
The Senate bill authorizing joint commit
tee on public printing to fix upon the standard
of paper for different kinds of public printing
was ia ken from the Speakers table and pass.
ed.
Mr.. Morrison, from the Ways and Means
Committee. reported back the resolution d.
recting the several committees to inquire into
any errors abuses or frauds that may exist in
the administration and execution of existing
laws, the investigation to cover such period in
the past as the committee may deem necessary.
Adopted.
Mr.. Ward of New York, from the Committee
on Commerce, reported a bill providing that
the haling place of every registered, enrolled
or licensed vessel of the United States may
hereafter be the town or city where the vessel
owner or owners shall reside and that the
name of such town or city shall be painted on
the stern. He explained that the necessity for
the bill grew out of some recent construction of
the treasury department making the haling
place of vessels the ports of entry from which
papers were issued. The bill was passed.
Mr. Crounse of Nebraska reported a bill
allowing preeGIption OF homestead settlements
ON the Fort Kearney military reservation.
Mr.. Holmes of Indiana moved to strike out
the word presumption wherever it occurs in the
bill, so as to leave the lands open to homestead
settlers only.
Mr.. Crounse had no objection and the
amendment was adopted and The bill passed
Mr.. Morey of Louisiana reported a bill re-
peallng section 1903 of the Revised Statutes,
which confined the disposition of the public
lands in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Ar
kansas and Florida. He explained that in 1866
public lands of the U. s. in those states, and
the object of the bill was to remove that restric-
ton.
MIR. Kasson opposed the bill and favored ex-
tending the same restriction over all public
domain.
The bill was recommitted
Mr.. Knott of Kentucky reported back the
amnesty bill.
The bill will read as follows:
That all the liabilities imposed and remain
ing on any person by virtue of the third sec
ton of the fourteenth article of the amend
ments to the Constitution of the United States,
be and are hereby removed, and each and every
person is and shall be forever relieved there,
from on his appearing before judge of any
court of record in the state of which he is
resident, and taking and subscribing to the fol-
lowing oath, to be duly attested and recorded:
ct, A. B., do solemnly swear affirm that will
support and defend the constitution Of the United
States against all enemies. foreign and domestic,
that will bear true faith and allegiance to the
and obey all the laws made IN pursuance thereof,
and that take the obligation freely and without any
mental reservation or purpose OF evasion whatever"
Mr.. Knott moved the previous question on
the passage of the bill.
Mr. McCrary, a member Of the Judiciary
Committee, asked Mr.. Knott to yield him the
floor moment but Mr.. Knott refused.
Mr. Frye of Maine, also member of the Ju-
dietary COMMITTEE, asked Mr. Knott to permit
him to ask single question.
Several Democratic members objected and
Mr.. Coz of New York, said, ''We have had
enough talk
Mr. Baine-Will the gentleman (Mr Knott)
allow me, without one word of debate, to have
letter read.
Messrs Cox of New York, Randall of Penn,
sylvana, and several other Democrats object
ed.
Mr.. Knott of Ketucky-I cannot consent to
open the debate at all. 1 insist on the previous
question.
Mr.. Frye-I simply desire to ask whether the
Republican minority on the Judiciary Com
mittee concurred in the report.
Mr.. x-(voiceforousy)-I call the gentle
man to order. Maine is always out of order.
Naughter.)
Mr.. Blaine-I understand that the gentleman
from Kentucky declines either to admit an
amendment or to allow debate.
loud calls of order on the Democratic side)
Mr.. Randall Tin tone of remonstrance)-You
know better than to do this.
Mr., -Cox-(somewhat more, ansri1rt--Tvu
have been in the chair yourself and ought to
know. Laughter)
Mr. Baine-I want distinct understanding.
lMore shouts of order from the Democratic
side)
The previous question was seconded aud the
main question ordered-yeas 1885, nays 90.
Mr. Seelye of Massachusetts, called attention
to faulty grammar in correction of the bill, the
phrase each and every person" being treated
as in the plural instead of in the singular case.
The error was ordered corrected The House
then proceeded to vote on the passage of the |
bill. The vote resulted in yeas 1872, nays 81. SO
the requisite two thirds not voting in favor of |
it the DILL was rejected.
There was an intense interest manifested as
the call of the yeas and nays proceeded. Some |
of the prominent Republicans brought their |
influence to to bear on some members of their |
party who had voted "aye' on the preceding
vote, either to vote in the negative or to refrain
from voting.
Mr.. Rainey of South Carolina was conspic- |
uously the object of such attentions He did |
not answer when his name was called. Haral- |
SOU OF ALABAMA, VINO was IN the same position, I
also withheld his vote at first, but finally rose
and answered ''aye'' amid plaudits of the |
Democrats.
Geo. A. Bagley of New York, who had voted /
IN the affirmative, changed his vote to negative,
at VIII CHI the Republicans rejoiced.
MI. Wells of Mississippi tried to explain why
although he was in favor of general amnesty,
including Jefferson Davis, he voted mo-, but |
the Democrats shouted him down.
Mr.. Lynch, OF Mississippi, however, managed
to get a chance of saying that though he was in
favor of the bill he voted mo- with the view
of letting Blaine offer his amendment, although
he Nynch) would vote against the amendment.
Mr.. Purman of Florida, who had also with
held mis- vote when his name was first called |
afterwards rose and voted mo-
The following are the nays:
G. A Bagley, Baker of Ind, Baker of N Y, Bal
lou, Blaine, Blair Bradley, Brown of KS, Burchard
Burleigh Cannon, Cason, Caswell, Conger, Crapo |
Crounse DantOrd, Darrall, Davy, Dennison, Dob
bin, Dunneli, Games, Evans, Fort, Foster, Freeman,
Frost, Frye, Garfield, Hale Harris of Mass, Hath |
orn, Raymond, Henkle, Henderson, Hoar, Hoge |
Hodgkins Hubbel Hunter, Hurlbut, Herman |
Joyce, Kasson, Ketchum, King, Lapham. Lawrence |
Leavenworth, Lynch, Magoon, MacDougal, McCra-
ry, McDiI Miller, Morey, Nash, Norton, Oliver,
O'Neill Packer Page Phillips of Ks, Plaisted, Plat,
Pratt Purman, Robinson, Ross, Pa. Rusk ,Samp-
Strait, Stowell Thornburgh Townsend of Penn, |
Townsend Of N. Y, Tufts, Van Voorhees,, Waldron,
Wallace Of s. c., Wallace of Pa. Walls, Wells,
Wheeler, White, Whiting Willard, Williams of Wis,
Williams Of Mich, Wilson of Iowa, Wood of Pa,
Woodworth-97.