Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-08-09
Forty. Fourth Congress First Session.
SE-ArE.


Washington, August s.
Mr.. Sherman, from the committee Of finances
reported with amendments the House concurrent
re, oluton in regard to the appointment Of COM
mission to inquire into the change which had taken
place in the relative value of gold and silver, the
policy of the restoration of the double standard IN
the country, etc. Placed on the calender.
The Senate at O'Clock went into executive
session. and when the doors we're reopened, adj
jouincd.
HOUSE.
Throckmorton offered resolution, paying the
salary Of the late doorkeeper, Fitzhurgh, till the
first of August; referred.
1anders of Indiana, introduced bill to secure
prompt resumption Of specie payment.
On motion of Garfield, leave Of absence was
granted to those members, some twenty in num-
Der, who desired it.
The House resumed consideration &C n'ar1's
silver bill, whereupon dilatory motions scr. -
on foot by Odel of New YORK aud Pierce ol Mass,
to consume the morning.
At the close of the morning hour, Mr.. Bland Of
Mo announced his willingness to allow any
amendment to be added to the BILL but his propo-
sition not acceded to by its opponents.
Mr.. Hale of Maine, obtained the floor by par
liamentary device of calling up the motion to re-
consider the vote by which the Presidents mes
sage on the sundry civil appropriation bill was
ferred some time since to the committee on appro-
priations, and proceeded to make speech on the
subject of general politics. Discussing the con-
troversy between the House and Senate he assert
ed that it never had been the and it never
would be the case that the popular branch of the
American Congress, when committed to any just
mea- of reform any wide-reaching question
which met the approval of the people, could be
stayed either by the Senate or executive IN that
regard. Whenever that question and that time
should be reached American history would dupl-
cate Englis history and it would be found that
with the House array ed for right and the Senate
or executive arrayed for wrong the Senate or ex-
ecutive would and must yield. The dominant
party in the House had such opportunity af-
iorded it, when it assembled last December,
party ever had That party had been elected on
certain promises of reform on the questions Of
civil service, of relief from taxation, and other
broad and general questions.
He referred to the first Official act of the House
in the selection of speaker and of the committees,
and he showed that of the "a standing committees
the Craftsmanship of 81 was given members from
the section of the country from which Mr.. Lamar
claimed the other day much modesty. He also
noted the removal of the veteran journal clerk of
the House, Mr.. Barclay, and his being replacedb by
man who Immediately set to work to make mer-
chandise of this Office.
On this part he was corrected by Mr.. Harrison
of ILL.,, and Mr.. Randall of Penn, who reminded
him that Barclay had resigned, but to this no re-
piled that the resignation was because Barclays
trusted assistant had been removed, and he knew
his time would soon come.
He then spoke of the great public questions with
which the House should have dealt. Questions
of finance, currency. commerce, &C., but which it
ignored, preferripg to embark in wild crusade of
invest gaton. Passing on to the question Of
economy he asserted that there were more COM
mittee clerks in this House than in any republican
House.
Mr.. Hale's hour having expired, motion to
extend his time was objected to- He, however, OBJ
tanned permission to have the rest Of his speech
printed in the Record.
Mr.. Cox of New York replied to Mr.. Hae's
speech, which he characterized Ironically as
"Magnifcently betty" and as magnificent col
lection of minute things making up nothing in
the aggregate. All that he (llae) had said of the
House and its organization, was that the commit
tees had deem badly made up by the Speaker. He
(Cox) would not compare the committees of the
present House with those of the last House as
made up by the distinguished citizen from Me.
(Blaine), although he believed that out of 81
chairmanships only I had been given to the
South.
Mr.. Durham of Kentucky-Only seven out Of
forty four.
MIR. Cox-Of course my friend from Me. (Hale)
portant is as to the majority of the committees.
lie then proceeded to apalyze the committees. In
the of one of his dlgressons he referred 10
Mr.. CoDger of Mich, in such q funny manner
as to cause considerable sport.
| Mr. Hale asked MIR. Cox how the committees
were divided among the democratic members, or
whether the south in almost all of them had not
majority of democratic members On every com
mittee.
| MIR. Cox--Happily for the country a majority Of
the democratic members were from the south
| Mr.. Hale said that his point was that the high
places on the committees were given to the south.
MIR. Cox-I have an idea which perhaps you
have not that the South is inside of the union
aud will stay there, and should be treated fairly,
and if there is any criticism at all on the make up
of the committees it is that our speaker has leaned
rather against the South and in favor of the
North.
In the course of another depression Mr.. Cox
ran against the government printing office and the
reappointment of Mr.. C,app, and he asked Mr..
Hale whether he approved of Clapp's reappont-
ment.
Mr. Iale's answer was certainly he did.
| "Then," said Mr.. Cox, lyon are the last man
who should have made such speech rs you have
Just made
The House at o'clock adjourned.