The Portland daily press., 1877-11-20
XLVth CONGRESS-Extra Session.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 10.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 10.
During the morning hour number of bills
were introduced and referred.
MIR. Dawes from the committee on public
buildings and grounds reported favorably on
the Senate bill to authorize the Secretary of the
treasury to purchase lot of land for the use
of the government in Providence, r. 1. Pass
ed.
The Senate on motion of Mr.. Window reced-
ed from its amendments to the army appropria-
ton bill which were Don-concurreds in by the
House, and it was passed
The bill now goes to the President for his
signature.
The Senate then resumed the consideration
of the resolution of Mr.. Davis of Virginia from
the committee of five TO inquire into alleged
discrepancies in the Treasury Department.
After some discussion the Senate agreed to
the resolution of Davis.
During the discussion Mr.. Bayard alluded to
discrepancy charged by the Senator from Wet
Virginia Davis and said they were so large in
amount as to throw strong suspicion that there
must be something wrong either in the ad
mlnistratlon OF the department. or in the man
ner in which accounts were kept. He alluded
to the explanation of these discrepancies made
by Mr.. Boutwell, last year in the Senate, and
said the Senator who had occupied the post of
Secretary of the Treasury for six years, when
confronted with these discrepancies was utterly
unable to give satisfactory explanation.
They amounted to more than 5000, 600, 900, a
sum grave enough to affect not only the con-
venience but the morality of our people, and
the matter could not be 'whistled down with
the wind" They must be explained.
Mr.. Dawes said he had ne yer at any time
thrown the slightest obstacle in the way of the
fullest investigation, but he desired the Sena-
tor from West Virginia to state distinctly what
tiuctly if be had the slightest evidence that the
books of the Treasury Department. had been
tempered with, but he was not able to get re
ply from the Senator. He then alluded to the
remarks of Mr.. Bayard in regard to the late
Senator from Massachusetts (Boutwell) not be-
ing able to explain alleged discrepancies, and
argued that that Senator had explained them
satisfactorily year ago. If the Senator from
West Virginia would state that he had cyl
dence that the books had been tempered with
he (Dawes) would vote for committee of in
vestigation.
Mr.. Bayard said it was not his intention to
iDjure the late Sanator from Massachusetts
(Boutwell) or anyone else, but when he spoke
OF that Senator and his explanation year ago
he should have included the present Secretary
with him. That gentleman (Sherman) was
then chairman of the Senate committee on f.
nance, and he with the Senator from Massa-
chusetts (Boutwell) resisted the motion for the
appointment of special committee Mr. Bay
ard continuing bis remarks said not a single
figure sho wing discrepancies cited by the Sena-
tor from West Virginia had ever been impeach-
ed.
The bill to enable Ipdi ans to become citi-
zens was taken up
Mr.. Thurman said he did not understand the
bill. Perhaps his friend from (Kansas) Ingalls,,
fearing the loss of the negro vote to the Repub-
llcan party, was stretching out his hand for the
Indian vote. That might do on the frontier
but wonld do no good in the interior He then
commented on the bill and said it allowed the
Indians to become citizens, but at the same
time permitted them to retain a tribal organ
zation. The 18th article of the constitution of
the United States provided that all persons born
or naturalized in the United States and subject
to jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the
United States and the state wherein they re-
side. The only thing which kept an Indian
from becoming citizen was his tribal organiz-
alton. If this bill became law it would allow
an Indian to become citizen and at the same
time the government would be making treaties
with them. If that privilege was given to To-
dams it might as we'll be given the white man
also. He opposedai further consideration of
the bill and said more time should be taken to
examine it
Mr. ingalls, sail the Senator from Ohio had
been SO long accustomed to view all subjects
from political standpoint!that he was afflicted
with sort OF strabismus, which com PEELED him
to ask when bill came before the Senate
whether it would affect the Democratic or Re-
publican party. He did not wonder the Sena-
tor from Ohio felt disturbed on account of this
bill, because he Ungalls) had observed that
where any community acquired the habits of
civilized life they generally abandoned the DEM
ocraoy and voted the Republican ticket. laugh
ter.) He then commented on the bill. He said
it allowed an Indian to become citizen of the
United States when he could prove before a
court he was competent to manage his own af-
fairs. So far as treaties with Indians were con-
cerned, they had long since been abandoned.
In his opinion The Indians of this country never
had any such organization as to justify the gov
ment in treating with them Now the govern
ment treated them as communities and made
contracts with them. The particular object of
this bill was to enable large number of In
dians now living in the Indian territory to be-
come citizens of the United States They were
just as competent to manage their own affairs
as the Senator from Ohio or any one else. The
pill had the approval of the Department of the
Interior and had been thoroughly considered
by the Committee on Indian Affairs. He be-
lieved its passage would do much toward set
Ting the difficulties with the Indians.
Mr.. Hoar said there were various legislative
provisions in regard to intercourse with the In
dams, some of which made it penal offence
to trade with them or even carry message to
them, and it seemed to him serious question
whether there should be any class of citizens in
the country about whom such special legisla-
ton should be made. There were several OBJ
jections to the bill. An Indian under 1t could
become citizen and still maintain tribal Or
ganizations.
Mr.. Ingalls, said his understanding was that
the tribal relations of the Indians would not
Interfere with his right of citizenship any more
than being member of Presbyterian church
or Odd Fellows lodge would interfere with the
citizenship of any man.
Pending discussion the Senate went into ex-
ecutive session and at 2.50 adjourned till tomor-
row
HOUSE.
Immediately after reading the journal Mr..
Swami moved the House resolve itself into
committee of the whole to consider the Paris
exposition bill whereupon controversy arose
between Buckner. who thought the antI-re-
sumption bill should be taken up. and the
Speaker. who ruled the exposition bill being an
appropriation bill entitled to priority.
The House then by 1873 to 70 went into the
committee OF he whole ON the Paris EXPOSE
ton bill and was addressed by Mr.. Cox of New
York. 1t was with regret that he opposed a
bill which seemed to tend to the aggranGlze-
ment Of the country abroad or one which
pertai ned toward alternating distress which
prevailed in the country. If it were constitu-
tional it would receive his hearty approval, but
there were many reasons to doubt the propriety
and expediency as well as the consttutionalty
of the measure. The title of the bill. be
thought should be changed to that of ga bill
to allow our gentry to go abroad to Paris to a9-
vertise their goods" and if the committee had
not stricken out the amendment Of the gentle
man from New York (Hewitt) it might have
been entitled bill ito establish corn kitchen
in France" At the last exhibition in Paris
tnero nad Deen hominy and hot pop corn
SO that his friends idea was not such new
one. He proceeded to argue against the con-
stitutionality of the bill.
Mr. Hewitt spoke in favor of the represeu-
tation of this country at the Paris exposition
because he believed it would be a final blow to
system which, however useful in it's day, has
outlived its usefulness. He ventured to think
that wherever there was competition at the
Paris exposition American articles would carry
off the prizes and reciprocity in trade between
the two countries would naturally result.
Mr.. Monroe of Ohio, member of the Commit
tee on Foreign Affairs, spoke in favor of the
bill. He was glad to see that whatever differ
ences of opinion existed in the House in regard
to the bill, all were agreed it was of the great
est importance that the foreign market for
American goods be extended This was be-
coming almost necessity for the country.
There was such a great accumulation of labor
here and largely unemployed labor that atten-
ton must be given to the question of furnish
ing employment and nothing was more indis-
penslble for that than the extension of foreign