The New York herald., 1877-11-17
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Nov l6, 1877.
Mr. CAMERON (rep) OF Wis, introduced bill fixing
tho salaries Of judges Of district courts OF United
States Referred TO the Committee on the judiciary.
Mr. INGALLS,, (rep) oil Kan, introduced bill to re-
peal the act authorizing the coinage OF the twenty
cent silver piece. Referred 10 the Committee FL
nance.
Mr.. CAMERON, trop OF Pa, introduced bill TO fully
pay tho damages due william Wheeler HubbelL Re-
terrsd TO the Committee Military Affairs. II ap-
propriatos $l50,o00 to pay Mr. Hubbeil for the use
Dy the government OF his patent explosive SHE'LL
fuses, &c
On motion Of Mr.. INGALLS,. ofKansas, Il ordered
that when the Senate adjourned to-day It DO meet
on Monday next
Mr JosEs, (dem.) OF Fla, submitted the followng:
Resolved That the Attorney General the Secretary
Of the Interior they hereby directed commu-
msrsSas o the uaed states in the states Of Ssbams
F9as Ida and Mississippi touching the seizure Of logs um
the public lands OF the uned states whether under
q property In Of Of the United
states held under claim ., valid title have been seized
tc"sSiy describing The things to be seized '
Mr.. EDMrSDs, (rep) Of W., suggested that the
luton, as worded, was rather broad He fully in
sympathy, with the Senator from Florida (slr Jones)
by the government TO Its officers should not be made
public in this instance the cause Of justice might
be injured. Tho of the officers making sezurOs,
however, were.pubc and might DO inquired into. He,
therefore, thought 1t would be best to refer tho
luton to the Judiciary Committee.
After brief discussion the resolution motion OF
Mr. Conkling, Of New York, was amended asxo
quest the President 10 furnish the Information the
Senate If in his opinion II would not be incompatible
at-
fee OF Colorado, 1t was further amended TO In
clude instructions given to agents and marshals 10 oil
other States and Territories woli as tho States
named thus amended the resolution agreed TO.
DISCREPANCIES IN THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
Mr. DAVIS (dem. Of w. Va, called up the res0lu-
tion submitted by him on the 18th Of October last,
providing for the appointment OF special committee
Of to inquire alleged discre pancies
In tho books and accounts Of tho Treasury Deparl-
ment sM
Mr. MoRRELI, (rep.) OF Vt. submitted tho following
a substitute Tor tho resolution Of Mr.. DavIs-
Resolved That q committee three appointed to In.
yesgats the finance REPORTS books aud accounts q the
1872 Inclusive whether actual dir
port the facts 10 the and that said shall
ss
approved by the committee.
SPEECH DAVIS.
Mr.. DAVIS said TO do this subject justice and point
all the changes and alterations the hnance reports
been discussed heretofore IN. the Senate he would
brief He then referred to similar
amended 80 to have the investigation mado by tho
Committee on Finance instead OF a special commit
tee The objections urged a. me time oi imposing this
already overburdoned with labor and could not salts
fsctoriIy perform tho duty; inased. some Of the mem
Dcrs of that committee curing the debate stated
much He confessed that when the amendment pro-
vailed authorizing tue Finance Committee 10 mako
tho investigation ho lost much Of the Interest he had
In the matter because ne isIt that Il was impossible
tor any Of the regular committees OF the senate to
Senate. Subsequent events showed that no
was right and he therefore concluded 10
renew the resolution ut the first oppor-
tunty and ask for special commit
tee. The tormer revolution having been pressed
on the eve Of tho late political campaign, II was sup
posed by some that Its purpose was merely TO elicit
Information that might bo Of service IN the great
pose. He then, now, fully convinced that un-
authorized and improper changes have been made IN
ment; that these changes were made between 1869
and 1871, and extended back 10 cover a period
of more than thirty years; that by, somo
officers Of the Treasury Department and Tor
some purpose he could not understand, figures and
amounts IN Official annual nnance reports, regu.
larIy made by former and registers Ine
Treasury alter they had stood in somo Instances
disturbed and uninpeached for more than quarter
oi century, being relied upon and accepted
and Official records ol the financial operations oil
government mad been without explanation, and Ger.
tainy without authority, changcd and altered and DIFF
ierent figures and amounts nserted Particularly had
this been tho case IN the statements OF the pubic debt
these changes IN the aggregate involved many mils
lions Of doliar.
CHANGES AND ALTERATIONS.
He then quoted IRON the statement Of the public
debt from 1885 10 1871 argued that the changes
ana alterations msde III the finance reports Tor 1871
as TO the public debt Tor the years 1885 to 1870
cugve, increase 1t IN the aggregate during this period
s247,766674 H. Hs referred TO the accounts Of tho
Register of the Treasury, and conteDdcd That that
officer 1871 changed his accounts under directions
from the Secretary OF the Treasury He then quoted
from tho finance report OF 1870 the statement ol
report OF 1871, TO show whore differences existed Ia
comparing the two reports. The statements mado by
the Secretary the Treasury In the annual finance
reports, ana IN tho month deot statements, also
made by the Register OF Tho Treasury ior gwen
year. often differed materially. For instance for tho
year 1869 the finance report stated the debt to DO
81 G56 500, 800 70. The monthly debt s!atemcnt ON
July l. 1862 gave II as $3.50 l70, 294 l6 Again the
Register. rn The finance report Tor 1862 stated the
pubic deot to 20 81 49, 4s0 6S The Secretary in
year be 81 4So 672, ,427 81 The difference between
these ought 10 show the decrease Of the public
debt or 1870 $3.50, o52 ~ but the monthly debt
abatement year 1870 stated the dccrcase OF the
pubic debt Tor that year $l02 643S $50 S4 Up TO
1859 the Pacific Railroad debt was carried as part oi
the public debt; but In 1870 II was taken from tho
pu bic the debt ot the Pacinc Rail
road, amounting at that time TO sos, $685. $50, which
was only an apparent and real reduction. From
lhis amount should be subtractcd the real decrease
SS $780, 052 II u would appear that the pubic debt for
1870 increased $50 6O 2o7 rs and not decreased,
as set forth IN the monthly dcbt statement,
S102. 643, $50 81.
In connection with these differences. changes ana
tue finance reports tncir annual staten OF The
public debt and revenue all substan italy
agreed up including the year 1862 he next
quoted table OF expenditures TO show that the
pance report for 1871 materially increased them
amounts stated in kne report OF 1869 ana previous
years.
THE PENSION BUREAU.
Tho Pension Bureau on the 25tn of July, 1876, FUR
nshed Official statement from Its books thar from
1860 TO 1870 inclusive there was paid for army and
navy PENSIONS $l2g 22S 50, while the Secretary Of
the Treasury in the finance report Tor 1870 stated that
nhfO
$l42 J4U 493 A. Eo argued that tho reports did not
agree tho amount OF revenue collected 10 various
years, and what was most remarkable in this Case
instead OF the changes increasing the revenue, as they
cid the public deUt they decreased H. To his mind
this matter of great moment demand
ing seriods consideration and concerned not
political party than the other, but the
whole country IL Was not his inicntion
reflect upon any parties or upon tho past present
officials OF tue Treasury Department. but he desired
that all tho facts IN connection with these changes
might be made 70 fully appear, ana now that the
try comparatively frco IRON political cxctemcnt
II scemedto MIN an opportusc time u investigate this
whole subject, elicit all the truth aud let IN aIi
light possible. He quoted from reports heretofore