The Portland daily press., 1877-03-05
Forty Fourth Congressional Session.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Marc

1
The Senate agreed to insist upon its amend
ments to the legislative appropriation bill main
tanning the Presidents salary at $50, 900 and
asked for joint conference committee upon
| the subject.
Blaine and Maxey were appointed visitors to
West Point.
After a lengthy discussion by vote of yeas
20, nays ii, the Senate receded from its amend.
ment to the postoffice bill appropriating $780,
| 600 for the mail service between San Francisco,
China and Japan, and similar amount for
| mail service between New Orleans and Rio
Janeiro.
The army appropriation bill was then taken
up, the committee on appropriations, having
substitute is similar to the army appropriation
bill of last year.
MI. Davis moved to amend SO as to reduce
| the army from $4,000 to 10000 men and a
| lengthy discussion ensued.
After discussion the Senate by vote of ye a
32, nays %, strict party vote, passed the su b
| stitute reported by the committee on appropr ia
| tions for the House bill making appropriations
| for the support of the army.
| After brief discussion by vote of yeas 27,
| nays o. the Senate postponed until the first
| Wednesday of December the bill recently re-
| ported from the committee on finance in ac-
| cordance with the message of the President to
| aid in the resumption of specie payment
The conference reports on the fortfcation
| and naval bills were agreed to.
The conference report on the postal bill with
| a recommendation that the Senate recede from
! its fast mail train amendment was agreed to-
Recess till p. m.
Evening Session.
The bill equazing bounties was taken up
| and was advocated by Messrs. Logan and Nor
| ton. Amendments were adopted which neces-
STATED its again going back to the House, this
being tautamount to it's defeat.
The Senate after lengthy discussion by a
vote Of 81 yeas to 25 nays indefinitely postponed
Il the hill for the onualiZatiOn Of hOnntiag
The conference committee reported their ina
bility to agree with the House, the latter insist
ing on reduction of the army to II, 200 and in
| sisting on section that none of the army shall
| be used for the rival governments in South Car
| olina or Louisiana.
| The Senate insisted on its amendments and
| formed another conference committee
The conference on the legislative bill report
ed their inability to agree on the salary of the
President and another conference committee
was formed.
The conference on the postoffice bill made a
| Joint report which was agreed to.
The resolution annulling the resolution ex-
| pelling w. x. Sebastian from the Senate July
| II, 1861, was passed.
| Another conference was appointed on tho
| legislative bill.
At 3 a. m. the Senate went into executive
| session and when the doors were reopened the
| joint resolution authorizing the Secretary of
| State to publish brief history of surveys and
| scientific expenditures under the direction of
| the government during the past century and
| appropriating $4,000 therefor, was passed.
After some unimportant business a recess
| was taken til9 a. m.
Last Hours.
Upon reassembling at that hour the commit
during the recess. The committee on patents
was authorized to sit during the recess to revise
the patent laws.
Mr.. Window, from the conference committee
on the civil appropriation bill submitted a re-
port which was agreed to.
A message from the House was received an
| nouncing that that body had receded from its
amendment to the legislative appropriation bill
in regard to the salary of the President, all the
other amendments having been previously
| agreed to in conference and the bill was passed.
Senate at 10 o'clock went into executee ses.
sion and when the doors were reOpened a num-
Der of pension and private bills were passed.
On motion of Mr.. Blaine the Senate further
insted upon its amendments to the army ap-
preparation bill and asked for new conference
committee, and Messrs. Blaine, Allison and
Wallace were appointed.
Mr.. Spencer, from the conference committee
to fix the signal service, reported that they
were unable to agree.
Bill to amend section 295S of the Revised
| Statutes in regard to bonding marble blocks in
open yards was passed.
Mr.. Blaine. from thei conference committee
on the army appropriation bill, said there had
been third conference without any agree.
ment and he desired that the Senate should un-
derstand the exact condition of affairs The
conferees on the part of the House while not
insisting on the letter of the 9TH section of the
army bill firmly maintained that they would
consent to the passage of no appropriation-bill
tor the army that shall not contain such Ie-
strictions upon the President in regard to the
use of U. S. troops in Louisiana as will prevent
him from reinstating and maintaining the
Packard government. The Senate conferees
telt compelled to risk the failure of the bill
rather than insert that paragraph 1t would
pe an invasion of the constitutional rights of
@ Ine fresident to which they could not consent.
Ihere was rot today between the Potomac and
the borders OF Texas 1000 federal troops, and
the whole idea OF any liberty being endangered
was nightmare If the conferees of the Sen.
ate should receive no instructions thew wonld
meet the House conferees again, but would NOT
consent to the passage of any army bill with
the Objectionable section in it. Applause in
the galleries.)
Mr. Blaine said he made proposition to ena
BILE the President of the United States to reduce
the army to 10000 men during the year if, in
his discretion it be proper to do but it was not
accepted and no further action was taken in
the matter.
The bill granting pension to the widow OF
the late Gen. Francis Z. Blair was passed.