National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-01-04
FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.

WEDNESDAY. January 3 1877.
Senate.
The Senate was called to order at IL m. by
PRESIDENT pro fempore FERRY and prayer
was offered by the chaplain.
BILLS AND PETITIONS.
Bills, petitions, &C., were presented and re-
ferred as follows:
The CHAIR laid before the Senate q letter
from the Secretary of the Treasury. dated Decem-
Der 80. informing the Senate that the appropria-
tion for the transportation of United States notes
would be exhausted by January !, and US the law
prohibited him from mourning expense without
appropriate legislation, asked for an additional
appropriation for this purpose, which, he thought,
would require $4,000 more. Referred to the Com
mittee on Appropriations.
By Mr.. DORSEY: A memorial from the
mayor and council of Hot Springs, Arkansas,
asking relief. Public Lands.
By Mr.. SPENCER: A remonstrance of sixty
six shipowners in Mobile, against the proposed
bill to change the shipping laws. Com
merce.
Mr.. WRIGHT, from the Committee on Claims
reported back bills as follows, and asked that
they be rejected and the committee discharged
from their further consideration which was
For the relief of Mrs Lake
From merchants in San Francisco. asking pay
ment for falling of warehouse in 1854.
For relief Of Margaret Ashburn.
Also, thatthe bill for the relief Of Captain J.
NJ. Weaver be taken from the Committee on
Claims and REFEREE to the Committee on Mill
tary Afairs
BY Mr.. Sherman: Bill relating to public &C.
counts and claims. Finance.
BY Mr.. INGALLS, Resolution ca Hing upon
the Secretary of the Interior for statement of
the account Of the Central Pacific Railroad Com
MI. WRIGHT asked for the consideration of
Senate bill No. 60 declaring the true intent and
meaning of the Union PACING railroad act.
MI BOUTW ELL desired that the bill to per-
fact hn Vnftei States Statutes q
MT WRIGHT insisted upon the consideration
Mr.. MORRILL, said that the bill for the relief
of the late collector of internal revenue in the
Fourth district of Georgia ought to be passed. and
as it would occasion no debate, he asked Mr..
WRIGHT TO yield for that purpose.
Mr. WRIGHT insisted upon a vote of the Sen
a' M as hoped the Bill in relation to the
revision of the laws would be taken up. There
was necessity for action upon the railroad bill.
If any necessity ever existed 1t had long since
passed away. Parties were not here, neither were
they before any OF the Departments asking for
relief.
The passage of the bill was no longer q matter
of any concern to Congress or anybody else ex-
cept the railroad company, and the passage Oft
would be superintendent unnecessary, as well as
or fourteen years ago, and the road and other
parties interested bad acquired rights under
those acts, and it would be unjust to now put a
different construction upon the acts under which
those rights had been acquired.
Mr.. WRIGHT raised the point of order that it
was not competent to discuss the merits of the
bill on the motion TO take up. If the merits were
to be discussed he wanted chance. 1t was
necessary, fany action was to be taken on this
bill, that it should be taken now. The construc-
ton put upon these acts by the Department had
tied up the hands of the Department, and If this
Congress should adjourn without taking action
upon the bill the railroad company could go on
and dispose of these lands granted to them under
Their OF me ass we're h
action, and he would insist upon a vote of the
Senate upon the question Of taking up. !fthe
Senate refused to consider the bill he should
slider it as vote upon the merits of the question,
and would abandon it entirely hereafter
ment was suspended by resolution of the Sen
ate at q special session held In 1873.
CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD.
The question was called, and the yeas and nays
were demanded by Mr., WRIGHT but before they
were taken he yielded to Mr.. MORRILL, to call up
the bill for the relief of the collector Of internal
revenue for the Fourth district of Georgia, and it
The vote was taken upon the railroad bill and
decided in the affirmative, when
Mr.. WRIGHT explained the different acts es-
tablishing the Pacific railroad, and the necessity
Of passing this bill to declare the meaning of
Mr.. INGALLS, asked that the report made
upon these acts be read. which was done.
he
second reading of the bill introduced by Mr.. IN
CALLS on Tuesday, designed as a substitute for
Mr.. BOUTWELL, asked that the bill for the
revision OF the statutes be taken up.
coNTuxAc1oUs WITNESS.
Mr.. WRIGHT moved that all other business
be postponed temporarily to consider the consid-
GRAFTON Of the railroad bill, and demanded the
yeas and nays on his motion.
He yielded to Mr.. MORTON to have read reso-
luton from the Committee on Privileges and
Elections setting forth that one William NJ.
Turner q telegraph operator Of Jacksonville, IN
Oregon, had refused to answer certain questions
propounded to him by the committee in relation
of the same by Cronin, and asking that Turner
be compelled to answer.
Mr.. MORTON asked that it be printed, and
said he would ask its consideration tomorrow.
NO QUORUM.
The yeas and nays were then taken on Mr..
WRIGHT's motion, and it developed the absence
Mr.. PADDOCK moved that the Senate pro-
coed to executive business.
The CHAIR decided that there must be q QUO
rum about the senate chamber, as former vote
ator from Nebraska was not in order.
WAITING FOR ONE MORE.
Ten minutes waiting brought in the thirty
eighth Senator, making aquOrum answering to
their names, and the question was decided in the
affirmative, and the Senate decided to continue
the consideration Of the railroad bill.
Mr.. SHERMAN said he thought it would be
waste of time to take action on this bill.
Mr.. CoNKLING said this bill was what might
be termed IAN old customer" 1t had been here
for several years. 1t first came here, then it
turned up in the House, and then again 1t was
over to the Interior Department; and 1t was TAX
ing up time in one form or another great deal Of
the time. The Senate had been unfortunate
enough to be compelled to listen to him Mr.. CoNK
LING) on this subject for hours. While he did not
propose to make a speech at this time, yet he
thought it was time to have this question settled.
It could be settled better by those here now than
something important was to come before the SEN
ate he thought it was time and best to settle this
MI INGALLS, said the Senator from New
York brought this question here. The railroad
company was not here by its own motion. They
did not want to be here; they had been held here
for four years against their intention or desire.
Mr.. CONKL1NG said he did not bring this
matter here; 1t was causing some trouble, and
he did introduce resolution to take 1t away from
the Interior Department.
Mr.. INGALLS, further defended the road, and
was time to put an end to this So question and fix
the matter so that this railroad, or any other,
would not dodge around every lOophole and point
for generally when a road claims lands it also
claims bonds, on the ground that one good turn
MI. INGALLS, sent to the Clerks desk long
report relating TO the subject made by the Ju-
dietary Committee some years ago, and at its con-
PADDOCK to move for an executive session, which
was agreed to at $50, and at S:35 the Senate ad-
journed.
House of Representatives.
The SPEAKER directed the Journal of last
Friday to be read, the want of o quorum having
been developed at the session yesterday before
the Journal of Friday was read.
Mr., WOOD, Of N. Y, by unanimous consent,
presented memorial from bankers, capitalists
and merchants of the city of New York, asking
an amicable settlement of the existing political
difficulties, which was read by the CLERK, and,
on motion of Mr.. WOOD, referred to the Joint
Select Committee on Counting the Electoral
Vote.
On motion of Mr.. OBRIEN, of Nd, the bill
for the relief of the of the schooner Flight
was taken from the table and the Senate amend
ment concurred in.
On motion of Mr.. MILLIKEN, of KY, the bill
for the relief of Philip Pendleton, late pay
master United States army, was taken from the
SPEAKER's table and the Senate amendments
concurred in.
Mr.. WILSON, of Iowa, offered q resolution,
which was agreed to. directing the Committee on
Railroads and Canals to consider and report
whether it would be wise and expedient to pro-
vide by law for q national board Of engineers to
supervise the condition of interstate railroads so
far as the safety of the citizens Of the States
passing over said roads il concerned. Railroads
and Canals.
Mr.. BRIGHT, of Tenn, asked leave to intro
duce for reference to the Committee on Mines and