Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-11-08
FORTT-FIFTH CONGRESS.
THURSDAY, November :

oluiion that the vouchers for the expenses
incurred by the committee appointed TO at
teud the funeral OF Senator Morton be sp-
proved by the President OF tue Senate,
adopted. BY Mr.. Gsrls nd-A blu TO create
\ a circuit court for the District of Arkansas.
eom mn u, on judiciary. BY Mr. Anthony
| ury 10 purchase a certain lot OF land for gov
eminent opposes; committee on public
| buildings and grounds. Also. a bill TO allow
| Commodore +. -. Matthews, OF the L. =
| navy, 10 accept a silver tea pot from the r. N
peror OF Siam; committee on naval affairs.
| BY MI. Ingalls, bill - amend the charter
| OF tie National Life Insurance Company
and for winding up the affairs OF the same
committee on District OF Columbia. By Mr.
| Maithews-A bill supplemental OF an act TO
| provide for The resumption OF specie pay
| II ents, committee on finance. BY Mr.. Caaf-
| fee-A preamble and resolution setting forth
! that Congress did. by act of June, lSi2. AMI
| 10y subsequent acts, grant large subsidies, ia
! the shape OF land grants, 10 build the Union
| Pacific railroad, upon certain conditions
| and whereas said roads have neglected %
| operate their reads IN conformity 90 said
| acts: therefore, RCSOlCoi, That the President
| Toe requested To inform the Senate WAL need
| ful measures are necessary 10 morse die
| terms OF The said contracts.
| Mr.. Chaffee asked that IL be prIute AMI
| lie over, and gave notice that ne would call
1<eearly next week and submit some re-
Mr.. Thurman suggested that the preamble
| be modified TO read. Whereas Il is alleged.
%c-," IN place Of asserting that II is a fact,
Mr.. Chafee declined to molly Il as sug-
| geAted, and II was ordered 10 be printed aud
BY Mr.. Ejmunfs-A resolution that the
| committee on the lIdIciary be instructed 10
inquire and report whether any legislation is
| necessary FOR the pay ment OF any money due
| 10 American claimants from the Republic
OF Mexico, awarded under the recent Mexi.
| can claims commission. Adopted,
| The Chair laid before the Senate the resO-
luton offered by Mr.. Maxey on Tuesday. 10
| relation 10 the release by Mexican banditti Of
two overwhelmingly the jail al Starr coun-
| ty, Texas. Adopted.
| Mr.. Mitchell called up the resolution call
| ing for Information in relation 10 certain
| lands, and IL was adopted
on motion OF Mr.. Anthony the Senate, AT
| IDS went into executive session, and a. 1870
| the doors were reopened, and the Senate ad-
| journed.
H0USE-On motion OF Mr.. Atkins, the
House resolved itself into the committee OF
| the whole on the army appropriation bill,
Mr.. Cox IN. Y In the chair.
After the bill had been read in committee
Mr.. Atkins said ne was uncertain as TO the
| wishes of the House on the subject OF general
debate; neither ne nor the com mitJee had
any desire TO restrict debate, and he moved
that the committee rise for the purpose OF
| limiting general debate on the bill.
| The committee rose, and after a little dis
cusslOn, two hours was fixed as the time, and
at 1880 p N. the House again went into COM
mittee.
Mr.. Atkins said he would occupy but few
minutes In explanation OF the features OF the
bill. He gave II a. his opinion that the APP
pTUpratlon committee had nothing 10 do with
the delay Ia calling an extra session Of Con-
| gress. That belonged to the Judiciary. He
| said there vas but one Item IN THIS Dill that
was not in former bills, and that was an ap-
| pre- pTiation OF $4,000 for converting smooth
| bore into Tified cannon. He said this would
| make twenty i've excellent rihed guns out OF
| he mparatiVely worthless Rodman guns.
| and thecOmmittee thought this sum could be
| expended IN these experiments He next went
| OIL 10 show the manner IN which and the Item 3
on which the committee had been enabled TO
| reduce the amount OF appropriations. For
| horses for the cavalry there had been mate
| rial reduction, IN cOlseq uence Of the Jerml-
| nat on OF tue Sioux war, which left supply
| Of horses on hand. IL the matter of clO-ning,
| there had been an Increase OF appropriation,
| became the supply left al the c.ose Of he war
| had. in part, furnished the clothing Tor pre-
| ceeding years. TIis had now been exhausted,
| and the estimates for this year Were for all
| new clothing for the army. The apprOpria-
| lions were made on basis OF aR army OF
twenty Thousand enlisted men. He .lieved
| The army should be redu ed 10 seventeen
| thousand men, but the committee hat not
thought this proper time to take action on
| this question.
| MrAtkins yielded ten minutes to Mr. Wool
| N.Y. who said he had sought the dOor not
| 10 discuss the army Dill, but TO make so me
| gene raj remark on the recei PTS and eXpendi-
| lures OF the government, bat as ne might
| desire TO occupy more than ten minutes he
would yield the floor and seek other oppOr-
| tunity for his remarks.
| Mr.. Foster said he believed the apprOpria-
| tions should be for an army OF 1000 men,
but in view of the necessities OF the oil GERS
| who were paying $1,000 a day in Interest he
| had not the heart TO make any cRptiOus
| opposition TO the bill. he predicted a de-
fciency next year of Two millions and half
| dollars. He said the boosted reductions OF
| last year hal when the books came TO be
| written up come down to seventeen mill ions,
conJending that the appropriations were not
| sufficient, that the reduction was injudiclOus
and an invitation TO Indian wars and border
| raids. The minority, he said, would test the
course OF the House on one or two points and
and make no further captious opposition.
| Mr.. COnger spoke OF the Inconvenience and
suffering which had resulted from the failure
| to make provisions for the officers aud men
! Of the army, and hoped that at a proper time
the interest which the officers had bee1 CON-
| PEELED 10 pay for money or account or tie
| non-pay ment OF their salaries.
| Mr.. Phillips said that ne had been inform
| ed by Adjutant General Townsend that there
| were TWENTY-FIVE thousand men IN the army.
he contended that the increase in cavalry
| was TO De set off by a reduction OF the infan-
| try. AS an evidence of the want OF force he
! pointed to the fact that when Gen. Miles at
tackled Joseph he had but 1S6 men.
| Mr.. Durham advocated a reduction of the
| army, and said In bis opinion the army
should be reduced TO fifteen thousand men
| Referring TO the clauses in the last bill, re-
| stricting the use OF the troops IN the southern
| states, he said II the same circumstances ex-
| listed now as exis ted then, although as a rule
he was opposed 10 general legislation in an
4 appropriation bill, he would not vote dol
| lar without such restrictions. He gave no
| lice that in the next army bill he would en-
deavor TO have the army reduced TO 1900
| men.
Mr.. Singleton said when Gen. sherman
| was eefore the committee he stated that
| through death and deserlion there were not
| now in the army 10000 men, and the com
| mittee had made provision for the number of
| men actually in the army, not considering it
| self the proper committee TO consider an In
| crea1e or reduction of the army. He said ifthe
| troops sent TO the South TO control the cleo
tons had been sent TO the assistance OF those
engaged against the Ind ians the Custer mas
sacre would have been avoided, aud ne
would have been living man today.
AT half-past two, Mr.. HOOKER moved that
The committee rise for the purpose OF eXtead-
ing the time for general locate. Rejected-i4
to los.
The bill was then read by paragraphs, I'M
der the five minutes rule.