Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-16
House of Representatives.

l.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15.-Mr. Stephens, chair
man of the committee coinage and weights
and measures, reported joint resolution, au
thorizing the President to invite inter-
national commission to consider and recon-
mend uniform rates in relation to valuation in
coinage and the legal tender powers of gold
and silver. Referred.
This being Friday, committees We're called
for reports of private nature. The House, at
the expiration of the morning hour, went into
committee of the whole, Hooker in the chair,
on the private calendar. The second bill on
the calendar was the one which applies the APP
| preparation of 1876, 900, made by act of Con-
gress, to pay certain Southern mail contractors,
and Bragg asked if the bill had been reported
unanimously by the committed on post offices
and post roads.
i Mr.. Cannon, member of that committee,
answered that it had not been. He had always
| been opposed to the payment of claims of that
character
Mr.. Bragg inquired further whether the Re
publican members of the committee had omit
ted to make minority report in order that the
Democrats might be charged with endorsing ev-
erything said against them about the payment
of Southern claims.
| Mr.. Cameron said the reason there had been
no minority report was because no majority re-
port had accompanied the bill.
Mr.. Bragg said if the bill which appropriated
over $500, 600 had no sufficient claim on which
to rest which would warrant the majority in
putting their names paper giving their reas-
ons for supporting the bill, he hoped the House
would not pass the bill.
| Mr.. Waddell, chairman of the post Office
committee explained that the bill appropriated
no money. The appropriation had been made
last year; but the secretary of the treasury had
refused to use the money. The claims were all
in and the bill was simply directing the secre-
tary to pay the claims as provided.
| In answer to the question, he stated the ag-
gregate of all the claims would amount to
about $500, 600, bnt many of those claims
would never be presented. MI. Thompson OPP
posed the bill. It was merely a proposition
to appropriate $475,O00: It was a proposition to
pay, and to begin to pay at once all those
claims of all those claimants. 1t was danger
GUS legislation. It was dangerous to the rights
| of the people and the rights of the treasury to
compel the secretary to pay all TT these claims
whether they amounted to 1897, 900 or if mil
lions, and neither he nor the committee knew
to what sum they did amount. When the gov
eminent had restored to those claimants life,
| liberty and property, it had acted with mag
nanimity which compared favorably with the
action Of any other government. He would go
as far as any man on remnving political disa-
bilities, yet he wanted some line drawn, some
thing to bring to the remembrance of coming
generations that crime was q crime.
Mr. Hanna favored the bill. The clasms APP
peared to be Just and honest and whether it
needed an appropriation OF S375, OOO or half a
million to meet them he would cheerfully vote
for it.
Mr. Conger said the bill appropriating the
! 1876, 900 had been passed when not ten men on
the Republican side had approved it.
Mr. Reagan reminded Conger that the bill
had passed when the Republican side had felt
reconciled at the end of the forty fourth Con-
gress and number Of Republicans had voted
| for it.
| Mr. Conger said then it had been passed in a
gush of Cancellation. There had been good
many things done on gush of Cancellation that
since many had regretted. He was
surprised at his friend from Indiana Hanna in
taking the position he did. That gentleman
thought 80 harshly of the confederacy and
its postmaster general, that he would not
| recognize payments made by them to those con-
tractors, but wanted them paid over again. The
gentleman from Texas, Regan, as postmaster
general of the confederacy, had got the mails.
mail bags, stamps, ETC., which the contractors
had on hand and had settled with the thieves
with money he had stolen from the United
States. A bill had been worked through Con-
gress, against the wishes of a large majority of
the American people, to pay men who had run
off with government horses stamps, etc, and
turned them over to the bold confederate post
master general, who was bold enough to receive
stolen property. He meant no reflection on the
man. he was talking about the Office. The law
of last Congress had been passed in a
secretary of the treasury said to these
contractors that soon as oil their claims
were filed he would make a final and conclu-
sive settlement with them as in the case of the
Geneva award. But the pending bill was one
to pay off every claim as soon as proved, and
it opened still wider the door which he thought
it unfortunate, was ever opened. he did not
like that law; but he was opposed to having it
modified as now proposed. These contractors
might take the 1876, 200 under the rulings of
the secretary of the treasury and distribute
it pro rata; but he was opposed to giving them
1 any more.
RI. Regan repudiated the imputations made
by Mr.. Conger against the Southern postmast-
I er-general for cheating the federal government
at the opening of the war by Withholding the
money and postage stamps in their offices
post offices, he required all postmasters to settle
| with the federal government.
| Mr.. Mills argued that there was but one
question before the House. The question Of
| LOYALTY about which much had been said
4 could never arise in the situation
l of contract between a citizen and hi
government.
i Without action on the bill the committe.
The bill to pay Geo. h. Giddings of Texa
1 S2.967 due him as mail conductor between
Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Texas, some year
before the war, was reported favorably from
the committe, but pending action the Hous
A adjourned till Monday.
Customs Regulations.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15.-In order that prope
facilities may be given merchants, masters Q
vessels, and others in transactions of custom
business, and to prevent certain practices alik