The Portland daily press., 1878-01-16
XLVth COngress-.Regular Session.
SENATE.

The Vice President laid before the Senate resou-
tion adopted by the Union League Club of New York
city opposing any legislation which will tend to post
pone the resumption OF specie payments and coinage
OF silver to an unlimited extent. Referred to the fl
nance committee.
Mr.. Hamlin gave notice that Tuesday next after
the expiration OF the morning hour he would ask the
indulgence OF the Senate for short time that him.
self and colleague might present the statue ofWlam
Kng, the hrst contribution to the state OF Maine to
the national statuary hall.
Mr.. Hamlin from the committee on foreign rela-
tons reported adversely on bill to pay Edward De-
Leon late U. S. consul general in Egypt com
tion, and 1t was indefinitely postponed. He also
ported from the same committee favorably the
House bill to authorize the retary of State to af
fix the great seal Of the United States to the docu
ment entitled administrators of the United States
government at the beginning of its second century,.
Passed.
Mr.. Spencer presented bill to extend, facilitate
and cheaper land and water transportation of the
freghts and passengers and to promote industry and
labor without furthur appropriation of public prop
erty o. increase of the public debt.
Mr. Morrill, submitted an amendment to the pre-
the right OF government to pay bonds in silver Or
dered printed.
Mr.. Hereford submitted the following:
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be
directed to inform the Senate of the amount of gov
eminent bonds sold since March 4th 1861 giving the
amounts of each issue with its date thus sold, the
net amounts received from sales of ch issue and
the currency in which the same was paid; also
amount PAID any syndicate, person or persons for
placing the same in the market, for purchasing
the same, and in what currency they were paid.
Agreed to-.
Mr.. Mitchell submitted resolution directing the
Secretary of the Interior to transmit to the Senate
copy of Indian Inspector Watkins report recon-
mendlng the establishment OF large Indian reser-
walton territory in Covle county for the use and
occupation of portion all the reservation Indians
now in the various reservations in Oregon, Washing
ton and Idaho together, with such recommendations
as the Secretary may deem proper in reference to
snch proposition. agreed to.
The Vice President submitted a communication
from the Secretary War transmitting petition Of
Coils. L. G. Easton and Stewart Van Vliens, Lieut.
Coils. A. r. Eddy, Rufus Saxton, j. d. Bingham, A.
j. Percy and II. c. Hodges for restoration of their
proper places on the army register. Referred to the
committee on military affairs.
Mr.. Kellogg submitted resolution directing the
Secretary OF the Senate to pay Jno Ray and VIM. L.
Mcmillan the compensation and mileage of Senators
for the unexpired term Of William Pitt Kellogg in
the 42d Congress. Referred to the committee on
elections.
resolution was agreed to providing that the COM
mittee on claims make inquiry respecting war claims
and credits of the different states Of the Union that
furnished troops in aid OF the government during the
late rebellion.
At the expiration of the morning hour the resou.
ion Of Matthews in regard to the payment of bonds
in silver was taken up unfinished business
and then laid aside informally in order hatVoorhees
might address the Senate the resolution submit
ted by him before holiday recess declaring that it is
OF the highest importance that the financial
credit OF the government be maintained and in order
to do so the government itself in all its departments
should in good faith keep all its contracts and obiga
tons entered into with its own citizens.
Mr. Matthews in expressing his willingness to have
his resolution laid for the present. gave notice
that he would ask the Senate to vote on next Mon
day.
MIR. Voorhees, said the monied aristocracy is domi
nant, seeking to maintain control and denouncing
all who believe that to great extent our financial
tax paying men and women Of the country. Every
government bond which did not stipulate payment
in coin was made payable in express words in legal
TENDERS. Three-fourths of the national debt could
thus be paid in legal tenders 1t was the law Of the
contract when S,500,0OO of 52Os were paid fer in
currency at par when it was from 40 to go below par
AT that Was pharh-
er even interest on the bonds mentioned should be
paid in coin.
OF 1885, favoring the payment of the bonds in the
same kind of money as bought them, and his subse-
quent action procuring the passage Of the act for the
payment of the bonds in coin. He also quoted Mr.,
Mortons utterances in 1862 which favored the Speak.
ers position He next took up the refunding act of
1870 charging that it was the offspring of the appre-
henson that the of repudiating the contract for
payment OF 500 bonds might not be quite complete.
Thus it was provided TO issue new coin bonds in
place Of the original Mr. Voorhees, then argued
that the bonds were made payable in coin, either in
gold or silver He spoke at length of the favorable
position silver occupied in the world. He discussed
the resumption intended for the destruction Of
all money except gold, and portrayed the fearful
effect Of such legislation upon business labor.
Mr.. voorhees, argued that it would be impossible
to resume in year as gold could not be obtained.
The national debt was contracted basis of inaa-
ton and to be put the narrowest basis of
the most merciless contraction. He then said he
represented those who demanded first the full res
toration of the silver dollar with unlimited coinage
al repeal OF the resumption act; third, the removal
of the national banking system; fourth, currency
shall be legal tender for all debtS fifth that they
shall not be Disseminated against in future egisla
ton.
In conclusion Voorhees, quoted from the articles he
had noticed in eastern newspapers in regard to the
rights of bondholders the duty OF the aboring
es and the policy that should be pursued by capital
lists to counterfeit the effects of anticipated egsla-
ton, and said: warn all such as value their in
vestments that when these doctrines of despetism
sought to be enforced society will be CONFUSED
in agony and the fires of liberty will blaze forth
again as they did 100 years ago in defence of the nat
ural rights of man.
Senate at $40 O'Clock adjourned.
HOUSE.
A number of papers upon the Speakers table were
ordered printed. among them being protest from
the Union League Club against legislation putting off
the day Of the resumption of specie payment
The following bills were introduced and referred:
By Dunnell of Minnesota, to declare jurisdiction
OF the United States the harbors and navigabe
waters of the United States.
By Blair of New Hampshire for the reduction of
postage.
Mr.. Covert of New York offered resolution in
structiDg the board of supervising inspectors OF
Steamboats, to examine the report upon the merits of
the various life station apparatus. Referred.
MIR. Springer of Illinois asked leave to introduce
and put upon the passage bill to prevent further
contraction of the currency. It provides that the
volume of legal tender notes shall not be reduced
below 600 and That any surplus Of such notes
be in the Treasury in excess of the required to
meet the appropriations made by Congress- shall be
ressucu Dy the secretary OF the treasury IN the
chase OF coin Ter the payment of coin obligations
Mr. Garfield OF Ohio objected to its present consid-
Grafton and it was referred to the banking commit
tee.
Mr.. Morse of Mass introduced bill remitting the
duty on certain goods destroyed by fire at the late
condagration in Boston. Referred.
Mr.. Cox of N. Y, from the committee on foreign
AFFAIRS reported back the bill suspending for ten
years further the operation Of Sec 5574 of the
vised Statutes, which provides that when citizen
OF the United States shall discover guano island he
shall not sell the guano except to citizens of the
United States The provision has already been eus-
pended for five years. Passed.
MIR. Jones OF Ohio, from the committee on public
buildings, reported back the resolution directing the
subcommittee to proceed to Chicago, Providence,
Pittsburg ST. Louis, Louisville, Detroit and Ceve-
land and ascertain the wants of the public service in
regardlto public buildings in those cities
Mr. Stenger of Pa, raised point of order that the
resolution as it involved the expenditure of public
money must go to the committee of the whole.
The Speaker sustained the point and the resolution
was referred
Mr.. Reagan of Texas, chairman of the committee
on commerce, reported back the bill amending GER
tain sections OF the Revised Statutds concerning
commerce and the navigation of steam vessels. Re-
ferred to the committee of the whole and made q
special order for Tuesday next.
House at 210 went into the committee of the whole
on the state Of the Union, Hooker of Mich. in the
chair, for general debate,
Mr. Price addressed the committee in advocacy Of
the reconciliation OF the silver dollar Much Of the
speech was devoted to a reply to the sermons Of
Beecher and rockingham.
The committee rose and the House at o'clock ad-
journed.
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL