The Portland daily press., 1878-05-23
XLVth Congress-Regular Session

Mr.. Blaine, from she COMMITTEE on Rules, report
ed series of joint rules to be proposed to the House
Of Representatives. Ordered to be printed and lie
on the table.
select committee of which he Is chairman TO sit
during recess, and reiterated his former statement
of few days since. charge that discrepancies
to the amount Of existed would be fully
Mr. ingalls, of the same committee stated he had
all the information possessed by the chairman, and
he differed from him entirely: and If any discrep-
change in the manner of keeping the books and the
Treasury officials be relieved of ailmputatons made
mittee does not wish to sit during recess but wishes
authority in order that their clerks may continue
the examination of the books and report to the COM
mittee upon the reassembling of Ccng ress.
Mr.. Beck said az member Of the committee he
did not believe sufficient progress was made in the
examination to give any opinion on what the result
would be.
Pending discussion on the resolution of Mr. Davis,
the morning hour expired.
Mr.. ingalls, called for the unfinished business,
ment for the District of Columbia. Mr. Ferry said
the understanding yesterday that the House bill
to forbid further retirement Of legal tenders should
be taken up at the expiration Of the morning hour
today and then laid aside informally to allow Mr..
Lamar to address the Senate upon the Texas Pacific
bill. A lengthy discussion eusued.
All the Senators concurIed that the understanding
was that Mr.. Lamar should be heard today, aud
finally Mr.: Ferry said be would not insist on the
consideration OF the bill to forbid further retirement
OF legal tenders today,4as Mr.. Bayard not pre-
pared to speak.
The bill to provide for permanent form of gov
eminent for the District Of Columbia then taken
up, but Land aside Informally, and Mr.. Lamar spoke
at length in favor of the Texas Pacific Railroad,
Mr. Lamar in conclusion appealed to the Senators
from the New England states especially to support
the measure as work OF national importance In the
interest Of the whole American people.
Mr.. Johnston gave notice that he desired to ad-
dress the Senate upon the bill, but not prepared
today.
Mr.. Allison, from the conference committee on the
Indian appropriation bill, submitted report, which
was agreed to and the bill passed.
The Senate then resumed the consideration of the
bill providing permanent form Of government for
the District Of Columbia and the first section recog-
nizng the district municipal corporation, &C.,
was agreed to without amendment.
MT. Bayard moved to amend the second section,
providing for the appointment of commissioners,
as to provide that the two commissioners to be
appointed from civil life shall be actual residents
the district for year instead of three, as the
Senate committee proposed.
ne amendment was agreed to by rising vote
yeas %, nays Is.
Mr.. Hoar gave notice of a motion to reconsider.
Mr.. Bayard submitted an amendment requiring
the commissioners to be appointed from civil life IA
give bond in $50, 900 each.
Mr.. Ingalls, opposed the amendment and said that
as the commissioners could not draw any money
from the u easury, there danger Of detalca-
ton. and therefore the committee did not think il
necessary to require bond of them.
Pending the discussion MT. voorhees, introduced a
the Wabash river at point within six miles Of the
town OF Merom, Ind Referred to the Committee on
Con merce.
The Senate then went into executive session and
when the doors reopened adjourned. ~ -
HOUSE.
Mr.. Beebe offered resolution calling for informa-
ton to the Presidential pardons of criminals since
March, 1877. Adopted.
Of two associate justices for the District Of Colum-
bia. Referred.
Senate bill for the relief of settlers on public lands
whose crops were injured by grasshoppers was pass
Mr.. Harrison offered as question of privilege a
resolution extening the Potter investigation to Ore
gon and South Carolina and declaring it not the in
tenton OF the House through such investigation to
attempt to annui the decision OF the Presidential
question as made in the 18th Congress.
vote was taken as to whether the resolution pre-
sented question OF privilege, but both sides were
dlsncllned to vote either one way or the other.
The vote on Mr.. Harrson's resolution resulted
yeas H. nays 30, and the point of no quorum being
raised on the Democratic side, Mr.. Harrison with
drew the resolution.
power OF the inves' igating committee where there
may be well. grounded allegations of fraud
MI Cox OF New York moved to refer the resolu-
ton to the Potter committee. The yeas and nays
were ordered
The motion to refer Mr. Wilson's resolution being
deeated " to 49, Mr.. Coxs resolution was adopted
MT. Springer submitted report from the commit
tee on expenditures in the state dep utment setting
ford, late consul general at Shanghai, China. Re-
ferred to the judiciary committee.
Inc IoHowlng are the principal articles of i'm
Frst-That he became interested in and promoted
officially railway from WoosuDg to Shanghai in
violation OF the treaty obligations and the acts of
Second-That he conspired for pecuniary gain
with Z. Iverson and others to deceive the Chinese
authorities by procuring consent to build carriage
road and afterwards constructing railroad from
Woosung to Shanghai.
Ihird-!hat he was guilty of injustice, tyranny
and extortion in his official Capacity as Judge of the
( There are five Specifications under this article)
Fourth and ftth-That a. postal agent of the
and opened them for the purpose of prying into The
tiers.
sixth-That he took a voucher in one instance for
$o0 and paid in person only $50, retaining $40.
Seventn-That as the postal agent at Shanghai he
received Mexican dollars which were at a premium
over gold and currency that he paid his expenses in
IKE coin but charged the government premium as
u H. ne naa purchased such con thereby detrauding
Eighth-That he embezzled fees due the GOVERN.
ment-about $4,000.
Ninth-1hat he embezzled s26o0 of government
funds.
The House then went into committee of the whole
NJ Springer in the chair) en- the army appropria-
lion Dill all general debate to close in an hour.
Mr. Hewitt Of N. Y, in answer to question. stated
10th.
Mr.. Schleicher opposed the bill because he did not
think in provided sufficient force for the protection
Of the Texas frontier. 1t has been said that the
Mexicans had promised to keep the peace upon the
border but every one who had any experience with
the neghbors of the United States the Rio Grande
knew their promises went for nothing. He read from
the testimony taken by the committee foreign af
fairs, describing the murder of four American citi-
zens on American soil by Mexicans, and said (very
earnestly that there had been time when the muir
der of four American citizens wauld not have been
ignored by an American Congress He cited other
sl@ilar outrages, some of them quite recent, and
said the frontier residents of Texas were being MUIR
had hmm unricI 1n6
even the poor boon of pity from their couptrymen
VINO were making laws tor the whole country, In
conclusion he pleaded for the exposed people Of that
frontier against the jeers of the gentleman from
Wisconsin Bragg and fratricidal economy of the
gentleman from New York. (HewtD
:. MT Banning stated that under the new orgauiza-
lion every infantry company must have 70 men while
at present there was not an infantry company which
mustered 80 men. The bill Increased the force of in
Ind under its provisions there will be more muskets
IN the Texas frontier than there at present. The
gentleman from Ohio tGarfeld) had been alarmed by
letter of an English lord. If the revolutionary
athers had been alarmed in that way there would
never have been a government here.
This closed the general debate on the army appro-
)riation bill and the committee proceeded is consider
under the five mincte rule
Mr.. Throkmorton moved to amend by makieg the
imitation of The army Is 600 instead OF 10000 men.
After long debate the committee without action
ose and the House took arecess.
Evening Session.
Mr.. Robertson of La, from the committee on Mis-
ssippi ievees, reported bill for the organization of
he Mississippi River Improvement Co. Referred to
committee OF the whole.
Mr. Southland. chairman of the committee on
counting the electoral VOTE reported bill on that
be Ordered to be printed and recommitted to
0e T caliea up for consideration June 4th
III ne house proceeded to the consideration of the
oi by Mr.. Butler for the publication of
IN Qcia of the United States which shall
contain an public advertisements, &c,
'ary committee, stating hat not a dozen members
Knew enough about the III to act integenIIy on it.
that its real object seemed to be to enIarge The
printing office while the better poicv
would be to let out all the public printing nv con-
ract to private establishments, ~ WIZ
Finally after good deal of noisy discussion. and
ftet various amendments, the bill passed-yeas lO9
lays77.
Mr.. Sparks made the conference report on the In.
liam appropriation bill which was agreep to.
Mr.. Knott asked unanimous Con ent to take from
he Speakers table the bIll for the r-peal of the
bankrupt law and to concur in the Senate amend
nents thereto.
Mr.: Kenna objected.
Adjourned.