The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-01-26
XLVth C0ngress--Regular Session,

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25
The bill to remit the taxes on insolvent savings
banks was discussed briefly and postponed until to-
morrow.
Bill authorizing and directing the Secretary of the
Treasury to cause the custom house at Memphis,
Tenn, to be constructed of Tennessee marble,
passed.
large number of petitions demonstrating against
any change in the tariff laws and the restoration Of
duty on tea and coffee presented and referred.
Mr.. Edmunds presented petition from the Gov
ernor OF Vermont and others in favor of legislation
to remove certain restrictions in the payment Of
pensions. Referred to Committee on Pensions
MI Harris presented the petition Of the distillers
whiskey to 50 cents per gallon: Referred
Mr. Herman presented petitions of the citizens of
Cayuga, Fulton, Otsego Orange, and other counties
of New York. in favor Of the remonetizaton of silver
and repeals0f the resumption act. Referred,
The Matthews resolution then came up.
The Senate resumed consideration of the amend-
ment of Mr.. Conklng, to make the resolutions joint
instead of concurrent. 1t was rejected-yeas %,
nays 80.
Yeas-Anthony, Barnum, Bayard, Blaine, Burn
side, Chaffee. Christianey, Conkling, Dawes Eaton
Mitchell, Morrill,, Paddock, Randolph, Rollins Sar-
gent, Wadleigh and Windom-23.
Nays-Allison, Armstrong, Bailey Beck. Booth,
Cameron of Pa, Cameron of Wis.,, Coke Conover,
Davis of ILL.,, Davis of w. Va, Dennis, Dorsey
Eqstis Ferry. Gordon, Grover, Hereford Howe,
Donald, Mcmillan, Matthews, Maxey. Merrimon,
Morgan, Oglesby, Plumb Ransom, Salisbury, Saun-
ders, Spencer, Teller, Thurman. Wallace and
Before the vote wac taken Mr.. Blaine said that q
few days since he introduced bill for the remone-
tzation OF silver He had purposely left the number
OF grains in the dollar blank because he had felt
willing to vote for the dollar of 4121 grains. He
would move to fill the blank at future day. Mean
while by some bunder he had been credited with the
brilliant conception of leaving the number of grains
in the dollar to be determined by the Director of the
Mint and the Secretary of the Treasury. What he
nod RI fhndn
publicly fix the price of silver blllion per standard
ounce nearly possible at market rate and this
he conceived the best regulation on the subject.
Alter the yeas and nays on Mr.. Conkling's amend
ment Mr.. Cockrell announced that he was paired
with Mr.. Whyte, who would have voted no.
Messrs. Hoar, Butler and HILL who would have
voted in the affirmative were paired with Messrs.
Harris, Patterson and Garland, who would have
voted in the negative.
Mr.. Plumb announced that his colleague Qngalls)
was detained from the Senate account Of sickness
in his family.
The question then required on the amendment OF
Mr. Morrill, of Vermont, submitted on the 18th inst
but he withdrew it for the present that the question
might be taken on the amendment submitted by his
colleague Edmund) on the 14th inst, with the un-
be next in order.
Mr. Edmunds then took the floor and spoke for
some time in support of his Amendment.
At the conclusion of his speech vote was taken
Al, as follows:
Yeas-Antbony, Barnum, Bayard Burnside, Chris.
herman, Mcpherson, Mitchell, NORTH, Randolph,
Rollins, Sargent and Wadleigh.
r- MassC caas, Armstrong Baily. Beck, Booth
Coke Conover Davis Of ILL.,, Davis of W, Va, Den
MIS- Dorsey, Eustis, Ferry, Gordon, Grover, Here
New, Kirkwood, McCreery, Mcdonald, Mcmillan
Matthews, Maxey. Merrimon, Morgan, Oglesby
Paddock, Plumb, Saunders. Spencer. Teller, Thur
Messrs Butler. Whyte and Hoar who would have
voled IN the atfrmatiye were paired with Messrs
patterson Cockreu and Harris, who would have vot.
ed In the negative.
The question required on the amendment of Mr.
Morr submitted on the 18th inst, to the effect that
1t would be detrimental to the economical interests
silver.
The amendment of Mr.. Morrill, was rejected, yeas
The question then required on the amendment Of
MT. Chafee submitted on the 18th of December, as
follows:
THAT all bonds of the United States issued or au-
tnorized to be issued under said acts OF Congress
nereln before rected, are payable principal and
odd Or a. siI1er " u uae government IN com o.
were issued. and to restore such silver coin as a
legal tender ceequal with gold CON- is not in viola
the public creditor"
melton by Mr.. Edmunds to indefinitely postpone
ae vote on the resolution was rejected yeas nays
Question being on the passage of the resolution as
ubmitted by Mr.. Matthews Dec. 9Th, it was agreed
o, yeas 43, nays %, as folows
Yeas-Alison, Armstrong, Bailey Beck Booth
Bruce, cameron OF Pa, Cameron Of Wis, Chaffee
Coke Conover, Davis Of H., Davis of W. Va, Dem
ford, Howe, Johnston, Jones OF Fla, Jones of New.
Kirkwood, McCreery, Mcdonald, Mcmillan, Mat
news, MaTey, Merrimon. Morgan, Oglesby, Plumb
kansom, Teller, Thurman, Voorhees,, Wallace and
Withers-43. "'''-N'' ''D'
:, lNay,s,-Anthony, Barnum, Bayard, Blaine, Burn
Hamlin, Herman, Lamar Mcpherson. Mitchell. Nor,
Till, Paddock, Randolph, Rollins Sargent, Wadlegh
and Windom-22.
In addition to +Lo ,,o:.-
announced he was paired with Garland. If that
Senator was present he would vote in the affirmative
and Gh ne SailD would vote in the negative.
Inc resolution as passed reads as follows;
hesolVeu by the Senate, (the House of Representa-
1IVes concurring therenO That all the bonds OF the
United States issued or authorized to be issued un-
der the SAID acts OF Congress hereinbere rected are
payable. principal and Interest at the option of the
government OF the United States. in silver dollars,
OF the coinage OF the United States containing 4I25
grains each of standard sver and that to restore to
s coinage such silver coins as legal tender in paw.
aeit OF SAD ponds principal and interest," is not in
rights OF the public creditor.
All the amendments to the preamble were then
reJectea ana 1t was adopted as submitted by Mat
The House bill to authorize the free coinage of the
SILVER dollar came up, and after the Committee on
commerce had made favorable report on the bill to
remove Instructions in the Mississippi Missouri Ar
kansas and Red Rivers Mr. Morrill, took the floor to
speak against the silver bill but yielded for au
Monday.
HOUSE.
Resolution calling on the Postmaster-GeneraI for
information in regard to the Ocean Mail Steamship
Service was adopted.
MIR. Wilson, from foreign affairs committee report-
ed back the bill requesting the distribution of Next
Whole.
Bill revising steamboat laws came up, and Mr.
harrison offered an amendment declaring pilots and
engineers OF all steam vessels officers of said vessels
and that none but citzans Of the United OF persons
actually residing 10 the United States, shall be
licensed as pilots and engineers. Adopted.
The bill passed. Yeas, 173; nays, so.
Mr.. Singleton, chairman of the committee ON
printing, reported back the Senate bill authorizing
the public printer to purchase material in open mark
es shall not exceed $50 for any particular article,
within term of six months, which amendment was
agreed to and the bill passed.
The House resolved itself into committee of tbe
Whole MT. Carlisle in the char.) The general de-
bate having been limited to one hour, Mr.. Tucker
proceeded to explain the bill. He said there was
great agitation throughout the country the ques-
ton OF the reduction Of the tax on whiskey. The
question was should the House. during that agita-
who are to lay the golden eggs for the govern
ment? He thought the bill very good one. 1t had
been drawn up by the commissioner Of internal
enue, who had agreed that some action should be
taken by Congress.
Mr. Burchafd also supported the bill, though he
declared he was opposed to the reduction of tax on
wniskey. He did not believe the government could
anord it. He did not believe the House would vote
for a bill which would reduce the tax on whiskey
"n! inIIedse Inc TAX on tea and c0nee.
M. hale OF Me-, opposing the bill, said it was not
1e nrst rad made on the treasury by an economical
house ana would not be the last. 1t was simply an
attempt on the part Of certain interest to lake from
the treasury some 81 ,o0O,OOO
MI. Garhed SAID the plain English of the resolu-
ton was that the whiskey men should be allowed to
Keep their whiskey in bond till Congress should re-
duce the tax and permit them to walk off with mil
lions which rightfully belonged to the government in
tnelr pockets; He was opposed to reducing tax on
Whskey and was in favor of adding section to bill
declaring that no reduction should be made and that
whiskey men be put out of the agitation in which
they now were. ~
Mr.. Blackburn said that the gentleman from Maine
need not read his homiies to The Democratic side of
the House for what he (Hale) termed an unwarranta
BILE raid Oh the Treasury.
After further debate the amendment reported by
the Committee OF Ways and Means was read and
Ddopted, which is to add the words land acknowledge
ing their liability under the terms of said bond tor
the period for which such extension is granted as if
the same inserted in the BODY of said bond''
Amendments were offered by Fisher and Butler
but the committee without any action on them
Report from Judiciary Committee that the arrest
OF Smals was dot breach of privilege was ordered
House at O'Clock adjourned, tomorrow to be for
" LIZ