American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-02-23
FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.

OF petitions were presented, most of them be
ing for or against the proposed Silver bill.
At the conclusion of the morning hour the
senate resumed consideration of the Silver
bill, and Senator Davis, of West Virginia.
spo ke in favor thereof. Other speeches were
made by Senators Mcdonald, salisbury,
and Coke.---In the House, among the bills in
troduced and referred was one by Mr. Mack
ey, prohibiting the Secretary of the Treasury
from purchasing any bonds for the reduction
OF the principal of the debt until
strict compliance with the pro-
visions of law shalt require it.
Other important bills were the following. bv
Mr.. Phillips: To provide for the survey, and
estimates of a ship canal with stone sides
and bottom, from deep tide water, near the
Mo, with branches to Pittsburg, Chi
Gago, st. Louis and Omaha; by Mr
joyce: Declaring forfeited all grants of
publc lands to railroads or other corpora
uons when condition has been violated. and
appropriating said lands to the use OF actual
settlers; by Mr.. Robertson; For the protec-
tiOn of alluvial land in Mississippi: by Mr.
Jones, OF Ohio Making customs duties to the
amount of ue-fourth part thereof PAYABLE
IN legal tender notes.
In the Senate, on the 18th, Senator Morrill,,
from the Committee on Finance, reported IA
vOrably on the House joint resolution de-
claring that reduction of the tax tlistill-
ed spirits is ineXpedient. Senator Burnside
from the Committee ON Military Affairs re
ported with amendments the Senate bill to
remove all restrictions now existing in re-
gard to the enlistment of coIored citizens in
any arm of the United States Army. Placed
on the calendar. Senator's Maxey and
GoG6ced Go1nred tRd+ of the t%e c9mmitree an an
with the majority of the committee. The
Senate bill directing the Secretary of the
Treasury to purchase certain property of the
-Ereedmen's Savings and Trust Company, for
the use 4of the United states andf for other
purposes, was passed. 1t appropriates
$4,000 for the purchase of the Freedmen's
Bank Bailding, now occupied by the De-
partmeut of Justice. senator Dawes said
the Commissioners thought the sale of this
would enable them declare
other dividend, which would make the
aggregate dividend up to that time
presented a resolution of the Genera
Assembly of Ohio expressing the opinion
bic, principal and interest, in silver coin IA
Voring the passage Of the Bland Silver bill
retary sherman, IN opposing the remonet-
ization of silver, did not represent the
views of the people of Ohio. The resolu-
tons were read and laid on the table, tile
Silver bill now being before the senate.
At the expiration of the morning hour con
sideration of the Silver bill was resumed and
senator Mcdonald concluded his I. marks in
favor OF the bill. He was followed by Sena-
tor MePherson in opposition thereto. AT ,
O'Clock thetSenate eeded in Il body to the
hall of the House of Representatives to parti-
.clpate in the ceremony attending the formal
signing OF the Emancipation Proclamation
In the House, the galleries were crowded in
anticipation OF the ceremony of presenting
carpenters painting OF President Lincoln
reading his Emancipation Proclamation to
the Cabinet. The painting, screened by the
national flag, was hung. behind the Speakers
chair. Mrs. Thompson, the donor, was given
prominent seat in front of the Speakers
chair and Mr. CARPENTER sat beside her
After brief session in Committee of the
Whole, the presentation exercises took place
the senators occupying seats assigned them.
and Mr.. stephens replied. Both the addresses
were fine oTatorical efforts, and were atten-
lively listened to.
In the Senate, on the 18th, Senator ingalls,
introduced bill to promote the deposit of
savings in the popular loan and to provide
for the funding of the national debt into
home bonds, convertible into currency
Referred to Committee Finance. Bills
were passed providing for the sale of Gov
ernment lands in Kansas, and for holding the
United States District Court for the Southern
District of iowa at Burlington. The SiIves
bill was still further discussed, SENATOR
Thurman, Saunders, Sargent, Davis, Noor-
heeS and MaXey speaking thereon........In In
the House, the Military Academy Apprepria-
of the Whole. The discussion took a wide
range, the principal part of the debate being
ceedingS of the Electoral Commission, the al
legged understanding between certain North
eFn e1rl Republiscans nc ans and southern Democrats,
the action OF the. louisiana returning Board
and their present prosecution, etc, etc
In the Senate, ,on the 14th, the House joint
resolution declaring tirata reduction of the
tax on distilled spirits is inexpedient passed
yeas, 40; nays, 8. Senator Saunders intro
Quced a Dill to provide n temporary Govern
ment for the Territory of Lincoln, and Sena-
tor Dorsey another to organize the
Territory of Oklahoma. Senator Voor-
ing the Judiciary Comalittee to in
quire into certain land grants made to
Southern branch of the Union Pacific Rail-
road, and other railroad companies to as
certain if said companies have issued bonds
predlcated upon conditional land grants and
to whom such bonds were issued. Laid
over at the suggestion of Mr.. Ingalls,. The
morning hour, and senator Jones of Nevada
spoke at length in favor thereof. Sen
ator Blaine followed in advocacy of the sub
sttute heretofore introduced by him........
In the House The Speaker submitteda a COM
nnnication from the Secretary of the Treas
ury, stating that the internal revenue of the
Government has fallen off S4 1863 00 principal
ly on account of the agitation in regard to
the tax tobacco and whis-
KY, and recommending the House
to take immediate action the subject.
The communication was referred to the Com
mittee on Ways and Means. Mr. Gibson of
Louisiana rose to Il personal explanation and
denied that any representative of Louisiana u
Presidency, which reflected on the honor of
the. State
In the Senate, on the 18th, consideration of
the Silver bill was resumed. Speeches were
made by Senators ingalls,, Allison and Lamar.
The question being on the amendment of the
Finance Committee to strike out of the House
bill the free coinage clause and insert in lieu
thereof clause advising the Secretary of the
Treasury, out of any money in the Treasury
not otherwise appropriated, to purchase,
from time to time, silver bullion, not less than
& 600 900 per month, nor more than $4, 600 900
per month, and cause the same to be coined
etc, the amendment was adoptcd-ayes 40.
nays %. An amendment providing for an
International Commission to adopt n com
mon ratio between gold and silver, was
adopted-yeas 40, nays 30. An a1nend-
ment to the CLAUSE making the
silver dollar legal tender for all
debts and dues, public and private, except
where otherwise provided by contract, so as
to read, instead of provided by,' express
ly stipulated in the contract, was adopted
yeas 81, nays 35. Various amendments
providing that the dollar shall consist of 42O
425, and 40 grains, were rejected, also
one limiting its legal tender power to $40.
The Senate was in session over the Silver
bill until nearly a.. m. on Saturday, the 18TH
when a final vote was taken, resulting in the
passage of the bill by vote of 4s yeas to 2l
nays as follows: 100
YeaS-Messrs. Allison, Armstrong, Bailey
Beck, Booth, Bruce, Cameron pa, Cameron
(Wis), Chattee, Coekren, Coke, COnOver
Davis (Il.), Davis (West Na.), Dennis, Dorsey
ford, Howe, Ingalls,, Johnston, Jones (Fla.l
Jones (Nev.), Kellogg, Kirkwood, McCre cry
Mcdonald, Mcmillan, Matthews, Maxey Mer-
rimOn, Morgan, Oglesby, Paddock, Plumb
salisbury, Saunders, Spencer, Teller Thur
man, Voorhees,, Wallace, Window and With
ers-4S.
Nays-Messrs. Anthony, Barnum, Bayard
Blaine, burnside, Christiancy, Conkling
Dawes, Edmunds, Hamlin, Hoar, Herman
Lamar, Mcpherson, Mitchell, Morrill,, Ran
dolph, Rollins, Sargent, WadIeigh and Whytt
-2I.
Messrs. Harris and Patterson, who would
have voted in the affirmative, were paireC
with MeSSrs. Hill and Butler, who would have
voted in the negative. Absent and not vot
ing-MesSrs- Eaton, Ransom and sharon.
On motion OF Senator Allison the title o
the bill was amended so as to read, 9 \ bill Il
Authorize the coinage of a standard silvel
dollar, and restore its legal tender character
The Senate, at O'Clock, after continuous
Session OF seventeen hours, adjourned unit
Monday.
The following is the full text of the bill a.