Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-09
PUBLIC HONESTY.
CONSIDERED BY THE NATIONAL
HOUSE.

Fund Bill Endorsed by the Senate
Also the West Point Academy Esti-
mates Cabinet Consideration of the
Proposed Tariff Charges--Large Reduc-
ton of Revenue Prophesied in Consc-
quence.
House.
WASHINGTON, March Accommodation
from American type founders protesting
against certain petition for the abolition of
the tariff duty on type, considering it as scan
dalously false as containing statements many
of which are utterly devoid of truth, and as in
the interest of foreign type founders and their
products were referred.
The Senate amendments to the bill suspend
ing the operation of the revised statutes in re-
gard to guano islands were continued.
The Senate bill known the long bond bill
= was referred to the committee ways and
means and committees were then called for
reports of private nature.
A committee was authorized to arrange pro-
ceedings for placing the centennial memorial in
the State department, and an invitation was re-
ceived from superintendent Mcpherson to view
the exhibits of the bureau of engraving and
printing before their being sent to Paris.
The speaker laid before the House the follow
A letter from the secretary Of war, asking an
appropriation of 1912, 500 for accommodations
at the proving ground, Sandy Hook.
letter from the secretary of war stating
that the post quartermasters at Chicago and
New York would be ordered to appear before
tho committee on military affairs.
The speaker then called the committees for
reports of private nature. The morning
hour was consumed in a discussion upon reso-
luton reported adversely upon by the COM
mittee on accounts for the payment of laborers
employed in the clerks rooms, which was
finally referred to the committee on civil SER
vice reform.
Mr.. Atkins offerd a resolution calling on the
secretaries of the interior for all information
in regard to geographical and geometrical sur
veys contracted by their respective depart
ments the past ten years. Adopted.
The House then went into committee of the
whole, Mr.. Price in the chair. Upon the private
calendar the unfinished business being bill
mail contracts.
The bill makes available Immediately the
appropriation of $375,000 already appropriated
for payment of such contractors for services
rendered prior to May 81, 1861.
Mr.. Frye said if the United States govern
ment owed just debt to a man who afterwards
went into the rebellion he in favor of the
government discharging it's just obligations.
But this bill provided payments should be made
up to May 81, 1861, while in reality most of the
States went into the rebellion in the previous
January. He therefore offered an amendment
providing that no payment should be made to
mail contractors for services rendered after
their respective States adopted ordinances of
secession.
Mr. Mills argued that inasmuch as the United
States did not recognize the insurrectionary
condition of the Southern States until the 31st
of May, 1861, the government should pay for
services rendered in those States up to that
time.
Mr.. Reagan pursued the same line of argu-
ment and stated the Confederate government
had required all postmasters to account to the
United States government for all moneys,
stamps, ETC., in their possession up to the 3lst
of May 1861.
Mr.. Conger read from and order issued May
20, 1861, by the postmaster general of the Con-
federate States, instructing postmasters of the
United States government in the South to re-
tain in their possession, subject to the further
order of the department., for the benefit of the
Confederate States, all mail bags and other
property belonging to the United States postal
service.
Mr.. Willets denied the statement made by
Mr.. Reagan some time ago, that the Confeder-
ate government had never paid OR assumed to
pay contractors and read from an act passed
by the Confederate congress, in which it as
sumed to pay every dollar the only limitation
being such contractors should be loyal to
the Confederacy. He had found upon examin-
alton of the Confederate records that eighteen
of those claims had been audited and paid and
the Confederate government had gone far
to provide. if the United States government
should thereafter pay them, the contractors
for the amounts paid them. He also quoted
from the report made by Mr.. Reagan, as the
Confederate postmaster general, in which he
credited himself with $500, 900 paid on account
of services rendered prior to May 81, 1861:
Mr.. Aiken inquired if, because eighteen
claims had been paid, the government should
repudiate its honest debts.
Mr.. Reagan said he had not seen any of his
reports since the end Of the war, but if he had
all his reports, he thought he could prove what
ne had previously stated But If the gentle
from Michigan (Willets) was right, he
would concede to an amendment SO as to ex-
clude from payment such contractors were
paid by the confederate government.
Mr.. Blount felt it his duty to say, for his
section, that he would not cast his vote to pay
any gentleman for carrying mails in the South,
who had been paid by the Confederate govern
ment.
Mr.. Cox (Ohio) said that, whatever might be
the result Of the facts which Cook place during
the exciting time of the rebellion, no one on
his side of the House would hesitate to accord
to the gentleman from Texas (Reagan), entire
candor in his position, for he had won their
respect by his conduct on the floor Applause
on the Democratic side.
MIR. Tucker said the statement which had
Deen MADE by Cne gentleman from Nl1Cnlgan
(Willets) was from the archives of the confed-
crate government which had been taken by the
conqueror thirteen years ago, and had been con,
cealed since. He attributed no unworthy pur-
pose in their concealment from the eyes of con-
federates.
Mr.. Conger-They were not changed.
Mr.. Tucker-Ns one said they had been
changed-the gentleman who suggests it must
not impute to me a motive which suggested it.
self in his mind. Continuing, he said the gen:
tleman from Michigan (Willets) had not read
fully, for he had not time, the documents
which he proposed to print in his rem arks He
(Tucker) was not willing that vote should be
taken on this bill until it had been recon-
mitted for examination into the facts
and he believed such examination would clearly
vindicate the honor of the confederate govern.
that side of the House. He wanted that vindi
cation to be made on clear statement of
facts. He thought he knew the explanation of
the whole matter but he preferred that the bill
should be recommitted and that the facts should
come out, and that he was sure that the gen
tlemen on the other side, who thought they had
found q mares nest Of dishonor to the Confed
eracy, would be glad to see, as present fellow
citizens, that their honor had been vindicated
He, therefore, moved the committee rise and
recommit the bill.
The committee rose. but the point of order
being raised that the bill was still in committee
of the whole, the motion to recommit the bill
to the committee on post offices and post roadt
could not be entertained.
The speaker announced he would be absent
tomorrow, and appointed Mr.. Blackburn speaker
pro tenn, and adjourned.
Pacific Railroad Sinking Fund.
WASHINGTON, March 8.-The Senate commit
-, -, ra;1roada has imam; mons1v aoroad J.,