National Republican., 1878-06-07
SENATE.
THURSDAY. June 0. 1873.

The Senate met at eleven q. m.
The Chair laid before the Senate commit.
nication from the Secretary of the Senate an.
nouncing the death of W. J. Mcdonald, Chief
Clerk Of the Senate.
Mr. ANTHONY culogized the deceased who
was appointed in ls2G on the death of his
father, John q. Mcdonald, then Chief Clerk
to the lowest clcrkship In the secrctary's of
fec, and who had from that humble position
risen to I'll the place held by his father, having
had connection with the Senate longer than
any Senator IN the body.
He offered n resolution directing the Secre-
tary of the Senate to pay from the contingent
fund of the Senate, 1900 for his funeral ex-
penses, and to his heirs or legal representa-
tives sum equal to three months salary
Adopted unanimously.
Mr. DORSEY, from the Committee on the
District of Columbia reported the bill to levy
tax on spirituous and malt liquors In the
District of Columbia, with q substitute
Placed on the calendar.
Mr.. CONONER introduced bill providing
for the transportation Of ocean mails In Amcri-
can steamers. Referred to Postal Committee
1.-THE bill proposes to subsidize on the same
terms as the Brazilian lines of steamers from
San Francisco to China and Japan, from San
Francisco to Australia and from Pensacola to
Aspinwall
On motion of Mr.. MAXEY, the House rcso.
luton authorizing the Secretary Of War to
issue tents, &C., to the Texas volunteers for
their summer encampment, was taken up and
passed.
On motion of Mr.. DAVIS (Ill.) the bill to
amend the act providing for the issue Of trusscs
to disabled soldiers Of the Union army, was
taken up and passed.
At the conclusion Of the morning hour Mr..
SPENCER moved to take up the river and
barbor appropriation bill.
Mr.. BLAINE antagonized the motion with
one to take up the army appropriation bill.
Mr.. VOORHEES, gave notice that he would
oppose both motions with view to getting up
tho bill TO repeal the resumption act.
In the discussion Of the order of business, q
little passage occurred between Messrs. WIN
DOM and BLAINE. the latter asserting that this
was the first time he had ever known the
chairman Of the Appropriation Committee op.
posing the consideration Of appropriation bills
from his committee, (Nir. WINDOW favorng
the consideration of the river and harbor bill0
Mr.. WINDOW rctortcd that Mr. BLAINE
was yesterday willing enough to set the army
bill aside to consider subsidy bill
Pending vote on the motion Of Mr..
SPENCER
Mr.. BAYARD moved that tho Senate at
half-past one o'clock tomorrow take a recess
of two hours to attend the funeral of the late
Chief Clerk. So ordered.
Political speeches on finance questions were
made by Mcssrs. VOORHEES,, HEREFORD, HILL,
COKE, and SALISBURY, pending the vote on
Mr. SPENCER's motion.
Mr.. EDMUNDS called attention to the
eighth rule, which forbids debate on tho
merits of the subject proposed to be taken up
vote was then taken on the motion, and
the Senate refused to take up the river and
harbor bill. Yeas "a, nays 35.
The vote on Mr.. BLAINE's motion to take up
the army appropriation bill was, yeas 81, nays
20, tho opposition coming from those who de.
sired 10 give precedence to the bill to repeal
the resumption act.
Mr.. BLAINE explained the action Of the
Senate committee.
The estimates Of tho Department were
S31 ,202, 900, and the bill as now reported was
$4,000 less than the estimates He would bc
frank and say that he believed there would be
again large deficiency at the close of the year.
but the committee had thought 1t best not to
make fight at this time, but allow the neces-
sity to develop itself
The second to twenty-scventh sections in
elusive decreasing and changing the organiza-
tion Of the army, had been stricken out. The
House had had the subject under considera-
tion for eight months, and it had only come to
the Senate on the 4th of June; after 1t
had been decided to adjourn on the 18th.
The Appropriations Committee had no dis
position to take what belonged to the Military
Committee, and If they had there was no time
to consider the proposition. 1t was understood
that the Military Committee would offer a sub
stitute for these sections, providing for mil
itary commission to inquire into the reorgani-
Eation of the army. The twenty eighth Sec
ton, relating to the transfer of the Indian
Bureau, had been reported for concurrence,
though not by unanimous vote. The twenty.
ninth section, providing that the army should
not be used as posse comitdtus for the execu.
tion Of the law, had also been stricken out, but
not by unanimous vote.
The bill was then read by paragraphs for
amendments debate on the first twenty y-scvcn
sections being under the fiveminutc rule.
The amendment increasing the appropria-
tion for recruiting and transportation of re-
sruits from S50,00& to $4,000 (the present
sll0wance) was agreed to.
On the proposition to restore the army to
25,OOO men there was considerable discussion.
In the course Of the debate Mr. TELLER said,
from intelligence received from all along the
Indian frontier, he felt convinced that greater
Indian war than we have had for many years
would be carried on this season.
Tho amendment was agreed to-yeas 40,
nays l9-as follows:
ieOs-Messrs. Allison, Anthony BGrnum bay.
ard, Blaine, Bruce, Burnside, Rutler, Cameron
Glll Dawes, Dennis, Dorsey, Edmunds, Ferry,
Gordon, Grover, Hamlin, hoGr, Howe, Maxey,
hiNNHtll, bbtSUS, lhuuuCk, llulllDt hOl'
Inns, Sargent, Spencer Teller, Wadlegh, and Wal
Nays-Mcssrs Bailey, Beck, Cockrell, Eaton,
Eusts, Harris Hereford, llill Johnston. Jones
lFla.L Lamar, MCCrary, Mcdonald, Merrimon, |
Ransom, salisbury, Thurman, Voorhees,, and
Nithers-l0.
An amendment offered by Mr.. BLAINE, in |
creasing the maximum number of enlisted |
men in the signal corps from 400 to 450 was
agreed to.
The amendments made necessary by the in
crease Of the number Of men were all |
agreed to,
The amendment applying an unexpendod |
balance to the completion of the second edition |
of the "Medlca and Surgical History of tho
War" passed through as agreed to without dis.
sent.
The amendment approprating sl5O,OO0 for |
military post In the Black Hills was agreed |
to, and also an amendment reported by Mr.. |
SPENCER from the Military Committe, appro.
pratinG 100000 for post on the northern
border of Montana.
All that portion of the bill relating to the |
reorganization of the army was stricken out, |
except the twenty.ffth section allowing to |
commissioned officers below the rank of briga. |
dicr-general ten per cent. of their current |
yearly pay for each term of five years of ser. |
vice, and allowing the time served In the vol |
untcer service during the late war in computing |
longevity pay Of officers which was adopted |
Mr. BURNSIDE then offered the resolution |
from tho Committee on Military Affairs, pro-