The Portland daily press., 1878-05-01
ALVth C0ngress-ReguIar Session.
WASHINGTON. April 30


A number of bills from the House was presented,
among them the Senate bill to repeal the bankrupt
law with amendments thereto agreed by tie House.
Mr.. Merrimon moved to refer the bill and amend
ments to the Judiciary committee.
Mr.. Beck objected and demanded the yeas and
nays. He thought the House amendments should be
cOncurred iu and the bill passed.
Mr.. Conkling favored reference and said in this
body there could be no loss by reference.
Mr.. Beck opposed reference upon the ground that
any good is to grow out of the passage of the bill
the it be passed the better Ali sorts of fraud
ulent petitions being filed by persons to take
advantage of this bankrupt law before its repeal
Pending discussion on the bill to repeal the bank
rupt law the morning hour expired and the bill was
temporarily laid aside.
Mr. Morrill,, from the committee on finance, report
ed adversely the concurrent resolution Of Beck
declaring it inexpedent to levy taxes at this tme to
mountain the sinking fund, and the committee was
discharged. In submitting the report Mr.. Morrill,
said the law as it stands provides for the sinking
fund and it could not be repealed by concurrent
resolution.
During The discussion on the bankrupt bill Mr..
Dawes favored the motion to refer and spoke in favor
of bankrupt law. He submitted that it would be
better for the Senate to take time in this
ter and not act in the midst Of commercial con-
cusions If the bill for the repeal of the bankrupt
law had come from the East instead of from the
West and South it would have been said that it was
another attempt Of the creditor to hold grasp
around the debtor. sT t
Mr. Davis Of Illinois called attention to the fact
England and New York. He thought il great great
believed the law could be simplitied.
Mr.. Christiancy said he proposed to submt the
following amendment:
"And all rights and proceedings incident thereto
or growing out of, or dependent thereon, including
all rights Of suits by and against assigoees under any
ali of said aets to come in just before the House
amendments providing that the repeal of the law
should not invalidate all penal actions criminal
proceedings arising thereunder)
Messrs Allison and Matthews favored the refer
ence Of the bill and said there should be another
effort to perfect the law before wiping it from the
statute books.
Mr.. Kirkwood presented the credentials OF Hon,
W. B. Allison e-eected senator from Iowa for six
years from March 4th, 1879. Read and laid on the
table.
Mr.. Maxey, from the committee on military affairs,
reported with amendment the Senate bill to amend
the 1O3d article of warn regard to trials for deser
tions. Placed on the calendar.
MIR. VOORHEES,, from the committee on pensions.
reported fayoraby on the bill to amend Sec 1905 Of
commanders in the list of disabled naval officers en-
titled to pensions. Placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Butler submitted an amendment to the bill to
repeal the specie resumption act now on the calen-
dar of the Senate as to repeal Sec 342 of the Re-
vised Statutes imposing tax OF 10 per centum upon
circulating notes of private or state banks. Ordered
printed.
Mr. Cockren, from the committee on military af-
fairs, reported without amendment the House bill
authorizing the President Of the United States to
appoint James Shields of Missouri brigadier gen.
era in the u s. aImy on the retired list. Placed
Mr.. Sargent. ffom the conference committee on the
naval appropriation bill, submitted a report and
said Il the differences between the two houses were
satisfaction of the conferees on both sides. Confer
ence report was unanimously agreed to.
Senate then resumed consideration Of the bill to
repeal the bankrupt law.
Mr.. Hill said he believed there should be a uni
form system of bankruptcy in the country In view of
Of the large majority 10 both houses OF Congress for
the repeal of the law he thought it idle to expect it
could be amended.
repeal of the Jaw and argued that its repeal would be
disastrous to the business men of the country. The
Senate should consider very carefully the effect OF the
repeal upon the business OF the country. ef
MI. Thurman moved to amend the amendment of
MT. Allison SO as to instruct the Judiciary committee
to report the bill with such amendments as they NAV
propose to the Senate on Thursday next.
After further discussion the amendment of Thur
man to that OF Allison was reiected-yeas 10, nays
After further discussion the amendment If ALI
son was reected-yeas Is, NAYS SO. r.
Mr.. Ransom said he thought the motion of Mr.
Thurman to instruct the committee to report Thurs
day next was not understood when the vote was
taken. He therefore renewed that motion and after
follows:
Yeas-Messrs. Allison, Anthony. Bayard. Booth.
Bruce, Burnside, Butler, cameron of Wis, Chaffee
Christiancy, Davis of West Virginia, Dorsey, Ed
munds, Eustis, Grover, Hamlin, Hoar, Howe, Kirk
Salisbury, Saunders, Thurman and Windom-27.
Nays1Messrs. Bailey, Beck, Cameron, of Pa,
Garland HereoTa aaTes a dasSR feHs Hss
Creery, MCMILLAN, Matthers, Maxey, Mitchell, Nor
W. d0sshs9y snd fHadoss Plumb Rollins Voorhees,
Messrs. Davis of ILL.,, ingalls,, Jones of Fla, and
Patterson who would have voted in the affirmative,
X.
over and Teller, who would have voted in the neg
atiYe.
The question then REQUIRED on the motion Of Mr..
Merrimon, when the bill was taken up this morning,
to simply refer it to the ud cary committee, and e
was rejected-yeas 49, nays 2S. 1f |
Mr.. Edmunds then moved to refer the bill and the |
Rouse amendments TO special committee of three |
Senators, OF which the Senator from Micbigan |
(Christiancy) be chairman, and said he mentioned |
that Senator as chairman that the friends of the |
measure might have no fears of it being swamped |
After M further debate and. before vote was reached
Mr. m IN obi
That the bill and amendments be printed. He said |
should the Senate adjourn now it would allow time
OF in half an hour to morrow.
The motion was agreed to-yeas 81, nays 17-and |
the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Considerable time was consumed in correcting tbe
Record. 'no
The Speaker stated the unfinished business to be
.he Dl 1or the elef OF settlers on lands claimed by
the North and South Alabama Railroad Company
which was under consideration last night when the
House found itself without a quorum.
After short discussion the bill was referred to tho
committee of the whole, and House then went into
committee of the whole legislative approprations
MI. MI G19son onered an amendment recognizing the
mint at New Orleans and appropriaing $iS5 900 for
its maintenance. This amendment gave rise To dis
cusson upon the subject of branch mints which was
Ohio, Patterson OF Colorado, and Cole and Frank
lyn of Missouri, who advocated the establishment of
such mints in their respective localities =,
After long discussion in which the reorpaniza
ton OF the New Orleans mint was advocated by MT,
Butler OF Massachusetts, and Mr.. Garfield, Mr. Gih
sons amendment was defeated by II to 96.
In the course OF long discussion on reduced an
propridtions for territorial governments the action IF
the committee on Appropriation having been crit
csed on the hRepublican side Mr. Randall tha
speaker, defended the of that committee and
condemne1 the tendency of Republican members TO
nerd together in opposition to all measures Of
economy. he was replied to by Mr.. Garfield who
declared that such an imputation against the the
Republican side of the House Was not to be borne
and asserted that from 1872 to he present time mn
Ger hepub1can as well as Democratic control OF The
House, the expenses of the government have been on
a descending scale. The Republicans believe in two
might, and in all the economy possible In Connection
with an honest tar, reasonable support of the
Mf. MT Randall took issue with Mr.. Garelds state