The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-01-28
xLvTH CONGREss-sECOND SESSION.
SENATE.
The Bill AbOlishing n Volunteer Navy
Passed-senator Hill Speaks against
Southern War Claims,


Passed-senator Hill Speaks against
sou,hern War Claims.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.-A large number of bills
were introduced and referred.
James Shields, Senator from Missouri, took the
oath of office.
Mr.. Sargent called up the bill reported from the
committee on naval affairs on Thursday last, to abo
ish the volunteer navy of the United States; and in
explanation thereof said the passage of the bill
would save considerable sum of money annually;
it would dispense with the service of number of
medical officers. The bill was passed without discus
sion.
MI. Cake presented petition of the citizens of
Texas and other States favoring The passage of law
comforting authority upon the court of claims to hear
claims OF persons interested in the $4,000 900 now in
the Treasury from the sale of captured and
abandoned property in the South during the war.
Referred to the judiciary committee.
MIR. Conk ing submitted resolution iustructine
the committee on revision of laws to INQUIRE into
the expediency of making provision for publishing
revision of the Statutes adopted since the date OF
the existing revision. Agreed to.
Mr.. Ferry submitted an amendment to the post
office appropriation bill providing that persons in the
railway mail service be divied into five classes to
receive compensation of $780, 5000, $1,000, $1,000
duu 9ltuV tdCU. heloTTeu 10 the COM
mttee.
Mr.. Burnside called up the Senate bill appropria-
ting SIPS 900 to enable the Secretary of the Treasury
to purchase the land adjacent to the custom house
in Providence. Passed.
The Senate took up the bill to pay Warren
Mitchell SIPS 1872, the proceeds Of the cotton belong
ing to him captured by the United STATES at
Savannah. Bill having been reported adversely
from the committee on claims led to lengthy dis
cusson. Finally Mr.. Edmunds moved it be in
definitely postponed Rejected.
MIR. Hill made an eloquent non partisan speech
approving the bill because he opposed the payment
of all war claims. The government could not pay
all the claims without bankruptcy.
1t would Therefore be unjust 10 pay any Republic
cans. He said Mitchell was disoyal and should not
be paid. He defined the meaning of loyalty at some
length, saying he knew thousands of men in the
South who proclaimed fidelity to the Union to the
last moment, who fought secession until it became
reality and then submitted to disunion as they sub
miGted to The death of father or son. The only
thing they could do 60 with their people. The
people of this country ought to wake up to the con-
vction that the late war honest war, fought
on account of conviction that they were right. This
perpetual talk about rebels and fidelity to the Union
did not come from maguanimous spirit. The War
is over, the Union is restored and it is time we left
the passions of war behind. The manned Southern
soldier would never ask Congress for pension,
neither would his widow orphans. They accepted
their losses as the penalty for failure as brave men
should do The sooner the people of tho South were
taught to repair their losses by work, by rugality
and industry the better it would be for them ana the
country Let the losses OF go and if the people
desire to avoid such losses in the future they must
avoid war,
Mr Hill said the Democratic party was now about
to return full fedged to power because the people
were satisfied that the Republican party is no longer
competent to remain in power. There were tour
things which the Democratic party ought to pro.
claim to the world and adhere to with fidelity; first,
he would not pay any war Chains whether parties
were loyal or disoyai; second, be would give
ofpubc money or lands toIbuid up railway corpora
raions; third, he would in good faith pay every dol
lar OF the public debt, principal and interest, in
good money Of standard value; fourth, he would
store the constitution of the country and honesty in
administration. Do these things and in his judg-
ment the child was not born who would witness the
termination of Democratic rule in this country
Mr.. Beck in reply defended the claim OF Mitchell
and had read the Crittenden resolutions adopted in
1861, to show the war was not waged for conquest,
but to preserve the Union.
Mr.. Hamlin moved an Executive session. Agreed
to after discussion the Mitchell bill to be unfinished
business.
On opening the doors message was received from
the House transmitting the testimony taken before
the committee of that body regarding Stanley Mat
thews 1t was not laid before the Senate by the Vice
President today.
communication from the Postmaster Genera
asking for appropriations to supply DEFICIENCIES in his
department, was laid before the Senate.
Adjourned.