The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-01-16
xLyTH COSGREss-sECOND SESSION.
SENATE.

SENATE.
The Recent Cheyenne massacre to be In
Discussion.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.
MIR. VooIhee submitted resolution instructing
the committee on Indian affairs to inquire into the
circumstances which led TO the recent escape of Chey
enne Indians from Fort Sill, Texas, and their subse-
quent slaughter by United States forces. Agreed to.
Bills were introduced as follows:
By Mr.. Anthony, appropriating money for payment
of bounty to officers and OF flag officer Farra-
quits fleet. Referred to committee on naval affairs.
BY Mr.. Burnside, authorizing the retirement of
Gen, Averill with the rank of Brigadier-General.
Referred to committee on military affairs.
Mr. Allison from the conference committee on The
military academy appropriation bill, submitted
report which was agreed to, having been agreed to in
the House yesterday Bill now goes to the Presi-
dent.
The Senate considered bills on the calendar not OBJ
jected to under the five minutes rule.
The House bill on Senate calendar for the payment
to officers and soldiers of the Mexican war Of the
three months extra pay provided for by the act of
July 10th, 1878. led to lengthy discussion.
MIR. Edmunds submitted an amendment to make
the act apply those who served in the late for
the preservation of the Union. ~
The bill was laid aside without faction and the
Senate resumed the bill to amend the patent laws.
A lengthy discussion followed between Messrs.
Wadleigh, Conkling and Hoar in regard to the al
legged unwise aud illegal provisions in the bill.
Pending the dscu sion the Senate went into axecu-
tive session, and when the doors were reopened the
Senate adjourned
The Certificates of Deposit Bill Passed
Also the Sill Making U. g. Notes Re-
ceivable for Duties.
The Speaker announced the regular order to be
the reception of reports from the committee of
and means.
Mr.. Wood, chairman of that committee, reported
back the bill authorizing the issue Of certificates
of deposit in aid of refunding the public debt The
bill authorizes the Secretary to issue in exchange for
lawful money of the United States certificates OF
deposit denominating $40, bearing interest at the
rate of per cent and convertible at any time with
accrued interest into the per cent bonds authorized
be issued and directs that the money received
shall be applied only to the payments of $50 bonds
Mr. Wood said that the bill would afford the
poorer classes an opportunity of investing their
small earnings where they would be safe and secure,
and not subject them to the instability of private
corporations.
Mr.. Kelly of Pennsylvania said that the only pre-
visions in the bill characteristic of savings bank
was that the government would receive deposits as
low as $40. There was no other. The United
States government proposed to engage the laboring
people in game Of chance of which the law was
"heads win, tails you lose." No laboring man
could have any benefit from the bill 1t would turn
that class into game tor shyocks that concentrated
about the stock excha nges of the country.
Mr.. Banks was in favor Of the general provisions
BILL but it went into operation its first effect would
be to induce the depostors in savings banks to with
draw their deposits. This would compel the
savings banks TO go to their securities, they must
foreclose their mortgages and this foreclosure OF
mortgages and the sale of real estate would take
from the remaining depositors nearly the whole OF
the security they had in the savings banks that
were sound.
MIR. Butler opposed the bill as delusion and
snare. The effect Of it would be that poor man
might spend a dvy every month in procuring ten
dollar bond. that when he got five of them together
he might chonge them into 4 per cent bond, and
for that iviege he would have spent five days and
would have saved just So IL cents in interest. That
was all there was of it.
The debate was continued by Messrs. Hewett and
Phillips against and Messrs. Garfield, Chittenden
and Townsend in support.
Mr.. Springer of Illinois moved to lay the bill on
the table.
Mr.. Bundy moved to adjou and the yeas and
nays were ordered. ta ai
Itresulted yeas IS, nays 1876, and the Hou at 44O
O'Clock took a recess until so o'clock.
EVENING SESSION.
The House resumed the consideration of the bill
authorizing the issue of certificates of deposit the
first vote being The motion Of Mr.. Springer to lay
the bill on the table. This was defeated and the bill
was then passed, yeas III, nays 70.
Mr.. Wood, chairman of the committee or ways
means, reported bill making United States notes
receivable for duties on imports.
| Mr.. Garfield stated that he desired to offer an
amendment providing that such notes be receivable
SO long as they were equivalent to coin. Cries of
no no) He did not propose for one to shut off the
supply of coin to meet the interest Of the public debt
in case any calamity should happen to the country
| Mr.. Wood, acting as an organ of the committee
yielded to the introduction of the amendment. and
! the previous question was ordered,
Mr.. Harrison of Illinois Ito Mr.. Garfeld)-Has thu
| gentleman any doubt about the success of resump
| ton?
Mr.. d. haue no doubt of the success Of re
sumption unless by such bill this some cthel
| hostile legislation resumption is destroyed.
| The amendment was defeated yeas 70, nays 1875.
Mr. Garfield-Believing the bill to be serious at
tack upon resumption, move to lay it on the table.
The house refused to lay it the table, and it wa
then passed, yeas 154, nays 43. 1t simply provide
that after the passage of the act United States note
shall be received in payment of duties on imports.
Mr.. Wood also reported bill to facilitate the re
funding of the national debt, and authorizes tb
Secretary of the Treasury in the process Of refundn
the national debt to exchange directly at par tn
bonds bearing per cent interest for the bonds com
monty known as 520's outstanding and uncalled, an
directs that whenever all such $50 bonds shall hav
been redeemed, the provisions of this section and q
existing provisions of the law authorizing the refund
ing of the national debt shall apply to any bonds
the United States bearing per cent. or higher rat
| of interest which may be redeemable, and that Of
any such exchange interest shall be allowed tn
bonds redeemed for period of three months.
The main question being ordered, the House a
| so adjourned.