National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-01-10
SENATE.

commerce.
Similar petitions from citizens of New Hamp.
shire were presented by Mr. Rollins, all Of which
were referred the Committee on Commerce.
Mr.. HOWE presented the annual report Of the III.
brnriou of Congress for the past year Ordered
That II be printed
large number OF petitions were presented favor
ing the passage Of the bill granting arrears Of pen
sions, al of which were laid upon the table, the
bill having been reported to the Senate In answer |
TO a question. or Mr. Howe rs TO when that bill |
would be considered, Mt Ingalls, chairman of the |
Committee on Pensions said he proposed TO call 1t |
upa soon MS the bill to amend the palenl-Iaws
should be disposed Of
Mr.. TNGALIS presented the petition or the central |
Branch Union Pacific Railroad asking That Con |
grcss win take such action as TO secure INC comp,c
tlon ofthnt branch to connect with the Union Pa
Mr.. TnNrNDs. from the Committee on the Judi.
cnry reported lnyorably on the blu to remove me
political disabilities tof james Chestnut OF South
Carolina. Placed on the calendar
Mr. MCMILLAN introduced bill providing for
an additional ASsociato.Jusjce of the Supreme |
Court Of the Territory OF Dakota. Referred.
Mr.. CONKLTSG presented proccedingsof the New
York Chnmbcro of Commerce iavorng me erection
OF signal station on Block Island. Referred
He also presented petition numcTousy sighed |
by merchants and others of New York invoring the
passage of the interstate commerce bill. Referred.
Mr. DAVIS Nv. Na.) gave notice that tomorrow; |
after the conclusion of morning business he would
call up the resolution submitted ny MIN carry IN
the session to promote the agricultural interests OF
the country for the purpose of submitting some re-
marks In regard thereto.
Mr. BNYARD moved that when the Senate adj |
iourn to-day 1t be 10 meet on Monday next Re
jcccd by rising voie-.yeas, II nnys, ~.
Mr.. HOWE submitted resolution calling upon
the Secretary of the Interior for information III re-
gard to payments denied To certain Stockbridgc
Indians tile reasons therefor. names of persons
prosecuted for rCsspaSsing on Indian reservations
In Eastern Wisconsin, and what suits have been
instituted against persons for purchasing timber
cut by Indians ON the Green Bay agency, Agreed
Mr. ITrrrFonp moved to make the bill for the
relief of The Methodist Episcopal Church at Charles
ton W. Va the special order for Monday next
after the expilntlou of the morning hour; but oh
lection was made by several Senators, aud tho mo-
ton was withdrawn.
Senate To consider the army reorganization bill so
soon as the bill TO amend the patent laws should be
disposed of.
4 message was received from the House of Rep
resentatves announcing that the fincnlof the late
Representative Harridge, OF Georgia, would take
place In the hall of the House of Representatives at
three o'clock this afternoon and inviting the SON
ate to be present.
the invitation of the House to attend the funeral
mir. DORSEY presented the petition of thlrty.liye
cooks lnboIers, aud nurses of the Freedmens Hos
pital in Washington d. c.. asking for an increase III
their compensation. Referred.
Mr.. WINDOW, from the Committee on hppropria'
toms reported with amendments, the Indian APP
proprntiOn hill. Placed on the calendar. lie gave
notice that lie would cell 1t up for consideration TO-
Mr. MoRn1I, from the Committee on Public
Buildings aud Grounds, reported with several
verbal amendments the bill appropriating SAO0W
for the erection of fire proof building FOR the Ma
tional Museum adjoining the Smithsonian lnsutu'
tuiOn. Placed on the calendar
Mr. MORGAN, from the committee on PhtentA,
reported invomhly OH bill TO extend tile letters
patent of Ira Gill; of Walpolc, Mass, for improve,
ment In machines for forming nal boules' ilaced
oil the calendar.
Mr. BECK called up the resolution submitted by
him on THEFT inslantIlhmt the communication
from the Secretary Of the Treasury. IN answer to
the resolution of Mr.. Beck Of December D. be refer
red to the Committee on Finance and huthori2'
ing said committee to investigate as To whether the
LAWS relative to the payment of customs dues and
the payment Of the interest on the public debt
with lie coin received therelrom have been and
are being complied WITH and report by bill or
Mr.. BECK sad he would have been satisfied to
have had the resolution agreed TO without saying
anything had tnot been for remark OF the chair
man orthe Finance Committee some days ago, that
from Kentucky and that purpose he thought was
to cmburrass specie resumption. The senator Mr.
Morrill) had right TO his opinions but had no
right to attribute motives to him. He had opposed
specie resumption all that he could. II had been
reached, but by the ruin Of hundreds Of thousands
of the best men of the country All that he was
seeking to do now was 10 require the Secretary OF
the Treasury TO use the SILVER coin as he did the
gold coin in the payment OF Interest and forbid
him from increasing the bonded debt OF the COM
Try. The Secretary had not answered the Icsolll
tim of the senate us public officer should do.
He knew he had not paid Il dollar OF the silver
coin as interest ON the public debt lie quoted
from the answer of the Secretary, aud spoke OF
some of iLus nonsense. lie showed seamt respect
for the Senate ana none for the law. The secrc,
tary was die trustee aud agent Of the people aud
moi of the creditors of the, government. lie had
no right 10 allow the bOndhOlders 10 say In what
coin they would take their interest.
Mr. BECK then argued that the Secretary had in
creased the Understanding deDt OF me United
States SlO5U0O0OO. This was not a very liatterlng
exhibit when business OF all kinds was so de-
pressed. He spoke Of Secretary sherman us the au.
tocrat of the Treasury Department, and said IL was
true as bismarck said, that he who holds
the money-bags controls the politics of
the country. Congress ought to see TO it that the
laws are executed in the interest of the people.
Unless the Secretary could show some law author.
izing him to divert the silver coin from the pnr-
poses which 1t was intended he was guilty Of OIL.
cial misconduct. He then referred to the reply Of
the senator from Vermont, and said the Senator
thought To whistle him down the wind when he
said he always liked to hear the Senator from Ken
tncky make that speech and his Republican
friends enjoyed the wit OF the Senator from YER
mont. III II short time the Finance Committee
would be controlled by new men, and then II
would be seen whether the secretary of the Treas
uTy could violate law as he pleased. Public officers
should be made TO obey the law.
Half of the deficiency bills annually before Con-
gress arose from disregard of law, lie argued
that there had been contraction of the currency
that the last report of the Treasurer showed that
the egateuder notes of denominations from 81 TO
$40 I'm circulation on the 0h Of June last were $40
VlIOOO below the amount outstanding upon that
date in 1877 and the 500 notes SliO7 600 less
than were in circulation in 1871 Now ii was the
purpose of the Secretary TO issue large notes and
further contract the currency by substituting them
for small ones. He thought u doubtful If one-hall
Ol me OulSUHuinE lebui'tVHucl uOb-S NcIc now III
circulation.
1.-THE Secretary should be allowed to convert the
smaller notes into larger ones. aud not issue the
silver coin the people would soon have no cur.
Tency except that which the national banks sup.
Piled lie MIR. Beck had fought as hard as any
one to make the legal tenders receivable for customs
dues. He had bill now beiorelhe Finance Com.
mlttee for that purpose, II should be reported with.
out delay and passed. As much MS he favored
that measure he would not allow the
Secretary to receive these notes in violation of law
as he was now doing The notes should be received
in accordance with law, and not in plain violation
oft He wanted such measures adopted as would
compel the Secretary of the Treasury TO carry out
the existing law, and let him know that he was the
agent of Congress to carry out It's laws whether he
liked them or not.
lrNlr. BECK quoted at some length from speeches
OF Secretary sherman, when member OF the Sen
ate, to show that he advocated the punishment OF
public officers failing To execute laws.
At the conclusion OF Mr., BeCk's remarks the reso
the investigation was unanimously agreed to.
The Senate then resumed consideration of the
bill to amend the patent laws
Mr. WADLElGH, in charge of the bill, took the
floor and spoke in favor thereof
The Senate then, ut hafpast two o'clock, on mo
ton OF Mr. BURNSIDE, went into executive session
and when the doors were reGpened, at 2i5 took d
recess until three o'clock r. M.
Upon rehssembling the Senate headed by NCa
PrGsidant Wheeler and Secretary GOrhani, pro
eeeded to the House OF Representatives To atten
the funeral OF the late Representative HarTldgo, o
Georgia.
Upon returning to the chamber at AIS Mr.
THURMAN renewed the motion of this mOrhng L