The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-15
THE CONGRESS.
DISCUSSION OF THE CHI
NEsE QUESTION IN THE SENATE.
southern War Claims In the HOuse-Ben
Butler and sous hern sOIdlers-An
UnlmpOrtant Night session.

southern War Claims In the HOuse-Ben
Butler and southern sOidiers-An
UnImportant Night session.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 14-During the morn
ing hour number of executive conmunica-
LIONS were received and referred, but nothing
OF Importance transpired.
At the close Of the morning hour Mr.
Blaine took the floor In favor Of the Chinese
| Immigration bill In opposition To Senator
Matthews. The floor and galleries are
crowded.
The debate on the bill restricting cb,neae
! immigration has occupied to-day. Blaine
led on by antagoDizlDg the views of Mat
thews, expressed yesterday, and fayorin0 the
blu. He claimed that Of the two treaties with
emma one was evidently to her greatest adj
vantage. and the other was made at her So
licitatiOn. He charged Matthews with insin-
certify In partially quoting from the treaties
| provisions supporting his argument. He de-
clared that unless restrictive measures were
interposed to their flooding the country, mill
lions would overrun all that thinIy-populated
| country west Of the Mississippi river, for
they would come to San Francisco cheaper
than man could go there from Omaha. In
| the conflicts and struggles Of labor the result
| is To bring to the level OF the rice-eater the
| man who lives on bread and beef, and not
utce Uersd Asatic labor prostitutes the
linest Instincts, and we must choose now
whether Legislation shall be In the interest OF
|
The proposed legislation Is In strict Accord
| ance with international law and treaty obli-
cations. Besides the Chinese have never
passed the laws provided In the treaties, and
have often violated their provisions
Mr.. Matthews proposed substitute to the
| bill providing for executive negotiations with
the Emperor OF China with view to the
abrogation OF that part of the treaty relating
| to immigration, which Thurman opposed.
claiming that the question ceased to be one
| for treaties and demanded legislative inter-
ference. He thought the treaty mistake,
and the representatives OF the people should
have had an opportunity to express the peo-
pies Will In matter 50 directly relating to
their social, moral and material status. Con-
gress should, and he believed would, now in
terpose to cancel a fatal error on the part of
the executive.
Messrs. Mitchell and Jones, OF Nevada. de-
livered written arguments, that of the latter
taking more than two hours In delivery. It
was an able and carefully prepared history of
Chinese immigration and residence In the
Pacific States, and Of their social and moral
habits. He alleged that the Emperor Of
China was opposed to the emigration of his
subjects, which was instigated ior pecuniary
purposes by few persons.
Debate on the Chinese question was con-
man, Hoar and Morgan participating In 1t.
At that hour, on motion of Mr.. CODkling, the
Senate adjourned till tomorrow at IL o'clock.
THE HOUSE.
On motion OF Mr.. Banning, of Ohio. the
House concurred In the Senate amendment to
the bill for the payment TO officers and SOL
dierS OF the Mexican war of three months ex-
ira pay and the bill passed.
The regular order being demanded the
Speaker called committees for reports OF q
private nature.
Mr. Banning, from the Military Commit
tee, reported about twenty bills donating con-
demned cannon and cannon balls for soldiers
Al xl.r
country, and they were passed. (The average
number OF cannon granted was four In each
caSe)
Mr.. Bragg reported bill authorizing the
President To appoint james Shields brigadier
general on the retired list OF the army, with
rank and pay after the p issage OF the act.
Mr.. White, OF Pennsylvania, made point
OF order against the bill.
Messrs. Bragg, Butler, Franklin, and
others, appealed to him to withdraw the
point of order. Shields, they said, was a
true Union soldier, aud they were surprlged
that Mr.. White should object.
Mr.. White said that to be consistent he
must insist upon his point. He had voted
against the bill last session. and would vote
against 1t now.
In their earnestness to induce Mr. White
to Withdraw his objection. at least twenty
members gathered In front Of the clerks
while Mr.. Franklin, OF Missouri, became
quite demonstratve and the pounding OF the
Speakers gavel was unheeded.
Mr. Bridges, OF Pennsylvania, rising to a
point OF order, wanted to know whether this
was a common country town meeting, or the
House OF Representatives OF the United
States
"Gi7e it up" "giye itup," shouted members
on all sides OF the House.
The chair sustained Mr.. Whites point of
order, and the bill went to the COMMITTEES OF
the whole.
A few more bills Of a private nature were
reported, and then the House went into the
com mittpe Of the whole on the private caIen-
dar, Mr.. Mills In the chair.
The committee OF the whole passed upon
large number OF private bills but the House
took no action on them.
Pending consideration Of the bill to pay
In Alexandria, Va, Gen. Butler took occasion
to sort out from this class OF claims those
which he would vote to pay. These were
claims upon the cotton fund in the treasury,
claims OF educational and eleemosynary insti-
tutions and claims OF States for arms, ETC.,
furnished the Federal government for war
purposes. These war claims gave rise 70
lines OF contention now between the Nortn
and South. He wanted them wiped away.
He hoped some Southern man would take
course OF his remarks he took occasion 10
extol the bravery OF the Southern as well as
Northern troops, and sa'd that IL all matters
creating disseDtions between the sectlons
come when the North would be willing to
pension the rnained and disabled soldiers OF
The Confederacy.
Mr. Keefer, Of Ohio, took issue with him,
and said he would never consent that Confed-
crate soldiers should be paid.
Gen. Butler said he thought 1t would be
INST as reasonable to recognize the merits of
Confederate soldiers as to place Confederate
q the Cabinet.
Messrs. Aiken OF South Carolina, Blackburn
of Kentucky, and Reagan OF Texas, said the
south never would demand and never ex-
,ected her soldiers would be paid. They had
taked their all upon the war, and accepted
he issue. They had no sympathy with the
southern war claims, so-calIed, because very
ew who claimed to be loyal were so. More
4 these claims had been paid by the Repub-
leans than by the Democrats.
The committee then rose, and the House at
:4O took recess until 30 D. m