The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-24
WnsflsnSto1,.

-sS's - 4st
WRssasnSton. ri
SOUTHERN WAR CLAIMS DEBATE; AN INTEREST
sa INC DISCUSSION SUGAR FIGHT TODAY
THE POTTER. C0MArTTEE--AB0DT APPRbPRI.
ALTON BILLs--coNKLIN9 AND HIS COMMIT
q TEE-PERSoNai, &C. ts So :; Z: c$s;5s ~
from COR Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, January 2S.-Tbere was
eager anticipation to-day among the Repub-
iicans in regard to the continuation Of the
debate on southern war claims, provoked
by General Bragg. yesterday, and Dir. Mills,
Of Texas, came TO the House with war.paipt
on. The cooler Democrats, however, had
no idea OF gratifying their enemies in5this
regard, and quietly, by a vote of 12s o'1os,
enabled Mr.Goode. chairman OF the Com
mittee on Labor, and Education, to take, up
the bill tor distributing the, proceeds
Of the public lands among the States
and Territories for, educational pur-
poses. The debate, which took place in
Committee OF the Whole, was limited to
two hours. Mr. Goode, In explanation and
advocacy Of the bill, made very clear and
convincing speech, and its friends would
have been willing at its conclusion to have
taken the vote. he said the first section of
the bill set apart forever the proceeds OF the
public lands for the education OF the peo-
pie, but nothing in the bill was designed TO
impair or repeal any existing law or to in
terfere with the control Of Congress over
the public domain or to restrict the appro-
priations, OF lands for, bounty purposes.
The second section requires the Secretary
Of the Interior to take net account Of the
proceeds OF the sales Of public lands at the
end Of each fiscal year. The third section
directs that the fund shall be distributed
among the States, Territories, and the
District Of Columbia, upSh the basis Of
population between the ages of FIVE and
twentY-one,. For five years the whole fund
is to be distributed, and after. five years, and
until The expiration OF ten years, one half
OF the proceeds only; is to be distri-
buted After ten years the whole. fund de-
rived from the sale of the lands is to be in
vested in per cent: Government bonds,
and the interest upon the same distributed
as before indicated. For the first ten years
the distribution is 10 be in proportion to the
number Of persons over ten years old who
arc unable TO read and'write. The fourth sec
| ton provides that before State or Terri
tory receives its share of the fund it must
file an act OF its Legislature previously
passed Setting it apart forever for educa-
tional purposes, as required BY the proyl-
sons of the bill. The committee bad
amended this section so as to devote one
fourth.of the. fund to the agricultural col.
| leges. The fifth section provides that il
any State misapply its fund it shall forfeit
amount is replaced and restored to its pro-
per purposes. The sixth section declares
that nothing in the act shall interfere with
existing rules, &c, Of section $3.50, Revised
| Statutes.
THE BILL UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND ITS PROVISIONS
HUMANE AND PROPER. - =.
Mr.. Goode commended that the bill is
clearly constitutional, and that it's objects are
emir entlyfhdmane and proper. He alluded
70 the fact that there are now one billion
one hundred and sixty millions OF acres OF
public lands, but with the eXtrayagant
bounies to railroads and other corporations
the time may come when these lands viii
be, all squandered. He thought it. therefore
the duty Of Congress ct once to see that
they are devoted to the education of the
people. In response to; .au inquiry OF Mr.
Frye, Messrs. Goode and Monroe Gre
publicap) both stated that the bill
secured by rigid requirements the bene-
fits OF this fund to all the children,
without regard to race, color, or previous
condition. And in reply to Mr.. Keifer, OF
Ohio, they said they were willing that this
might be expressed in exact language. Mr..
Goode here declared himself unalterably
opposed to mixed schools, and no one
seemed to differ with him. Mr.. Frye saiG
that he did not mean to reflect on the South
when he said that it would receive :
larger proportion OF this fund than tn,
North, for he wanted the money to, &c
where it could do the most good. Mr.
Goode pictured the condition OF the South
and impressed upon the House the impor
lance OF educating those who had thu
ballot and are unable to read or write
He quoted from ! the census Of lS7(
to show that there were more thar
6,o00,o00 over ten years old who could no
read or write, 100000 between five an nc
eighteen growing up. in Ignorance, ane
SOC, goo voters who could not even reat
1.-THE names upon the ballots they cast. The
time for, the debate, was extended, ant
speeches in advocacy Of the bill were made
by Messrs. Bell of Georgia, Monroe, Loring
and Cain, and it was opposed by Messrs
Dunnell. Patterson, Reagan, Townsend o
New York, Mills, and Southland. Cain, th'
colored member from South Carolina, en-
deavored TO show that there were more
whites in the South who cannot read ant
write than there are negroes, but he got tb'
figures furnished him so mixed that he made
the House roar with laughter. At half-pas
the committee rose without reaching.
conclusion, and DIR. Goode will call the bill
up again as soon as opportunity offers.
SUGAR TO MAKE FIGHT TOMORROW.
The Ways and Means Committee to-day
agreed that tomorrow they viii move in
the House to fix day for the consideration
OF the sugar-tariff bill, but members are
| unable TO say whether they will be able to
carry this preliminary notion ! asked an
importer to-day whether he thought the bill
| uyopId rass and he said that he had hone