Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-08
FORTY-SIXTH CONGRESS-.
Second SESSION.
The Senate.

WASHINGTON, May THE president pro tenn
laid before the Senate the credentials of Sena
or James A. Garfield and they were placed or
file.
Senator Vorhees submitted resolution IN
structing the committee on public lands to in
uuire into the expediency, prcprlety ana pub
lie policy of declaring all lands heretofore
granted in aid of the construction or rallroads
and which have not been earned by compll
ance with the terms of the grants, open tc
public entry and settlement, the same as other
government lands, and sal | committee snail
have the right to report by bill or other"lse'
Presented and laid on the table.
The conference report On tte Indian appro-
priation bill was taken up on motion OF Sen
ator Beck, and after q short debate passed
without division. Senator Beck explained that
inasmuch as the sundry civil and other appro-
priation bills would soon follow, an approprla-
tion for the expenses of the Indlan commission
could be made if thought best >,
Senator Hood announced that he would call
mn his Geneva award resolution on Tuesday.
Senator Teller presented the views OF the
minority of the Wallace committee on the sub
ieot of political assessments. Printed and laid
on the table.
The morning hour having expired, the Sen
ate resumed consideration of the heuogg-
Spofford resolutions, and Senator Pryor sup
ported the resolutions IN 2 legal argument, TO
the effect that the plea of res ddjacdtG and
estoppel were not righlfully relied on Dy the
opponents IF the resolutions.
At the conclusion of Senator PryOr's speech
Senator Hoar offered as a substitute Tor the
pending re olution, that In the Judgment OF
the Senate the matters reported by the COM
mittee on privileges and elections ot the pres
ent session, respecting the right to the seat In
this BODY now held by William Pitt Kellogg,
and claimed by Henry NJ. Spofford are not
sufficient to Justify re-Opening OF the decision
of the Senate, pronounced Ia Its resolution,
adopted Nov. 80, 1877; that said Kellogg, was,
upon the merits of the case, entitled TO seat
in the Senate of the United States from the
State of Louisiana for the term of Six years,
COMMENCING March 4, 1877, and that said Spof-
ford was not entitled to a seat in the Senate OF
the United States" Ordered printed and laid
on the table.
The resolutions were temporarily laid aside.
and. on motion of Senator Mcmillan, the bill
authorizing the st. Paul & Chicago Short Line
Railroad company to build bridge across
Lake st. Croix was taken up. and passed.
On motion of Senator Plumb the bill to
abolish Fort Harker, Kansas military reserva-
tion. and DISPOSE of its land to actual settlers,
was taken up, and passed.
On motion of Senator Baldwin the bill max
ing an appropriation of 5,OO0 for the pur-
chase of site, and the erection OF light
house and fog signal at the entrance OF Alttie
Traverse harbor, Lake Michigan, was taken up
and passed.
During discussion on motion OF Senator
Davis, of West Virginia, TO take up the
bill repeating certain permanent and indefinite
appropriations, which met with some oppOsl-
ton owing to the lateness of the hour. Conk-
ling asked Davis whether when the bill came
up be intended to insist on that part of 1t
which repealed the permanent appropriation
for the payment Of interest on bonds OF the
district Of Columbif? If so he would vote
against it.
Senator Davis said the impression that the
government was responsible for these bonds
was erroneous. 1t was true that step by step
they had been worked until they had become,
by some people, to be considered part of the
public debt. They were not upon the books
in any form. They did not belong to the pub
lie debt in any way or manner.
Senator Allison said the original act author
iziug the issue of these bonds pledged the faith
of the United States to provide for the pay
ment of the interest and principal by an ap-
preparation and the means of taxation on prop
erty in the district, SO that the process was not
step by step, bat was an original pledge OF the
United States in the act creating the bonds.
Senator COnkling consented that the Unlted
States stood behind The bonds and said he did
not think there was anything of value IN the
bill, and believed every minute devoted to It
wasted. Adjourned until Monday.