The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-02-10
HOUSE.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 5.-The Senate bill fo1
the conversion of national gold banks passed
McLane, chairman of the committee OH
Pacific Railroads, reported a bill creating a
sinking fund for the Kansas Pacific, Sioux
City Il Pacific and the Central Brancn of the
Union Pacific Railroad Companies. Printed
and recommitted.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.-Thele was a mar
row escape from a political debate over the
political disability bill, but Woods objection
prevented discussion and the bill passed.
Mr.. DAVIS, from the banking committee, re-
ported back the bill authorizing national
banks to make loans on mortgages on real
est1te. Ordered printed and recommitted
Adjourned.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Reconsideration was
resumed of the bill removing the political
disabilities OF John Owen, of Virginia. Con-
ger opposed the bill on the ground that the
petition alluded to the "war Of the Confeler-
acy," while the 14tll amendment mentioned
the "war of Instruction." Goode replied
Ina there was nothing in the 14th amend
lnent which requires any petition. and while
it has been the practice of Congress to require
every person to make application for relief, in
Respectable terms, no form of petition had
been heretofore prescribed. 1t seemed to
him too late i'll the day-fifteen years after
the termination of the war-to take d depart
ure Xix this, and make q man write the
words "tIaitor' and :. rebel" with his own
hand on his W brow, and get down in the
dust and cry "unclean' before the great
government would consider his petition.
Conger replied to Goode Had it come to
this? Was there ii statute of limitations in
rebellion and treason? Why was the peti-
toner here if not to say he had been engaged
in rebellion against his government, and to
ask to have his disabilities removed? Why
not let every man come and say that he had
been engaged in the g late unpIeasantness,,
The House had too often heard those rose
colorod names for rebellion to have them re-
printed in the public records. There was a
constant, lnsidious, continuous effort being
made on the other side Of the House to incOr-
porate in the literature of the House smooth
sounding words for rebellion and treason and
if any one used the good old-fashioned words
he was Immediately rcbuked. He expressed
himself as surprised that so many of his
Republican colleagues had last FRIDAY voted
for a disability bill similar to the present one.
Thank God he was not one of this kind who
had such a record. He hoped his remarks
would call the attention of the people and
soldiers of the North to this tendency, even
on his side of the House, to forget all the
dismal, terrible past and smooth it all over bv
the application of a new kind of literature in
the proceedings of the House.
Young, Ellis and Goode rose to reply, but
Wood objected on the ground that further
discussion was unwise and Improbable The
vote on the passage of the bill was yeas. lGG:
nays, As.
The House then went into Committee of
the Whole (Finley in the chair) on private
calendar. The House, having been in cont
mittee for about an hour and not a single
bill having been agreed to-, owing to obiec-
tons made principally by Warner and Sparks,
Bayne moved that the committee rise. Mr..
Coifroth hoped the motion would be with
drawn. If there were gentlemen who did
not desire soldiers to obtain pensions, he
wanted their names to go on record.
Sparks-That allegation against gentlemen
Directing is out of place, unfounded and I'M
true, SO far as it. relates to me. The gentle
man passes special bills for men in his district
to the prejudice of my district.
> Coflroth - factions speak louder than
words"
Sparks-I will not appeal from the pension
office to you.
The motion to rise was defeated. II be-
coming evident, however, that but little bust
ness could be transacted, The committee
finally rose, after agreeing to two pension
bills, and the House adjourned until Monday.