The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-12
XLVII tn Congress LIST Session.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IL

On motion of Mr. Pendleton the Rouse reSo-
luton for recognition of the services OF the
late Superintendent Patterson, OF tne coasS
survey was concurred in.
The President pro tenn submitted the min
utes of the General Assembly OF the FresDy-
terrain church of the United States at Buffalo
last May condemning polygamy.
Mr. MORGAN presented petition from men,
bers of the Omaha Indians, praying Congress
to grant to each one of them clear and full
title to the land on which he has worked.
Mr.. Dawes said the supineness OF the author
tiles has been discouraging to phianthropists,
and that the impression that Congress had
been derelict in providings for the allotment OF
lands in severalty was erroneous. The petitlon
was referred to the Committee on Indian Al
fairs.
Mr.. Morgan submitted resolution directing
the special committee on woman suffrage to in
uuire into the matter of suffrage in Utah, and
to report bill to annul any existing law con-
ferring the right of suffrage upon women in
that territory. The resolution went over.
|. Numerous petitions were presented for the
amendment of the constitution to prohibit the
manufacture, importation and sale OF alcohol
ic liquors throughout the national domain. A
large number of petitions for a commission to
inqui in regard to the alcoholic traffic were
also submitted. Referred to the Finance Com
mlttee.
Mr.. Anthony, from the Committee on Naval
Affairs, reported favorably on bill to promote
the efficiency OF the navy.
would ask leave to submit resolutions of re-
spect for the memory of his late colleague,
Ambrose E. Burnside.
Mr. Cameron, of Wisconsin. gave notice
that on the 18th inst he would present resolu-
lions in commemoration of the late M. H. Car
penter.
At the end of the morning hour the Sher-
man funding bill was taken up, and Mr.. Vest
addressed the Senate. He claimed the Demo-
cratic funding bill of the last Congress would
have saved the people SIS. 500, 900 a year in in
| terest on the public debt, and that this was
| prevented by the Republican party. He was
| not attacking the national banks but he did at
| tack the vast power vested in them. He con-
| demned the legislation which had given ma
| tional banks power to contract or expand the
| debt at will He declared that the national
| banks have grown in wealth and power to such
| an extent that they do not intend to surrender
their charters or their existence: These banks
| can only continue with the national debt, and
| they do not propose to have the public debt
| paid off because it would wipe them out. He
| insisted that the issue between the aggregate
capital in national banks on one side ard the
people on the other is now presented, and he
arrayed himself on the side Of the people.
| Mr.. Sherman, replying to Mr.. Vests criti-
| cism upon his utterances in the funding debate
| of 1870, said he was glad TO see his friends on
| the other side following his precepts, although
| they might do better by following his lead
when he acted mere wisely than he did in the
| instance referred to. He was then contending
| for section applicable not to three per cent.
| but first to five, then four and half and
then four per cent. bond at time when our
| bonds were below par. The present changed
conditions of the times his justifica ton of
| his present course. He would, however, reit-
| crate what he said then, that the banks were
the creatures of and subject to the will of Con-
| gress The talk of the Senator from Missouri
| Vest about the vastness OF power of the
| banks and their throttling the Government re-
| minded him of pigmy throttling the giant.
| The cowardice of capital was proverbial and
| the alarm of the banks was so great last year
when the compulsory features of the funding
| bill were passed that many OF them began to
| draw in their circulation. The President We
| toed the bill for reasons given in his message,
| and not because he was coerced by the banks,
| for they never coerced anybody. There was
more cause for apprehension from railroad in
| huence and from the power of demagoguery
| than from the power of banks. 1t was fortu-
nate that the bill of last year did fail as the
| banks would not have taken the three per
| cents What was to be gained by reviving the
contest of one year ago? AS to the charges of
| the Senator against the national banking sys-
| tenn il was sufficient to reply that the people
| were capable of apDreciating the advantages
| to them of the system in comparison with that
| of former days. 1t was not a monopoly for
banking was Free 1t was said the banks made
| profits, but SO did everybody during the ar.
| He was not welded to the banking system and
| hao no personal interest in it, but Believed it
| supplied the best form of banking ever de-
| vised by men-one that is now being copied by
| other nations.
The debate was here suspended and the chair
| submitted message from the President, trans
| hitting communication from the Secretary
| of the Interior with draft Of bill and &C
| companying papers relating to the agreement
| with the Shoshone and other Indians as to the
| disposal of portion of their lands in Utah
| and Idaho Referred to the Committee on In
| dian Affairs.
H. 49, fo1-
! lowing as a special on the rights of women:-
| Lapham, Anthony, Ferry, Blair, George, jack
| son and Fair.
| Mr.. Anthony introduced bill providing for
| the retirement of any person who had served
| fifty years or upwards in either house of Con-
| gress. Adjourned.
| HOUSE.
Mr.. Orth of Indiana offered resolution in
| StructiDg the committee on civil service reform
| to inquire into the expediency of providing
| mode different from the present for the APP
| pointment of committees of the House with
| leave to report at any time.
The speaker holding that the resolution re-
| lated to change of rules, stated that it would
| be referred to the committee on rules.
| To this Mr.. Orth objected and moved refer
| ence to the committee on civil service reform.
On division the motion was lost, 55 to ST.
| Mr.. Ortiz demanded the yeas and nays.
| The motion was defeated-yeas IS, nays 139
| and the resolution was referred to the COM
mittee on rules.
Mr.. Haskell then rose to the question of
| privilege and sent to the clerks desk and had
| read the resolution he failed to have consider
| ed yesterday declaring it to be the fixed and
| final determination of the 47th Congress that
no person maintaining polygamous marital
relations or teaching or melting others SO to
| do is entitled to be admitted to the House OF
Representatives as a delegate from any terri
| tory. After some debate the House by vote
| of 100 to 139 determined that no question OF
| privilege was involved in the resolution.
Mr.. Bingham of the committee on post
| offices reported back the resolution calling on
| the Postmaster General to transmit to the
routes on which transportation service has
been discontinued, decreased, changed, res
tored, increased, expedited or established
since the 4th of March, 1881, signifying the
time, cause and extent OF the same and on
whose recommendation the petition, report or
suggestion was granted and the nature thereof
and giving the name, length and terms of SER
vice of each of said routes, the general kind,
amount and best of such services on each
route and the name and residence of every
contractor therefor. Adopted.
The Speaker then proceeded to call the COM
mittees for reports. Several bills were re-
ported from the committee on claims and
placed upon the private calendar.
Mr.. Garrison from the committee on the
District of Columbia reported back bill to in
corporate the Garfield memorial hospital.
The Speaker laid before the House message
from the President transmitting a communica-
ton from the Secretary of the Interior relative
to the sale of certain Indian lands in Fort
Hall military reservation. Referred.
A letter was received from the Secretary of
the Treasury transmitting statement OF the
expenditures under the appropriation for con-
tingent expenses of the Treasury Department
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1881. Re-
ferred.
AAio,rnad