Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-06-22
CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY.

CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY.
In the Senate on the 18th resolution sup
plying each Senator with clerk at salary
of s., 200 per annum was rejected by vote OF
20 to %. Blair spoke for two hours upon
the iliteracy in the States and the urgent
need for an adequate appropriation in aid of
common schools. The japanese indemnity
bill was passed by vote of 35 to H.. The
bill as passed authorizes and directs the Presi-
dent to pay the government of Japan the
sum of S7S5,O0O.S7 in legal coin through
the United States minister to Japan and di-
rects that all the bonds now owned or con-
troled by the State Department and desig-
mated in the department reports as the 'Japa-
nese indemnity fund" shall be cancelled and
destroyed. Section directs the Secretary of
the Treasury to pay from the Treasury Sl4O,-
600 as prize money to the United States ships
Wyoming and the steamer Takiung or their
legal representatives for services in the Straits
of Simonoseki in 1868 and 1864, no payment
to be paid to the assignee of any mariner but
to the mariner himself, his legal representa-
tives, or their duly authorized attorney. Al
ter struggle for precedence in behalf of the
bonded spirits bill and the Dakota bill, which
was not terminated, the Senate at O'Clock
adjourned.
The session of the House was devoted to
the executive appropriation bill.
In the Senate on the 14th, after the intro
duction of number of bills, the calendar was
proceeded with, and Mr.. Maxey called the
Senate Joint resolution to pay mail contractors
in various Southern States the amounts due
them on their contracts for 1859, 1860 and
1861, and reappropriating 1914, 600 for that
purpose. The vote upon proceeding with the
bill was yeas 30, nays 24-a party vote, Davis
of Illinois voting no with the Republicans.
Conger, in opposition to the bill denied any
liability of the United States to make pay
ments, as the services was rendered solely to
the Confederate States by disloyal contractors
who violated their contracts with the govern
ment by turning over to it's enemies property
belonging to it. He reviewed the history of
the claim to show that after it's passage through
a former Congress under Democratic auspices
payments were withheld by the Postmaster
General to await more complete record OF
the claim, and that subsequently the fact was
developed by an examination Of the Confeder-
ate records that payment for the services had
been made by the Confederate government IN
many cases, if not in ALL He quoted from
the Confederate records in support of his OBJ
jections to the bill, showing that in the Spring
of 1862 the Confederate government appro-
priated $500, 900 to pay the claims that about
the same time South Carolina voted $4,000
for the same purpose. He further objected
that the bill contained none of the limitations
of the original bill appropriating S395, 900, nor
of the one of 1878, which was overwhelming
ly defeated in the House, and that it virtually
appropriated an unlimited amount. MIR. Max
ey rose to reply, but his time being limited,
yielded to the suggestions OF friends to deter
his remarks to another time.
n tla whole.
concluded the consideration of the executive
appropriation bill and it was passed. Also,
bill appropriating one hundred million dollars
for invalid pensions
In the Senate on the 18th. the executive ap-
propriation bill was received from the House
and referred to the committee on approprla-
tions. The Senate joint resolution to reappro-
pirate S375,000 to pay mail contractors tor
service in the Southern States prior to the
States going into the rebellion again occupied
the time reserved for the calendar. Maxey,
who championed the measure, spoke at length.
He denied that the resolution of 1877 which
authorized the payment of contractors was
rushed through Congress as asserted by Con-
ger, and referred to the official record to show
that it underwent protracted discussions IN
both houses. Payment was not made because
of the ruling of the then Postmaster General
that all claims of this class should be presented
before any other were paid. He argued that the
structures of Conger were unwarranted, as the
resolution prohibited payment by the Unlted
States of any contractor who has been paid
by a State or by the Confederate States or his
payment beyond the date at which the mail
carriage ceased. In these and in other re-
spects he enumerated he contended that the
rights of the government were more closely
guarded than any were in prior legislation.
AS disproving the charge that the government
property in their possession had been turned
over by these contractors to the enemies of the
United States after the opening OF the rebel
lion, MaXey said the postmasters, not the mall
contractors, were the cuStodians OF the prop
erty and that the demand of the Confederate
government for it's surrender was addressed
to the postmasters. lie contended that these
claimants continued to perform their con-
tracts with the United States until stopped
by it's orders through the postmaster General,
and that the Court of Claims had in a recent
case held that the claimants were entitled to
sue for the money appropriated in 1871 for
their benefit. The bill went over at the eX-
piration of the morning hour Morgan sub
mitted resolution which was laid over tenn
porarily, for an investigation during vaca-
ton, by select committee, into the labor strikes,
their causes and remedy; the committee to
examine persons under oath, etc. Tie House
bill relating to the bonded period upon distill-
ed spirits was taken up, and pending its con-
sderation the Senate adjourned
The session of the House was devoted to
general debate on the river and harbor appro-
priation bill.
In the Senate on the 10th, the morning hour
was consumed in discussion of the bill to
Inappropriate S375,000 to pay Southern mail
contractors for service prior to the secession
of their States. The House bill to enable
national banks to extend their corporate ex-
istence was discussed, but further considera-
tion postponed. Mr.. Blair, of Missouri, in
troduced bill to permit freedmen to enter
certain lands in Indian Territory. The bill
declares that the land lying in Indian Terri
tory owned by the United States, and not
now occupied by the Indians, be open only
to entry and settlement by freedmen of the
United States and provides for an allotment
of 1G0 acres of land to the head of each family
locating therein. 1t also sets aside for school
purposes every 9Th section of land granted in
the bill: also for endowment of the Lowery
Industrial Academy of Alabama. After exec
utive session, the Senate adjourned until Mon
day.
After considering the river and harbor ap-
preparation bill, the House passed seyeteen
pension bills including one granting a pension
of $50 per month to Betty Taylor cambridge,
daughter Zachary Taylor, and then at 10: 10,
adjourned.
The House was engaged on the 18th with
the river and harbor and the naval appropra-
tion bills, the former of which was passed. and