The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-03-26
FoRTY-EiGHTH CONGRESS-.
Senate Proceedings Yesterday.

several protesting against the passage OF bills
before the Senate relating to patents, or
any bill that may be injurious to the In
terests OF patentees.
Mr.. Frye, from the Committee on Rules.
reported that the committee construed the
rule relating to the admission to the floor
Of the Senate OF the heads Of departments
10 apply only 10 Cabinet officers.
Mr.. Frye also reported from the same
committee adversely the resolution hereto.
fore introduced by Mr.. Call. to give to the
President OF the Senate authority TO invite
to the floor OF the Senate distinguished citi.
Zens OF other States or countries.
The bill to increase the salaries Of the
United States district judges was again
taken up, discussed, and passed-yeas, 40:
nays. ID. As passed it makes the salaries
OF all United States district Judges So. 900
per annum, and prohibits them from an
pointing 10 position in their courts rela-
tives within the degree OF first cousin.
The next order OF business was the cal
endar OF unobiected cases. subject to the
five-minute rule.
Mr.. Calls joint resolution providing for
the payment OF laborers in the Government
employ at the same wages for holidays as
for other days was taken up, read three
times, and passed without debate.
Mr., Blair's educational bill was taken IN
as unfinished business, the pending ques-
ton being on Mr.. Harrison's amendment
to require the States to contribute each an
nually an amount equal to the amount sew
orally received by them from the national
fund. The discussion was continued by
Messrs. Harrison, Blair, Jones Of Florida,
! George, Allison, MaXey, Coke, Hoar, Sher-
man, and Brown, who said that when the
| late war commenced neither side supposed
the slaves would be freed. Providence
| had deeper design than the Congress OF
| the United States. and it began in time to
be seen that the freedom OF the slaves was
necessary 10 the salvation OF the Union.
AT the close OF thu war the southern
people were required to incorporate in
their Constitutions provisions which clothed
/ the slaves with all the rights Of citizens.
| The slaves were freed as necessity OF the
/ Union. What, then. became the duty OF
the Union! Certainly 1T was the duty OF
/ the Union to take such action rs would
i qualify the newly-made citizens for the
duties OF citizenship. II had been fear
full experiment to enirsnchise the freedmen
in their then condition. But having freed
them, it was clearly the duty of the whole
| Union to aid the States in preparing them
| for citizenship. However willing the
southern States might be to do this work,
the fact was that they had been left so
| impoverished by the war that they could
not do it. Even though individual
slaves were now present as freemen,
and the country is no poorer in
| that sense, vet all knew that the property
owners Of the South had lost their proper
| ty. There had been an actual loss Of
100000 in taxable property Of the State
of Georgia alone, according to the returns
OF the year before and the year after the
war. The southern States had supported
from their property all the armies OF the
| COnfederacy, and the money which the
southern people had at the close OF the war
was as ashes in their hands. How differ
ent was il in the North. At the close Of
the war every investment made In the
North for the support Of the army was
good. In the South they were utterly
worthless. Besides that, the South had to
contribute to the payment Of the northern
war debt, and many millions OF dollars OF
captured and abandoned property had been
| taken and sold by the United States; and
although the Supreme Court OF the
United States said that as to seve-
raj millions OF it captured after the
war the United States Government had
no shadow Of title to it, the statute Of
! limitations ran against the private owners.
| Mr. Brown only mentioned these things to
show that the people OF the South were
| impoverished by the war, so that it was
| impossible, no matter how anxious they
might be, to educate their colored popua-
ton. Except Texas, no southern State
was in a position to do all that was re-
CURED But he Orr. Brown did not regard
it as a work OF charity. The slaves had
been freed by the Union. II it was right
to make those people citizens, and be did
not question it now, then it was not only
right but an imperative duty OF the Union
to fit them or help them to fit themselves
for the duties OF citizenship, for upon the
well-performed duties OF citizenship de-
pended the perpetuity OF the Union. 1t
was not necessary that this aid should be
permanent. Mr.. Brown would not de-
sire IT TO be. The Senator from New
Hampshire (MT. BLAIR had shown to
! the Senate that the southern people were
taxed as heavily in proportion to their pro-
perry as any of the people of the northern
States. The people OF the South had done
the best they could. Not oneof the south
ern States that had been fully recognized as
in rebellion had passed any law discrimi-
mating against the application OF the school
fund TO the schools for colored children.
The same arrangement existed for both
colors. He thought he might then under
the circumstances fairly ask senators who
were on the other side of the question
in the war to come forward and help
out those who, while doing their best,
could not do all that they could wish
or that the country could wish. As
to the constitutional questions involved,
while Mr.. Brown declared himself to
be q strict constructionist, he could not
but see in the general-welfare clause OF the
Constitution the clause clearly covering SO
fundamental consideration as the educa-
ton of the people. II there was anything
necessary for the general welfare in re-
public, was 1t not the education OF the peo'
DIE who formed the republic and made It's
laws? II, again, Mr.. Brown said, Congress
had the power to protect men In their eXer-
else of the ballot, did it not follow thai
Congress had the power to prepare them 70
cast that ballot? Had we not the right 10
nrepare him TO read and to write his ballot
Pending the debate the Senate went into
executive session, and when the doors wer
re0pened adjourned.
House of Representatives.
Mr.. Browne. OF Indiana, from the Com
mittee on the judiciary. reported back th'
bill making it felony for persons falsely
and fraudulently to assume to be an othcel
or employee acting under the authority o.
the United States or any department there
Of. Passed. -.
The morning hour having been dis
pensed with. the House, at l2:4o, went intC
Committee OF the Whole (Mr. Dorshel
mer, OF New York, in the chalr) on INT
bonded extension bill.
NJ. Dnffnr Of New York. opened the de