The Portland daily press., 1884-02-20
FORTY.EIGRTH CONGRESS.
SENATE.

| ~uich OF the navy yards or arseUals of the
government Ia best adapted for the establish
ment OF government foundry; also a COM
munication was read from the postmaster
general transmitting, in response to q Senate
r solution, the opinion OF the attorney general
relating TO postmasfers' salaries affected BY the
act of March 8, 1883.
The following bills were reported favorably
from committees and placed en- the calendar:
10 provide tur the disposal of abandoned and
Useless military reservations.
Amending provisions of the Revised Statutes
relating to timber depredations
| fhe committee Oh finance reported adverse
y the bill authorizing payment Of customs
duties IN legal tender notes, but asked that In
oeierence TO the wish OF another senator 1t be
placed on the calendar.
Also adversely the bill providing for the
| retirement of small legal tender notes.
| Also adversely the bill authorizing the
SeerstsrS OF the Treasury to make full a just
ment OF claims OF foreign steamship companies
arising from legal exactiou of tonnage dues.
The following bill we're introduced and ap-
| propriately referred:
| By Mr. IDgalls,to amend the homestead laws
| and classify public lands.
by Mr.. Blair to increase pensions OF soldiers
and saio-S for certain specified disabilities
| and for disabilities equivalent thereto.
| The Senste then proceeded to the consider
alton of unot5ected cases upon its calendar.
| After the passage OF a few bills of minor inn
| portance the chair laid before the Senate tine
Dill to provide for issue OF circulation to ps-
tional banks
| Mr.. Hale asked and recAived unanimous
consent to make the bill providing steel cruisers
| for the navy The special order for Monday at 2
| o'clock.
| Mr.. Bayard then addressed the Senate in op-
| position TO Mr.. Plumb's amendment of the
| currency bill. That amendment, he said, was
| proposition to ex end to the government th-
application of the principle of governmental
l banking. OF ALI Iha ur1nositioua ga6 n n n
favor of Capitalization, Mr.. Bayard said, none
was comparable 10 the suggestion OF turning
| the treasury of the United States into bank
of issue and controlling the volume of cur
reDcy not by the commercial necessities OF the
people but by the accidental will Of the ac-
cidental majority in either of the two houses
| OF Congress. He did not think that the pre-.
seit law offerei remedy for it. He believed
that the proposition contained in the amend
ments of the Senators from Kansas Mr.
Plumtl and Missouri (Mr Vesf) was sugges-
tive OF step towards Capitalization OF the
most extreme character Mr.. Plumb said that
he national bank system which had to ad-
Just itself from time to time had confessedly
failed to perform that function, and that was
Substantial reasoH why the finance commit-
tee reported the bill under consideration. He
had no objection to natiOEal banks continuing
until by extinction of the natl nal debt aud
cessation OF their chsrtrrs they should dis
appear Ia natural way But we were met
Dy q threatened contraction and whatever else
might be said about his proposition it would
certainly be admitted that IL would make con-
traction impossible.
After some debate between Messrs. Mitchell
and Plumb the latter withdrew his modifca.
lon OF yesterday to the amendment formerly
proposed
MIR Mcpherson said that the committee's
bill proposed the issue of currency up to the
par value of bonds and that only. The ether
propositions that we're Submitted in amend
ment meant something else and he did not
agree with them, and did not believe 1t was
tue duty of this generation to pay the public
debt. We bad pension debt amounting TO
hundreds of millions OF dollars and the pen
sloner will not live always, and he claimed
hat 1t was our duty To pay the pensioner and
extend the payment of the public debt to q
tune which would allow of posterity bearing
part of the burden.
Mr. Allison was not troubled by fear that
any disturbance would be created by the bill
reported by the finance committee, nor was he
disturbed by any of the amendments proposed.
He did not believe there was going to be any
panic in connection with the currency. Our
circulation did not depend wholly on the ma.
iional banks. The only fixed element in cir
cnlation was the greenback, and that could
neither be increased or diminished. Mr.. AL
llson would be- willing to vote for the bill re-
ported by the Senator from Delaware (Mr
Bayard) or for the amendments proposed re-
spectively by the Senators from Ohio (Mr.
Sherman) aud Vermont (Mr. Murril.) He was
willing to open up to tne largest possible degree
circulation for security OF the bonds for the
benttit, not OF banks bat of the people.
After some discussion between Messrs
Beck, Coke and P1gh with reference to the
scope OF the Plumb amendment Mr.. Morgan
said that be proposed to offer an amendment
to the amendment of the Senator from Kan
sas to provide "Fhat whenever any portion OF
The Circulation Of a Dalional bank shall be
surrendered in consequence of call and pay
ment OF bonds by the United States govern
Qfa Af Il. -
be Issued BY the government in lieu thereof
to prev Mt shFinkage Of its circulation"
After some remarks by Mr. Morgan the
senate Vent into executive session, and after
wards adjourned
The House, after being in session all night
.dJourned at 9.15 this morning until Wsdnes
day.
From 9 p. M. until nearly a. m., the time
OF The House was consumed in rolls and merri-
fiment AT that hour. however, an exciting
AID angry scene ensued upon the question of
xcusing Mr.. Barnmm of Pennsylvania, who
admitted thai he had lett tue House alter the
contest of the evening had begun. Upon this
showing the Democrats voted against excusng
aim, aud Mr.. Lamb of Indiana N oved that he
oe hued 50. Mr. Browne of Indiana opposed
the motion. IL was act wiibin the ob,erva-
ion OF every gentleman who had wtnessed
the proceedings OF the House last evening that
the whole matter had degenerated into farce.
AAO SuCA A&uO reiuAS dIE6iSuiuonk VI tu0
conduct OF the members III cases OF calls Of the
House, declaring that they were dsreputabe,
md calculated to bring upon its members the
deserved contempt OF the country.
Mr.. Lamb replied that every word which his
colleague (Mr. Browns) bad said in opposition
t, his mDtlo0 word which Shove cd th at
the motion ought 10 be carried. II was bscause
this thing had becom5 farce, aud for that
reason alone, thai he bad made the motion
which he diu For mure than seven hours tue
tfl had
he recognition of the rights of the SO diers OF
he Mexican war, but to prevent "a day being
liked Tor the consideration Of u bill for their
relief. He asked the House to set an example,
and to put stop 10 these farcieal proceedings
~hicb, a. the gentleman said, had 80 long dis
graced the House and brought it In contempt
oefure the country.
Mr.. Hiscock said that the minority was told
that it was in ontempt because it had dared
resist the passage of the Dill.
Mr.. Morrison OF IflDoh-Nobody asked it.
Mr.. Hisceck-You have n majority of from
90 ~ aver quorum. You have control OF
legislation.
Mr. ROBERTSON of Louisiana-And you at.
tempt to prevent it.
Mr.. Hiscock-And you now try to fine the
Gentleman from Pennsy lvania because he was
treliet. Where are your seventy-fiye MEM
be RS more than quorum?
Mr.. Morrson-They have not been here and
skuiked away.
Mr.. Hiscock-The gentleman from Illinois,
the leader of the House, the Chairman OF the
Committee on Ways and Means, answers my
interrogatores by sasing that the sevsnty-ive
have sulked away rather th an vote for the bill
which is presented here.
said no such thing, exclaimed Mr.. Morri-
son.
Mr.. Hiscock said that he understood the gen.
teman to say they had skulked away, and all
within reach of his voice SO understood IL. Que
OF the leading candidates for the Speskership
(referring 10 Mr.. Cox of New York; had been
here when the first roll was called and had left
the House. And why? Why, why (empbasiz- |
ing each word with decided gesture) had this |
majority from the other side gone? Look at
the bill which had been talked about as a bill |
for the relief of Mexican soldiers. He would |
read it for the edifcation OF gentlemen. (Cries |
Of Irregular order" aud great confusion.)
Do you shrink shouted Mr.. Hscock, from |
having it read-this bill you attempt to rec |
down the House? This was greeted by shouts |
OF order land Mr. Tucker OF Virginia approach |
lug to within couple OF feet Of Mr.. Hiscoc |
nd addressing him, directly called him to or
der.
The gentleman calls me to order, exclaimed |
Mr. Observation-Disclosures on the other side call |
me TO order because you are unwilling to have |
advertised to the country the bill which you |
attempt to force down the House.
At this time Mr.. Hiscock was standing full |
N front of the Speakers desk where he was |