Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-03-19
PORTY-EiGHIH CONGRESS.
FL rst e~essiOn.

WASHINGTON, March /,

The following petitions were presented and
appropriately referred: Praying for the re-
tirement of small treasury notes.
Praying for legislation to enable suit to be
brought against vessels owners in cases of
damage by collision etc.
Bills were introduce and appropriately re-
ferred as as follows:
To authorize secretary of the navy to offer
a reward of S25000 for the rescuing of ascer-
tanning the fate of Greedy Artic expedition.
Mr., Aldrich reported favorably from the
committee of finance and Frye moved to put
at once upon its passage. bill to authorize
the West Waterville National Bank of Oak
land. Maine. to change its name to that of
Messalonskee National Bank, The bill was
read three times and passed
The bill to aid in the establishment of tenn
porary support of common schools was taken
up. 1t appropriates for the first year Sl5, 900.
O0O the second Sl4 ZOO, 900, the third year
Sl3, 600, 900 and so on for ten years; decreas
ing one million yearly to be expended for
common school education; the expenditure
in each State to be on the basis of illiteracy,
to be paid to the United States in the first
instance to the treasurers of the respective
States or such other agents as the States may
designate, the Secretary of the Interior to
have charge of the portion going to the Ter
ritorities. The bill asserts its object to be
not to establish an independent system of
schools, but simply to aid in the mainte
nance of state schools and provides that no
part of the money appropriated by the bill,
shall be paid out in anv state which shall
not during the first five years of the opera
ton of the act annually to expend for com
mon schools at least one third of the sum
allotted to it by the bill, and during the
second five years sum equal to the whole
amount, it shall be entitled to receive under
the act. One-tenth of the money paid to the
states may be expended in training teachers.
Mr. Blair sent to the desk and had read a
number of memorials already presented TO
Congress. and referred to the committee on
education, urging the passage of a compre-
hensiye measure in aid of education, referr-
ing to the general industry and social condi-
ton of the colored people of the South.
Mr. Blair averred it rapidly becoming
worse, the peopie oelhg uiscoh'en.eu anu
demoralized- Ihe men were becoming more
disposed to violence, and drifting INTO con-
dluon which oodes harm 10 the repuoilc uh-
less education oe brought promptly 70 pear
When England ireed the slaves In Jam area
she palu Sioo'oVV'ooV ~ tne ior'her sia'e
owners put maze no provision Ior 'he euuca-
ton or elevation OF the slaves themselves
the result was seen In the tact that oo per
cent OF the births In the ls'and Oh Jamaica
were ltlegltimate;
Mr. Blair read numoer OF statements
ana submitted numper OF taoies OF s'atis
tics to show the relations OF iiliteracy to
crime FROM these IL appeared ,hat one
sixth OF all the crimes cohnilteu were oy
persons wholly lille gitimate; one-third by
persons wholly or substantially ililterate, and
the proportion of criminals among the litter
ate was ten times more than among the edu-
Gated.
illustrating the dlnerence IN the expense
between the support OF schools anu Oh Jalis'
penitentiaries, ETC., MIR. BLAIR remarked that
New York city had to spend so'ooo,oOo per
annum for the punishment OF crime ~hiie ex-
pending only s5,ooo,ooo TOT schoois'
On conclusion OF Mr.. Bialrs speech the
Senate went into executive session and then
adjourned.
HOUSE.
In the House the regular order being de-
manded. the sneaker proceeded to the call of
committees. and numerous reports were SUBJ
m;t,ed and disposed of. Among them was
one appropriating SISO,OOO for vessel of
-ovenna marine and a steam launch for use
in Alaskan waters; referred
At the expiration of the morning hour Mr..
Townshend moved that the Honse GO into
committee on the postoffice appropriation
bill. and declined to yield to Mr.. Curtin. who
wished an opportunity to submit report of
the foreign affairs committee upon the matter
of the Lasker resolutions
After a fight the appropriation committee
came out successful. and the House went into
a committee of the whole.
In speaking of formal amendment, Mr..
Aiken of south Carolina reviewed and se-
verely criticised various features of the bill
He was opposed to the proviso limiting the
compeusation for mail service to land grant
roads. and said that in spite of himself the
thought would rise up that there was vicious
leyislaton behind the clause