The Portland daily press., 1886-01-09
XIlXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
The utah Bill Passes the Senate SO
to 2
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Jan. s.
| In the Senate to-day, the chair laid before
| that body resolution of the New York Pro-
| duee Exchange, urging Congress to make
| liberal provisions for the signal service. The
resolution was appropriately referred.
! Mr. Eustis offered concurrent resolution
| with preamble setting forth that an act of
| Congress of 1878 declared the silver dollar
| legal tender for all debts public and private !;
| that bv the act Of 1869 the faith Of the United
| States was solemnly pledged to payment in
| coin or its equivalent OF all public obliga-
tions not bearing interest, etc; that by the
refunding act of July, 1870, the principal and
| interest of the debt We're made redeemable
| in coin of the then standard value; that since
| the enactment of those laws it has been the
unvarying practice of the Secretary Of the
| Treasury to pay bonds and interest in gold
coin and that the Secretary Of the Treasury
| had issued a call for ten million dollars of
| bonds payably on the first of February, 1885,
Therefore be it resolved ETC., that in the opinion
of Congress said bonds OF ten million dollars pay
able on the 1St of February, 1886, should be paid
in silver dollars, such payment being in strict
compliance with the existing law, and in aid of
the financial policy established by legislation OF
Congress-
Mr.. Etstis desired the resolution to be re-
ferred to the committee on finance, and eX-
pressed the hope that that committee would
report at an early day in order that it may
be determined whether or not this practice
of paying United States bonds and interest
exclusively in gold coin is approved or dis
approved.
The resolution was so referred.
The Senate agreed that when it should ad-
journ to-day it should be until Monday
next.
MI. Voorhees, resolution of inquiry re-
lating to the pension office was, with his
consent, allowed to go over till Monday with
the view that resolution OF like import may
be drafted that will be acceptable to both
Mr. Voorhees, and Mr.. Harrison, for whose
resolution that of Mr.. voorhees, was offered
as a substitute.
The Senate then proceeded to the consider
alton of the bills on the calendar.
Following are among tn measures intro
duced into the Senate to-day.
BY Mr. Logan, to increase the pension OF
persons who lost on eye to $25 per month,
the difference between that rate and the 81
per month rate now allowed to be paid such
pensioners from July /, 1877, to the date OF
passage of the act.
BY Mr, Hale, to prohibit letting of govern
nlent contracts to persons who employ con-
yict labor
By Mr.. Wilson, to establish postal tele-
graph system.
In a debate arising upon one for probate
relief Mr.. DOlph commented ON the lncreas-
ing number of such bills and decreasing
number of meritorious bills coming before
Congress. He thought it would be necessary
to make some general provision for the con-
sideration of private bills and take them
away from Congress,
Mr.. HaWley, too, expressed belief that
Congress should provide some means by
which a private citizen could serve the
government in proper cases.
At2 o'clock the bill went over one day, and
the Utah bill was taken np.
After some debate Mr. Browns amend
ment offered yesterday, which was to strike
out the words that would compel the lawful
husband or wife of the accused to testify,
was rejected, yeas II nays ~.
Mr. MaXnV cuOnOTtpu the blil He held
that Mormonism was a mere lever for licen-
tiousness. He thought the Judiciary COM
mittee had Disseminated with great skill be-
tween religious liberty and secular license.
Mr.. Call said we owed our liberties to free
doom of speech and worship, and we were
departing from that ground when we passed
such bill as that under consideration. A
Mormon has as much right to proclaim his
faith as the distinguished man who denies
the divinity of Christ.
Some amendments offered by Mr.. Call
were voted down. While the bill was on its
final passage, Mr.. Van Wyck endeavored to
fix the duties of the proposed II trustees up
on the members Of the present Utah com
mission. but he was ruled out of order. He
asked Mr. Edmunds whether he had any OBJ
lection to such an amendment to which that
Senator answered that he had.
The bill having been brought to vote was
passed, yeas 3S, nays Z, as follows:
Yeas-Allisou, Beck, Berry, Chase, Cockrell,
Coke Colquitt, Conger Cullom, Dawes, Dolph,
Edmunds, Eustis, Evarts Frye, George, Harris,
Harrison Hawiey, ingalls,, Jackson, Logan, Nc
MILAN, Manderson, Maxey, Mitchell Of Pennsyl-
yania, morrill,, Palmer, Payne, Platt, Pugh, Saw
yer, Sherman, Spooner, Van Wyck, Walthall,
Wilson Of Iowa and Wilson of Maryland-38.
Nays-Blair, Call Gibson, Hampton, Hoar,
Morgan and Nance-7.
Mr.. Hoar explaining his vote said he voted
against the bill only because Of the section
disfranchising women, but even with that
section in he would have voted for the bill
had his vote been necessary to its passage.