Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-02-12
FORTY-NINTH CONCRESS,
First Session.
SENATE.

ANohs ~ isSoC sAi'cl III excnaDge
for silver dollars. The amendment directs
te committee on fnsuce to inquire also into
the loss of money alleged to have occurred
in the New Orleans sub-treasury and whether
such loss occurred in connection with the ex-
change of silver certificates for silver coin.
The amendment was ordered printed
Among the bills introduced was one by
Mr.. Mitchell OF Oregon, providing for the re-
peal OF all treaties permitting the coming Of
Chinese to the United States and prohibit
their coming except in case of diplomatic and
official personages.
bill to regulate the promotion of West
Point graduates was reached. On this some
discussion arose.
The bill was finally passed as reported
! from the committee.
At o'clock the education bill was laid be-
fore the Senate, and Mr.. Morgan took the
floor on it. The bill, Mr. Morgan said, wa.
bill to create offices and elaborate machin-
cry of the government 1t was bill to tax
an honest, hard working man in order to ed
ucate the children of a drunken, loafing vag-
abond, who would not work for his family
1t from 60, ,000,000 people in the United
States were to be deducted all the dead
heads, dead beats and non producers, there
would be 20 100000 people left who would
have to pay taxes to carry out the provisions
| of this bill. The bill itself would be equiva-
lent to tax of So per capita on those tax
PAYERS, and by the time all the officers were
appointed for the administration of this
scheme of benevolence, and all the clerks ap.
pointed that would be necessary to inves IL
gate the accounts of the 80 states and 10
territories affected by the bill, it would be
found that the tax per capita would be $40
instead of 49, If the United States senators
! kN IL 4
out of the sweat of their brow, Mr.. Morgan
could have more respect for them when vot-
ing away the money of one man to educate
the children of another. Mr.. Morgan char
aeterized Mr.. Blair's idea as one involving
the right of Congress to educate the children
of several states without the consent of the
states.
MIR. Blair interposed to say that he regard
ed the primary dutv of education to rest on
parents, but inasmuch as education was inde-
spensible to the existance of free govern
ment if the parent, whether from inability or
disinclination, failed in the performance of
the duty that duty fell to the States and in
our republic if the State proper and the pa
rent both failed, then it became the duty of
the republic to educate the children, since
the child would be not only citizen of the
state but of the United States. This, how
ever. was a power that should be exercised
only as a last resort.
Mr.. Morgan suggested certain amend
ments, one of which was agreed to making
the fiscal year of the United States the year
contemplated by the bill, and excluding from
the moneys liable to be used for the purpose.
of the bill, all moneys drawn from loans, Gus
toms or internal revenues or from postal or
consular service or patent office. Mr.. Nor
gan drew a broad distinction between moneys
derived from taxation and moneys derived
from sales of public lands, which constituted
trust for all the people of the United States
and maintained that if money was to be
given to the States it should come from the
proceeds of those lands
During the delivery of Mr.. Morgan's re-
marks occasional colloquies occurred betwe cen
himself and Messrs. George, Call and Blair
as to the various details of the measure un-
der discussion.
At 4.40 2. NJ Mr.. Morgan retaining the
floor, the Senate went into executive session
and when, fifteen minutes later, the doors
were reopened the Senate adjourned till
Monday next.
HOUSE.
Mr. Reed of Maine offered resolution
modifying the order maki1g the Fitz John
Porter bill continuing special order from
today until next Thursday, so as to provide
that the bill shall not be considered until
after the second morning hour of each day.
Adopted.
Mr.. Bingham of Pennsylvania asked leave
to introduce bill granting pension of $4,000
a year to the widow of Gen. Hancock. but
Mr.. Beech of New York objected.
Mr.. Wellborne of Texas reported the In
dian appropriation bill and it was referred to
a committee of the whole.
In the second morning hour Mr.. Adams of
Illinois, in behalf of the committee on bank
ing and currency, called up the bill to enable
national banking associations to increase
their capital stock and to change their names
and locations. Mr.. Adams explained the
provisions of the bill and urged its passage.
A vigorous debate followed, but the bill
was finally passed, yeas. 1879; nays, 120.
Mr.. Adams entered a motion to reconsider
and lay that motion on the table, but the
morning hour having expired final action was
not taken.
The House at two o'clock went into a COM
mittee of the whole on the Fitz John Porter
bill.
The debate was opened by Mr.. Haynes of
New Hampshire in support of the bill,
Nothing new he thought, could be brought
forth in discussion. The same old evidences
so often sifted was all that was in the case.
| No witnesses would be summoned who would
not be recognized as old acquantances. He
could, therefore, only lay down few propo-
| sitions in support of his views. He contended
that a commanding officer at a distance from
| his superior must have some discretion in
ebeying the orders of that superior COM
mander of an isolated corps who would In
volve his command in destruction in blind
obedience to orders of a distant superior. II
would properly be branded as an incompe-
tent action. Porter had fulfilled the military
requirements of the situation whatever the
conditions of his troops might have been.
The condition of the road that night had been
such that no experienced officer would have
placed his force of 9060 men upon that road
| 1t had been his (Haynes) fortune to have
been member of the first Union regiment
| that had ssed over the road between War
renton and Bristol Station, and he remem
bered it as very ordinary country road in
very bad condition. No man could tell him
that it was a broad spacious turnpike
where troops could march in nnbroken file
| for he knew to the contrary. He had beer
on the picket line on the night of August
27th and the Yankee picket in front of Stone
wall jackson had pretty keen eye and he
could bear testimony to the Egyptian dark
ness of the night. Knowing by experiences
the condition of the night he could arrive a
but one conclusion, that Porter acted will
sound military judgment in delaying hi
march The fact that Porter had avoided ,
blunder by the exercise of discretion, fol
which he should have been thanked and ap