Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-04-20

introduced the joint resolution pledg-
ing the public faith to the payment
of the public debt in coin, supported
it in speech and carried it. This reso-
luton was in substance, and almost
in form, enacted as law, and was
the first bill signed by Gen. Grant as
president of the United States.
AS part of the results ofthe work
of the Committee on Retrenchment,
and largely through Mr.. Edmunds
efforts, about $10,000,000 were paid
into the United States treasury, as
the proceeds of captured and aban-
doned property, which was rapidly
becoming returned to rebel claimants,
under the numerous pardons granted
by Andy johnson.
He was a member of the select
committee of the Senate to arrange
the proceedings on President John
son.
AT the time of Gen. Grants fist
election he took an active part in the
very important exclusion of the elect
oral votes of late rebel States not
yet readmitted.
Mr.. Edmunds introduced and car
ried through the bill to stop the pay
ments, which were going on under
an old statute, to late owners. of
slaves, for their slaves which had en-
listed in the Union army or had draft
ed during the war.
Mr.. Edmunds was the first to
propose and urge that no more mon
ey be paid from the treasury to the
Pacific railroads for transportation,
etc., until they repaid what the treas
ury had paid out for interest on their
bonds, and he persisted in the effort
to compel them to protect the United
States until the sinking fund act was
passed, which those powerful COM
panies have been obliged to obey,
greatly to the benefit of the public
treasury.
He reported and had charge of and
carried through the great civil and
political rights act of May 81, 1879,
which now forms the principal body
of the law on that subject. He did
the same in respect of the act to en-
| force the fourteenth amendment,
of Apr, 1871. The Importance of
Mr.. Edmunds' services in regard to
these measures cannot be exagger-
! ated.
He introduced and reported and
managed the bill to distribute the
British Geneva award Of So, 5000
among the proper claimants and to
exclude the immense insurance COM
panies which had made profits on
war premiums.
He was active in causing the SEN
ate to declare, before the election of
1876, that the joint rules which gave
each House right to reject the vote
of any State, and SO, if in force,
gave the democratic House of Rep
resentatives a full negative control
of the election, were no longer in
force.
He reported from the select COM
mittee of which he was chairman, the
Electoral Count bill, under which
Mr.. Hayes was peaceably installed
as president. Mr.. Edmunds' wise
and statesman-like and able leader
ship at this time, perhaps saved the
country from another civil war. 1t
certainly earned for him the cordial
animosity of all unscrupulous and
bigoted democratic partisans.
During that time when the demo-
Gratis had control of both Houses of
Congress, Mr.. Edmunds vigorously
resisted the measures tackled by them
on appropriation bills repeating much
of the republican legislation for pro-
lection of equal rights and fair vo-
ting in the Southern States. 1t will
be remembered, perhaps, that when
President Hayes vetoed the principal
bill of this sort, there was a current
saying that the veto message was the
voice of Jacob Edmunds, though the
hand was the hand of Esau Hayes.
Mr.. Edmunds offered and the Sen
ate adopted, under his leadership, in
executive session the resolution cal.
ling on the president to terminate the
last Fisheries and Reciprocity treaty
with Great Britain. In this case the
Senate took off the injunction of Sc
crecy from the proceedings, and did
Mr.. Edmunds the unique honor of
requesting him by formal vote to
write out the extemporaneous speech
which he had delivered on the occa-
sion, to be printed and made public
in the Record.
Mr.. Edmunds introduced and has
supported the postal telegraph bill
(Which in spite of corporate opposi-
tion will yet become law designed
to give the people cheap telegraph
facilities in connection with the pos
tai service.
He framed and introduced the gen.
eral act providing for counting votes
and ascertainlng the result of presi-
dental elections, one of the most i'm
| poatant measures of this generation,
which settles the method of proceed
ure in cases of disputed results in ma
tional election.
Mr.. Edmunds brought forward and