Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-16


Of duties RENTED IN the case of Port
land after that great fire. as reported
by the Secretary Of the Treasury,
was only SCI, 1856 He said the
articles named by Mr.. Morrill, in his amend
| ment may be the very articles of which not a
dollars worth may be used. He mentioned
| stone. of which he said Chicago had an abun-
dant supply in its immediate vicinity. Brick
| may be imported for the reason that when the
fire occurred all the brick which could be
bought had been bought by few men and
| raised enormously in price. He said the OBJ
ject of this bill is to prevent organizations of
| that kind 70 raise the prices OF all building
materials.
Ne. Sumner urged the laying aside the regu-
lar order of business and continuing the action
| on the bill until disposed of, but Mr.. Garrett
Davis OF Kentucky said he had remonstrance
| from some Of his constituents against tine pas
sage of the bill and asked Mr.. Logan TO allow
time to examine 1t.
Mr.. CHANDELIERS AMENDMENTS.
Mr.. Chandler of Michigan interposed and
said he had some amendments to offer. The
debate became very bitter ard personal, and
Mr.. Logan said that Mr.. Chandler seemed dis
posed 20 fight the bill with amendments for
the purpose of destroying it. In replying Mr.
Chandler said ne did not like the suggestion
that he was fighting the bill with amendments
He said Chicago was not the only town which
had suffered. There were some in Michigan
whish suffered more fearfully in proportion 10
the value OF property and the number of lives
lost than Chicago. He desired to put the
Michigan sufferers on a par with the Illinois
sufferers. The reply OF Mr.. Logan was earnest
and lie said he did not know that he was going
TO arouse tine ire of his friend from Michigan
The following day the bill came up i'll regular
order and Mr.. Chandler referred to the terrible
fires the fail previous in Michigan. Wisconsin
and Minnesota, and wanted relief extended to
the sufferers from them.
Senator Scot: of Pennsylvania quoted
from the Constitution provisions which
Mr.. Carpenter opposed the measure be-
cause it would be y precedent not to be fol-
lowed lie regarded the Chicago fire as so ex-
ceptiOnal Ill Its nature and extent that the case
Is one in which the nation might well step in
ard relieve the sufferers by an appropriation
from the national treasury. The bill. as intro
9uced by Mr.. Logan, was passed on the 24th Of
january, 1872, by vote of 20 yeas to nays.
The friends OF the bill were surprised to
find the next day, January Is 1872,
a notice of a motion TO reconsider offered by
Senator Sawyer of South Carolina, at the re-
quest as he stated. of the Senator from Michi-
gan who had voted IN the negative. The mo-
ton came up in the morning hour and Mr..
Chandler sent to the chair protest from the
lumber dealers, complaining of the unjust dis
elimination against them when they had SO
recently met with q similar affection, and from
which they were just recovering. With this
protest was a statement in detail OF the amount
of lumber required TO rebuild Chicago and the
losses entailed on them by being excluded
from the market. They said their losses by
ire were augmented by the numerous failures
In Chicago incident to the great calamity.
A CAREFULLY CONCEALED FREE TRADE DODGE.
Mr. Chandler sent many letters to be read
aud branded the bill as "a carefully
concealed free trade dodge" Mr.. Scott
of Pennsylvania said he had received
from his constituents protests against the bill
as initiating against the glass industry. He
said he would rather vote the money SO needed
by the sufferers of Chicago, directly from the
treasury than pass the bill, which would stab
the industries which needed encouragement
and support. The debate on this question was
continued on the LIST OF February and nearly all
the leading Senators were engaged in it. Sena-
tor Sherman said the bill was discriminating
one against home manufactures and the example
set by the Portland lire, which passed without
much consideration and without any debate,
carried with 1t consequences which should be
avoided.
Mr.. Trumbull said: "a large city extendinga as
far as from Georgetown to the Navy Yard,
reaching four miles in length, one mile in
width, had been burned and OVERLAND with
ashes. 1t was calamity that stirred the sympa-
thy not only OF the people OF the United States
but of the whole civilized world. have some
times thought, he said. ''in rejecting on that
calamity and its influence on the people of Chi
cago In causing them to forget all animosities
and all unklndnesses, and OF the sympathies
aroused throughout the whole world, that the
exhibition almost compensated for the calam-
lty. And now the Senate of the
United States hesitates as to whether it will
allow these people burned out, their dwellings,
destroyed, the industry of life time
consumed. to import, without paying
duty upon them. the necessary materials
TO reconstruct their dwellings. Why. sir, had
hoped such an act this would have been
passed rapidly and without opposition. The
people of the whole world open their hearts
and their pockets to relieve this distress, and
yet the Senate hesitates.' The late Henry Will
son advocated the immediate passage Of the
bill and said: at seems to me money was not
made to be boarded, but to do good. The
people of Chicago have had come upon them q
terrible misfortune and am ready to 90 as far
as can be done to aid them. The world WAS
made TO grow men and women: money was made
to do good with, not to be boarded up and
haggled over" The late Matt Carpenter did
not oppose relief. He wasready, he SAID, to vote
a million of dollars direct from the treas
ury for those upon whom such calam-
ity had fallen. He antagonized the
method The late Roscoe Conkling
said the constitutional objection to the bill
was unanswerable. He favored relief the very
fullest, but opposed the method sought by this
bill Mr.. Chandler, again protesting against
the bill, said he was willing to vote fixed sum,
from 100000 to Si,00O.OO0. but under the
provisions of this act we don't know what the
extent of Its provisions are" After length
ened debate and an amendment exempting
lumber from being imported free, the bill
passed BY a vote OF 20 TO II, barely quorum.
In the House of Representatives no objections
were urged against the bill. Its passage was
practically unanimous.
The Jotns;own calamity, which occurred
during the recess of Congress, met with such
unbounded and spontaneous relief that before
Congress met the sufferers were bountifully
provided for. extensive and appalling as that
calamity was. JOHN L. CoYLE.