Year: 1867




PASSED by THE HoUSE-FAILURE OF AN ATTEMPT TO


YEYD THE TARIFF BILL DIRECT TO A CONFERENCE COM


MITTEE-THB VETO OF THE RECONSTRUCTION BILL


TO BE SENT IN TODAY-THE REPORT OF THE WENT


WORTH COMMlTIEE-THE (USTON-HOlSb iNNESlIDA'


TION.


81 TEEeRiPH TRVrEE


WASHINGTON Monday. Feb. %, 1867


MI Sherman, on Saturday night, Just as the Senate
was about TO adjourn, reported the Compound inter
est Funding BILL in the precise form in which 1t olgl-
nally passed the Senate The Finance Committee
were unanimous il is said in dsagceng 10 the House
amendment and recommending the Senate bill as
substitute. An opinion prevails in the Finance Com
mittec that if the compound interest notes are re-
deemed in greenbacks new isSU Of gTeenbacks will
be called for TO redeem the thiTtcs when they
shall mature Ii was Mr. SheTmans intention TO have
called up this bill to-day, bnt he had no opportunity
In the Senate to-day Mr.. sherman introduced bill
for the consolidation of the National debt in six per
cent loan principal and interest payable in gold and
the principal taxable at the amount of one per cent
80 that il would he in effect five per cent loan The
bill will not he called up this session IL was offered for
the purpose of getting the sense of the financial men
of the country on it. Mr. Patterson presented the
resolution Of the Tennessee Legislature calling upon
him to resign his scat in the Senate, request with
which he gave notice he should not comply.
lie further promised TO tell, az some future
day why he would not resign. bill in relation TO
the Government of Montana Territory was called up
and passed after debate 1t increases the salaries OF
the Judges of Montana and Idaho TO $1,000 They
Are now $500. An additional section was put TO it
Increasing the salary of Judges of the other Terrific
ries from 81 800 to S25O0 To-day having been set
apart by resolution for business from the Committee
on Commerce, number Of bills from that Committee
were reported and passed. Among them was one to
regulate the disposition of fines and forfeures for
I4 holf fpf
the proceeds of forfeited goods to the Government
one-quarter to the informer and one-quarer to the
officer making the seizure. The River and Harbor
Appropriation bill gave rise TO considerable discus
sion on the proposition TO appropriate 100000 for
the improvement Of the Des MOines Rapids. IL was
finally compromised at $4,000, on the motion of Mr.
Grimes of Iowa An Executive Session was held, and
Ut 3 o'clock the dinner recess was taken.


At the night session of the Senate the River and
HarbOr hill was passed. Several bills of minor i'm
pOrtance from the Committee on Commerce were
then passed The report Of the Committee OF Con-
ference on the Diplomatic Appropriation bin was
agreed TO- 1t inserts the appropriation for the Por-
tugal Mission with proviso that no money shall he
paid 10 Mr. Harvey ont of any fund whatever for his
services as Minister. The Niagara Ship Canal bill
was taken up at 10 o'clock, and discussed until the
adjournment. without final action.


The House spent most Of tO-day's session on the
Tax Bill 1t was taken out of the Committee of the
Whole about an hour before recess began. Progress
on the bill was very slow. A number of members,
especially those of the Democratic side. 10 be
possessed with great desire 10 delay legislation as
much possible at least far the Tax and Tariff
bills are concerned. On nearly every amendment
that was offered 10 the Tax Bill the yeas
and nays On its adoption were demanded and
obtained This. Of course. consumed much val
uabe time. Before the bill was taken up Mr.. Nor
riIl who retured from Vermont yesterday, made an
attempt have the Tariff Bill committed at once To
committee of conference and in case their report
should not be satisfactory the House might reject it,
This he thought, would save great deal of time
and labor The motion caused great hubbub, the
Democratic and Republican Free Traders uniting in
making a good deal of noise and finally defeating
the project The yeas and nays were taken, and re-
sulted in eighty -fonr yeas to eghty-sx nays. To
have carried MouilS motion it would have re-
Quired a twO-thiTd vote Ii viii be by the vote
that not only two-third vote was not given
but there clear majority Of two on the
whole vote against the motion. This delays the bill
Cor at least another day. There several import
ant changes made in the Tax bill. The license on
whisky was placed at 800; the clause making gas
companies bear the burden of the Government tax
themselves after April l, 1867, was sustained. When
q vote was about being taken on this question.



OF against Before the Speaker could reply Schenck
spoke ont that a vote in the affirmative was vote
for the people, while a vote in the negative was
vote for the gas companies. The specific tax on
cigars cheroOts and cigarettes reduced to 50 per
1000. The tax on cotton grown in the United States
was retained at cents per pound.


In the evening session the Tax bill was passed by
the House, the only change being made was placing
the license Of distlers at 800, instead of $780,
agreed upon this morning. The rest Of the evening
session was occupied in tie consideration Of fortih
cation appropriation bills.


Nj Morrill, gave notice to the House this evening
that he would call up the Tariff bill the first thing
tomorrow morning, and move a continuous session
until the bill was finished.


An attempt was made TO kill the annual FOrtifca-
ton bill in this evenings session. and came very near
succeeding but was saved by determined efforts of
Its friends


Mr. Cullom's resolution, offered to-day, to make
eight hours legal days work for all Government
employees throughout the United States brought out
the statement from the Chairman Of the Judiciary
Committee that the Committee would soon report
Iuch bill.


Notwithstanding all the exertiOns made TO have
the President sign the Military Reconstruction bill,
he has concluded 10 veto il. His veto message is
completed and will be sent to Congress tomorrow.
This is a compromise he has made to the Reverdy
johnson Democrats, allowing Congress to pass the
bill over the veto.


The statement in New York paper of to-day that
Gen Grant is opposed 10 the Reconstruction BILL is
without authority The General has expressed him
self within few days, in presence Of Senator
Uilson and Secretary Stanton as warmly i'm fayor of