1468 CONGRESSIONAL 'RECORD-SEN ATE. MARCH 6,
Ah, sir, as everything has its phifosophy, so has this conduct of purpo e, I shall put this bill upon its passage under a suspension of these men. Sidney Smith, in a moment of cynicism, once said that the rule. • " gratitude is a lively appreciation of benefits exp oted." I fear that Tho SPEAKER having resumed the chair, an alert and powerful money intere t, an interest with immense re Mr. HARRIS, of Virginia. I move that t he House adjourn. source to ·control the political fortunes of men, awa.kens in the bo The motion was agreed to; and accordingly (at two o'clock and soms of these gentlemen emotions of this sort of gratitude, which the thirty minutes p. m.) the House adjom'ned. interests of the humble widows a.nd orphans of the war are too feeble to arouse. I would not tha.t they should be' less earnest in asserting the importance of unimpeached national honor with the public cred PETITIONS, ETC. itor, but I would have them adorned with the jewel of consistency The following memorials, petitions, and other papers were presented which would not exclude those who have sacrificed so much for the at the Clerk's desk under the rnle, and ref~rred as stated : country from sharing in the benefits of an unl>roken public faith. By Mr. COLLINS: P apers relating to the petition of Mary A. The votes of these men upon this question will be watched not only Hough, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. by the soldiers but by the whole people of the country, who desire By Mr. EGBERT: The petition of 18 sol
which will allow such persons or their representatives to secure and perfect title Mr. WEST presented the petition of citizens of New Orleans, Lou to such land. isiana, prayiug for an amendment of the bankrupt law; which was • \ J. B. WAKEFIELD, P·resident of the Senate. referred t.o the Committee on the Judiciary. W. R. KINYON, Mr. BOGY presented a resolution of the Legislature of Missouri, Speaker of the HoWJe of Representatives. in favor of granting pensions to soldiers of the Mexican war; which Approved F ebruary 24, 1876. was referred to the Committee on Pensions. . ST&E ON MINNESOTA, ' Mr. NORWOOD presented the petition of A. C. Rhind, captain Office of Secreta,r-y of State: United States Navy, praying to be restored to his proper position on I ertify the foregoing to be a. true and correct copy of the original on file in the active list of captains in the Navy, next below Commollore A. K. tbi office. Witness my hand and the great seal of the State this 2d day of March, A. D. Hu()'hes; aud over Captains E . R. Colhoun, C. H. Baldwin, and R. W . 187~ . Sh~eldt, for reasons set forth in the petition; which was referred to fSE.AL.) J. S. IRGENS, the Committee on Naval Affairs. Secretary of State. Mr. SHERMAN presented two petitions of business men of Cincin Mr. WINDOM presented a petition of 1,010 citizens of Wisconsm, nati, Ohio, praying for the repeal of the bankrupt law; which were praying for an appropriation by C~ngress to complete the F~x Riv~r referred to the Committee on the J ndiciary. improvement and for the const1·uct10u of a canal along the Wrsconsm He also presented a petition signed by citizens of Cincl.nnati, Ohio, River from Portage City to Prairie du Chien, WiscoDsin, in accord praying for the continuance ancl. amendment of .t~e bankrupt law; ance with the third plan recommended by General Warren; which which was referred to the Committee on the JudiCiary. was referred to the Committee on Commerce. Mr. DENNIS presented a petition of citizens of Cecil County, Mary He also presented a memorial of the Legislature of Minnesota, in land, praying an appropriation for the completion of the improve favor of the speedy construction on the part of the General Govern ments to the navigation of the Northeast River to the town of North ment of a double-track freight railway extending from one or more east, in Maryland; which was referred to the Committ-ee on Commerce. of the principal cities of the East westwardly to the Missouri River, Mr. Mc~IILLAN presented a joint resolution of the Legislature. of with a branch extending into the great producing region of Minne Minnesota, in favor of the establishment of a post-route from Sr~nth sota, such railway to be under the control and management of the Lake, Minnesota viaAbson's Crossing, to Normand post-office, Wr1ght United Stat-es and transportation charges thereon so regulated as County, Minnesota; which was referred to the Committee on Post to cover only operating expenses; which was referred to the Com Offices and Post-Roads. mittee on Railroads. Mr. WRIGHT presented a joint resolution of the Legislature of Mr. CAMERON, of Wisconsin, presented a memorial of the Legis Iowa in relation to a modification of the homestead law; which was lature of the State of Wisconsin, praying for the eRtablishment of a referred to the Committee on Public Lands, and ordered to be printed tri-weekly mail-rout-e from Marquette, in the county of Green Lake, in the RECORD, as follows: via Kingston, to Portage, in Columbia County; which was referred Whereas the Unjted States land offices as at present established in this St.ate are to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads. remot.e from a. large portion of the lands now held under homestead claims; and Mr. ANTHONY. I present the petition of Walter Pearce, praying whereas the homestead laws, as 'construed by the Commissioner of the General Land Office, require the settler to appear at the land o.ffice of~ district in person compensation for services performed in registration m North Caro to submit his final homestead proof; and whereas sa1d reqm.rement causes gre::tt lina. This petition may not be fortified with that impregnable proof and unnecessary expense to the settlers and sub serves no good purpose: Therefore, which generally accompanies claims upon the Government; but I · Be it r~olved by the General A ssembly of the State of Iowa, That our Senat<•I'S in think that this poor fellow is entitled to something, and I commit his Congress be instructed a.nd our Represl.'ntatives be requested to secure such ::n amendment to the homestead laws as shall allow the homestead settler to make hts claim to tho Committee on Claims with that unfaltering confidence final proof before the clerk of the court of the county in which the land is located. which is inspired by the touching evidences which we have so often .RP.solved, That the secretar,v of state be instructed to forwar(l as soon ~ pra.c had of its liberality. ticable a copy of this resolution to each of our Senators and Representatives m The petition was referred to the Committee on Claims. Uongress. Mr. KEY presented the petition of Nathaniel W. Hayes, of Bradley Mr. MITCHELL presented a petition of citizens of Western Idaho County, Tennessee, praying compensation for stores and supplies to ancl Eastern Oregon, praying for the establishment of a mail route the amount of $1,542.50 taken by the United States Army; which was between Salnbria, in Western Idaho, and Sparta, in Eastern Oregon; referred to the Committee on Claims. which was referred to the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads. 11ir. CONKLING.· I present resolutions of the Chamber of Com l\ir. DORSEY presented a petition of business men of Arkansas, merce of the State of New York, relative to the bankrupt law. These pra.ying as a matter of justice that Congress aid in the construction resolutions are instructive, pointing out respects in which the Cham of the Texas and Pacific Railroad; which was referred to the Com ber of Commerce think the law ought to be improved. I move that mittee on Railroads. the resolutions be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. ALCORN presented the petition of John G. Owen, of Scott The motion 'Yas agreed to. County, l\lississipp i, praying for compensation for services performed Mr. CONKLING. I present also a memorial signed by George C. as mail contractor prior to 18tH; which was referred to the Cowmittee Richardson & Co. and four hundred and odd other merchants of the on Claims. city of New York, remonstrating against the repeal or the banlnupt He also presented the petition of citizens of Mississippi, praying law, pointing out changes which the memorialists think t>honld be for the establishment of a new mail route from Augusta, Perry County, made, and saying that some of them having signed a petition for the to State Line Station, Green County, Mississippi; which was referred unqualifi.erl repeal of the law they wish it to be understood that their to the Committee on Post-Offic-es and Post-Roads. remonstrance is against the law as it now\xists and not against such He also presented additional papers to accompany the bill (S. No. a law as they think it could and might be made. I move the refer 282) authorizing the Harrison Harbor Company to excavate a chan ence of the memorial to the Committee on the Judiciary. nel and harbor in Mississippi Sound, and to construct docks and break The motion was agreed to. waters in connection therewith; which was referred to th~ Commit 1\Ir. CONKLING. I present also resolutions of the Chamber of tee on Commerce. Commerce of the State of New York, touching the shipping act of the Mr. SARGENT presented the petitions of Caroline Snell and Joshua, United States, commending the commissionel's a,nd commending the H. Walcott, showing that, on their trip across the plains in 1864, they law, and remonstrating against the retransfer of the control of its pro were depredated upon by certain bands of Indians, and praying that visions from the United States circuit courts to the Treasury De the:v may receive compensation for the property then taken and de partment. I move the reference of these resolutions to the Com stroyed by those Indians from the annuities of the tribes; which were mittee on Commerce. referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs. 'fhe motion was agreed to. Mr. SARGENT. I also present the petition of makers of cigarettes Mr. HARVEY presented a joint resolution of the Legislature of Kan and merchants of San Francisco, protesting against the passage of the sas, in relation to the existing treaty of August 17, 1~6, between the bill, now pending, 1 believe, before the other Honse, raising the tax United States and the Cherokee Indians, and in favor of the appoint upon the manufacture of cigarettes, and proposing a plan by wlJich ment of new commissioners thereunder to re-appraise certain lands the revenue may be increased and fraudulent manufa{ltuTe prevented. ceded thereby so as to enable settlers thereon to purchase the same I move that the petition be referred to the Committee on Finance. at their appraised value; which wa,s referred to the Committ-ee on The motion wa-s agreed to. Indian Affairs. Mr. ENGLISH presented a petition of 100 citizens of Norwalk, He also presented a resolution of the Legislature of Kansas, in Connecticut, praying for the repeal of the two-cent United States favor of the amendment of the existing timber-culture act; which stamp-tax on bank-checks; which was referred to the Committee on was referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Finance. He also presented a resolution of the Legislature of Kansas, relat Mr. CAMERON, or Pennsylvania, presented a memorial of manu ing to lands of the Kansas Pacific Railway Company, and the right facturers, mechanics, and citizens engaged in all branches of pro to tax the same; which was re;ferred to the Committee on Publio ductive industry in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, remonstrating Lands. against the passage of any act reducing the duties on imported arti He also presented a resolution of the Legislature of Kansas, me cles that enter into competition with American manufactures; which morializing Congress in behalf of certain citizens, settlers upon the was referred to the Committee on Finance. public lands; which was referred to the Committee on Public Lands. Mr. WITHERS presented a petition of citizens of Lynch burgh, Vir .REPORTS OF COMMITI'EES. ginia, praying for the repeal of the bankrupt law; which was referred Mr. WRIGHT. The Committee on Claims, to whom were referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. the bill (H. R. No. 1595) for the relief of John T. Bn.rchell, of Knox- -1470 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD--SENATE. MARCH 6, ville, Tennessee, for service:i-endered the Government in a small-pox ordered to be printed, and the committee was discharged from the hospital, with the petition and accompanying papers, have bad the further consideration of the petition. same under consideration, and find that this bill was in the hands of He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred the me the Committee on Military Affa-irs at the last session and also at the morial of John Russell, of Warren County, Mississippi, alleging that previous session of Congress, and that that committee made a 1·eport the southern claims commission . decided adversely to his claim on the bill and papers. The Committee on Claims ask to be dis against the United States by co11founding him with another person, ·charged and that the papers and bill be referred to the Committee on and praying that his claim may be re-referred to the commission, or Military Affairs. I make that motion. that Congress may grant him relief, submitted an adverse 1·eport The motion was agreed to. thereon; which was ordered to be printed, and the committee wa.~ Mr. WRIGHT. I am also directed by the Committee on Claims, to discharged from the further consideration of the petition. whom were referred the petition and papers of Thomas H. Coates, of Mr. HOWE, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was re Raleigh, North Carolina, for a reconsideration and allowance of his ferred the petition of John E. Woodward, of Kentucky, praying to claim (No. 9056) for property taken for the use of the armies of the have certain moneys refunded to him onto£ the United States Treasury, United States, to report adversely. I call the attention of the Sena being the proceedR of the nJe of tobacco seized by order of General tor from North Carolina [Mr. MERRnWN] to this case. This claim Paine, commanding the United States forces at Pa-ducah, Kentucky, was reported upon by the committee on the 15th of December ad belonging to S. Fels, and for the amount of which judgment was versely. Sin.ce that time there has been additional testimony pre rendered against Woodward and afterward paid uy him, submitted sented in committee and the case has been again considered, and the an adverse report thereon ; which was agree • 1472 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. Th!ARCH G, A bill (H. R. No. 2301) granting a pension to Mary n. Hook; jects of legiAlation. But the question now is whether we will repn A bill (II. R. No. :l302) granting a pension to Nancy Tipton; dia te the legislative declaration made in the act of 1 75 to redeem t.lle A bill (H. R. No. 2303) granting a peru;ion to l\Iary S. Greenlee; promise made and printed on the faee of every United State~:~ note, a A bill (H. R. No. 2304) granting a pension to Philip J. Shaw; promise made in the midst. of war, when our nation was struggling for A bill (H. R. No. 2305) granting a pension to Melville H. Hudson; existence, a promise renewed in March, lo69, in the most. unequivocal A bill (H. R. No. 2:~06) granting a pension to John Mcintire; language, and finally made specific as to time by the act of 1875. A bill (H. R. No. 2307) granting a pension to Mary Bell Decker, in And let us not deceive ourselves by supposing that those whoop fant daughter of James W. Decker; pose this repeal are in favor of a pmely metallic currency to tbo A bill (H. R. No. 2308) granting a pension to David P. McDonald, exclusion of paper currency, for all intelligent men agree that every late a p1ivate in Company B, Sixth Regiment Kansa-s Cavalry Vol great commercial nation must havo botll: the one as the stanrlard unteers; of value by which all thing are measured, which daily measures your A bill (H. R. No. 2309) granting a pension to Catharine Johnson; bonds and notes as it measures wheat, cotton, and land; and al o :l. A bill (H. R. No. 2310) granting a pension to Emanuel B. H err; paper or credit currency, which, from its convenience of handliug A bill (H. R. No. 2311) granting a pension to Daniel Willhoit; or tmnsfer, must be the medium of exchanges in the great body of A bill (H. R. No. 2312) granting a pension to Nicholas Strite; the business of life. Statistics show that in commercial countries A bill (H. R. No. 2313) granting a pension to Mary Ann Cornell, a very Ja1·ge proportJon of all transfers is by book-accotmts and widow of Stephen Cornell, late a private in Company I, One hundred notes, and more than nine-tenths of all the residue of payments is and twenty-fifth New York Volunteer Infantry; by checks, draft.s, and ncb paper tools of exchange. Of the vast A bill (H. R. No. 97) directing the Commissioner of the General b.:nsiness done in New York and London not 5 per cent. is done wit.h Land Office to issue certificate of relocation for six hundTed and forty either paper money or gold or silver, but by the mere balancing of acres of land in the teiTitoryof Missouri to legal r epresentatives of accounts or exchange of credits. A.nd this will be so whether your Samuel Ware; and paper money is worth 40 per cent. 'Or 100 per eent. in gold. The only A joint resolution (H. R. No. 64) granting the rights and benefits of question is whether in using paper money we will have that which the Soldiers' Home to John News. is as good as it promises, as good as that of Great Britain, France, The message also announced that the House had passed the follow- or Germany; as good as coin issued from your mints, or whether ing bills-: · we will content ourselves with depreciated paper money, worth 10 A bill (S. No. 225) granting six hundred and forty acres of land to per cent less than it promises, every dollar of which daily tells your the widow and heirs of James Sinclair, deceased; and constituents that the United States is not rich enough to pay more A bill (S. No. 416) for the relief of C. H. Frederick, late a lieutenant than 90 per cent. on the dollar for its three hundred and ~eventy colonel in the Ninth Missouri Infantry. millions of promises to pay, or that you have not courage enough to The message fm·tber announced that the Honse had concurred in stand by your promise to do it. the amendments of the Senate to the resolutions for printing copies of Nor are we to decide whether our paper money shall be issued di the eulogies delivered in the two Honses of Congress upon the late rectly by the Government or hy banks created by the Government; Andrew Johnson and the late Henry Wilson. nor whether at a future time the-legal-tender quality of United States ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED. notes shall continue. I am one of those who believe that a United States note issued directly by the Government and convertible on de The message also announcecl that the Speaker of the House had mand into gold coin, or a Government bond equal in value to gold, signed the following enrolled bills and joint resolution; which were is the est currency we can adopt ; that it is to be the cmrency of the thereupon siO'ned by the President pm ternpm·e: future, not only in the United State~.~, but in Great Britain as well; A bill (H. R. No.193) for the relief of Ezra B. Barnett, postmaster and that such a currency might properly continue to be a legal ten at Norwich, New York; der except when coin iB specifically stipulated for. A bill (H. R. No. 2:t85) authorizing the purchase of additional ground But these are not the questions we are to deal with. It is whether for the custom-house at Nashville, Tennessee; and the promise of the law shall be fulfilled, that the United State ~:~ha. ll A j-oint resolut ion (H. R. No. 19) on the celebration of the centennial pay such of its notes as are presented on and after the 1st day of Jan in the several counties or towns. nary, 1879, in coin; and whether the national banks will at the same NATIONAL FINA.l~CES-SPECIE PAYMENTS. time redeem their notes either in coin or United States notes made Mr. SHERMAN. I now move that the Senate proceed to the con equal to coin; or whether the United States shall revoke its promise sideration of the motion to refer the resolutions of the Chamber of and continue for an indefinite period to still longer force upon the Commerce of the State of New York, relative to the national finances people a depreciated currency always below the legal standard of and in favor of the resumption of specie payments at the time now gold, and fluctuating daily in its depreciation as Congress may threaten provided by law. · or promise, or speculators may hoard, or corner, or tbrow out yom· The PRESIDENT p1·o tentpore. The Senator from Ohio moves that broken promises. It is the turning point in our financial historyi the Senate proceed to consider the motion to refer the resolutions of which will greatly affect the life of individuals and the fate of par the Chamber of Commerce of New York. ties, but, more than aU, the honor and good faith of our country. The motion was agreed to. At the beginning of our national existence our ancestors boldly and OUGHT THE RESUMPTION ACT OF 1875 BE REPEALED! hopefully assumed the burden of a great national debt, formed of the :Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. President, I have taken the unusual course debts of the old confederation and of the States that composed it; of arresting the reference to the Committee of Finance of the memo and, with a scattered population and feeble resources, honestly met rial of the Chamber of Commerce of New York in order to discuss in and paid in good solid coin every obligation. After the war of 1 12, an impersonal and non-partisan way one of the questions presented which exhausted our resources, destroyed our commerce, and ~reatly by that memorial, and one which now fills the public mind and must increa ed our debt, a republican administration boldly fun<1ed our necessarily soon occupy our attention. That question is, ''Ought the debt, placed its currency upon the coin basis, promptly paid its inter resumption act of 1875 be repealed f " The memorial strongly op est, and reduced the princip:¥; and within twenty years after that poses such repeal, while other memorials, and notably those from the war wa-s over, nuder the first democratic President, p aid in coin the Boards of Trade of New York and Toledo, advocate it. These oppos last dollar, both principal and interest, of the debt. And now, eleven ing views are supported in each House of Congress, and will, when years after a greater war, of grander proportions, in which not merely our time is more occupied than now, demand our vote. foreign domination t.hreatened us, but the very existence of our nation And, sir, we are forced to consider this question when the law it is was at stake, and af-ter our cause has been blessed with unexampled . proposed to repeal is only commencing to operate, now, three years be success, with a country teeming with wealth, with our creuit equal fore it cap. have full effect-during all which time its operation will to that of any nation, we are debating whether we will redeem our be under your eye and within yom· power-and while the passions of promises according to their legal tenor and effect, or whether we will men are heated by a presidential combat, when a grave question, refuse to do so and repeal and cancel them. affecting the interests of every citizen of the United States, will be I would invoke in the consideration of this question the example influenced by motives entirely foreign to the merits ofthe proposition. of those who won our independence and pre ervcd it to us, to inspire us so to decide this que tion that those who come< fter us may point QUESTIONS NOT L'ITOLVED. to our example of standing by the public faith now solemnly pletlged, And the question 1_1resented is not as to ~he best means of securing even though to do so may not run current with the temporm·y press the resumption of a specie standard, but solely whether the only mea-s ure of the hour or may entail some sacrifice and hardship. ure that promises that result shall be epealed. We know there iB a w.ide and honest diversity of opinion as to the agency and means to THE VITAL OBJECT OF THE ACT OF 1875. secure a specie standard. When any practicable scheme to that end What then is the law it is proposed to repeal Y I will state its pro is proposed I am ready to examine it on its merits ; but we are not con visions fully in detail, but the main proposition-the es ential core sidering the be t mode of doing the thing, but whether we will recede of the whole-is the promise to which the public faith iB pledged from the promise made by the law as it stands as well as refuse all that the United States will redeem iu gold coin any of its notes tbat means to execute that promise. If the law is deficient in any respect may be presented to the Treasury on -and after the 1st day of J anu it is open to amendment. If the powers vesteCI in the SecTetary are ary, 1879. This is the vital object of the law. It does not untlertake not sufficient or you wish to limit or enlarge them, he is your servant! to settle t.he nature of our paper money after that, whether it sh;.t.ll and you have but to speak and he obeys. It is not whether we wil be reissued again, whether it shall thereafter be a legal tender, nor accumulate gold or greenbacks or convert our not.es into bonds, nor whether it shall or shall not supersede bank-notes. All this is pur whether the time to resume is too early or too late. All these are sub- posely left to the fntm·e. But it does say that on and after that day • 1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-~EN. .ATE. 1473 the United States note promising to pay one dollar shall be equal to this plain and positive obligation has so long been deferred by a. the golti uollar of tlle Mint. na.tbn always sensitive to the public honor. The questions then arise- The fatal commencement of this long delay was in this provision First. Ought thi~ promise be performed f of the act approved March 3, 186:J, as follows : · Second. Can we perform it f .And the holders of United States notes issued undt'lr and by virtue of said acts Third. Are the agencies and measures prescribecl in the law suf shall present the same for t.he purpo e of excbaugingth(' same for bonds as the•·ein fi.cient for the purpose f provided on or before the 1st da.,r of .July, 1863, and thereafter the right so to ex Fourth. If not, what additional measures should be ena-eted! change the same shall cease and determine. Let n consider these que tions in their order with all serious de Thus, under the pressure of war and the plausible pretext of a stat liberation that their conceded importance demands. ute of limitations, the most essential legal attribute of the note was And first, ought this promise be. fulfilled' taken away. . 'l'his act, though convenient in its temporary result , THE LEGAL PURPORT OF ID."ITRD STATES NOTES. was a most fatal step, and for my part iu acqnie ·cing in and voting fo~ it I have felt more regret than for any act of my official life. But To answer this we must fully understand the legal and moral obli it must be remembered that the object of this provision was not to gations contained in the notes of the United States. The purport of prevent the conversion of notes into bonds, but to induce their con the note is as follows: version. It was the policy and need of the Government to induce its The United States promises to pay the bearer one dollar. citizens to exchange the notes freely for the bonds, so that the notes This note iM a promise to pay one dollar. The legal ·effect of this might again be paid out to meet the pressing demands of the·war. It note ha been announced by the unanimous opinion of the Supreme was believed that if this right to convert them wa limited, in time Court of the United States, the highest and final judicial authority in this .would cause them to be more freely funded; and-.Mr. Chase, then our Government. Secretary of the Treasury, anxious to prevent a too large increase of The legal-tender at.trilmt.e given to the note has been the subject the interest of the public debt, desired to place in market a 5 per of conflicting deciJ:~ious in that court, but the nature and purport of cent. bond instead of a 6 per cent. bond. The fa.tal error was in not it. is not only plain on its face, but is concurred in by every judge of changing the right to convert the note into a 5 per cent. bond instead that court ancl by eve1·y judicial trilmual before which that questicn of a 6 per cent. bonu. This was in fact proposed in the Coinmittee has been presented. on Finance, but it was said that a right to con vert a note into a bond In the case of Hank vs. Supervisors, 7 Wallace, 31, Chief Justice at any time was not so likely to be exercised as if it could only be ex Chase says: ercised at the pleasure of the Government. And this plausible theory But, on the other band, it is equally clear that these notes are obligations of to induce the conversion of not,es into bonds wa made the basis after the United States. Tbtlir name imports obli~ation. Every one of th('m expresses the war wa-s over for the refu al of the United States to allow the upon its faw au engagement of the nation to pay to the bearer a certain sum. The conversion of its notes into bonds, and has been the fruitful cause of dollar note is an engagement to pa:y a. dollar, and the dollar intended is th(' coined dollar of the U• itecl States, a certain quantity in weight and fineness of gold or sil the continued depreciation and dishonor of United States notes for ver, authtlnticated as such by the stamp of the Government. No other dollars had the last five years, during which our 5 per cent. bonds have been at before been recognized uy the legislation of the National Government as lawful par with gold, while our notes rise and fall in the gamut of depreci money. ation from 6 to 2'2 per cent. below gold. Again, in tho case of Bronson vs. Rhodes, 7 Walla,ce, 251, Chief Jus- Notwithstanding t,hat the right to convert notes into bQnds was tice Cha e says : · · taken away, yet in fact they were during the war received par for The note dollar was the promise to pay a coined dollar. par for bonds; and after the wa1· was over all the interest-bearing securities were converted iuto bonds; but the notes- the money of In the Legal-Tender Cases, 12 Wallace, 560, Justice Bradley says: the people-the artificial measure of value, the ~ost sacred obligation, It is not an attempt to coin money out of a valueless material, like the coinage of leather, or ivory, or cowry shells. it is a pledge of the national credit. It is a because it was past due, was refused either payment or conversion, promile by the Government to pn.y dollars; it is not an attt~mpt to make dollars. thus cutting it off from the full benefit of the a-dvancing credit of the The standard of value is not changed. The Government simply demands that Government, and leaving to it only the forced quality of legal tender its cre.lit shall be accepted and rtlWived by public and private crtlJitors dw·ing the in payment of debts. pending exigency. * • * No one supposes that these Gi>vernment certificat-es are never to be paicl; that · shortly after the war was over, and notably during the presiden the day of spooie payments is ne~r to return. .And it matters not in what form tial campaign of 1 68, the question arose whether the bonds of the t.he.\ are issued. * .. * Thr·ough whatever changes they pass, their ultimate United States were payable in coin or United States notes. Both destiny iB to be paid. not-es and bonds were then. below par in coin, the notes ranging from Iu all the e l~gal-tender cases there is not a word in conflict with sixty-seven to seventy-tive cents in coin; and 5 per cent. boncls from the e opinions. seventy-two to eighty cents iu coin. Here again the opportunity 'fhus, then, it is settled that this note is not a dollar, but a debt due; was lost to securo the easy and natural appreciation of our notes to a promise to pay a dollar in gold coin.. Congress may define the the gold standard. Had Congress then authorized the couver.siou of weight. and tineness of a dollar, and it has done so by providing a gold notes into bonds when both were depreciated both would have au- . coin weighing 25,.% grains of standard gold ro· tine. The promise is vanced to par in golcl; but on the one hand it was mged that thi~ specific and exact, and its nature is fixed by the law and announceJ would cause a rapid contraction, and on the other that the right to by the court. Here I might rest as to the nature of the United States convert the note into a 1Joo1l wa-s not specie payment; it was only uote; but it is proper that I state the law under which it was issued the exchange of one promise for another. It was specie payment and the sub eq ucnt laws relating to it. they very much favored, but did not have the wisdom then to secure. Th6 act of l!~ebruary 2.-i, 1862, gave birth to this note a-s well a-s the If the advocates for specie payment had then supported a restoration whole financial policy of the wal·. The first section of that act au of the right .to convert notes into bonds they would have secured their thorizes the Secretary of the Trea-sury to issue upon the credit of the object with but little opposition. But all measures to fund the notes United States, United States notes to the amount of $150,000,000, at the pleasure of the holder were defeatecl, and instead there was payable to bearer at the Trea.qury of the United States. The amount ingrafted into the a-ct to strengthen the public credit- of these note~ was subsequently increased during the war to the max First, a declaration "that the faith of the United States is solemn imum sum of 450,000,000, but the nature and oharacter of the notes ly pledged to the payment in coin, or its equivalent, of all the obliga wal:l the same as the. first issue. The enlargement of the issue dicl not tions of the United States not bearing interest, known as United in the least affect the obligatjion of the United States to pay them in States notes, and of all the interest-bearing obligations of the Uuited coin. This obligation was recognized in every loan law passed during States" except such a-s by the law could be paid in other currency the war; antl to secure the note from depreciation the amount was than gold and silver. carefully limited, and every quality was given to it to maintain its· Second, "and the United States also Rolemnly pledges its faith to ' 'alue that wa possible during the exigencies of the war. I might make provision, at the earliest pr-acticable period, for the redemp show you from the contemporaneous debates in Congress that at every tion of the United States not-es in coin." step of the war the notes were regarded as a temporary loan, in the Here again the obligation of the GoYernment to pay these notes in nature of a forced loa;n, but a loan cheerfully borne, and to be re coin was recognized, its purpose declared, and the time fixed, " as deemed soon after the war was over. It was not until two years early as practicable." Wllat was the effect of this important act of after the war, when the auvancing value of the note created an in Congres~ f Without adding one dollar to the public debt, or th6 terest to depr~ciate it iu order to advance prices for purposes of spec burden of tbe debt, both bonds and notes rose in value. Within one ulat.ion, that there was any talk about putting off the payment of year the bonds rose to par in gold, making it practicable to com the note. The policy of a gradual contraction of the currency with I;Dence the refunding of 6 per cent. bonds into 5 per cent bonds. The a view to specie payments was in December, 1865, concurred in by notes rose under the stimulus of this new promise in one year from the almost unanimous vote of the House of Representatives, and the seventy-six cents to eighty-nine cents in gold, but no steps whatever act of April 12, 1 66, authorized $4,000,000 of notes a .month to be were made to redeem them. retired and canceled. No one then questioned either the policy, the The amount of bank-notes authorized was increased fifty-four mill duty, or the obligation of the United States to redeem these notes in ions. The executive department pursued the policy of redeew.ing cow. debts not due, and did from an overflowing Treasury reduce very t\'HY THB UNITED STATES 'OTE IS BELOW PAR. largely the public debt, but no steps whatever were taken to ad vancu Why has not this obligation been performed t How comes it that the value of our notes. The effect of the act of 1869 was exhausted fourteen years after these notes were issued, and eleven. years after on the adjournment ofCon{?ress in March, 1870, when the United States the exigency was over, we are debating whether they shall be paid notes were worth eighty-mne cents in gold; and thereahouts, u p and and when they shall be paid 'f We may well pause to examine how down., with many fluctuations, -they have remained to this day. Tile IV- -93 1474 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. ~f.ARCII G, bondholder, secure in the promise to him, is happy in receiving his cial policy by which at lea~t the party in power is bound, and upon interest in gold, with his bond above par in gold. The note-holder, the faith of which business men have conducted their affairs and the farmer, the artisan, the laborer, whose labor and production is made their contracts. Debts have been contracted and paid with the measured in greenbacks, still receives your depreciated notes worth expectation that at the time fixed the gold standard would measure 10 per cent. less than gold you promised him " at the earliest day all obligations, and a repeal of the act would now re-open a.ll the wild practicable." The one bas a promise performed and the other a promise and dangerous speculation schemes that feed and fatten upon depre postponed. · ciated paper money. The influence that secures this repeal will not Thus we stood when the panic of '73 came upon us; with more stop here. If we can recall our promise to pay our notes outstanding paper money afloat than ever circulated before in any country of the why should we not issue more Y If we can disregard our promise to world. Even then, had we stood firmly, the boarding tendency of the pay them, why shall we regard our promise not to issue more than panic would have advanced our notes toward the gold standard, a.nd $400,000,000 as stipulated for by the act of 1864 f If we can re-open the in fact did so during the months of September and October, until the question of the payment of our notes, why may we not re-open the premium on gold bad fallen to 8 per cent. But sir, at this critical question as to the payment of our bonds f Is the act of 1869 any more moment, the Secretary of the Treasury, a.cting no doubt in ~ood faith, sacred than the act of 1875 f And if we can re-open these questions, but I think without authority of law, issued twenty-six millions more why not re-open the laws requiring the payment of either interest or United States notes-part of the notes retired and canceled under principal of the public debt f They rest upon acts of Congress which previous acts. And now, notwithstanding all the talk about con we have the power to repeal. If the public honor cannot protect our traction of the currency, we have not withdrawn one-half of this promise to the note-holder, how shall it protect our promise to the illegal issue. On the 1st of September, 1873, we bad three hundred bondholder f Already clo we see advocated in high places, by nu and fifty-six million notes outstanding. Three months afterward we merous and formidable organizations, all forms of repudiation, which, had three hundred and eighty-two million; and now we have three if adopted, would reduce our nation to the credit of a robber chief hun~ed and seventy-one million. worse than the credit of_ an Algerine pirate, who at least would not plunder his own countrymen. And if the public creditor had no THE ACT OF 1875 A PLEDGE OF PUBLIC FAITH. safety, what chance would the national banks-creations of our own Sir, it was under the light of these events, after the fullest discus and subject to onr will-have in Congress 7 It has already been pro sion ever given in Congress of any-question-after debate before the posed to confiscate their bonds, premium and all, a-a a mode of paying people during the recess of Congr~ss an?- full delibera~ion last winte~ their notes with greenbacks. What expedient so ea y if we would this act was passed. There was and IS now great difference of opm make money cheap and :tbundant f Or, if so extreme a measure could ion as to the details, but the vital promise made to the note-h_older to be arrested, what is to prevent the permanent dethronement of ~old make his note as good as gold in January, 1879, was concurred in by as a measure of value, and the substitution of an interconvertible a large majority of both Houses, and by many who opposed the bill currency bond bearing 3.65 per cent. interest as a standard of value; as too slow in its operations. Til is act of honor all(} public faith was and when it becomes too expensive to print the notes to pay the in applauded by the civilized world and concurrc;~d in by our constitu terest, reduce the rate. Why not f Why pay :3.65 per cent. when it ents, the doubts only being as to the machinery to carry it into effect. is easier to print 3 f It is but ah a.ct of Congress. And when the The time wa-a fixed by those who most feared resumption, and no one proce s of repudiation goes so far that your notes will not buy bread, proposed a longer time. My honorable friend from Indiana [Mr. why then declare against all interest, and then, after pc ing through MoRTO T] truly said (in the recent campaign in Ohio) that he part ici the valley of humiliation return again to barter, and honor, and gold pated in framing it; and be and those who agreed with him fixed the again. time so remote as to excite the unfounded charge that the bill was a Sir, if you once commence this downward course of repudiation sham, a mere contrivance to bridge an election . . there is but one ending. You may, like Mirabeau and the Girondists, And now, sir, to recapitulate this branch of the .question, it is seek to stem the torrent, but you will be swept away by the spirit shown that the holder of these notes has a promise of the United you have evoked and the instruments you have created. Yolfl com States made in February, 1862, to pay him 1 in gold coin; that the plain now of a want of confidence which makes men hoard their legal purport of this promise has been declared by the Supreme Court; money. Will yon, then, destroy all confidence f No, sir, no; the way that we have taken away from this note one of the legal attributes to 1·estore confidence is to inspin~ it by fulfilling your obligations. given it which would long since have secured its payment in coin You cannot make men lend you; you c~nnot make men sell you any that when the note was authorized and issued it was understood a:s thing-either bread, or meat, or wool, or iron, or anything that iA or redeemable in coin· when the war was over; that our promise to pay that can be created-except for that which they choose to take. You it was renewed in 1869-" at as early a. day as practicable;" that by may depreciate the money which yon offer, but it. will only take reason of our failure to provide for its payment it is still depreciated more of it to buy what you waut. It is true that the creditor may, below par more than one-tenth of its nominal value; that we re by your laws, be compelled to take your money however much you newed this promise and made it definite as to time by act of 1875; depreciate it, but be cannot buy ba.ck that whlch he sold, or its that it is a debt due from the United States, and in law and honor due equivalent in other necessaries of life, and thus he is cheated of part now in coin. Yet it is proposed to recall our promise to redeem this of what he sold. During the war, while money was depreciating, note in coin three years hence. I say, sir, this would be national dis m.,1.ny a simple man gleefully counted his gains a~ be sold his goods honor. It would destroy the confidence with which the public cred or crops at advancing prices, but he found out his mistake when with itor rests upon, the promises contained in your bonds. It would his swollen pile he tried to replace his stock in trade or laid in his p-eatly tend to an-est the process by which the interest on your bonds supplies. Sir, this policy exhausts itself in cheating the man who 1s reduced. It would accustom our people to the substitution of a buys or sells or loans on credit, who produces something to sell on temporary wave of popular opinion for its writt-en contra~t or promise. credit; whether that something be food or clothing; whether it be a It would weaken in the public mind that keen sense of honor and necessity or a luxnry of life. Productive labor, honest toil, whether pride which has always distinguished the English-speaking nations of the farmer or the artisan, is deeply interested in credit. It is credit in dealing with public obligations. that gives life and compet.ition to trade; and credit is destroyed by An old writer thus describes "public credit:" every echeme that impairs, delays, or even clouds an obligation. Credit is a consequence, not a cause; the effect of a substance, not a substanoo; Again, sir, an irredeemable and fluctuating currency always raises it is the sunshine, not the sun; the qu.lckening something, call it what you will, that the rate of intere t on money, while a stable. currency or an im gives life to trade, gives bei.J?g to the branclies and .moi stur~ to the root; i~ i_s ti;te oil of the wheel, the marrow m the bones, the blood m the >ems, and the spmts m proving currency always reduces the rate of intetest. This is easily the heart of all the n egoce, trade, cash, and commerce in the world. shown by statistics, but the reason is so obvious that proof is not It is produced, and grows insensibly from fair and upright d~aling , p~~tual com needed. If a man lends his money be wants it back again with its pliance, honorable performance of contracts and covenants; m short, 1t 1s the off. increase; but if the money, when it is to be paid back, is like to be sprin~ of universal probity. . . • . It lB apparent even by its nature ; 1t lB no way dependent upon persons, J?a.rlia worth less than when be thinks of loaning it, he will not loan it ex ment, or any particular men or set of men as such in the world. but upon therr con cept at such rates as will cover the risk of depreciation. He will duct and iust behavior. Credit never was chained to men 's names, but to their prefer to buy land or something of stable value. If money is at the actions; not to families, clans, or collections of men; no, not to nations.. It is the honor, the justice, the fair·dealing, and the equal conduct of men , bodies of men, gold standard or is advancing toward that standard, he will loan it nations, and people, that raise the thing called credit among them. Wheresoever readily at a moderate interest, for he knows he will receive back this is found credit willli>e and thrive, grow and increase ; where this is wanting, money of at least equal value to that be loaned. . • let all the power and wit of man join together, they can neither give her being nor Again, sir, with a depreciat ed currency great domestic productions preserve her life. Arts have been tried on various occasions in the w.orld to raise credit; art has are cut off from the foreign market; for it is impossible that with been found abl~ with' more easo to destroy credit than to raise it. The force of art., such a currency we can compete on equal terms with rival nations, assisted by the punctual, fair, and jus t-dealing abovesaid, may have done much to whose industry rests upon a specie standard. As we approach such form a credit upon the face of things, but we find still the honor would have done a standard, we are now able a~ to a few articles to compete with for it without the art, but never the art without the honor. Nor will money itself, which, Solomon says, answers ail things, purch:tse this thing called credit or restore eign industry; but it is only as to articles in the manufactn.re of it when lost:· * " * · · · which we have peculiar advantages. Let us rest our industnes on Our· credit in this case is a public thing. It is rightly called by some of our wri that standard, and soon we could compete in the markets of the ters national ~:redi t. The word denominates its oiiginaJ.. It is produced by the world in all the articles produced from iron, wood, leather, and cot na.t.ion's probity, the honor and e~apt performing.nationa). engage~ents. ton, the raw basis of which are our natural productions. And it must WHY PUBLIC POLICY FORBIDS ITS REPEAL. be remembered that all the countries with which we compete are And, sir, passing fr~m considerations of public honor, there are specie-paying countries. A country that does not rest her intlu try many reasons of public poliCy .which forbid t4e rep~al of ·the act of upon specie is necessarily excluded from the great .manufacturing 1875. That act was genera.lly regarded as the settlement of a fiua.n- indu.co•ries of modern civilization, and is self-condemned to produce 1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-· SEN ATE. 1475 only the raw basis for advanced indnstry. Cheap food, climate, soil, governor and directors of the Bank of England were charged with its or natural advantages, such as cheap land, vast plains for pasture, or execution, and authorized at their discretion to resume payment in rich mines, may give to a country wealth and prosperity in spite of fnll on the 1st day of May, 1822. France is now successfully passing the evils of depreciated paper money; lmt when we-come in competi through the same proce:ss of resumption, the time being fixed (two tion with th6 world in the advanced grades of production which give years ago) for January 1, 1878, and now practically attained. In our employment to the skilled mechanic, we must rest such industry upon own country many of the States have presented similar laws in case the gold basis, or we enter the lists like a knight with his armor un of suspended ba.nk payments, and in some cases the suspended banks b·ound. . have, by associat.ed action, fixed a time for general resumption, arid Again, sir, a depreciated and fluctuating currency is a premium and each bank adopted its own expedient for it. Sir, the light of experi bounty to the broker and money-changer. Under his manipulation ence is the lamp of wisdom. I can recall no case of successful re our paper standard of value goes up and down, and he gambles and sumption where a fixed future time has not been presented before speculates, with all the advantages in his favor. Good people look on hand, either by law or agreement; while the historical examples of and think that it is gold that is going up and down; that their money repudiation of currency have come by the drifting process, by a grad is a dollar still, and trade and traffic in that belief. But the shrewd ual decline of value, by increased issues, and a refusal to provide operator calculates daily the depreciation of our note, the shortening measures of redemption, until the whole mass disappeared, dishon of the yard-stick, the shrinkage of the acre, the lessening of the ton, ored and repudiated. and thus it is that he daily adds to his gains from the indifference or This concurrence in the mode of resumption by so many govern delusion of our people. . ments was the strongest possible instruction to Congre:ss when fixing Sir, it is an old story, often repeated in our day, and most eloquently a plan of resumption for the United States, and should satisfy reason epitomized by Daniel Webster in the often-quoted passage of his able men of its wisdom. speech in which he said: Besides, it would seem to be but fair that every one should have .A. disordered currency i;; one o£ the greatest of political evils. It undermines the plain notice of so important a fact. If the measures only were pre virt-ues necessary for the support of the social system and encourftges propensities sented aud no time fixed it would be a matte.r of speculation, and destructh·e of its happiness. It wars against industry, frugality, and economy; the discretionary powers of the Secretary of the Treasury could be an rl it fosters the evil spirit of extravag;ance and speculation. Of all contrivances for cheatmg; the laboring classes of manKind none has been more eflootuaJ than that exercised with a view to hasten or postpone the time to the injury of whic-h deluded them with paper money. Ordinary tyranny. oppression, excessive indi vidua.ls. taxation, these lJear li_g;htly on the bappine~s of the mass of the community, com· As to the date selected, I can only repeat it was placed as remote pared with the fraudulent currencies and the robberies committed by depreciated as any one suggested; far more so tb~n is necessary to secm·e the paper. Our own history bas recor. ed for our instruction eTJouo-h, and more than enou~h, of the demoralizin_g tendency, the injustice, and the intolerable oppression object, and so that the fluctuations of value will scarcely exceed in of the virtuou::~ and well-disposed of a degraded paper currency authorized by law four years what they have, frequeutly been m a single year. An or in any way countenanced by (i()vernment. ample time to arrange all the relations of debtor and creditor, and to Sir, we must meet this question of specie payments, not only because enable Congress to provide any additional measure in aid of resump the public honor is pledged to do so, but also for the lesser reason that tion, or if events make it expedient to postpone the time. it is our intere.:>t to do so . . The only questions we should permit our BALANCE OF TRADE. selves to discuss are the means and measures of doing so. Again, it has been objected that we con not resume until the balance And now, sir, let us examine tl.Je reasons that have been given for of trade is in our favor. This phrase, "balance of trade," has been a the repeal of the resumption act by those who, thougQ. favoring re favorite one with visionaries and theorists, sufficiently indefinite to sumpt;ion, yet think the act should be repealed for one or other of the confuse and to mislead. As generally nnde1·st.ood, the dogma is "that following reasons : · a nation that imports more than it exports is growing poorer;" ·or, First. That it is not advisable to fix a day for resumption. conversely, "that a nation that exports more than it imports is pros Second. Or at least until the bala-nce of trade is in our favor. perous." Now, sir, either proposition has been proven false in many 'l'hird. That it produces a contraction of the currency. cases, and may be true in some. It does not follow that an excess of l''ourth. That it injuriously adds to the burden of existing debts. imports creates distress, or a deficiency of exports is an evidence of Let us glance at these objections. poverty. Even the excess of imports upon which interest ma.v be paid may be of weaJth-prodncing pFoductions; or a deficiency of ex WHY FIX A DAY FOR RESUMPTION. ports may be caused by an increased domestic manufacture of raw First. As to fixing a day for resumption. products by home indnstry. Bnt the best way to test the fallacy of If it was possible to agree upon measures that would-secure resump this dogma is by reference to examples. Great Britain is known to, tion wit bout fixing a time, I agree it would n • . 1476 CONGRESSIONAL ·RECORD-SENATE. MARCH G, The total exports, reduced ·to gold values, were ..• __ .• $334, 853, 996 the lien of the note-holder 10,000 of United States bonds worth to The total imports were .... ------. 281,729,735 day about $12,000. If the bank sells the bonds it has 12.000 of cur l'ency to loan, and has strengthened itself by paying 9,000 of its notes. Leaving a balance in our favor in coin for seven This process, instead of being a cause of alarm, should be encoura•Yed months of . _..•. __ .... ___ ..... _...... _...... 53, 124, 261 and ha-stened; and this is practically the only contraction effectedby All these amounts are reduced to a. coin ba-sis, and include both the this bill, a contraction which is in the very line clamored for by those llllporta.tion and exportation of coin. '!ho oppose ~ational ba_nks; but a voluntary co~tradtion, made by the According to "the dogma of the balance of trade, now is the golden stlent operatiOn of the mterest of the bank, while at the same time it moment t-o resume, when the balance is in our favor nearly one bun advances the residue of notes to par in gold. dl-ed millions a year. Yet many people cry out," Wait for the bal RESUMPTION THROUG~ NATIOXAL BA~'KS. ance of trade ; don't force resumption." Well, the time has come, and yet they are not ready. This dogma has been the cause of infi Sir, in my judgment, the real solution of spe<;ie resumption will thus nite confusion, but is now abandoned. McCullough, in his Dictionary come through the voluntary act of national banks, each actinO' for it of Commerce, thus refers to it: self, under the general direction of the law, precisely at. the Bank of Eno-laud, the Bank of France, and the New York banks b~ooght about In commerce the term " balance of trade" is commonlyusea to express tbe differ ence between the value·of 1he exports from and imports into a country. The bal and maintained resumption. I have never regarded with solicitude ance 'USed to be said to be favorable when the value of the exports exceeded that the amount of United States notes outstanding, for, as I will show of the imports, and unfaTorable wheu the value of the imports exceed ell that of the they c~n be ea~ily maintai_neq at par in gold; but the agency of th~ export-s. And in this country this was long believed to be the case, and down to a banks m secnnng re umption and the effect of resumption upon their late petiod we were annually congratulated by our finance ministers on the excess of the exports over the imports. customers were matters of solicitude. This I no longer doubt or The attainnlent of a favorable balance was formerly regarded as an object of the fear. The whole problem consists in a partial and limited transfer of greatest importance. ·K * ... capital now invested by national banks in United States bonds to in The truth is, however, that the theory of the balance of trade wa-s not erroneous dividuals. The high price of these_bonds and the idle capital that merely from the false notions which its advocates entertained with respect to money but proceeded on radically mistaken views as to the nature of commerce. " * k seeks investment in them will enable each bank to stren~then itself The argument about the balance of payments is one of those that contradict and by a sale of bonds without in t.he least impairing its ability to dis confute themselves. * * * count or loan, and, in fact, to increase its power to do so, and the Not only. therefore, is the theory with respect to the balance of trade erroneous bonds will be absorbed by the increasing demand for such securities. but the very reverse of that t-heory is true. k * · " ' It is difficult to estimate the miscllief which the absurd notions r elative to the Sb:ong banks in cities do not need the currency, for their cur balance of trade have occasioned in almost every commercial country; here they rency is certified checks. Their currency is largely held by them, or, have been particularly injurious. • if in circulation, it can be retired and ca.nceled without impairing in This author fortifies his position with ample details, but it is suf the least their ability to loan or discount. The bank currency being ficient to say that if the dogma is false we should not regard it, and thus diminished, as the time for resumption approaches, the Uuited if it is trne, now is the golden moment for resumption, for the balanc~ States notes, supported by a gold reserve and the power of the Sec of trade is in our favor. In my view it is utterly immaterial to the retary to sell bonds, will easily be maintained at the gold standard, question before us. aLd the problem is solved. CONTRACTION. And, sir, this partial contraction of bank currency will unlock and The third objection is that the law produces a great contraction of dissipate a greater contraction which has gone on since the panic, and the currency. will ~o on until the public mind rests assured that the day of resump Now, sir, it ought to be confessed, for it is true, that any plan for tion lS not only promised but rendered certain by the course of events. specie r~nmption will, when it is about to take effect, produce some An increase of currency will follow resumption. Great masses of notes contractiOn of the paper currency. 'fhe drifting process if it succeeds now lie idle in ~auk-vaults and in the Treasury, and are hoarded in must cause it as well. To wait for resumption until resumption will homesteads all over the land. There is deposited in the Treasury, produce no temporary contraction is to wait until the rivers cea e to without interest and belonging to banks, $31,005,000, represented by fiow or the mountains are level with the plains. Every time resump currency certificates. There are now in the vaults of the national banks tion has taken place in the historical cases I have referred to con $73,626,100 United States notes and fractional currency, 17,166,190 traction has preceded it. Remedies for bodily or political ai~ents bank-notes, in all 90,792,290, and in the savings-banks, f:;tate banks, are ~pt to_ be unpleasant. All we can say is that public honor and and other banks that have made returns to the Comptroller of the Cur pubhc policy demand the remedy for the diMhonor and the evil of a rency the sum of $4 ,431,409, in all making '170,228,699, and tbi is far depreciated currency; that the time is ripe for the cure and the means more than the reserve required b~ law. The practice of hoarding cur we have prescribed are suitable to the end. rency ha-s greatly increased from t.he day of the panic, and it may be And, sir, the degree of contraction and the effects of it are greatly safely said that there is among the people and in savings-banks and trust exaggerated. The only contraction of the currency provided. for by companies not less than 200,000,000 of currency idle. Nothing but the act is in the substjtution of one form of currency for another. the best of security will tempt it from its biding-places; but, that Thus, in place of the fractional currency is issued silver currency· security offered, it can be had for a less rate of interest than ever be and where nati~nal-b~nk notes are issued there is retired 80 per cent~ fore. Capital met its periodical shock in September, 1873, and great of the amount m Umted States notes. Thus far no fractional cur masses of it, some say one thousand millions, vanished as a dream, rency ha8 been retired; but, as I will show hereafter, we can now and and are now represented by worthless bonds, bills, notes, and certifi ~ll, i~ the law stands, is~ue aa mucp. silver currency a-s any one may cates of stock, w01ih but little more than the pa.pel' on which they are w1Sh m exchange for etther fractiOnal currency or United States printed. This panic c:tme upon us when the paper god was lord of notes; and, a-s to bank-notes, the amount issued since the act took the ascendant, when corner lots, at fictitious prices, were the par of effect is $13,820,760, and the amount of United States notes retired is excbang.e; when unproductive railroads were the El Dorados of vis $11,056,608, leaving of United States notes still outstandin(J' $370 943- ionaries, and wild schemes of impl'ovement, both in this city and in 392, or $14,900,000 more than was outstanding when the act of :M~ch, all the cities of the Union, increased municipal debts to an unexam 1869, was passed, and the Same amount more than was outstandin(J' pled degree. This reckless inflation of credits collapsP.d long before ?n the 14th day of September, ltl73, when the panic came. Thu~ this law was passed. Money, the agent of capital, and, when idle, cap 1t appears that under the law the amount of bank-notes issued is ital itself, was boarded, and st ill remains ina.ctive, or is loaned on call · 2,800,000 m01·e than the United States notes retired, and the contrac or unquestioned securit y. This is the contraction of which so many tion of the currency prescribed by this law is a myt h. complain. It is not caused by the resumption act, but by a want of But there has been a contraction of the currency since the panic confidence·in investments that offer. Confidence cannot be restored and before. and after the pa-s~age of the act of 1875, which will go o~ by a l'epeal or by i~suing more paper money. But the occasion does whenever m any _way a. speCie standard approaches, and that is by offer you an opportunity of withclrawing a portion of this iille money, the voluntary retuement by national banks of a portion of their cir and thus reaching a specie standard. The banks can freely surrender c!llating note~. This ~on traction is n~t provided for by the resump a portion of their ci.J:culation, and thus be strong for resumption; tiOn act, but 18 authonze4 by the na~10n_al banking acts, and is the while frightened and timid capital will gladly float into Unit-ed States healthy ebb and flow of currency which 1t was the object of the law bonds when sold by the banks. Nothing is wanted bnt confidence, to secure. The national banks retired $24,962,327 of their notes by fajth, and time to secure the closing triumph of our war policy by the depositing that amount of United States notes in the Treaanry of the redemption of the only promise we then made that has not been hon United States to be used exclusively in redeeming the bank-notes estly redeemed. · when presented. The only motive for this deposit was that in the EFFECT UPON EXISTING DEBTS. opinion of those banks the circulating notes could not be profitably The remaining objection to the law is that it will add to the burden used, or they were not strong enough to maintain at the specie basis of existing debts. This objection is also inseparable from anyplau of the whole ~f their_no~es. This_ pro_cess will a!ld ought to go on until resumption. Postponement or repeal will not h elp t he matkr. The each bank IS certam 1t can mamtam resumption at the time stated. tinte for 1·edernption ntust conte. Current indebtedness was n ever less Nor is this c_o~traction in the· slight-est degree injurious to the bank than now. Liquidation ha.s gone on rapidly since the panic, and in or to the ab1bty of the bank to loan money to its customers. The many cases by open bankruptcy. Debts contracted since the passage banks will not withdraw their notes unless it is their interest to do of the act have been made in view of resumption in 1879. Many of so. When they do surrender or redeem their notes they at once re the old debts run for a long period of years, and when issue • 1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. .1477 are now at or near par in gold and are bought and sold at gold valnes. Their circulating notes amount to $346,479,756. Of these notes they Current debts in trade mature and are paid long before the time for have in their vaults the sum of $17,166,190. They have with the resumption, and if renewed, the debtor and creditor adjust the mode Treasurer of thA United States $356,6~0,150 in United States bonds, of payment. .A.U new transactions are based upon the knowledge that worth $427,947,224 in currency or $374,582,200 in coin. They also hold specie payments will come at the time stated, and for that reason United States bonds to secure United States deposits $13,981,500, aud lower rat.es of interest are stipulated for. I~et it once be fixed in the other United States bonds held in their vault-s tO the amount of public mind thlt on the 1st of January., 1879, paper money will be $16,909,550. They have a surplus over and above the capital fully advanced to the specie standard, and debtors will readily borrow paid up, the sum of 192,300,000. With the great body of them there money payable in that standard at lower rates of interest. Capital demption of the whole or a large part of their circulation is a matter will no longer be invest.ed in gold bonds from the fear that if loaned of indifference. To the extent of a certain per cent. of their de to individuals it will be paid back in depreciated paper, but will posits and 5 per cent. of their circulation they must maintain are eagerly be invested at low rates of interest on mortgage or other serve of United States notes, and to that extent will aid the Unit.ed security if to be paid in improved and improving currency. Indus States in maintaining resumption. The amount of this reserve now tries now languid or suspended will hopefully revive now that stocks required is 80,135,200, but the amount in hand is $118, 00,!>87. As are reduced, and productions will have a fixed commercial value, not United States notes are equivalent to coin with them, they will seek only in home markets but the markets of the world. Merchants now to hold as much as they can, as other banks in England hold the notes fear the shrinkage of prices, but 'their stocks will be renewed at a. of the Bank of England. Is it not, then, apparent that the national corresponding reduction of prices until all are measured by the gold banks are able to resume, are prepared to resume, and that resump standard, when they need have no fear of change of prices except tion by them need not be delayed a single year; and that so far as those arising from demand and supply. Debtors are also generally their notes are concerned it is a shame and scandal that they are only creditors, and the loss and gain in values will balance each other, worth eighty-nine cents on the dollar-and all because the United nod the time is ample in which all losses can be adjusted. Never States will not advance its notes to par in gold T could our condition be better to resume the specie standard than now, unless we intend to perpetuate the use of depreciated paper FRACTIONAL CURRENCY. money and totally disregard the pledge of the public faith to redeem Now, sir, as to the fra-ctional currency. This wa-s issued to take United States notes in coin. the place of the subsidiary silver coins of the country during the war. THE DRIFTING PROCESS, The amount outstanding, as shown by the books of t.he Treasury, is There are two objections made to the law which I ought not to pass 45,120,132; but of this many millions have been lost and destroyed, over without reply. One is, that this law is forced resumption; that and this is shown by the large amount of the old issues never pre it is better to drift into resumption. It will come, tL.ey say, by natu sented although long superseded. It is probable that not exceeding ral causes. The other objection is that the law has been in force a 40,000,000 will be presented for redemption. Now, sir, as to this year and we are no nearer resumption. It is therefore a dead-letter, currency we are able to-day to issue silver coin of legal weight and :fineness in exchange dollar for dollar for fractional currency, not only and ought to be re-pealed. These two objections are not cons~tent with each other, but each has its believers, and should be answered. without loss but with an actual profit. One ounce of iil\·er bullion, The drifting process has been tried since 1868. Then the law fixed or four hundred and eighty grains of standard fineness, is worth in the volume of United States notes at $356,000,000, and forbade its con the market·$1.05 in coin. One dollar of our silver coin contains three traction, and the amount of bank-n'otes a.t $300,000,000, and forbade hundred and eighty four grains of standard silver; so that one dol its enlargement. It was said we would grow into resumption. This lar of silver coin will cost the United States eighty-four and one-quar was the plausible dogma. with which I was met when I sought the ter cents besides the cost of coining. To the extent that our people funding of not.es into bonds. The result I have already stated. In will take silver coin in exchange for fractional currency, the problem 18i0 the sectional inequality of the distribution of bank currency, in is already solved. It is said this coin will be hoarded. So much the flamed into a passion by the sectional appeals of Horatio Seymour better. We can furnish from our own mines all that is needed to the • when a candidate for President in 1868, forced the enlargement of the extent of fifteen millions on hand and two millions a month more, limit of bank notes to $354,000,000 ; and the vain hope of stopping a that being the extent of our coinage facilities. It is said it will be panic by.J.,aper promises forced the enlargement of the limit of United exported. No such good luck will befall us, for silver bullion is 8tates nOte to $382,000,000. So will it always be with this drifting cheaper and better for export. If we issue it, we will either redeem process. When we reach a specie standard it is safe enough. If na a note or save. paying out a note, and either way we make a profit. tional banks then issue more money, upon sufficient security to pay If fifty millions silver coin is held by our people it is to t.hat extent a in coin, they do it at their peril, and the people cannot lose nor their reserve for specie payments where it is mo t useful among the people. standard of value fluctuate. But even if it was possible to fix the I wish they would take one hundred millions, and no doubt enough present volume of currency as an arbitrary limit, it would only pro will be taken to redeem all the fractional currency that our people will not prefer to hold. · long indefinitely the evils of a depreciated currency. No one believes . lTh"ITED STATES NOTES. that we could maintain in circulation near $800,000,000 of paper money all the time at par in gold. It must have the quality of flexi .A.nd now the only remainin BURDR~ OF RESUMPTION. the law passed we were told it would be hoarded, bought up by Let us pursue the argument taking the full burden of resumption money-changers, exported. We ru·e now told "Nobody wants the sil as the interest of one hundred millions per annum .. The rate of in ver; they prefer the fractional notes." So it is, aurl. so it will be terest now in currency may be stated at 4 per cent. or 4t per cent. in when we approach the gold standard. Nobody '"ill want to give up gold. Thus_ four to four a.nd one-half millions a year three years the United States notes for gold as soon as the note will buy as much hence is the ext.reme burden of specie payments. Sir, the sinking as gold. • fund in three yean; amounts to more than the one hundred millions But it is said we can only buy the silver bn1lion by issuing bonds. you are to keep in reserve. The saving already made thus far Ly That is true now, because our surplus revenue is not large; but how funding the debt into 5 per cent. bonds is five millions a year. The will the United States ever pay its notes at a cheaper rate. One mill saving that you will make by the funding into 4t per cent. will be ion of dollars of 5 per cent. bonds will to-day Luysnfficient silver bull seven and one-bali millions in gold, or nearly twice as much as is ion to make "· 1,200,000 in sub idiary silver coin. When and how can needed. The saving of four millions on the appropriation bills sent this operation of paying our debts be better commenced, unless we to us will cover the cost. A duty of five cents on the gallon of mean to postpone payment indefinitely. It has been said that the 5 whisky will do it . On11-half of the smallest duty ever levied on tea per cent. bonds authorized ha e been exhausted. Not so. The Jaw and coffee will do it. One-half of the taxe now levied on national is plain and express, and was so designed and intended, to authoriz·e banks by the United States will do it. The increased value of our the Secret,ary of the Treasury not only to use any surplus revenue, tax on whisky and tobacco being paid in coin will twice do it. Are but" to issue, ell, and dispose of at not le s than par in coin either we able to do it¥ Are we able to keep oor promises when made spe of the descriptions of bonds of the Uuite(l States described in the act" cific as to time, place, and manner¥ I do not care to discuss this for refunding the public debt. The refunding act is only referred to question further. Sir, the United States has been blessed by divine for the" description" of the bonds authorized. But to make this con Providence wit.h aU the gifts which He has ever showered upon the struct ion more clear, it is provided "that all provisions of law incon human race. We have a broad and fruitful land, with almost every sist,ent with this act are hereby repealed." Thus, not only the publi-c variety of climate and production. We have forty millions of free faith but all the surplus revenue and the public credit, as represented people, indu~:~trious, intelligent, brave as becomes men, shrewd and by either of three kinds of bond~, to wit, those bearing 4. 4t, and 5 per sagacious in tra.de and production, and loving honor and a good name. cent. interest in gold, is granted to the Secretary to enable him to ex To say that we ·cannot redeem om· promises is to dishonor the bless ecute this trust. The only limit in amount is the amount tbat will ings of God; it is to eat of the forbidden fruit when all the produc enable him to execute the law. The only limit of price at which he tions of nature and art are within our reach; it is to dishonor our can sell the bonds, is " not less than par in coin.'' name and credit when the world is ready to lend us at a less rate of The seconcl section is only material as it tends to induce the coin interest than any nation of the world except Great Britain has ever ino- of gold by repealing the mint charge. borrowed for; it is a party retreat; it is a national retreat; it is a So much of the third section as relates to national banks is not retreat of cowardice from a task we promised to perform, that we are ma~erial excep~ a~ it pro;ide~ a way ~y which circulating notes may able to perform, and which every noble motive that actuates mankind be 1 ne9,; but 1f Issued It will be with full knowledge that in due impels us to perform. time they must be redeemed in coin at the pleasure of the holder. But, it is said, where is· the gold to come from to enable us to re Then comes the provision-the vital provision-of the law: "And sume. Not only is the gold of the world. open to our competition, but on and after the 1st day of January, A. D. 1 79, the Secretary of the we are the largest gold and silver producing country of the world. Treasury shall redeem in coin the United States le~al-tender notes The product of our mines is abontonehumb·ed millions a year, and a then ontstanding on their presentation for redemptiOn." Then fol single yea1Js product would more than enable us to resume. Our facili lows the ample power already quoted: ''And to enable the Secret.ary ties for accmnnlating gold are greater than any other nation. "But of the Treasury to prepare and provide for the redemption in this the gold is exported." So it is, because we.will not use it as the other act authorized or required, he is authori7.ed to use any ~:~nrplus rev nations do. Give it occupation here.and it will remain here, and the enue from time to time in the Treasury not otherwise appl'Opriated, products of our farms and workshops will he exported instead. It is and to issue, sell, and dispose of," at not less than par in coin, either said we can make a standard of something el e that is not exportable. of the bonds already referred to. Such are the duties enjoined, and So we can by cu.tting ourselves off from the civilization of the human such are the powers conferred. • race. Sir, in this respect, both the powers and duties of this act are Bir, I have been struck by the absolute poverty of invention of clearer and stronger than in the acts under which Great Britain re those who in our day seek to dispense with the gold.standard. Every ·sumed and France is now resuming. Who can doubt that with or plan proposed, every idea suggested is but the repetition of plans without further legislation the work can be accomplished by a Secre and ideas proposed in the American colonies, in Great Britan1, in tary who will obey and execute the Jaw ¥ The power to ''·prepare" China, and by George Law. Their schemes have been tried and ex for resumption is a broad discretion that commences with the passage ploded over and over again for ~our thousand years, and yet gold and of th.e act and continues during every hour and day of its existence, silver now measure ever article of propert.y and will mea-sure the but is one to be exercised with exceeding caution and moderation. daily fluctuations of the contrivances they invent. AUXILIARY LEGISLATION. POWERS CONFERRED BY ACT OF 1875. e But, sir, this is not all. When Congress passes an act imposin·g a. And now, sir, let us turn from the main question and briefly ex duty upon a public officer, it implies·an obligation that it will fur amine the thiJ;d que tion : Are the,agencies.and measures prescribed nish all the aid and auxiliary legislation nec.essary to carry it into by the act of 1875 suffioient for the purpose Y execution. The extent · and nature of this is within the discretion of I need not remind this Senate .and Senators around .me how reluc Congress, but when the power conferred upon him is ample, and the tantly I came to .the support of this bill, because-it does not contain duty imposed is clear, he must act even though Congress neglect its provisions that for ~ars I have struggled to secure. ·Still, -sir, I feel duty to support him by auxiliary legislation. . bound to say t.hat it contains ample agencies and powers to carry it And this brings me to the last proposition I propose to discuss, and into a full execution with on t the addition of a single provision by Con that is- gress. The first-section of the bill is limited to the redemption of frac What additional legislation ought Congress now to adopt in aid of tional Cl,n~rency. This, as I have 'shown, can now be :fully-executed, the law¥ · and the only :cuinci m i~ that-it .has not heen ~ sooner executed. Not The Secretary of the Treasury recommends first that the legal-t.en only can the not-es be redeemed.in silver .without loss, but the actual der quality of the United States note be taken from it before 1879. cost of ~oining the · Silv~r, strange .as it may aeem,.is less than the I cannot agree to this, for the Uuited States note is as much a coli printing of the fractional curr~ncy. tract to pay money as a bond, and we cannot take fr.om that note COST OF SILVER OOIN AND FRACTIONAL CURRENUY. any quality that gives it value until we are prepared to redeem it The cost of coining subsidiary silver coinage is shown 'by the Di Jn·coin. The proposition is too much like the act of .March, 1863, rector of the Miiit to be from •l! to 2 per cent., and with the mints ·already referred to, which stripped the note of its quality of conver ruuning to their full .capacity it;is much less. ,tibility·into bonds. • The actual profits •Of eignorage will not only pay this cost, but His second recommendation is- more than the interest on the bonds we may sell to procure the bullion. That authority be r...-en for funding legal-tender notes into bonds bearing a low On the ot-her hand, the cost of the fractional currency is :3! per cent. rate of interest. * * It seems probable that ~ bond bearing interest at the rate of 4 per cent. would invite the funding of a sufficient amount of leaal-tender of the amount issued; ·or, to be exact, the expense of prepa.ring and notes to lessen materially the sum of gold which, in the absence of such provision redeeming thA fractional-oorrency for the year 1875 was $1,410,746.9G. must be accumu1ated in the Treasury by the 1st of January, 1879, to ca.rrv out th~ The amount issued was 40,365,145. And wilat is worse, the average imperatiYe requirements of the act ot January 14, 1875. If it be apprehended that life of these notes is less than one year, so that this expense is an an authotity to the Secretary to fund an unlimited amount of notes nught lead to too sudden contraction of the currency, Congress conld limit the amount to be funded . nual one almost equal w the ·rnt6rest on the whole sum. Thus the in any given period of time. The process being in no sense compulsory aa to the stopping of the issue of fractional currency will save us $1,400,000. holders of United States notes, and the rate of interest on the bonds being made The silver coin pays a debt when issned, while the fractional cur low, it is not probable that currency which could find profitable employment would rency only renews it. and it mt~st be-replaced by another note within be presented. for redemption in such bon~. Only the excess of notes above the needs of busmess would seek such conYerSion. Authority to the Soor·etary of the a year. Sir, the wisdom of th4s provis-ion is now so demonstrated Treasury to redeem and cancel two million of legal-tender notes per month by this that a committee of the House unanimously refuse to print the cur P.roc·ess wonld greatly facilitate redempt.i?~ at the time now fixed by law, and be rency and demand the issue of th-e silver -coin, while tvvo mouths a,go Sides would hav.e the advantage of publicity as to t1le exact amount to be with the scheme was pronounced visionary, impracticable, a sham. We drawn in any given month. Bonds issued for this pru-pose should be of the denomi nation of ~and one hundred dollars, and any multiple thereof, in orde1· to meet are now at a specie basis for our n·acti-oual ~mnmcy; and :ret when the convemence of all classes of holders of United States notes. 187G. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- SENATE. 1479. The Pre ident in ills annual message recommends- The PRESIDENT p1·o tempore. The Senator from Missouri moves That tlJ e Secr etary of the Treasury be authorized to· redeem, say, not to exceed to po tpone the consideration of prior orders for the purpose of taking $2,000,000 monthly of le~al - tender nows, by issuing in their stead a long bo~d, bear up the bill he has named. · · ing interest. at the rate of 3.65 per cent. per annum, of denominations rangmg from Mr. MORTON. I hope the motion will not be agreed to. I will $;;() to 1,000 each. This would in time reduce the le~l-tender notes to a-volume give away informally, however. that could be kept atloat without demanding redemptiOn in large sums suddenly. Third. That additional power be given to the Secretary of the Treasury to Mr. EDMUNDS. Let it be laid aside informally, to b~ called up at accumulate gold for final r edemption, either by increasing revenue, curtailing ex the adjournment, so that it shall be the unfinished business for to penses, or both-it is preferable to do both; and I recommend that reduction of morrow. eXlJenditures be made wherever it can be done without impairing Government obli The PRESIDENT pro tempore. It will be neces ary to callitup at gations or crippling the due es:ecution thereof. that tin1e. The Senator from Indiana asks that it be the unfinished These recommendations substantia-lly concurring are wise and busine s for to-morrow. . The Chair hears no objection to that ar-· would be efficient, and to secure them ample means are provided by rangement, and the Senator from Missouri moves to proceed to the the application of the sinking fund for two or t.hree years without consideration of Senate bill No. 57. · · a-dditional taxation. Indeed it is neither wise or prudent to apply The motion was agreed to; and the Senate, as in Committee of the inking funrl.to the purchase of bonds not due, at a illgh premium, the Whole, proceeded to consider the bill (S. No. 57) authorizing t.he when it may be applied accmcfu1g to the a-ct creating it to the pur payment of duties on imports in legal-tenders and national-bank chase of.notes already due. notes. The honorable Senator from Vermont [Mr. MORRILL] has intro Mr. BOGY. Mr. President, the bill under consideration provides for duced a bill, and a number of ot.ber hills and propositions have been t.be payment of duties on importations ill legal-tenders and national referred to the Committee on Finance; and the elaborate resolutions bank notes or coin, at the opti::! n of the importer. And believing it to of the Chamber of Commere of New York are now before us. be not only a most important question, uut the most efficient, if not the I will not anticipate the provisions of these various propo 'tions, only, way by which the paper money now in circulation can be made except so far aB to say that I wiW. cheerfully support any measure of equal to gold, and eonsequently in that way bring a,bout specie re wi economy proposed to strengthen the public Treasury ; that I will sumption, I wi1l ask the indulgence of the Senate to give as briefly cheerfully vote for a moderate tax on tea and coffee, because this will as I can the reasons for this conviction. I say conviction, and not increase our revenue without adding to the cost of the articles, and opinion, l)ecause long reflection on this subject baA brought my mind be the means of enabling us to repeal other taxes that are both a bur to the condition of conviction, whatever may be thCinght by otl.wrs. den and an inconvenience, ~nd wi1l also strengthen the Treasury ; I am aware of tbe many different views entertained on the question that I will gladly vote for the voluntary conversion of a limited of resumption, and in my opinion there is more or less truth and cor amount of United States notes into bonds, aa each of those measures rectues · in all of them in relation to the object to be attained, ex will tend to "prepare" us for a specie standard. But, sir, each of cepting in the law passed on the 14th of January, 1875, providing for the e meaaures, and others that may be proper, are not, in my judg resumption on the 1st of January, 1879. This law I believe to be ment, indispensable to the full and complete execution of the law of founded in eiTor from beginning to end, and of course it will not ac 1875 on or before the 1st day of January, 1879. compli.Rb the object desired, but, on the contrary, will defeat this Indeed it may well be questioned whether all of them may not be object, and will, if not repealed, htvolve the country in great financial properly postponed unt.il the next session, when the deliberate judg distress. So believing, it will be my duty on this occasion to show ment of Congress, guided by the sense of the people, can be rendered. this, if in my power, and also to establish my position: that is, the I will gl:tdly vote for them now, but we have ac~ed together thus far way to resume is to give value to the paper money, which I contend and I will not unduly press upon my associates measures th~y do not would be effected by receiving it for duties on importations. fully approve. . I am aware of the difficulty of the t3!"k which I here assume, and 1r I have a confident belief that if Congress will now hold fast also of my poor abilities to grapple wjth so great and also so intricate , to the la.w as it stands, t.be drift of events and the practical operation a subject. .\ of the Jaw will not only vindicate its wisdom, uut will secure in due The question of finance cannot be treated aB an isolated or abstract time every proper anxiliary legislation to caiTy it into full execution. question in a discussion of this character. Authors, or persons who The uutv of the hour demands firmness and faith. There are times write books or essays, may do so, and such publications may, and do in the lives of nation and individuals when the t~mptation is strong (l'enerally, contain a very large amount of truth, and to read and to to turn f1·om the path of honor, to shrink from and evade the per ~t,udy them is not only very arlvant.ageous, but absolutely nece ary. formance of obligations. Then it is more than ever that the old But for the legislator the subject must be discussed in a practical way. adag(l should be remembered that "honesty is the best policy." For He must examine into the condition of the country, its foreign and one I feel that my course is as clear as the sunlight of heaven; and domestic trade, its productive capacities for creating values, an~ in I trm~t that the great party to which I belong may now, as in st.erner deed many other snbject.s should be considered. As ·a discussion of times and under greater difficulties, stand fast to the n~tional honor tills subject on this scale would lead me to too great len~th, I will pledged by it in the act of 1b75; and when the difficulties insepar necessarily be compelled to .confine myself to the condition of the able from a f,>Teat duty have passed away, we will be aB proud of our country a.s it is affected by its foreign commerce. position now as we are of the firmne s and faith with which we pros By the. act of the 14th of January, 1875, we are required to resume ed'uted a great war, and secured to the people of our day and of future specie payment on the 1st of J annary, 1879, upon all the paper money generations the ble sings of national union and universal liberty. issued uy the Government; that is, the fractional clirrency and the I move that t.be memorial of the New York Chamber of Commerce legal-tender notes, amounting in the aggre~ateto 417,205,989.66. To be referred t.o the Committee on Finance. effect this the Secretary of the Treasury 1s authorized to sell bonrls The motion was agreed to. for coin, so as tr<> have it ready on hand when resumption day comes. DUTIES ON niPORTS. I bold this to be impossible; and to sustain this I will first qttotefroru the report of the Secretary of the Treasury made to us at the begin Mr. BOGY. Mr. President, I gave notice on Frirlay that I should ning of this session. He says : call up to-day the bill which I introduced early in the session, so that It may perhaps be doubted whether the process of accumulating a large arpount I might speak on that bill. I am prepared to do so, a.nd would rather of gold by a ¢ven time could go on without meeting opposition from the fin~P~cial go on now, though I am unwell. powers of the world. . l\fr. MORTON. Does the. Senator desire to go on now t He further says : · Mr. BOGY. I would rather not to-day, unless the Senate prefers It is safe to say that so large an amount of gold as would be required to carry out that I should speak. this purpose and direction of the act cannot sudclenly be acquired. It CM. be done The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair did not desire to inter only by gradual processes and by taking advantage of favombla conditions from rupt the Senator from Oillo to announce tllat the morning hour bad time to time. · expired. He takes this occasion to announce that the morning hour Taking this view of the Secretary to be correct, (and it undoubt h~s expired, and to lay before the Senate the unfinished business of edly is,) It is very clear that no sudden a-ccumulation can be made. It Friday last, which is the resolution submitted by the Senator from bas to be gradual if at all. And, if gradual, how. can it be donef Can Indiana [Mr. MORTON] on the.5th of March, ltl75, for the admission of this be effected with the revenue derived through the custom-house and Mr. Pinchback as a Senatoi· from Louisiana. · the internal revenue Y It is not certainly worth while to discuss tills, for Mr. MORTON. I dislike to interfere with the convenience of my. we all know that the entire rev~nnes are"now absolutely required to friend from Missouri, but I yielded to the solicitation of ruy friend from pay the expenses of the Government. The coin, whether gold or sil Ohio with the understanding that he wonld take only an hour and a ver, annually furnished by the mines of NevaQ.a, Utah, Colorado, and half, and if my friend from Missouri goes on now it will postpCine California, certainly cannot be used for·tbis purpose, for the simple the unfinished business until to-morrow. I am sure everybody is anx reason tha.t this product belongs to individuals, and can be obtainccl ious to have it disposed of. by the Government only by way of purchase. · There is, inrleed, no Mr. BOGY. I am somewhat unwell to-day and would rather not way in the world by which this amount of coin can be realized except speak; but I will go on, as I understanu it is desirable that I should by the selling of bonds. Then the question comes up ri_~t square, can do so. • the bonds be sold, and this amount of coin realized f where can this Mr. MORTON. I cannot very well resist a.n appeal of courtesy; but amotmt be sold f Surely not at home, for the coin is not here. Can I will ask the Senate to proceed to the consideration of the unfinished t.bis be done abroad t in the countries where bonds have heretofore business as soon as the Senator from :Missouri is through, and ask the been sold T That is, in Fran~e, Germany, or England. Would the Senate to remain to-morrow and dispose of it by a fin al vote. capitalists of either or all of these countries be willing to part with '· ·1480 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:_SENATE. ~{ARCH 6, this amount of coin for an equal amount of our bondsf Would they The railroads of this country owe a d~bt of $2,230,766,108, agree to this gold depletion, which would be cert.ai~ t? involve them of which $2,000,000;000 are in bonds . . From the b('Rt in a financial panic f I say, surely not. I bold this ts. beyond any information which can be bad on this subject, one bn.lf doubt an impossibility. The relations of the commere1al world are of t.hese bonds are held abroad, bnt so a.s to be within at this day of telegraph aud rapid communication so intimate, p~r- bmmds I will say only 40 per cent., or $800,000,000, . ticularly between this country and Europe, that any great financial at 7 per cent . . . _....•... _ ...... _. •... __ .. _...... 56, 000, 000 convulsion in any one is immediately felt in all. With no captious The different St.ates were owing inNovem her last$382.970,- spirit but, on the contrary, with a siucere and honest purpose to find 517, almost exclusively of State bonds. It is believed out if this could be done in the way proposed, I am corupelled to that more than one-half of these are held abroad, but say that l look upon this as utterly impracticable. :ro do this ~rad w~ will only assume one-half at 6 per cent. _•.... - .. _ 11, 489, 115 ually in the way proposed by the Secretary won!d mvolve us ~~ as The debt of cities and towns is estimated at $550,000,000. great trouble. We need .;400,000,000. Could thts amount be With I will assume that only one-fourth of this is held abtoad drawn from the circulation of the world and be gradually accumu at an interest of 7 per cent.-•• · · ---· .. -- .... __ --.... 9, 625,000 lated so as to be ready for the day of resumption f At this period of the world's history, and of such vast and extended Making a total of.·· - ·····-·-· ····-·-·---· .• ·--·· 146,346,390 commercial transactions, every dollar in coin is needed and hn.s to be . actively employed to fulfill its mission. Although. paper exists in To this large slim of $146,346,390 might well be added the debt cre large quantities hoth in France an~ England, yet m both. of the .e ated by the fact that about 70 per cent. oi our imports a.rE'I received conntries this paper is based upon com, rea.dy and on hand m cnse 1t in foreign vessels, the gross tonnage of which is 8,000,000; but I will is required to maintain the regular value of the paper. To gradually assume only one-half, or 4,000,000 tons, at $15 per ton, is 60,000,000. accumulate coin and lock it up in the vaults of onr sub-Treasury It is also a fact that Europeans have large investments in this conn would lead to the most erious ancl disastrous consequences. In say try i~ our railroads, banks, manufacturrng companies, mining, &c. ing this lam sustained by the Secretary of the Treasury. He says: The dividends from these amount t so-cal1ed imports consists of coin or bullion and not of raw materials purpose, and not, as it is now, as merchandise. Paper money is a ne or merchandi.:;e. cessity of modern times, and grows out of the limitle s amonnt of England to-day is the creditor nation of the world, and that fact is commercial transactions bet.ween citizens of the same State and be at. the bottom and underlies all her svst.ems of tariffs. The fact that tween cit,izens of different States. . To carry on these immense trans she is a crecHtor nation is the reason' why she bas cba.nged her legal actions there is not coin enough in the world, however mncb it has standard from gold and silver to gold alone, so as to become the re increased within a few year . TheestimatedamonntattbetimeColnm cipient of gold. It is not pos ible for any nation to maintain its coin bus first landed on the shores of the New World was 170,000,000. The at home so long as the balance of trade is against it. For this bal exclusive use of coin is rendered still more difficult by the fact that ance has to be paid, and it ca.n only be settled and liquidated with while formerly silver and coin were used by all the leading commercial coin or bullion. For the words "balance of trade" simply mean nationsoftbeworld, nowin mo to£ thesecountrie gold aloneisrecog that amount which r~mains due after all the exports (besides coin) nized. It is but recently that sil verwasdemonetized in G-ermany; this bu ve been accounted for. being caused by the large amount of gold brought there b. the pay Now, sir, the balance of trade is against ns; and I hold this to be ment of the French indemnitv. The G-erma.n statesmen believed t.hat not a chimera, not a figment of the brain, but a great fa~t; and, un this.large amount. of gold would remain there; wbiletheFrench states til we fully appreciate it., . we are not in a position to examine very men, being more practical and I t,hiuk better financiers, believed it conectly t!Je financial problem. would soon be returning to their country, as in fact it did. T~e con The time bas come when we must open onr eyes and see our condi sequence is, their silver be.ing demonetized and the gold having gone tion and understand our commercial relations with the balance of back to France, G-ermany is left with a very small amount of coin, the world. We must begin to realize the fact that we are the only and the country is thereby forced into a state of financial depre sion nation on earth which offera a market for all other nations. We must without a precedent, while France is very prosperous. export more and import less, and until we do it resumption is impos- While the tendency among the principal nations is unmistakably sible. . to the adoption of gold as the measure and standard of value, yet I Papar money is a necessity in modern times. It is indispensable to am impressed with the conviction that, as our mines produce an commerce, but it must be paper whose value is regulated by coin, nually a very large amount of silver, we might very wisely return to and be at all times convertible, and as long as it is convertible con the double standard of gold and silver to a limited amount. Gold is version practically is not required, excepting to a limited extent, as now the exclusive standa.rd in Great. Britain and Ireland, Australian t.be pa.per is in fact more convenient, excepting to pay foreign debts. colonies, and indeed most of the colonies of the Briti~;b Empire; as Therefore our policy shoulrl be to diminish as much as possible this also io Portugal, Turkey, Egypt, and a few of the South American foreign debt. This can only be done in two ways: export more or states-as Chili and Brazil. As alrea-dy stated, it bas recently been import less. If you import less and your consumption remains the e tablished in the German Empire, as also in the Scandinavian king same, it will · ~ive employment to your own operatives, who will not, doms of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The double standard is still like the formgn, require coin for their pay, but will take paper, not maintained in France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, G-reece, from ne~essity, but as being truly b~tter for them. If your importa Austria, Russia, all the numerous Asiatic people , and iu some of the tions were decrea ed the small amotmt of 50,000,000 and exports in South American republics, as Peru, Ecuador, and New Granada. creased the same amount annually, we would be in a healthy condi Formerly in most of countries silver was the only coin, and gold tion. Our exports cannot be much increased for very obvious reasons, circulated as a sort of commercial money. Until 1:;53 the silver dol excepting it be with South America. lar of the United States Mint was a standard coin of unrestricted legal I )lave often heard our condition compared to that of France, and I tender, concurrently with the gold coinage of eagles and their frac have also heard that, a.s Fra.nce was able to resume, we should be able tions. The legal ratio of silver to gold was 16 to 1, while in F.rance to do so likewise. The comparison is not correct. While the balance the ratio was 15-! to 1, which caused the exportation of silver from of trade is against us, and consequently our coin all the time going this country to that. This was however remedied iu 1!;53 by reduc away from us, it is largely in favor of France, and coin consequently ing the half dollar and smaller pieces to the condition of token coins, a,JJ the time flowing to her shores. Hence, alth.ough the indemnity of and the dollar was practically suppressed. Our coinage act came int.o 1,000,000,000 was paid by her to Prussia in coin, the derangement was operation on the 1st of April, 1873, and constituted the gold one-dol only temporary; and why' For the rea on that soon after the pay lar piece the sole nuit of value, while it restricted the legal tender of ment of -the coin it began to return to France and to leave Prussia. the uew silver trade-dollar and the half dollar and subdivisions to an The result was that with the increase of coin in France prosperity amount not exceeding $5 iu one payment. Tbu8 the double standard was daily restored, while as it left Prussia it produced a daily strain previously existing was finally abolished, and the United States as and depression, which has resnlted in a state of unparalleled embar u..c;ual was influenced by Great Britain in making gold coin the only rass:tnent and hard times in that country. The period provided by standard. This snits England, but does not suit us. I think with Jaw for resumption in France has not yet come, yet virtually resump7 our large silver-producing capacity we should return t{) the double tion has taken place. standard, at least in part, and this will constitute one of the means The Senator from Vermont the other day advanced two other ar by which we will be enabled to resume specie payments. guments why my bill should not pass. One was the effect it would I feel that I have detained the Senate already too long, and I will have on the tariff, and the-other that it was a violation of the faith therefore now as briefly as possible give my views how to bring about of the nation, by which we gave a pledge to collect duties in coin to resumption. The corner-stone of my argument will be, to restore as pay interest on our bonds, and al~;o to keep up the sinking fund. soon as possible the prosperity of the country, holding that without Having already spoken at some length, I am compelled to leave the prosperity in every branch of business, commercial, manufacturing, argument in relation to the tariff unanswered. And as to the other. farming, domestic and foreign trade, to attempt to resume would not reason, I will say that while it is true that our contract is to pay coin, only not be successful, but would involve the country in great nuan it is of no consequenc-e whether we get that qoin in one way or an cial trouble. 'Ve4Dust adopt a system which the mind of the country other.. The credit of this nation is high and deservedly so, and it is will look upon as permanent, so as to justify capital and capitalists 11ot necessary, as it might be with a small and weak nation, to pledge to seek investments without the constant danger standing before their any particular fund ; it will be sufficient if we do the tbiug. If we eyes that a change in the financial policy by Congress might iuvol ve pay regularly and do it in coin, our credit will not· suffer because we them in ruin. choose to change this law. · I would, therefore, let it be understood that the present laws in .I have great objection to increase our already very large bonded relation to the legal-tender notes and national-bank notes would debt, and this for seveml reasons. First, bonds go abroad, and the · remain permanent and under no circumstances any contraction of the consequence is our debt is held by foreigners, and the semi-annual former, and an increase of the latter as the business wants of the interest which has to be sent across -the ocean makes us poor now country might call for. ·Then I would receive in p By doing away. with the large demand for go~d to pay duties, gold coin in that country has been very great, and this ha.s existed amounting annually to between one hundred and fifty and one hun for many years; but for the last twenty years this increase has been dred and sixty millions of dollars, and creating a demand for precisely very rapid, bein~ the result of this policy of makiug gold the exclu of like amount for legal-tenders, the difference between the two would sive standard. But we, instead of being a creditor nation, are a deutor soon disappear; that being so- that is, gold not worth a premium-it people. We ought to be the creditor, hut I am surry to say we are would be an easy thing for the Guvernment to procure t.he fifty mill not. Instead of gold flowing to our shores, it is from day to day lea v ions needed to pay the home-due-interest coupo11s, as the coupons due ing us, to go not only to England, but to nearly every other portion abroad are provided for by the purchase of exchange, as is always of the globe; and, although we produced last year some $iO,OOO,OOO done-, and not by the shipment of coin; this exchange can be bought of bullion from our mines, we now ha,ve $2.C),000,000 less coin than we with legal-tenders. Tbere iii now, or was on 1st of Decewber, as per had a year ago, while England has man;r millions more. report of the Secretary, in the Treasury, over and ~bove a.lllia.bilities I have heard it said, not once bnt fre-quently, that the best thing to for coin cert.ificates or certificates of deposit, almost forty millions of pay our foreign debt with wa coin or bullion. But this, in my opin dollars, within ten millions of enough to pay the home-due in tt::.rest ion, i ' not correct. It will pay a debt, it is true; but if yon can ima;_{ for one year to come. But in the worse possible view, even if the iue a na.t ion that wonlcl do notlling else but (lig from the bowels of Government had to buy the coin_neces :1ry to pay the intere t, it the earth the precious metals it would soon become a poor people ill · "' ould be better to do it than to ke.ep all the paper now in circulation deed. depreciated from 12 to 15 per cent. all the time. We are producing in this conn try this year, as estima,ted by Dr. Lin I am aware of the argument which is always advanced by the party derman, some $40,000,000 in silver bullion. He estimates the total which is all the time profe sing the b>Teatest-rega.nl for the mainte production at · ' O,OUO,OUO, of which 40,800,000 will Le silver. Why nance of tLe public faith, but which, while always professing, does not utilize this silver as a legal teuder 1 I admit that if it is made a nothing to maintain it: that to discontinue the collection of dut.ieson legal tender equal to gold, it being a meta,l not so valuable, it woulu imports in coin would be a violatiou of law and of our plighted faith. Hltimately drive the gold from the country and the silver a,lone would Surely tThis is not correct. Our contract, as I have already aid, is to remain here. By limiting it to a . thousand dollars in oue payment, pa,y•our iuterest in coin; and it is of no consequence to the holders of ninety-nine transactious out of every hnndred will be t.ransacte 1876. CONGllESSION.AL RECORD-SENATE. 1483 idea of effecting this is not by sending a vessel abroad to get gold, or ARRESTS IN ALASKA. by elling of bonds, but by making the paper as valnu.ble as coin, and The message was read, as follows: - thus rendering conversion unnecessary; and unless we do this, in the To the Senate of the United States: . condition we are now in, a regards our foreign trade, and in view of In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 7th of January last, r eqnesting the fact that we are owing millions abroad of Federal bonds, State a" statement of the number of military arrests made in the Territory of Alaska bonds, railroad bonds, city bonds, aud· county bonds, and as a large during the past five years, together with the date of each, the charge on which am.ount of coin cannot be kept here, resumption as proposed is utr made in each case, the nam('.S of the persons arrested, and the period aml cbaraC\ter terly out of the question. Gold will go, and must. ~o, to pay these of the imprisonment of each in tha,t Territory bllfore trial or surrender to civil an thorities for trial," I have the honor to submit herewith the report of the Acting debts. , The only way then, as I have already said, JS to appreciate Secretary of War. the paper money. U.S. GRANT. The Senator from Ohio spoke in eloquent terms of the duty of the EXECUTIVE MANSION, March 6, 18i6. Government to redeem its plighted faith as regards t he bond , and The message was ordered to lie on the table, and be printed. al o it dut.y to pay these notes in coin. Sir; it is still more the duty of the Government not to depreciate its own issue while it compels HOUSE BILLS REFERRED. yon and me and all the people of the United States to take it nolens The following bills from the House of Representatives were sever volens. The Government itsPlf dism~edits its own issue, and so long as ally read twice by their title~, and referrecl to the Committee on Pen it remains thus discredited it willneeessarily be below par; but receive sions: it for all dues and the day will not be distant when no man will give A bill (II. R. No.ll) granting a pension to Eliza Jane Blumer; up a twenty-dollar greenback for a twenty-dollar gold coin. The A bill (H. R. No. 39) granting a pension to Fred' rick X"oungblue, argument that it. will affect the tariff is not legitimate, as we are not of Company I, Twentieth Regiment .Ohio Volunteers; adju ting a tariff hnt t rying to make the paper in circulation equal A bill (H. R. No.1 :~)granting an increa e of pension to John E. to coin. That we are breaking faith with the world, as is said by the Wnnderlin,·late a pri.vate in the Thirty-third Regiment of New York opponents of this bill, is not f01mdPd in reason or truth, becan e the Volnnteer Infantry; e senceof our contra.ct is.to pay coin; and jf we shall continue to pay A bill (H. R. No. 240) granting a pension to John A. Goedfrey; in coin Wt} maintain our contract, finally protect the banks o that A bill (H. R. No. 253) granting a pen ·ion to Jo eph B. Laue ; they will not be compellPd to contract t.heir issues or curtail their dis A bill (H. R. No. 25- ) granting a pension toW. H. H. Andel'8on; counts and enlarp:e the legal-tender capacity of silver to the amount A bill (H. R. No. 310) grant.ing a. pension to William H. Harrison; of 1,000 in one payment, audl believe we will have laid the foundation A bill (H. R. No. 527) granting a pension to George Pendleton; for re nmption on a broad and healthy scale which will lead to the A bill (H. R. No. 610) granting a pensiou to Seth W. Homest.ead; early prosperit.y of t.be country. . . A hill (H. R. No. 1179) granting a pension to James Riley; l\1r. MORRILL, of Venuont. :Mr. President, I noticed that the Sen A bill (H. .R. No. llt39) granting a pension to William J. Drake; ator from Missouri commented on what he was pleased to call "t.be A bill (H. R. No. 12:~6) gra.uting a pension to R~rris B. Lowell, late Morrill tariff." I desire to say merely that that was a nickname applied a private in Company C, One hundred and twenty-second Illinois to it in order to kill the measnre, when it so happened, it is trne, that Infantry Volunteers; the tariff bill of 181:il was introduce-d by me. But the Senator com A bill (H. R. No. 1245) granting a pension to James W. Thompson, plains of its injustice in that it did not give the West a higher rate of late of Company H, Forty-seventh Illinois Volunteers; duty upon bides and wool. That tarifl', if be will examine it, did put A bill (H. R. No. 12d8) granting a. pension to Jouathan Roberts, of the duties at a higher rate both on hides and wool than was levied by Marietta, Iowa; a democratic admmistration. It has always been the policy of all the A bill (H. R. No. 1455) granting a. pension to Griffin Chavers, late a. tariffs I have ever advocated, or had anything to do with, to maintain private in CompanyC, Ninth Regiment United States Heavy Artillery, that idea, that the farmer of the country were to be benefited a well (colored ; ) as the manufacturers. The tariffs that have been adopte.d since 1 61 A bill (H. R. No. 1499) granting a pension to l\frs. Lydia. Johnson, have been war measures, simply for the purpose of increasing the rev of De ·witt County, Illinois; · enue of the country, and not for the purpose of protection at all, ex A bill (H. R. No. 1580) granting a uension to Almon P. Graves;- cept incidentally. I therefore am very glad to find that, although the A bill (H. R. No. 1541) granting a p~nsion to JohnS. Hall, of West Senator from Missouri has charged that the tariff sometimes called Virginia;· · the Morrill tariff' bas been unjust to the West., yet in the very part.ic A bill (H. R. No. 15138) granting an additional pension to Jefferson ulars mentioned hy him it was an increase upon the duties that existed Bowers, of Ma on County, Illinois; prior "to its passage. A hill (H. R. No. 1656) granting a peusiou to Aaron Buchanan; Mr. EATON. l\1r. President, I do not propose at this time to dis A bill (H. R. No. 1850) granting a pension to Harvey B. Kilborn, cuss the bill presented by my honorable friend from Missouri, or to pri vat.e in Company C, Thirtieth Regiment Penn!1ylvania Militia; follow the line of argument adopted by the honorable Senator from A bill (H. R. No. 1Y07) granting a pe.nsion to Henry Brown, lat-e a. Ohio. I simply wish to say that tmless some Senator who is better en private in Company C, One hundred and twenty-third Regiment Illi-· titled than I am to the public ear and the public attention shall nois Volunteers. within a very short time introduce what I regaJ;d as a proper bill for A bill (II. R. No.-198!:J) granting a pt-nsion to Robert Cavanaugh; the resumption of specie p::tyments, I shall ta.ke the liberty of intro A bill (H~R. No. 1990) granting a pension to Edward Heinzel; d ncing one of that character. That the hill of last year has not suc A bill (H. R . No. 1991) granting a pension to .Mary Ann McDonald; ceeded, is true; that the bill of la't year cannot succeed, in mv,judg A bill (H. R. No. 1992) granting an additional pension to .Mary P. ment is true, because ~be great laws oftrade, which·govern all ques .A.beel; tions of tin:wce, M the laws of nature govern the physical world, are A bill (H. R. No. 2162) granting a pension to Clara Brosch, mother ont.raged uy the bill of 1875. of Joseph Brosch, jr., lat-e a private Company,H, Twenty-fourth Regi- Mr. President, I am led to say a word here. We are called upon by ment Illinois Infantry Volunteers; . tl1at bill to resume specie payments in 1_879 without any regard to the A bill (H. R. No. 2288) gra.nting a pension to FannieS. White; la.ws which govern trade. As well might Ao man agree t.o-day that on A bill (H. R. No. 2289) granting a pension to Jane Bertholf; · the 1st day of January, 1879, he would skate across the Potomac A bill (H. R. No. 2290) granting a pension to Frederick Hoeh: River wit.hout regard to the laws of nature whleb govern whether A bill (H. R. No. 2291) granting a pension to John H. Garrison; thP. re shall be ice or not over that river. The duty of Congress is a A bill (H. R. No. 2292) granting a pension to Thoma~ Shannon; plaiu duty, and that is to so legislate that hereafter, at the earliest A bill (H. R. No. 2293) granting a pension to James Woolsey; ]Jr A bill (H. R. No. 2310) granting a pension to Emanuel B. Herr; LITTLE NARRAGA..~SETI BAY. A bill (H. R. No. 2311) granting a pension to Daniel Willhoit; 1\Ir. BALLOU introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2475) making an appro A hill (H. R. No. 2:H2) grant.ing a pension t.o Nicholas Strite; and priation for the improvement of the navigation of Little N anagan ·et.t - A biU (H. R. No. 2313) granting a pension to Mary Ann Cornell, Bay; which was read a first and seconu time, referred to tl.le Commit widow of Stephen Cornell, late a private in Company I, Oue hundred tee on Colll{Derce, and ordered .to be printed. and twenty-fifth New York Volunteer Infantry. The following bills were severally read twice by their titles, and THOMAS F. YOU~GS. · . referred to the Committee on Claims: Mr. COX jntroduced a bill (H. R. No. 2476) for the relief of Tbomaa A hill (H. R. No. 3:l9) for the relief of E. D. Franz; F. Youngs, of New York; which was reall a first and second time, ro A bill (H. R. No. 341) for the relief of Louis Rosenbaum; forred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printeu. A bill (H. R. No. 2161) for the relief of R. II. lluckner; A hill (II. :U. No. :l1GO) for the relief of Lewis Good wiu; and DA.t.~IEL E. DAVEXPORT. A bill (II. R. No. 1988) for the relief of Hermann Kreismann, United Mr. COX also mtroduced a bill (H. R. No. 2477) for the relief of States con ·ul-general at. Berlin. Daniel E. Davenport, of New York; which was read a first and sec The following bills were severally read twice by their titles, andre ond time, referred to the Commit~ee for the Distriut of Coluiul>ia, and ferred to the Committee on t.he J udi~iary : ordered to be printed. A bill (H. R. No. 912) to give the Court of Claims jnrisdiction to hear and determine the chtims of the heirs of Samuel Rhea; and ADMIRALTY COURT AT BUFFALO, :N"EW YORK. A bill (H. R. No. 1618) to remove the political disabilities of Will Mr. BASS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2478) to provjde for holding iam L. Maury, of New York. terms of the district court of the United States for the northern di - The following bills and joint res,olution were severally_read twice trict of New York at the citY. of Buffalo for transacting admiralty by their t.itles, aud referred to the Commit.tee on l\filitary Affair : business; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Com A bill (H. R. No. 1231) for the relief of the board of trustees of the mittee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed. Antietam National Cemetery; A bill (H. R. No. 1692) to amend an act approved l\Iay 8, 1874, in STEAM ' FERRY-BOAT GENEVA. r gard to leaves of absence of Army officers ; and Mr. PLATT introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2479) granting American A joint re olution (H. R. No. 64) granting the rights and benefits of registry to t.he Canadian steam ferry-boat Geneva, and for other pur the Solt.liers' Home to John News. poses; which was read a first antl second time, referred to the Commit The following bills were severally read twice by their titles, and re tee on Commerce, ancl ordered to be printed. ferred to the Committee on Public Lands: A bill (H. R. No. 566) granting relief to Sarah Spaulding, of Bay Al\IEXInlENT OF REVISED STATUTES. City, Michigan; and 1\Ir. DAVY introduced a hill (H. R. No. 24 0) to amend section 2535 A bill (H. R. No. 1316) to adjust the claims of owners of lands within of the Revised Statutes of the United States, approved June 22, Hl74, the limits of the Klamath Indian reservation in the State of Oregon. by striking out in the last. line of the seventh subdivision the words The following bills were severally read twice by their titles, and "the river Genesee" and iusert.ing "Rochester;': which was read a ref~necl to the Committee on Private Land Claims: first and second time, referred to the Committee on Commerce, and A bill (H. R. No. 97) directiug the Commissioner of the General ordered to be printed. Land. Office to issue certificate of relocation for six hundred and fort.y acres of land in the Territory of Missouri to legal representatives IMMUXITY OF WITNESSES. of Samuel Ware; . Mr. RANDALL introduced a bill (H.~· No. 24 1) to secure the im A bill (H. R. No .. 534) for the relief of Rosetta Hert, (late Rosetta munity of witnesses for the United States; which ·wa read a fin!t Scoville,) Charles C.llenoist, Emily Benoist, and Logan Fa.nfan, half- and second time, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and or breed Intlians; · dererl to be printed. A ·bill (H. R. No. 719) for the relief of the heirs of William Stevens; Mr. RANDALL called for the reading of the bill. It was read ae :md follows : A bill (H. R. No. 1026) for the relief of Thomas Van Duzen and his Be it P!TUJ.Cfed, d:c ., That a witness shall not be liable to arre.~tat any time after be assigns for landfll. has been subpmnaecl nor after testif.ving:, nor shall he ever be molested on ac.count of any matter disclosed by him in his testimony; and it shall be a penal offense ro The bill (H. R. No. 732) for the relief of Mrs. Catharine Thrush and intimidate or attempt to intimidate any witness by threatening him witb a..prose \ViUiam B.·Stone, owners of the tschooner Flight, was read twice by cntion. its title, and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. CHARLES W. MACKEY. The bill (H. R. No. 545) for the relief of James A. Jackson and oth ers, securities of G. R. Horton, late postmaster at Monticello, Arkan Mr. JENKS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 24d2) for the relief of ·sas, was read twice by its t.itle, and referred to the Committee on Charles W. Mackey, late first lii\Utenant Tenth Regiment Penn Post-Offices and Post-Roads. syl vauia Reserve Volunteer Corps; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on-Military Affa~, and orde1·ed to be EXECUTIVE SESSION. • printed. Mr. ROBERTSON. I move that the Senate proceed to the consid ALEXAJ.~ER MOFFATT. eration of executive business. Mr. HOPKINS introduced a. bill (H. R. No. 24B3) for the _relief of The motion wa-s agre~d to ; and tho Senate proceeded to the con Alexander Moffatt, of the District of Cohunbia; which wa-s read a. sideration of executive business. After one hour spent in executive first and second t.ime, referred to the Committee of Claims, and session the doors were re-opened; and (at four o'clock and fifty min- ordered to be printed. utes p.m.) the Senate aujourned. · JAMES D. M1LA.UGHLIN. Mr. HOPKINS also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2484) to increase the pension of James ll. IcLaughlin; which was read a first and second time, ref~ned to the Committee on Invalid Peusions, and HOUSE OF REPRESENTA~IVES . ordered to be printed. PAUL HA.'\!ILTON~ ETC. MONDAY, .JJlarch 6, 1876. Mr. SMALLS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2485) for the relief of Paul Hamilton and Catharine A. Hamilton, his wife, of Beaufort, The House met at twelve o'clock m. Prayer by the Cha.plain, Rev. Stat.e of South Carolina; which was read a first and second time, I. L. TOWNSEND. The Journal of Saturday last was read and approved. referred to the Committee of Claims, aud ordered to be printed. HEIRS OF 1\IRS • .M. M. PORTEOUS, OF BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA. ORDER OF BUSINESS. The SPEAKER. The mornjng hour begins at seven minutes after Mr. SMALLS also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 24!:i6)for the relief of twelve o'clock; and this being Monday, the first business in order is the heirs of Mrs. M. M. Porteous, late of Beaufort, in the State of the call of the States and Territories, beginninO' with the State of South Carolina; which was read a first and second time, referred to Maine, for the introduction of bills and joint resolutions for reference the Committee of Claims, and ordered to be printed. to t.heir appropriate committees, not to be brought back on motions IIEXRY M'KEE. to reconsider. Under this call memorials and resolutions of St.ate and Mr. SMALLS also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2487) for the relief tenitorial Legislatures may be presented for reference and printing. of Hemy McKee or his heirs, of Beaufort, in the State of South Caro Is it the pleasure of t.he Honse that this call shall continue until the lina; which was read a first and second time, ordered to be printed, States and Territories have all been called, without reference to the and, with t.he accompanying papers, referred to the Committee of termination of tho morning hour 'f Th~ Chair hears no objection. Claims. JOID< D. CUMMINGS. AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR 1875. Mr. JOYCE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2474) for the relief of John Mr. CALDWELL, of Alabama, submitted a. concurrent resolution D. Cummings, of the town of Barre, in the county of Washington, and to aut.horize the Congressional Printer to print 200,000 copies o.f the State of Vermont; which was read a first and second time, referred report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for the year of 1875; which to the Committee of Claims, and ordered to be printed. was referred to the Committee on P1-inting. 1876. CONGRESSIONAL R.ECOI{D-· HOUSE. 1485 . MODE OF TAKING PROOF BEFORE SOUTHER~ CLADIS CO~U:llSSION. CAPTAIN H&~RY DE B. CLAY, muTED STATES AR.\:lY. Mr. HOOKER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 24~8) to provide the mode Mr. l\1ILLIKEN also (by request) introduced a hill (H. R. No. 2.504) and manner of taking proof and depositions before the sout.hern to re-instate Captain Henry De B. Clay in the Unit.ed States Army; claims commission ; which was read a first and second time, referred which was read a first and second time, referr-ed to the Committee on to the Comrni ttee on the J ndiciary, and ordered to be printed. Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. TAX ON TOBACCO. JESSE M 1COY. • l\1r. ELLIS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2489) to amend section 3362 l\1r. PARSONS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2505) for the relief of of the Revi ed St.atntes of t.be United States; which wa-s read a first Je e McCoy; which was read a first and second time, referred to the and second time, ordered to .be printed, and, with the accompanying Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. pa.J.Jers, referred to the Committee of Ways and Means. RAILWAY l!'RO:M THE MISSOURI TO THE PACIFIC. NELSON TAYLOR, OF ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIAI."A. Mr. HOUSE intmduced a bill (H. R. No. 2506) to amend an act en Mr. ELLIS also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 24~0) for the relief of titled ''An act to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph Nelson Taylor, of Alexandria, Louisiana; which was read a first and line from the Missouri River to the Pacific Oceau, and to secure to the second time, ordered to be printed, and, with the accompanying pa Government the use of the same for postal, military, and other pur pers, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. poses," approved July 1, 1862, and the several acts amendatory thereof CHARLES C. ROSS, OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, OHIO. and supplementary thereto; which was read a first and second time, Mr. VANCE, of Ohio, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2491) to compen referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printecl. sate Charles C. Ross, of Lawrence County, Ohio, for a horse taken GEORGE N. HEBB. from him during the late war; which was read a first and second time, Mr. WHITT HORNE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2507) for the rei ief referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. of George N. Hebb, of Shelby County, Alabama; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee of Claims, and ordered PATTERNS FOR 1\:lETAL CASTL~GS. to be printed. Mr. SAYLER introclnced a bill (H. R. No. 2492) for the hetter secur HORACE A. CHA1\:lBERS. ity of property iu: patterns for metal castings; which was read a first Mr. THORNBURGH introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2508) granting a and second time, referred to the Committee on Patents, and ordered to pension t.o Horace A. Chambers; which was read a first and second be printed. time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to THOMAS H. FOULDS. be printed. Mr. SA.YLER also introilnced a bill (H. R. No. 2493) for the relief GEORGE W. MABRY. of Thomas H. Foulds, late postmaster at Cincinnati, Ohio; which was Mr.-THORNBURGH also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2509) for the read a first and second time, referred to the Committee of Claims, and relief of George \V. Mabry, of Tennessee; which was read a first aml ordered to be printed. second time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered CHARLES E. PIERSON. to be printed. Mr. SA.YLER also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2494) for the relief G. W. GILL AND D. ABLE. of Charles E. Pierson; which was read a first and second time, re Mr. YOl.TNG introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2510) for tho relief of ferred to the Committee of Claims,•and ordered to be printed. George W. Gill and Daniel Able; which was read a first and second MARY A~ STONEFIELD. time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be Mr. SA.YLER also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2495) for the relief printed. · of Mary Ann Stonetield, widow of Benjamin Stonefi~; which was MESSRS. MOSBY & HUNT. reafl a first and secoucl time, referred to the Committee on \Var Claims, Mr. YOUNG also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2511) for the relief of and ordered to be printed. Messrs. Mosby & Hunt, of Memphis, Tennessee; which was read a RALPH SPENCER. first and second time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. Mr. WALLING introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2496) granting a pen sion to Ralph StJencer, of Company H, Twelfth Ohio Cavalry; which M.D. CROCKETT. was read a firilt and second time, ordered to be printed, and, with the Mr. RIDDLE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2512) for the relief of M. a-ccompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. D. Crockett, of Robertson County, Tennessee; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and or BENJAMIN F. TRINE. dered to be printed. Mr. WALLING also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2497) granting an SOLDIERS OF THE MEXICAN WAR. honorable discharge to Benjamin F. Trine, Company A, Second Bat talion Fifteenth United States Infantry; which was read a first and Mr. HUNTER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2513) to pension all sol second time, referred to the.Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered diers of the Mexican war who are sixty years of age and upward, to be printed. and to pension all under that age as fast as they arrive at the age of sixty years i· which was read a first and second time, referred to the 1\fAJOR JAMES W. SHAW, ElGHTH OHIO VOLUNTEE.RS. Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. 'Mr. Mc:\1AHON introduced a bill (H. R. No. 249o) granting a pen A. F. M'MILLAN. sion to M~jor James W. Shaw, late major in the Eighth Ohio Volun teers; which was read a first and second time, ordered to be printed, Mr. ROBINSON introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2514) for the relief of and, with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on In A. 1<'. McMillan ; which was read a first and second time, referred to valid Pensions. the Committee on War Claims, and ordered ~o be printed. WILLIAM .A. PAGE. MAJOR NICHOLAS VEDDER, UNITED STATES ARMY. Mr. McMAHON also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2499) for the relief Mr. WIKE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2515) for the relief of ~Iajor of William A. Page, of Wm:!hiugton City; which was read a first and Nicholas Vedder, payma.ster United States Army; which was read a second time, ordered. to be printed, and, with the accompanying papers, first and second time, referred to the Comnvttee on Military Affairs, referred to the Committee of Claims. and ordered to be printed. JOH..." PATTERSON. EMMA M. ASHENFELTER. Mr. 'Mc:\lA..HvN also introduced a bill (H. R. No.·2500) for grant Mr. WIKE also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2516) granting a pen ing a pension to John Patterson, Company M, Twentieth New York sion and back pay to Emma M. Ashenfelter; which was read a first Vqlunteer Infaut.ry; which was read a first and second time, referred and second time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions,.and to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. ordered to be printed. ESTATE OF MRS. A. E. HALL. WITNESSES BEFORE CO:NGRESS. Mr. FOSTER (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2501) for the Mr. MORRISON introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2517) to exempt from • relief of the estate of Mrs. A. E. Hall, widow of pr. David A. Hall ; criminal prosecution witnesses testifying before either House of Con which was read a first and second time, referre(l to the Committee for gress or any committee of either House of Congress; which was read the Dist~ict of Columbia, and ordered to be printed. a first and second time, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed. · CARLISLE BRIDGES. JEAN FRANCOIS PERRY. Mr. BOONE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2502) granting a pension to Carlisle Bridges, of McCracken County, Kentucky ; which was Mr. MORRISON also introd11ced a bill (H. R. No. 2518) for there read a first and econd time, and, with the accompanying papers, re lief of Jean Francois Perry ; which was read a first and second time, ferred to the Committee on In valid PensioUB, and ordered to be printed. referred to the Committee on Private Laud Claims, and ordered to ~~inte~ . J. W. BOWLING AND J. S. GOLLADAY. JAMES M. BAILEY. Mr. 'MILLIKEN introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2503) for the relief of Mr. CANNON, of illinois, (by request,) introduced a bill (H. R. No. J. W. Bowling and J. S. Golla-day, of Kentucky; which was read a 2519) granting a pension to James M. BailAy; which was read a firdt firt~t. a.nd second time, referred to the Committee of Claims, and ordered and second time, referreJ. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and to lJe printed. ordered to be printed. 1486 CONGRESSIONAL· RECORD-HOUSE. . M.A.ROH 6, MEDICAL CORPS OF THE AR...'\fY. members of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of tbe first year; of the second class at the expiration of the second year; and of the third claSs at the Mr. WELLS, of Mis~:~ouri, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2520) to re expiration of the third year, so that one-thlrd may be chosen every year. duce the number and increase the efficiency of the Medical Corps of WILLIAM T. DUVALL. the United States Army; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, aii.d ordered to be Mr. WILLIAl\1S, of Wisconsin, also int.roducad a bill (H. R. No. printed. • 2532) authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to adjust the claim JOHN H.. RUFF. of William T. Duvall against the United States; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Public Buildings Mr. HATCHER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2521) for the relief of and Grounds, and ordered to be printed. John H. Ruff; which was read a. first and second time, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. GEORGE S. GUSTIN. :M:RS. N. SLEFFENS. Mr. -WILLIAMS, of Wisconsin, also introduced a hill (H. R. No. . 2533) for the relief of George S. Gustin, late a private Company D, Mr. REA (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2522) for there Seventy-fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteers; which was read a first lief of Mrs. N. Sleffens; which was read a first and second time, and second time, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and referred to the Committee of Claims, and ordered to be printed. ordered to be printed. SURVIVING SOLDIERS OF MEXICAN WAR. J. J. KENT. Mr. REA also presented concurrent resolutions of the Legislature of 1\Ir. CASWELL introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2534) for the removal Missouri, favoring pensions to the surviving soldiers of the Mexican of the charge of desertion from Private J. J. Kent, Company C, First war; which were referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and Wisconsin Cavalry; which was read~ first and second time, referred ordered to be printed. to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. JOSEPH. GRIBBLE. EXTENSION OF SIGNAL SERVICE. Mr. PHILIPS, of Missouri, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2523) for the 1\Ir. CATE presented resolutions of the Wisconsin State Horticul relief of JosephGribble,ofl\IoniteauCounty, :Missouri; which was read tural Societ_y, for an extension of the Signal Service; which were re a first and second time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ferred to the Committee on Agriculture, and ordered to be printed. ordered to be printed. CONTESTED HOi\IESTEAD CASES. SOLDIERS OF THE EIGHTH CAVALRY. Mr. CATE also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 25~5) providing for giv Mr. PHILIPS, of Missouri, also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2524) ing security for costs in contested homestead caRes; which was 1·ead for the relief of certain soldiers of the Eighth Cavalry; which was a first and second time, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on 1\filitary and ordered to be printed. · Affairs, and ordered to be printed. TAX ON GRAPE AND FRUIT BRANDY. SWEE!I.'Y1 RITTENHOUSE, FANT & CO. Mr. BUCKNER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2525) for the relief of Mr. LUTTRELL presented a concurrent resolution of the Legisla Sweeny, Rittenhouse, Fant & Co; which was read a first and second ture of the State of California, asking for a reduction of manufactur time, referred to the Committee for the District of Columbia, and ing tax on grape and fruit brandy; which was referred to the Com ordered to be printed. · mittee of Ways and Mea.ns, and ordered to be printed. POST-ROUTES •IN CAI.IFORNIA. TRUSTEES OF A METHODIST CHURCH. Mr. BUCKNER also in~oduced a bill (H. R. No. 2526) for the relief 1\Ir. LUTTRELL also presented the following concurrent resolu of the trustees of John Wesley African Methodist Episcopal Zion tions; which were referred to the Committee on the Post~Offi.ce and church, Washington, District of Columbia.; which was read a first Post-Roads: • · and second time, referred to the Committee for the District of Colum A concurrent resolution of the L~~lature of California, relative to bia with accompanying memorials, and ordered to be printed. a mail-route from Susanville to Willow Branch, California; and A concurrent re olntion of the Legislature of California, relative to GEORGE H. JOHNSON. a post-route from Winnemucca, Nevada, to Lake City, California. Mr. BUCKNER also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2527) for the relief ·of George H. Johnson, of Wa-shington, District of. Columbia; which LAND CLAIMS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CALIFOIU\'l.A. was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee for the Mr. LUTTRELL (at the request of Mr. WIGGINTON, who is confined District of Columbia with accompanying memorials, and ordered to to his room by sickne s) presented a bill (H. R. No. 2536) to authorize be printed. the claimants of certain Ian& in Santa Barbara County, California., SARAH BUTLER. to submit their claims to the Unit-ed States district. court for that Mr. BUCKNER also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2528) for the relief State for adjudication; which was read a first and second time, :wd, of Sarah Butler, of Washington, District of Columbia; which was with the accompa~ying papers, referred to the Committee on Private read a first and second time, referred to the Committee for the Dis· Land Claims, and ordered to be printed. trict oi Columbia with aecompanying memorials, and ordered to be UNITED STATES DEPOSITORIES. printed. Mr. DUNNELL introduced a bill (H. R. No. 25.37) to amend an act DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. • to construe the act of March 2, 185~, so as to allow all depositories Mr. STONE (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2529) to amend designated under the act ~f August 6, 184.6, an annual compensation section lOoO of the Revised Statutes of the United States, relating of $1,500; which was rei:ul a first and second time, referred to the to the District of Columbia; which was read· a first and second time, Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed. referred to the Committee for the District of Columbia, and ordered CHEAP TRANSPORTATION. to be printed. Mr. DUNNELL also presented a memorial of the State Legislature PROPERTY AND MONEY DEPARTMENTS OF THE ARMY. of Minnesota, relative to cheap transportation; which was read, re Mr. SCHLEICHER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2530) to re-organize ferred to the Committee on Railways and Canals, and ordered to be the property and money department of -the Army and for purposes printed. connected therewith.; ~ich was read a first and second time, referred JOHN BOWLES. to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ord~red to be printed. Mr. PHILLIPS, of Kansas, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2538) for JOHN W. SMITH. the relief of John Bowles, late lieutenant-colonel Seventy-ninth Reg Mr. OLIVER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2531) granting a pension iment United States Colored Troops; which was read a first and sec to John W. Smith; which was read a first and second time, referred ond time! referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. to be printed. · FINAL PROOF IN HOMESTEAD CLAIMS. FORT HARKER MILITARY RESERVA 'l'ION. Mr. OLIVER also presented a joint resolution of the General As Mr. PHILLIPS, of Kansas, also presented a joint resolution of the sembly of Iowa, asking that the homestead law be so amended as to Legislature of Kansas, concerning the Fort Harker military reser allow final proof before the clerk of the court in each county; which vation ; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, was referred to the Committee on Public Lands, and ordered to be and ordered to be printed. printed. WYANDOTTE A..."'D KANSA.S CITY BRIDGE COMPANY• . HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Mr. GOODIN introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2539) for the relief of the Mr. WILLIAMS, of Wisconsin, introduced a joint resolution (H. R. Wyandotte and Kansas City Bridge Company; which wa-s read a No. 80) proposing an amendment to ·the Constitution of the United first and second time, with the accompanying papers referred to the States; which wa.<~ read a first and second time, referred to the Com Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. mittee on the Juc:liciary, and ordered to be printed. PROTECTION OF THE FRONTIER. The amendment proposed is as follows : Mr. GOODIN also presented a concurrent resolution of the Legisla ARTICLE XVI. ture of Kansas, against any reduotion of the .Army, and asking that The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every third troops be stationed on the western frontier for the better protection of year by the people of the several States. ·Immediately after they shall have as sembled. in consequence of the first election following the ratification of this art.i· citizens against Indian depredations; which was referred to the Com cle, they shall be divided as equally as may be into thi-ee classes. The seats of the mittee on Military Affairs. - - 1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- HOUSE. 1487 l\'IETHODIST CHURCHES, WE T VIRGINIA. bar of the Senate, unpeached William W. Belknap, late Secretary of War, of bi.!!h crimes and misdemeanors, and informed the Senate that the Hou!>e of ReprP.senta. Mr. FAULKNER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2540) for the relief of tives will iu due time exhibit particular articles of impeachment against him and the trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church at Mill Creek or make good the same; and likewise demanded that the Senate take order for the ap. pearance of the said William W. Belknap to answer the said impeaclimeut: There- Bunker's Hill, in the county of Berkeley, State of West Virginia; fore, · · which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Ordered, That the Senate will, according to its standing rules and orders in such ·war Claims, and ordered to be printed. • ca es provided, take proper order thereon. (upon presento.uon of articles of impeach. He also introduced a bill (H.· R. No. 2541) for the relief of the trus ment,) of which due notice shall be given to the House of Repre.~enta.tive . t ees of t,he Methodist Episcopal chnrcl), Harper's Ferry, W est Virginia; Ordered That the Secretary acqua.int the Honse of Representatives here,vith. which wa,s read a :first and second time, referred to the Committee PRL.~TJKG OF THE STARKWEATHER OBITUAHY ADDRE SES. 011 War Claims, and ordered to be printed. l\1r. BA.RNUl\lsubmitted the following concurrent resolution; which MAP..IA PAULA ARA....~A. wa,s referre.d to the Committee on Priutipg :- Mr. ELKINS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2542) for the relief of R esolved by the House of RepreJ:entati:v~. (the Stmate eoncttrrin.IJ,) That there be printed two thousand copies for the usA of the Senale and three thnuRand copies for Maria Paula Aranda, for Indian depredations ; which was read a :first the use of the House of Representative..~ of the addresses made in the Senate and aud ·second time, referred to the Committee on Indian Afl'airs, and in the House of Represe-ntatives npon the death of Ron. Henry H. Starkweather, ordered to be printed. of Connecticut, a member of the House of RepresPntatives, and that the Secretary of t-he Treasury have printed the portrait of Mr. Starkweather to accompany the SEATILE AND WALLA WALLA RAILROAD COMPANY. same. Mr. JACOBS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2543) to transfer the land CLAil\fS OF OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS. granted the branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad to the Seattle Mr. RUSK introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2554) to extenrl the time and Walla Walla Railroad Company; which was read a first and within which the Court of Cla.im!i mav hear and determine the claims second time, referred to the Committee on Public Lands,and ordered of the officers a.nd soldiers of the late war growing out ~f service to be printed. t.herein; which was read a fir t ann second time, referred to the Com BLIGH E. WOOD. mittee on Military Affairs, anu ordered to be printed. Mr. KIDDER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2544) for' the r elief of EQUALIZATION OF BOUNTIES. Bligh E. Wood; which was read a first and second time, referred to Mr. WALLACE, of Pennsylvania, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2555) the Committee on Indian Affairs, and ordered to be printed. to equalize the bounties of solrliers who served iii the war for the sup MILITARY RESERVATION IN ARIZONA. pression of the rebellion; which was read a first and second time, re Mr. STEVENS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2545) authorizing the ferred to the Committee on Military Afl'ai rs, and ordered tube printed. Secretary of War to relinquish and turn over to the Interior Depart SIGNAL STATION, COLUMBUS, GEORGIA. ment certain military reservations in the Territory of Arizona;. which Mr. HARRIS, of Georgia, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2556) toes was rea-d a :first and ~>econd time, referred to the Committee on Public tablish a. signal station at Columlms, Georgia.; which was read a :first Lauds, and ordered to be printed. and second time, referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and :lliDIAN AFFAIRS. ordered to be printed. Mr. STEELE presented a memorial and joint resolution of the Leg TRUSTEES OF BAPTI T OHURCH, CRAB ORCHARD, KENTUCKY. islative .A.s embly of the Territory of Wyoming, in relation to Indian Mr. DURHAM introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2557) for the benefit of affairs; which was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, and the trustees of the Baptist church of Crab Orchard, Kentucky; which ordered to be printed. was read a :first and second t.ime, referred to the Committee on War CLAIMS AGAINST THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Claims, and ordered to be print-ed. Mr. HENKLE int rodncerl a bill (H. R. No ~ 2546) to provide a com A. L. SHOTWELL. mi , ion to examine ancl adjust all outstanding and unsettled claims Mr. DURHAM also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2558) for the relief against the authorities of the DistTict of Columbia, and rep·ort t he of A. L. Shotwell, of Jefferson County, Kentucky; which wa rea•l a sa.me to Congress; which was rearl a :fir t and second time, referred first and second time, referred to the Committee on Military Aifa.irs, to t he Committee for the District of Columbia, and ordered to be and ordered to be printed. printed. HE.NRY A. KELLY. TRADE-MARKS. l\fr. RIDDLE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2559) for the reliP! of Mr. HEWITT, of New York, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2547) to Lieutenant Henry A. Kelly, lieutenant of Tenth and Eighth Tennes revise and amend section 5416 of the Revised Statutes making it a see Regiments of Cavalry; whic-h was read a fil'St and second time, mi ~::~demeanor to counterfeit registered trade-marfrs; which was read referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be a first and . econd time, referred to the Committee on Patents, anc;l printecl. · orum·ed to be printed. Mr. HEWITT, of New York, also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2548) ATLANTIC, OKLAHOMA AND PACIFIC RAILWAY CO)fPANY. to revi e and amend the Revised Statutes in relation to registration l\Ir. GUNTER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2560) to provide for a con of trade-marks; which was rea-d a tirst and second time, referreu to tinuous line o"( rail way from Norfolk, throngh the States of Vlr;..,rinia, the Committee on Patents, and ordered to be printeu. North Carolina, Kentucky,A.rkansaa, and the Territories of the United JOSEPH M. CUM.~IING .Ali.""D OTHERS. States, to the Pacific Ocean,.aud to incorporate the Atlantic, Okla homa and Pacific Railway Company; which was read a :first and Mr. HEWITT, of New York, also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2.1).49) second time, referred to the Committee on the Pacific Railroad, and for the relief of Joseph M. Cumming, Hamilton J. filler, and ·william ordered to be printed. McRoberts; which was re~d a first and seconu time, referred to the ORDER OF BUSINESS. Committee of Claims, and ordered to be printed. The SPEAKER. The morning hour has expired, and resolutions R. C. SMITH. are now in order. · Mr. BOONE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2550) for the relief of R. Mr. ATKINS obtained the floor. C. Smith, of l\IcCracken County, Kentucky ; which was read a :first Mr. BRIGHT. I ask my colleague to yield to me. and secon The motion was agreed to; and accordingly the House resolved itself It does not name the nations with which we have existing treaties into Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, Mr. SAYLER that will be interfered with by this treaty. They say: in the chair. The undersigned further show that by treaties already in existence. The CHAIRMAN. The House is now in Committee of the Whole Do they state with what count1·ies or the nature of the treaties f for the purpose of consiuering the special order, which is Hou~e bill Do they .refer to them f Do they give us any reference as authority No. tl~, to carry into ~ffect a convention between the United States for a state~nt so Lold as that f No, sir. Well, I will do it for them. of America and His Majesty the King of the Hawaiian Islands, sil,!ned I , hold in my hand a volume containing all the treaties of every on the 30th day of January, 1875, on which the gentleman from New character made by our Gover~ent with foreign nations since July 4, York [llr. WooD] is entitled to the floor. 1776, down to 1873. This volume, after giving in extenso and verbatiut HAWAI1A.N TREATY. every treaty, then contains an analytical index of the peculiar con ditions of each, including those of a commercial characte~ like this. :Mr. WOOD, of New York: In the remarks which I had the honor to On page 1103 of this volume I find under the hP-ad of "commercial sulnnit to the consideration of the committee a few days since, I at. agreements," a list of those of this character and an enumeration of tempted to show t.hat this was one of the most important qa.estions the countries with which there are treaties providing that- . which bas been brought to the attention of the House at this session, Articles, the growth, produce, or manufactures of the one party, imp1.rted into and that it should be considered with care, and with that gravity which the t erritories of the other, are to be subject to no other or higher dutie~C~ than those every subject referring to our international relations with other powers imposed on the like articles of any other foreign country. should command. Upon that oocasion I attempted to meet oortain It is this article, existing in substance in many of our commercial objections which had been presented in the minority report and other treaties, which has misled gentlemen and indu1·es them to think that objections emanating from other quarters. I think I conclusively it will of itself be sufficient to give those nations with which we have demonstrated that t.he apparent loss of revenue was exceediugly mag such agreements certain rights notnow granted, if wemakethistreaty nified in amount, and t.hat even though it were not magnified it was and admit articles the growth, produce, or manufacture of the Sand based upon a hypothesis, a supposition, upon a contingency which wich Islands free of duty into the ports of the United St.ates. But might never occur; and further, that admitting the grounds which I there are other articles and stipulations not quoted in all of the exi~t maintained were untenable, the loss of revenue claimed could not of ing treaties; and one of them is to the etfect that, if such a concession itself possibly be an objection to a treaty when the advantages were shall be made to a foreign government gratuitously or freely without so preponderating in favor of its adoption. I was interrupted, sir, equivalent, like concession shall be made by them; but, if made for a. which possibly is a matter of little importance, and it is only impor "compensation, it shall be adjusted by mutual agreement," thus tant to myself ·because it compels me to continue under disa-dvan making it a matter of arrangement, in w-!llch c~e, of course, we should tageous circumstances the argument which I was t.hen ma.king to the be satisfied and content. committee. But, sir, there is no practical importance to this objection if it had In the minority ·report there is a very grave declarat.ion which, if it any valid existence. The countries with which we have such treaties be sustained, is of itself, in my judgment", sufficiently important to are Aust.ria, the Argentine Confederacy, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa justify the defeat of this bill. That is, that there are provisions in Rica, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Great Brit.ain, this pending treat.y which will compel the United States to grant Guatemala, Hanover, Mecklenburg, Oldeu burg, the Hanseatic Repu b like privileges in the admission of the products of other countries or lics, the Hawaiian Islands, Hayti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, nations with which we have existing commercial treaties; or, in other Orange Free State, Ottoman Porte, Portugal, Pro sia, Russia, 8an words, that there is a conflict between this treaty and the oLligations Salva-dor, Sardinia, Swiss Confederation, and the Two Sicilies. of the Government in existing treaties which would compel the Unit.ed There are a few and but a few of these countries, and these I shall States to admit their products upon like conditions free of duty into specifically refer to, which grow sugar, the only article which would the ports of the Unite!! States. Now, if thit> objection to the treaty be deemed of importance. There is no treaty with Spain of this char be well founded, if this declaration really be true, why, sir, I shall acter. Spain, the only·country from which we import. sugar into our not a-d vocate the treaty. Atlantic and Pacific port-s of any consequence, has always refused to I will read from the minority report in order that the Committee make a commercial treaty with the United States. We haveuoextra of the Whole may fully understand the declarati.on which is made: dition treaty with her. We have no postal treaty with ht!r. We have The undersigned further show that, by treaties already in existence with other no commercial treaty with her. We have of4].y the original treaty sugar-growing countries, the same exemption from duties upon sugars grown in made at the conclusion of the last century and one or two small addi such countries will accrue to them as is allowed by this treaty to the Hawaiian tional treaties of limited consequence. In none of these are there any Islands. provisions such as is referred to here, and there is no nation· produci n0 Sir, I might dismiss t.bis declaration with the simple statement that sugar imported into the Atlantic ports that has any treaty with the some of the most eminent stat.esmen of this country who have pre United States of the character that would entitle them to claim on sided over the State Department have made such a treaty as this the principles of this treaty the admission of their sugar into the ports with the Hawaiian Islands, substjquent to the treaties r~ferred to a.s of the United States free of uuty. in couflict. WillL:1.m L. Marcy, one of the ablest and most eminent ·we have treaties with various nations lying on the Padfic Ocean statesmen that this country has produced, ma.de just such a treaty in which do contain this provision of like favors. Tllese are New 1835. When Secretary of State under President Pierce, Mr. Marcy Granada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and San Salvador. made a treaty almost in the very language of this treaty, incluuing These are the only countries lying upon the American Pacific coast in its schedules precisely the same a.rticles that are included in this, that produce sugar; and it is alsq the fact that they do send their su"ar being one of them. And it is almost impossible, sir, that Mr. sugar, the product of their own country, to the American Pacific port~ M~rcy and President Pierce and the statesmen of that day could have To show the extent of our importation of sugar from all countries overlooked the fact that they were making a treaty in confiict with into San Francisco for the years 1874 and 1875, I annex the following existing treaties made with other countries. from the Commercial Herald, of San Francisco, of January 13, 1876 This ex:ample was followed under President Lincoln by Mr. Sew ard, then Secretary of State, who made a treaty in precisely the same Cmnparative statement for the years 1874 and 1875. language, with schedules containing the same articles. According to these objectors, it appears that he was not conscious of the fact that Sugars. 1874. 1875. h e was acting in conflict with existing treaties. Therefor"' I could di mi s thi.B objection to the Hawaiian treaty upon the reaeonable as Pounds. Poonds. sumption that there is nothing in it; because if it were well founded Manila...... : ...... -·---·-·· - 33, 277,851 26,246, 068 it is impossible that statesmen so eminent and so familiar with all Batavia ______---·-.--- __ ----- •• ___ ..••.•..•• ----· .. -·---- 3, :.!~0 . 5!12 ------. ---- Chin-Formosa and Swatow. _•..••• . ____ •. _•• __ -_-- .• _- 16, 466, 501 5, 727, 344 the treaties of the United States could have made another treaty, or Central .America. ____ ··-----·.··----· _____ ..... _--_·---__ 5, 056, 754 714.234 proposed to make one which would bring them in conflict with other Honolulu _____ .•. _...... ---·--·-····-----.--··-·----·- 13, 541, 448 18,213, t--7 8 governments with which we had existing treaties. But, sir, I will Peru . . ______- --- .. __ _--·- ___ --·--· .•• ~--- __ --_------_ _ 1, 097,743 12, 4:'15 not rest upon that. if do not propose to advocate this measure be New 1)or~ refined.-·------···_--_-··-··----··· ••. ·----- 258.300 3, 04~ , ~g cause any other man from the foundation of the Government· has rf~~~ ~~- ~: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: ::::::::::::::: :::::: :::::: 3: 104 advocated it. I do not go to precedent nor to predecessor. I take 1------1---·------the treaty upon its merits as it stands. I am rea-dy here to meet every Tota.ls ______.• ____ •• __ • _• ____ ...... __ .... _.• _.... _ 72. 939, 189 53, 9ti8, 155 Stocks of sugars in warehouses each year, January L---- 9, 544, 197 14, 997, '26o objection, from every quarter, of every chara{}ter, that any gentleman ------·1------in this House or elsewhere may produce against it. .A_ vailable for consumption for each year __-_-.-- •. ____ -- 82, 483, 386 68, 965, 423 Mr. KELLEY. Will the gentleman from New York not permit me From the supply in l !l75 deduct export of raws to New to ask him to name the treaties to which he has referred f York··-·--·--·--···· .. ··············-·--·--···------...... 1,116, 19 Mr. WOOD, of New York. If my friend will be patient-! know 67,849.232 the rebuff he has just received from· the House has irritated him.- Less stock in warehouses at the close of each year _••. _. 14, 997, 268 5, 402, 82~ lli. KELLEY. Not iu the least. Mr. WOOD, of New York. If the gentleman will be patient he Comparative consumption, 1874 and 1875. __ ------67, 486.ll8 62, 446, 410 will have his answer. Beet-root sugar-product all consumed, of each year- ---- 1, 500, 000 60J, 000 1\fr. KELLEY. I will modifY my question. l\1r. WOOD, of New York. The minority report has omitted to state By this table it will be seen that nearly all the sugar imported into 8an with what countries we would come in conflict by making this treaty. Francisco comes from Manila, Batavia, and Honolulu. With neit.her 1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 1489 of these countries have we treaties which contain this "like articles" What has followed T T!Jeyhaveopened up for us of the East a direct provision. Manila is a part of the Philippine Islands, belonging to communication with China aml Japan. We have cornmercialize1l Rpn.in. Ba.tavia is Dutch, belonging to Holland, and Honolulu is of Japan; we have stripped from the Japanese the bandage which for · the Hawaibn gronp, with which we propose to make this treaty. et;,nturies has covered their eyes. VIe have opened the ports of China Therefore the interference with existing treaties is a chimera so far and have driven away to some extent the commerce of tile English. as it can ever become a question of difference. It can never have any While upon the Atlantic our flag has almost disappeared, floatiug no existence as a practical question, whether considered in its af1Plica. more over large tonnage of American shipping, on the Pacific we have tiou to either ocean side of the United States. maintained our influence, all(l there compete with the maritime na Sii, I have said that we have no treaty with either of the great tions of the world. By the development and pra.ctical use of the capi sugn.r-producing countries of the world that contains any trouble tal raised from the mines on the Pacific coast we have prosecuted tho some provision in conflict with our right to make this treaty. trade with the Indies far in excess of what England holds to-day, al But, sir, let us come to the treaties themselves. Tak~ the case of though she has had a foothold there for one hundred and fifty years. Costa Rica, (and I quote from that treatybecanse it is avery impor I wj.ll not stop here to belittle this question by saying that our tant a;gd significant fact ·that the treaties we have made that con brothers of the Pa-cific coast hav~ rights and interests that we shonJd tain tl1is :'like articles" stipulation are included in those of Costa respect. I will not belittle this subject by dwindling it down to a. Rica, San Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua; while the phraseology sectional matter which concerns them and not ourselves. Therefore, is sli ~ . 1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 1491. sugar; but in the cultivation of thi8 the natives are so little inter should pay to.these few planters, who are not Sa,ndwich Isla,nders, a ested that it is said no sugar plantation is owned or worked, as pro dollar for the privilege of selling merchandise of the value of another prietor, by any native. Trade therefore with the islands does not dollar, or 1,200,000 on sugar alone for the privilege of selling and ex increase and, as the quantity of arable land is very limited, from natu porting to them$1,400,000 worth of O'OOds. Any counting as to the value ral causes, cannot increase. This is shown remarkably by the fact of the profits of this export trade will show that we shall pay about five that the total exports of the domestic products of the United States dollars for one to be received. This is reciprocity mostly on one side, to the islands in 1860, under a low tariff and a low range of prices for and financiering with a vengeance. ' Can the nation, overborne antl . what we had to sell, amounted to only $637,453 gold, while in 1874, weighed down with taxation, afford to make a free gift of its revenues fifteen years after, it was only 623,280 currency. During the same to a few people who pay no taxes to sustain our Government f time there has been no material increase in the import of the products What is it pretended that the islands can give us in return! Their of other countries. In short, the whole product of the United States trade. But it has been shown that it does not amount to anything, which the population of the Sandwich Islands have, on an average, and never can, of importance. Not as much as the trade of one ~ood Leen able to consume during the last fifteen years is less than the total county or fourth-rate city of the country. There is a long ana im value of the annual farm product of the war-ravaged county of Fairfax, posinO' list of things mentioned in this trea,ty, which the Sandwich Virgin~; the county opposite the Capitol. And the entire value of Islands will agree to take of us free of duty. Brick, for example; products of all countries imported into the islands for 1873 ( 1,155,422) they took none in 1873; window-glass, fifteen boxes from the United was only about one-fott1·th the value of the farm product of a single States and one from somewhere else ; machinery of all kinds, 14,000 county (Adams,) in illinois, ($4,654,000,) and with about the same pop worth~.. bout the cost of one ,good steam-engine and boiler; iron and ulation, (56,362.) A treaty from a commercial point of view by the steel, ~:d>5.15 worth; paper, $700 worth; fancy goods and millinery, United States with the Sandwich Islands is not so important as a $4,458; agricultural implements, they took $5,562. They took more treaty with any good, thriving agricultural county in almost any than 100,000 worth of clothing, about one-eleventh of their whole is State would be1 provided the county was located beyond the texTi import; but clothing not one of the things made free by the treaty. tory of the Umted States. They took about $55,000 worth of liquors and spirits, one-twentieth Who, then, on the . islands wants the treatyf The sugar interest. of their whole imports; but liquor a,nd spirits are not to be on the The sugar-cane is indigenous to the islands, and yields more sugar to free list. And so also are not furniture, carriages, other than agri- the acre than in any other country, 5,000 pounds, or two and a half cultural, glass, crockery, paints, &c. _ tons, being an ordinary })roduct, rising often to 8,090 pounds, and in The list of things to be admitted free is an imposing (me, but an eome instances to 12,000 pounds. The average yield in Louisiana is examination will show that it contains but little other than those from 500 to 2,000 pouhds per acre. The foreign population of the things which the islands must take of us now because we can supply islands is about 5,000, (one-third Chinese,) but of this number less them cheaper than other nations; a,nd a great ma,ny things like furs, than forty own and work the sugar estates. Practically the treaty rice, sugar, .fruits, tallow, hides, oysters, fish, eggs, shrubs, trees, veg is to be made for the benefit of these forty people. etables, &c., which the island& supply themselves with, or do not want That sugar production has been profitable under more favorable or conld not be sent from the Unite We are advised from official sources that the revenues under exist There were twelve given articles in that table, of which there were con ing laws fall short of the requirements of the public debt and other sumed in the United Stat-es one billion nine hundred million dollars' needs of the Government. From what sonrce is the money to be de worth; $1,622,000,000 were domestic products, 210,000,000 were for rived which by this treaty is given away to Hawaiians¥ Who is to eign products. Upon the foreign products we paid an average duty pay it f Will the gentlemen who favor this t.reaty tell us f Its chief of 41.73 per cent., which realized to the coffers of the Government ~npporters oppose any modifica.tion of tariff exactions and oppressions $ 7,000,000. But the consumer of the domestic product paid the same uy which we may les~; en the burdens and add to the revenues of the tax exactly for the protection of domestic manufactures, so that, in people. It is not therefore to be made up from that source. IM it to getting into the TreasJITy of the Gpvernment the snm of $87,000,000, be levied upon tobacco, the product of t ....: -3 South, or spirits, the product the people of the United States paid for protection $676,000;ooo, or . of western corn f Certainlv the friends of this measure will not tell seven times as mnch to the domestaic manufacturers as they paid for ns it is to be made up by re.ductions in needless expenditures. These the support of the Government. Therefore, when you come to replace "Q.ave failed to secure their support lest, as they say, the honor of the in the Treasury the $400,000 that yon brive to these producers of s~gar country, and especially its commercial interests, mi~}lt be prejudiced. in the Hawaiian Islands you take from the laboring poor man all Lest this should be done, we are told ct we should allow our ministers over the country two and a half millions of dolla~·s to sustain dQmestic abroad enough for them to be respectable, respectable in the Euro manufacturers; and the entire tax you impose upon the people of the pean acceptance of the term, respectable by their exterior presenta United States which falls on the laboring people of the country is tion at court," and that our carrying trade and ocean commerce will about $3,000,000. That is what yon give as a free-will offering for the go tlown before the sun on the day when a consul at Bangkok or Win benefit of those foreign su~ar-planters. nipeg ceases to draw a salary from the public Treasury. There is one other objectwn to this treaty, and it is this: that when Sir, to have a carrying tra-de we must have something to carry. you establish this treaty with the Hawaiian Islands, these products. We must produce something which can be sold at a profit, or it will of theirs, their sugar and other products mentioned, shall come in not be carried. Nor can we buy a commerce in Hawaii or elsewhere free. Ha.ve you any guarantee tha.t this will not be an open gateway· abroad. It must grow with and out of prosperous and profitable la for fraud Y Why may not Cuba and why may not other countries bor and production. To do this the burdens of taxation upon labor producing sugar and other articles that are made to come in free from and production must be lessened, not increased. This measure does Hawaii, pass them through that gate into the United States and thus and' will increase them. constantly defraud your revenues ¥ 'What provision have you got to . There is no protection in this treaty, for there are no American in guanl against that¥ None . terests to be protected. There is no free tmde in it, ior there is but A.h, but we are told that this is a necessa.ry measure of precaution little trade of any kind, and that is to be made exclusive for one side. against a war with Great Britain. Iudeecl! Now, who ever heard of There is no reciprocity in it, for much is given and nothing received. a commercial treaty preventing a war with any power T Or who ever Mr. Chairman, I yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman heard of a commercial treaty between a strong and a weali power from Texas, [Mr. MILLs.] giving to the stronger power any benefit in case of war with another Mr. MILLS. Mr. Chairman, in the few moments that have been strong power l Who ever heard of a people so weak that their power granted to me by the courtesy of my friend from Illinois [:Mr. MoR was despised laying between two belligerents of great strength, that RISON] I desire to present to the committee some of the objections ever were able to preserve their neutrality or cause a moment's pan e which I have to this bill. The fust objection is that it is a gift of in the march of either to consummate his pmpose ' four or five hundred thousand dollars to the sugar-producers of the. In the first place, I answer that England and the United States Hawaiian Islands. The annual imports into the United States from · c.anuot go to war. There are two reasons why they cannot. One is those islands amount to a little over $1,000,000. Of that amount the · that they are both commercial peoples; England almost exclusiYely importation of :mgar is about $950,000. Is there any benefit to be de commercial and the United States one of the first commercia.! powers lived on oursideofthis treatyforthisbonus which we propose tograntto of the earth. And commerce is king. England could not afford to the foreign producer. I a-ssume that it is capable of demonstration fight the United States when she had her hands full with her own thu.t it is a gift to the foreign producer, and no benefit to our citizens people. England dared not accept the g~tuntlet of battle that was on the Pacific coast. Why f Because the price of SUO'ai' in the West thrown down to her even then when the United States was struggling will be regulated, not by the duty which you take off the Sandwic4 with the valor of her own people, and trying to suppress her own Islands sugar, but by the price of the su~ar that is tliansported into people in arms against the nat.ional authority. It-was a gigantic that country from the Atlantic seaboaru. The sugar brought into civil war, that brought into exercise all the power of the Government the United States amounts to about $85,000,000 a year, a cons.umption to succeed, but England even then dared not to enter the lists. Do of about $2 a head among our people. There are about 1,000,000 you think that now, when we are re-united, one great people, having of people on the Pacific seaboard.. They consume about two million demonstrated that we possess more war power than all the other peo I will therefore briefly allude to 'SOme of the advantages secured to of their government would compel an increase of the rate of duty, and our nation by the treaty and reply to some objections that have been that, as the commerce of the Pacific increases and the attention of made by gentlemen to the passage of this bill. In the first place, the the people of the Pacific coast is diverted from minino- industry (as it islands situated ~idway in the Pacific Ocean, on the route to the great must be to some extent) to raising cereals and to the product of their continent lying to the westward of our Pacific States, invite ns·to farms, their fields, and their forests, the deman~ for those products for closer commercial and political relations. The area of those islands export to the Hawaiian Islands will be increased, and that ultimately is almost equal in extent to that of the State of Massa-chusetts, and our exports and our imports to and from that country would become la.rger than that of the St.ates of Connecticut and Rhode Island com equal. It is the tendency of trade everywhere to equalize itself. bined. But a short time since they were inhabited by a nation sunk I have said that those people are looking for closer political and in barbarism, in the lowest stat.e of superstition. That nation has commercial relations with other people. They look to us first ; but now become a civilized ai:J.d to some extent a Christian people. That if they fail here, it is probable they will look els.ewhere. They will group of islands, the largest in the North Pa-cific Ocean, is, if I may look either to England or·to France. Let them make the same offer so term it, a half-way house between San Francisco and Australia, or to France that they have made to the United States, and I believe it between Japan and the Isthmus of Darien. Being, as it were, an out would be accepted. The French duty on sugar of the lowest grade is post upon our commercial frontier, it is this consideration that has £1 7s. lld. per hundred-weight, or about seven cents per pound. Th challenged the attention not only of the statesmen of America but French nation imports about two hundred and fifty million pounds of the statesmen of the world. colonial and foreign sugars in the raw state. It exports about an This treaty was negotiated for the purpose of bringing us into equal amount of refined sngar-abont fifteen million or twenty million more close and intimate relations "\vith that people. It is objected pounds more. But it pays a bounty to the exporters of refined sugar; that it gives more than we receive. It is true that this treaty, as so that practically it receives no revenue from this source. It encour does every treaty relinquishing the right to tax a portion of the com ages the importation of raw sugar and encourages its being refined modities t hat are imported from a country, does reduce the revenue and exported to foreign countries as refined sugar. ~hich otherwise would be collected upon the articles embraced iil. Now let the French nation offer, as it might, to the Sandwich Islands the treaty. ·I will not stop to discuss the question whether such a to allow the importation into France of raw sugar free of duty; and tax or duty is paid by the home consumer or the foreign producer. it would be the same advantage that.they would get from the United There are ~liferent schools. of OJ!inion upon that subject, and gentle States, excepting that the cost of transportation from t.he Sandwich men of those schools entertain different views. Is-lands to France would probably be somewhat greater than to the Now, those who claim that the foreign producer pays the tax im Pacific coast. In that event they would get the same enconra.gement ; po ed by duties on foreign commodities cannot complain that we do and we should lose this trade, the importation of sugar from the anything more than to relinquish'-to those people the tax which we Sandwich Islands, and much of the trade of these islands would be he~tofore have been imposing upon them, in consideration of their diverted from the United States to France. relinquishing to us of a portion of the tax they have heretofore im It is said that we are involved in commercial treat~es with other posed upon us. I will not, however, stop to discuss that point. nations which will require us to reduce our duties upon similar articles It has been said in public discussions, and perhaps in debate on this imported from those other countries. The gentleman from New York floor where my own p.ame ha-s been brought out in connection with [Mr. WooD] has discussed that point. As I understand, he has ex views that I was charged with entertaining, that I hold that the do amined all the treaties that we have with foreign n ations, and ho in mestic consumer himself pays the tax. In the first remarks I made sists that there are no treatles whi9h will require us to admit these upon the subject of taxes through tariff duties, on this floor some years products free. I have examined a few of them, and have not been ago, I announced, and I believe it is a truth that every one who has able to find one. For instance, there is t.he. treaty with Costa Rica examined the subject mqst assent to that sometimes the home con which contains the provision that is objected to. But we do not im sumer pays all the duty through the mcreased1 price of the commod port sugar from Costa Rica. Our importation of sugar is Yery sU .-rht ity charged to the consumer, sometimes the foreign producer pays it from any of the countries with whom we have those commercial through a reduction of the purchasing price abroad, but usually it is treaties. If gentlemen who are to follow me, and who objec.t to t his shared in a greater or less degree between them. treaty, will point out some nations 'irith which we have similar treat ies, That is the case in regard to the relinquishment of this duty. The I would thank them to inform the Honse what articles embracecl in tax that is imposed by o.ur tariff upon the articles that are to be ad this treaty are imported from those conntries, and the amount of t.ho mitted free under the provisions of this treaty is borne by the people importations of such articles. I have not examined fully with refer of both count.ries. For instance, if we relinquish a portion of the tax ence to all these countries. I have only referred to one or two, bnt imposed upon sugar, in that case it will doubtless at first inure to the I have so far been unable to find any treaty of the nature alluded to in benefit, in a large degree, of the people of the Hawaiian !~:~lands; be the minority report tha.t could affect onr revenue. cause the consumption of sugar on tho Pacific coast, which sugar is ·Mr. Chairman, is it not desirable to increase onr commerce upon supplied from the Sandwich Islands and from the East Indie~ and not the Pacific coast. The competition for the carrying trade ou tho At from the ·west Indies, is much more than the Sandwich Islands are lantic between our sailors and shippers and those of foreign conn tri t~ capable of producing, being some .two and a half times as much as has been disadvantageous to us and disastrous to our commerce and those islands at present produce. The effect will probably be to in shipping. As year by year passes away, we find our foreign shipping crease. the profitableness of the production of sugar in the Hawaiian on the At.lantic relatively diminishing, while t.hat of foreign nation Islands. That necessarily will act upon the price upon the Pacific is increasing. But on the Pacific we ought to defy the competition coast, and a portion of this benetit, ultimately a larff:.~kortion of it, of the world. On the eastern shore of the ocean that washes the coasts must result to the people on the Pacific coast. I t · that is the of our Pacific States are nations numbering nearly forty million peo philosophy, the rat·umale of this relea e of duties. ple. Right here it is said that this release of duties will inure to the The forest.s of Oregon, 'Vashington Territory, and Alaska., the skill benefit of a few sugar-planters only, the number of which is variously and intelligence of our artisans and mechanics, must make eventually estimated by gentlemen. The chairman of the committee [Mr. MoR the Pacific States the ship-builders for the Pa-cific Ocean. There will RISON] says there are but forty of them; that they will get the bene yet be the seat of our commercial empire. In the future we must fit of this release of duties. The gentleman [Mr. KELLEY] who is to control the growing commerce of that ocean with China and Japan: follow me will not argue t.hat the benefit would bE' confined to them That commerce is increasing. Last year added 70 new ves.."!els t o its merely. If it is, then, when a duty is imposed upon cotton or upon commerce. The Pacific States already register or enroll 225 st.ea.m iron, it will inure to the benefit of the cotton-manufacturers and the and 884 sailing vessels, and number 1,225 vessels of all kind npon owners of ore beds and the manufacturers of iron. But it does not that coast, with a tonnage of 229,257 tons. The very st.atement of inure to their benefit wholly ; it diffuses itself, and must do so in the the magnitude of that commerce, it.s territorial extent, stretching nature of things. from the southern boundary of California to the northern boundary The release of this duty, while, perhaps, increasing the profitable of Washington and along the coast of Alaska to the shore of tho ness of the product.ion of sugar in the islands, will diffuse it 'elf among Celestial Empire, the prospective tra.de of the Pacific St ates with the the whole people of the islimds. The other day a gentleman referred nations of the Orient, although now in its infancy, but herea.ft.er to to the low price of wages there. The effect of this will be to increase cover the Pacific Ocean as that between Europe and America now the price of wages, to make a gr~ater demand for labor, to make labor covers the Atlantic, should induce lll:! to avail ourselves of this oppor more profitable. Therefore it will benefit the people of the Hawaiian tunity to secure the commercial advantages that this treaty guar· ·u Islands as well as the owners of the sugar plantations or the sugar tees. planters. It will increase the power of these laborers to consume the Further, in case of war it would be exceedingly important , a wn exports from the United States to the islands, and so increase our urged by the gentleman from New York, that the right to occnp,v export trade. But supposing that these sugar-planters are to be ben any portion of these islands by foreign nations should be prohibited. efited, I do not know tba.t that would be an ar~umentwhy we should I would prefer, Mr. Chairman, that there had been in this trea.ty a di not ratify this treaty if it presented to the Uruted States advanta~es rec~concessiou of a port, for instance the port on Pearl River; but I such as are claimed. It does not concern us whether all the Hawaiian care not to discuss whether the treaty could not have cont ained other people or a portion only are benefited. It is sufficient for us that it concessions. Practically, however, it will secure tb..is ad va.ntage : benefits our own nation. Other foreign nations are excluded, and it will result in such clo e It is said that the release of duty is unequal. It is true that the commercial relations that, if we ever want the islands to become a average of our tariff upon these products is higher than that imposed part of the United States, we ca.n have them. by the Hawaiian government. Bnt there is no guarantee that their It has been urged that this treaty will prevent annexation. I do rate of duty will remain as at present. I believ~ that the ne.cessities not kuow that we desire annexation. I do not see why the people of 1876. . CONGRESSIONAL RECOR.D-. HOUSE. 1495 t.he Hawatian Islands would if the treaty is ratified be interested to sad remnants left by commerce and missionary labors of 400,000; and prevent, nor has it been shown that we would have anyt.hing to of those 56,000, 6,000 are foreigners. gain by annexation. It is a fact, as the various books of tt·avel show, :Mr. HILL. The number of tho natives is 49,000. that the expenditures of the Hawaiian government are nearly or Mr. KELLEY. Yes, and 2 per·cent. of them are civilly dea-d, hav quite as large per capita, having only about fifty thousand people ing been condemned to seclusion for life as lepers in the hill and and their taxation as heavy as our own. It would therefore, if t.he ocean girt asylum for lepers on the island of Molokai. The American treaty is adopted, be as much to their interest to become a portion of people are to enter upon reciprocal trade .relations with this small the United States in the future as it il'l now or will be if this treaty remnant of a perishing rae.~. I wish I could say a.s the costermouger fails by the defeat of the pending bill. did," It don't hurt I and pleases she," and therefore it may go on. Mr. Chairman, these are some of the reasons why it seems desir But it will hurt us. It will involve us in very grave and great re.., able to pass this bill and practically carry the weaty into effect. The sponsibilities; for it is asserted now and is true, as it has been when opportnnit.y may not again occur. If this treaty is not ratified, trea ever the making of such a treaty has been attempted, that the treaty ties will be made by the Hawaiian government with other nations is but a preliminaJ;8 step t.o the acquisition of these islands; and a quite as favorable for them as this, and we will find our elves excluded greater calamity could not well befall ns than that same ~cquisition. from the islands and the political and co_mmercial advantages this · But, sir, before proceeding to consider details, I should say that in treaty secures. . opposing the treaty I plant myself on the Constitution, and that while Mr. KELLEY. Mr. Chairman, I approach the discussion of this I ask members of the House to vindicate the Constitution, I more than subject-- ask, I implore them to defend the invaded prerogatives of the popu Mr. WOOD, of New York. If the gentleman fromPeunsylv::mia will lar branch of the American Government. In earlier days no Senate yield, I will move the committee rise. could be found to con:firm·a treaty which proposed to regulate com Mr. KELLEY. I would rather proceed; I believe I am entitled to merce with a foreign nation. They recognized thefactthatthatpower the floor. I was anxious other business should be done t.his morning . was assigned to Congress and withheld from the executive govern ~d very unwilling this discussion should be thrust upon the House, ment. Lawyers know how the law courts of England were often com to the exclusion of the legitimate business of Monday, and I do not pelled to res1st the grasping rapacity for jurisdiction of the admiralty, propose now to accommodate those gentlemen who on sucoe sive Mon and the executive branch of our Government for more than the last days, at the dictation of a committee consisting, as I understandr quarter of a century has been as grasping of power as the Briti h largely of gentlemen who share none of the honors or responsibilities admiralty was of jurisdiction in the early days of British law. Treaty of this House, have set its regular business. aside. What is deter after treaty invading the rights of the people and the prerogatives of mined by the majority of this House I bow to, but that which is dic the House have een signed and submitted to the Senate for ratifica tated by those who are not members of this House, however respectable tion; but it is only recently that they have found a Senate willing to they may be, I disregard and t~m happy to thwart. unite with them in such an infraction of the Constitution, and but Mr. ATKINS. Will the gentleman allow me f once in our history a House weak enough to betray its own powers Mr. KELLEY. I protest against this interference. Now, sir, I pro- and to forego its own duties and rights. · ceed to the consideration of the question before the House. The gentleman from New York [Mr. WooD] told us of two treaties :Mr. ATKINS. What does the gentl man refer to f that had been made. I challenged him to name them, and he prom Mr. KELLEY. No, sir, I do not yield. ised to do so. What gentleman ill this Honse heard the name of eitherT Mr. ATKINS. That is a fancy sketch; nothing but a fancy sketch. Mr. Chairman, did yon f Gentlemen who sat around him, did you' Mr. KELLEY. I am going to proceed to the discussion of that No! For no such treaties had been made. I then a-sked him whether question which the democratic party in this House mane the busi they had been carried into effect; and again he declined to answer. ness of the day by setting aside for a second time, as in fifteen years He must have referred to two treaties with the Hawaiian Islands, I bad D;ever seen it done once before, the regular order of business for which the Senate, having due re(J'ard to the Constitution and the pre Monday. • rogatives of this House, rejected. They never were mane, because Mr. LUTTRELL. The gentleman from Pennsylvania should not they were not ratified. Had they become treaties, we would all have make such charges. I ·protest against them. known of them, for during their existence they would have been part Mr. KELLEY. I have said my say on that subject. My protest is of the supreme law of the land; and I challenge the memory of all of record. members to recall either one of them or to find 1t in the body of the I desire to say to my colleague on the Commiteee of Ways and Means laws. [Mr. WooD, of New York,] that I approa{}h the discussion of this ques The only such treaty e"\'"er made was that with· Cana-da, and upon tion with as solemn a sense of duty as he did. I regard it as one of prime the earliest day that notice could be given of our purpose to rescind importance. It assumes, in my judgment, as clearly the aspect and it this House, I bein~ then a member, gave that notice and brought form of a well-defined job as any matter which baa been brought be the treaty t.o a termmation at the end of twelve months. fore the Honse during my membersh1p . . I infer that it is entitled to Mr. WARD. Will the gentleman allow me a moment! that ugly epithet, as well from the provisions of the treaty as from Mr. KELLEY. For a question. the fact that I :find floating about this House in support of the bill Mr. WARD. I think, Mr. Chairman, the honorable gentleman from ex-members of the Honse and ex-officers of the House, who have been Pennsylvania will perhaps remember that I had the honor to have much wronged in the past if they have not been in favor of every bill charge of the renewal of that treaty. I had the honor to open and that would have commended itself t.o Colonel Mulberry Sellers be close the debate, and the gentleman must recollect that there was a cause there were "millions in it." [Laughter.] majority of the House in favor of the renewal of the treaty, ba-sed It is a reciprocity treaty! Why, sir, the very name reciprocity in upon the true principles of reciprocity; but the question was post connection with it reminds me of Thackeray's costermonger and his poned to the next se sion by the vote of three gentlemen who were little wife. He was a giant, and she little more than a dwarf, a doll of more vitally interested in the subject than I or my locality was. a plaything for him; but she was a spit-fire. She would thump him Mr. KELLEY. I must resume t.he floor. The facts were, I believe, with her tiny :fist, and his brethren inquired why he did not resent thus: That this Honse required the Administration to gi"Ye notice of it f "Why," said he, " It doesn't hurt I, and pleases she." [Laugh the termination of the treaty at the end of one year from a day :fixed; ter.] Reciprocity between 40,000,000 people and 40,000 people I For and it di~ pve notice, and the treaty terminated. . • ty-odd millions, occupying such a country as never before was given Mr. W A-«.D. The gentleman will perhaps .allow me- - by God to a people, extending from almost the northern boundary of Mr. KELLEY. I cannot pause in my argument to allow these de-. fertile land down to the Gulf; a country whose inland seas are laahed tails to be gone into. into fury by the March and November gales, and over which the lat Mr. WARD. I will undertake to say that the statement of the ter annually howl the requiem of gallant navies, and which extends gentleman is an evasion-- southward to yonder summer sea, over whose surface summer breezes Mr. KELLEY. I decline to yield further. ever play; a country sweeping from the rock-bound shores of New Mr. WARD. Yon do not want to hear the truth; you are afraid England to the wooded plains, the snow-crowned mountains of Ore of it. gon and ·washington Territory, and from the savannas of t.he sunny Mr. KELLEY. I have told you the truth and nothing but the truth. South to the golden sands of Southern California; a country that bas Mr. WARD. You have concealed it. every available climate of the world, save the tropical, and all con Mr. KELLEY. I have told you that on the earliest day this House ditions of soils-that may grow pro perously within its limits what could vindicate its right it did, and that in accordance with the de~ ever may be grown outside the tropics; a country whose pop$tion mand of this Honse the treaty terminated at the end of one year, aud doubles in every twenty years, being augmented by the receipt of that is the truth in a nutshell. millions of the most cultured, most experienced, and most skillful Sir, an attempt to inflict such a treaty as this upon the country ancl men in every avocation of life from all other lands; a coii.ntry whose invade the prerogatives of the ~ouse was mane in 1844. It was sought commerce is overtaking-and In e the word commerce in t.his connec to establish by treaty reciprocity between Prussia and the United tion with exclusive reference to foreign trade-is overtaking by regular States. I send to the Clerk's desk the report made by Senator Choat A, annual steps the commerce of the mistress of the seas, and whose flag of 1\la.saachusetts, and ask him to read the part I have marked. is destined ere half a century shall pass to pale the glory of the me The Clerk read as follows: teor flag of England on every ocean and on every navigable stream in Tba.t the Senate ought not to advise and eon sent to the ratification of the conven- countries foreign to them and us. tion a.fQresaid. · . By the treaty the bill under consideration proposes.to confirm, t.his In submitting this report the committee do not think it necessary to say anythlng on the general object sought to be accomplished by the convention, or on the details progressive people, thus fortunately situated, are to enter into re of the actual arrangement, nor to attempt to determine, b y the weight ancl m asure ciprocity with a community that in 1872 numbered 561000 :people. t4e ~f ~hE? reci~rocal ~0.!:!008~~0~8 1 wmch governwent~ if either, has the best of the trans- 1496 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARCH 6, action. T1iese subjects have not escaped their notice, but they propose to confine suffer for want of a homo market. Yes, sir; they lutve no home mar themselves to a v~y brief exhibition of another and single ~rround upon which, without reference to the particular mfll'its of the treaty. they advise against its rati ket, and offer no foreign market beyond nch as i indieated by tho fication. figures I have referred to. They can have no home market; they n nr The committee, then, are not _prepared to sanction so lar~re an innovation upon can have a foreign trafle. To develop a home market requires as a. ancient and uniform practice, in respect of the department of Government by which condition precedent the aggregation of population within circnru 1\utie. "It may please she" if the House will pass this bill, but if gentle an outpost of the American continent ; and wo may rest ns ured that tlemen will bring into view the fact that they who engineered this our peace or that of the Hawaiians will never be clisturbed by foreign treaty, both on behalf of the government of the Hawaiian Islands and aggression. The way t.o protect our frontier is to develop our natu ofthis country, regaJ:dit as preliminary to our acquisition of the islands, ral resources, secure to our laborers st~ady work at remunerative they will see that it will hurt us. wages, and to bind the people together in fraternal bonds by increas What by the terms of the treaty do they propose to send us f Let ing the friendly intercourse that will be promoted by every increase us in view of what we have just read examine the list. They propose of interstate commerce. to send us an-ow-root, castor-oil, bananas. They shipped in 1872 Those islands had more commerce and offered more of a market in 4,520 bunches of bananas! "Nuts." We have read something about 1840, the period referred to by the gentleman from New York, than now. the nuts that they would send us. "Vegetable , dried and undried, They then had one hundred thousand population. Our commercial preserved and unpreserved." Under tllis provision they will perhaps and whaling fleets were of sailing vessels, and they found Honolulu send us the remainder of those twenty bushels of potatoes, if they a convenient poillt for supplies. Petroleum had not been discovered, have not got to be too venerable to bear such distant transportation. and the whaling-fleet was numerous. Steam has suppressed the Indian "Hides and skins undressed." Yes, sir; doubtless they could send us sailing-fleet; petroleum has given peace and safety to the whale iu as many as we already receive from them, hut the number cannot be the northern seas; anfl I have told yon thew hole story of the shrunken materially increased. ''Rice." Yes, they can increase their produc trade and commerce of the Hawaiian Islands. tion of that a little. "Pulu, seeds, plants, shrubs, and trees." Bear Let us treat the people of those islands kindly, as we have ever in mind what I have just read you from Nordhoff aboutallnativeand done; let us maintain our missionary societies ; send them books and imported trees dyin(J' or proving barren. teachers, give them assurance that no foreign nation shall by the art.s Well, is there nothing they can send nsf 0, yes, and this ques of peace or war drive them from their desolate but beloved home. tion brings us to the ''job." This book tells us that, with the excep This, as a great nat.ion, we can well do. But, sir, if we were to a{} tion of three or four, the sugar-planters have been eaten up by inter cept the islands as a gift, what would be our position If war be est aml commissions; that their estates have .bankrupted them all tween Great Britain and ns were possible, would the possession of sav-e the few who associated with foreigners, who gave them capital these islands give us strength f No, sir; they would be our weak enough to enable them to escape exorbitant rates of interest and all point. The British fleet of the North Pacific coast rendezvous in Es consuming commissions. Sir, "where the tfeasnre is there the heart is quimaux Bay, a little above the forty ninth paraHel. The British fleet also;" and I have learned to deplore the fact that American citizens of the South Pacific rendezvous in the ports of Australia. Between can go just beyond our borders, invest their capital, and then pene these two ancl in a direct line lie the Hawaiian Islanda; and if we trate these Halls asking us to extend our favorable legislation over can conc.eive England provoking war with the United States or will their untaxed forei~ investments. When New Englanders bought ing to en~age in it, why thon you·will want all your iron-clads, all coal-fields in the Bntish Provinces, we were besieged from year to your mom tors, for coast-guard service, to protect those eleven islands, year to admit coal free of duty or to make a reciprocity treaty. I many of them quite remote from each other. never discussed the duty on coal in connection with or reference to the Gentlemen who now object to making appropriations for the im question of protection; for, consuming as we do nearly forty million provement of our rivers and harbors tell me, will you, what shall be tons a year of anthracite and bituminous coal the 500,000 tons tqat the annual appropriation for making a Gibralt.ar of ea{}h of these entered our ports from the British Provinces could not affect the price eleven islands T ·why the prospect is fearful to contemplate, and they in the general market. But the duty put$n00,000 into our Treasury; who press such considerat.ions upon ns fail to remember that, shonlcl and it made the men who paid it (the foreign producer paid it for the England favor us with war any time in the next ten years, there would privilege of entering our market and selling at whatever price coal be, a.s I have said, such a rush of boys in blue and gray across their ruled) anxious to get our flag and our laws over his country. borders as would make fut.ure generations forget there had been any Now for the job. The e abandoned or undeveloped suga.r-planta war between them, and the Union would be more endurably cementetl tionshave been bought up by American capitalists; and it is they who and the Stars and.Stripes more universally beloved by the American ask us to give, under the guise of a reciprocity treaty, to their foreign people than they have ever been. and untaxable investments whatever protection the duties on sugar Herein, I repeat, lies our true line of coast defense. Let us develop give to the home producer. Would the amount they produce lessen our own fields. Letusstimulatethegrowthof sugar in Florida,Lonisi the price of sugar in our markets T Why, sir, in comparison with the ana, Southern Alabama, and Texas. Let us promote that most be eighty million dollars' worth of sugar, molasRes, melado, and sirup of neficent of all industries, the·sugar-beet, in California, and our North sugar, (for they are all named in the schedule,) the relatively small ern Atlantic and interior States. I read recently, and brought to the amount those islands could produce would do nothing to reduce the attention of the gentleman from Georgia who does me the honor to price by overstocking the market; and the owners, being sagacious listen to me, a statement that one sugarie at Sacramento had produced ' business-men, would sell at the market price. They would pocket 3,000,000 pounds of beet-sugar last year. There are others in th.at State. • the duty; and the ~eneral American market for sugar would regu It is a great industry. It is, gentlemen-and you who represent agri late the price at whteh they would sell, aR it does the Hawaiian sugar cultural districts let me impre s it upon you that you again may im on which we now collect duty. press it upon your people-it is the most beneficent of all agricul- ~ The object and intent, the pith and marrow of this bill is to vote tural industries. It was created by the great Bonaparte when Jiemmed into the pocketR of those recreant American citizens the money that in, the world in arms against him on land and sea, and his people were we now collect and will from year to year collect on Hawaiian sugar, without sugar. Boundless in resource as he was, he said, "France molasses, melaclo, and sirup of sugar. This is the whole story. They will make sugar for herself." He summoned the ablest chemists at hi have nothing else to export to us. They and their Hawaiian or Mon command and submitted to them the question, "Can sugar be made golia.n laborers will want nothing that they do not already take from from the beet; and, if so, how f" He got his reports. He oftered 100,000 us. How much American energy, enterprise, and capital may develop francs to the farmer who would grow the most beets on an acre, and the sugar-plains of those islands, I clnnot tell; but if this bill passes, 100,000 francs to the chemist who would extract the most saccharine the duty on that amount, be it what it may, will have been granted matter from a ton of beets. He soon obtained sugar, which was all at as a subsidy to those American citizens who have invested capital in which he aimed. He did not know that by that fact alone and its in sugar-fields and those Americans who, in order to enable themselves cidents he would be remembered through all time as France's greatest to serve in the court of His Hawaiian Majesty, have denationalized benefactor. themselves. Into their pockets, and theirs alone, will go the duties Yet this is true. For what has been the result t France now ex t.hat should lessen the burdens of our overtaxed people. ports sugar to all the world. French refinerie have uprooted all But gentlemen say that we need these island as au outlying post Briti h refineries, con uming as they did British colonial sugar, and of our country; that if we do not, some other nations will take them. deputations of sugar-growers and sugar-refiners waited upon Michel Sir, do we need Ireland as an outlying post f Queenstown lies as near Chevallier ·the day after he addres ed the .Cobden club in Loll.dou, to to Boston as Honolulu does to San Francisco ; and if we require the remind him that the bonus France gives to her people upon the su-. one to protect our coast, let us seek both. While we are elevating the gar they export was not in accordance with the theories of British free Hawaiian, let ns emancipate the gallant Irishman, who has fought so trade. "But, gentlemen," said Chevallier, "it is one of the means by many of our battles. If the argument of proximity be good in one case, which France is repaying to beT people the taxes she imposed upou it is as good in the other. Queenstown is bnt eight days from Boston, them at an ea.rly day in order to bring this great industry into exist and Honolulu is eight days from San Francisco by om· best steamers. ence. It stimulates production and reduces the price of sngar through The gentleman from New York [Mr. WooD] compared these islands out France." to Bermuda. Bermuda li s at our door; England governs it, au Herein beyond all this is its superior beneficence. Sir, it is fountl never disturbs us. She is under bonds to keep the peace with us. that in the preparation of the ground for tho beet----Jeep plowing and When England offers or .accepts war with us, the Canadas and British rich manuring-the yield in the two succeeding years will be more Columbia will become ours. The "boys in blue" and "the boys in wheat than the same land would have produced under orc.linary cult gray," rallying under the "Stars and Stripes," will intertwine and ure in three years with annual'plowing and fert.ilizing. So that it display to the people their old regimental flags tattered and torn in ha.~ added a new agricnltural-- our domestic war. Yes, under the Stars and Stripes they "rill give .Mr. COX. Will the gentleman allow me a moment f the" rebel yell" and sing Union songs together in the same ranks as Mr. KELLEY. I am drawing to a close. My hour is nearly spent. they overwhelm Canada and make the nort.heru continent of America Mr. COX. Will the gentleman let me ask him a l)nestion f Has it ours forever. [Applause.] The British government understands not been demonstrated that it has cost France three time:.; as much this as well as we do. Let ns declare, a.s Mr. Web, ter proposeu, that to raise beet-sugar as to have purchased her sugars abroad from trop no nation shall take -possession of thoae islands i that they lie there ical climes J 1498 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 1\fAROH 6, Mr. KELLEY. If the gentleman had permitted me to proceed, he the war are earnestly in favor of aU its provision . Sir, it is a singu would have found it otherwise. Sugar to-day can be sent from France lar· coincidence that at the very time the gentleman was making this into the United States and is sent by the hundred thousands of tons -remarkable speech to a meager House, which had met to consider an to England. Why, if colonial sugar can be made cheaper, can France other measure, the Military Committee, of which he complains, were • undersell the British colonists and British refiners in every market of in special session investigating robberies charged to have been com the British Islands T The ~entleman's question is preposterous. mitted, not against the living, but against the dead soliliers of the late But, as I was about saYJng, it has added to the industries of the war. world a new agricultural industry. It gaye us beet-sugar while it Mr. Chairman, a bill containing all. the provi ions of the mea ure · increased the production of wheat; ay, and of hay and cattie. How ·which it is now claimed a committee, the majority of which is com so f why the leaves of the beet are cut, slightly salted, and buried for posed of democrats, should consider and pass in four weeks, was con winter food for cattle. The refuse· or pulp, three tons of it, is found sidered in the last Congress for more than four months before its pas in every country to be equal to two tons of the best hay that country sage, and then defeated by a pocket veto by the President of the United can grow. So land otherwise required to prepare food for cattle grows States, who owes his name and fame to the soldiers whose rights he beets, makes sugar, and feeds cattle; cattle which return a richer fer thus denied. Thus defeated, Mr. Chairman, at a tim.e when Bte War Sec tilizer than any given back to the farmer by hay-fed cattle. Let me retary of the Pt·esident was fattening and growing rich off of the clippings prove this by a historic reference. Grant, in his admirable little volume, made by the post-traders off of the private soldiers' pay. entitled Beet-Root Sugar, says: Mr. Chairman, I do not wish to make furt~er answer. I suppo e, In 1853, when the Emperor and Em:J;lress came to Valenciennes, a trinmpbalarcb sir, the gentleman's speech was made for distribution in his district. was erected, with the following inscription : And, sir, I claim that it is due to the committee, that it is due to this SUGAR lllANUFACTURE. House, that it is due to the gentleman himself, as also to his con Napoloon I, who created it. Napoleon III, who protected it. stituents, to whom he was evidently addressing his remarks, that he Before the manufactnre of beet-sugar Since the manufacture of beet-sugar should correct the misstatements he made in this matter. He should the arondissement of Valenciennes pro- was introduced the arrondissement of say to the people of his district, and to the soldiers throughout the duced 695,750 bushels of wlieat and fat- Valenciennes produces 1,157,750 bushels land, that so far from there having been any disposition on the part tened 700 oxen. of wheat and fattens 11,500 oxen. of the committee to stifle or prevent the consideration of his bill, [Here the hammer fell.] the -subcommittee to which it had been referred-two of the three Mr. HOLMAN. I move that the committee do now rise. being ex-confederate soldiers-had considered it favorably, and that a Mr. BANNING. On Saturday last, while the Hawaiian treaty was similar measure would have been the law of the laud long since but under consideration, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. WOODWORTH] for the action of a republican Senate and President Grant. made what I consider a very serious and unfair criticism on the Mil I think now, Mr. Chairman, and have always thought, that the man itary Committee, and I ask leave at this time to answer it. I ask who attempts to make capital by stirring up prejudices engendered unanimous consent for that purpose. by the late unfortunate war will, in the end, be himself the lo er. There was no objection. The Union soldiers are intelligent men; they know what is right, and Mr. BANNING. I send to the desk to be read a statement of the know full well who are their true fi'iends. And when gentlemen upon gentleman from Ohio [Mr. 'VOODWORTH] in reference to this bill and this floor tvlwse broad backs and strotzg bodies never felt the 1oei,ght of a the Military Committee. knapsack or forty rmmds during the war undertake to make capital by The Clerk read aii follows: complaining of the treatment of U:nion soldiers by a democratic Con Mr. WOODWORTH said: gress, it would be well for them first to surrender their commissions Mr. Speaker, I seize the opportunity offered by the conrtesy of the Committee of aa Congressmen to the men who bared their breasts to the storm of the Whole House, sitting to consider the Hawaiian treaty, to call up for discussion battle-who, since the war is over, indulgA in no bitterness toward House bill No. 1462, granting bounties to the heirs of soldiers of the late war who enlisted for a. less time than one year, and who were killed or died in consequence those against whom they lately fought, but recognize that we are all of the service. This bill was introauced. by my:self on tlre 24th day of January now citizens of a common country, laboring for a common welfare. last, and was referred to the Committee on Military .Affairs, who, 1tp w this time, Sir, before they indulge in complaints of this kind they should first have taken no action whatefler with regard to it. I have reason to 8oJ.lprebend that expunge from the record the order of a republican administration that the partiali~ of the gentlemen who form that adjunct to this House 18 so great for my proposition that they have administered to it a. soporific, and that it is now in gave to Longstreet a better office than he ever held before the war some snu?, pigeon-bole of their committee-room sleeping t.he "sleep that knows not and to Mosby the appointments to office and control of republican breaking. ' . affairs in Virginia. . Mr. BANNING. Mr. Chairman, that is a most unjust, unfair, and Sir, it is a noticeable fact that the men who now strive hardest to untruthful criticism of the Military Committee. keep up the animosities of the late war were, when their services were The gentleman says he introduced his bill on the 24th of January most needed, farthest from the front ; that they, whose hands could · • last, and had it referred to the Military Committee, "who up to this never be persuaded to handle the musket, are now most anxious with time have taken no action whatever with regard to it;" and that he their tongues to keep alive memories that should be forgotten. has reason to apprehend that the bill "is now in some pigeon-hole of Now, Mr. Chairman, I beg pardon for detaining the Honse thus long. the committee-room sleeping the sleep that knows not breaking." I only desired to reply to what I conceived to be an unjust reflection I find on reference to the record-book of the committee that the upon the Military Committee of this House. · bill waa referred to a subcommittee on February 1, six days after Mr. MAcDOUGALL. I desire to be allowed two minutes to address its introduction and two days after it was printed and came to the a question to the gentleman from Ohio, [Mr. BANNING.] committee. There are before the committee thirty-one bills of a The CHAIRMAN. This can only go on by unanimous consent. similar character, all of which, with the. gentleman's bill, have been There is a. motion pending that the committee rise. Is there objection referred to the subcommittee. to the gentleman from New York [Mr. MACDOUGALL] being heard f The subcommittee consists of three members, two of whom have Mr. MAcDOUGALL. I ask uaanimous consent for two minutes. told me that they are ready to report the bill to the committee Mr. WOODWORTH. I desire to be heard. favorably. Mr. HOLMAN. I think if the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. WOOD l'hese bills, Mr. Chairman, involve the expenditure of more than WORTH] desires to be heard it is only fair that he should be. twenty millions of money. The gentleman's bill has been in the Mr. MAcDOUGALL. Will the gentleman yield to me for a mo hands of the committee for a little more than four weeks. Since it mentf came there he has never been before the. committee to ask or learn The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Ohio [Mr. WOODWORTH] the fate of it, to give any reasons or arguments for its passage, or to asks unanimous consent that he may be heard. inquire if it had been ·conRidered. I have not found a single member l\Ir. HAMILTON, of New Jersey. I object. of the committee of whom he has made any inquiry whatever re Several MEMBERS. Shame! Fair play! garding it, while some of the committee tell. me they have not even The CHAIRMAN. This can only proceed by unanimous consent, .the honor of his acquaintance; and but for the privileges of the Sat and objection is made. urday's debate even his constituents might have forgotten that he 1\fr. WOODWORTH. I have only one word to say; that is all. was here. The records of the committee-room are .open to his inspec Mr. HOLMAN. I hope objection will not be made to the gentleman tion, where he might have learned the bill was being considered, and being heru:d. · that a majority of the subcommittee had agreed to report favorably Mr. WOODWORTH. I only rose to say a single word, and I think upon it. . the House will bear with me for a moment while I do so. In the face of all this the gentleman stated to this House in his Mr. HOLMAN. I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from speech that his bill had been put in a pigeon-hole of the committee Ohio [Mr. WOODWORTH] be heard. room to sleep the "sleep that knows not breaking." Now, Mr. Chair There was no objection. man, while I am willing to be charitable regarding the misst~tements Mr. WOODWORTH. l\Iy colleague [Mr. BANNING] bas soon fit to of the gentleman as to the action of tl)e committee on his bill, and be read a very long paper to me, and I hope it will be profitable to me lieve that he has been asleep and is ignorant and not willful in his so far as there is any profit in it. If he had taken the pains to read statements, I would like to know, sir, what reason the .~entleman has a. little further in the speech from which he quoted, that I delivered to apprehend that his bill had been pigeon-holed by tne committee. here last Saturday, he would have seen that I intended no arraign Had be asked me, I would have told him t.hat the two members from ment of his committee-the Committee on Military Affairs. this side of the House on the subcommittee were in favor of its pro Mr. BANNING. To arraign a man, and then tell him ·you do not visions, had a report ready to make to the committee, and that I did mean it, is not very plea ant. not know of any opposition to it in the co:rpmittee, and also that the Mr. WOODWORTH. The gentl~rn~ weu,ld not yield, and~ do n:q~ members of the coiillllittee who were in the co:Qf~qerate army during wish him to interrupt me. · ' · 1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 1499 If, sir, the fact of the introduction of a bill o.n the 24th of Januru.-y, CHANGE OF REFERENCE. and the failure of the committee to make any report upo;n it, or to On motion of Mr. BANNING, by unanimous consent, the Commit communicate in any way with the author of the bill, intimat,ing to tee on Military Affairs was discharged from the fnrther consideration him that he has an opportunity of being heard before that commit of a letter of the Secret.ary of War in relation to a bridge across the tee, would not just.ify the suspicion to which I gave expression in Missouri River at Sioux City, Iowa, and the same was referred to the that part of my speech quoted by the gentleman, then I do not under Committee on Commerce. stand the force and efl'ect of such great delays. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Mr. BANNING. Did the gentleman ever undertake to communi- By unanimous consent, leave of absence was granted for ten days to cate with me f Mr. KIMBALL; the leave of ab ence heretofore granted to Mr. McFAR Mr. WOODWORTH. I am very glad now to learn that our Military LAND was extended for one week; to Mr. HYMAN for five days; to Committee is in favor of the bill which the gentleman has referred Mr. BLAIR until the 16th instant; and to Mr. WALKER, of Virginia, to, and which was discussed by myself in my remarks last Saturday. for one week. I should have been g_lad to have learned that before. WITHDRAWAL OF PAPERS. 1\!r. BANNING. 'rhe gentleman knows it now. Mr. WOODWORTH. I am a little apprehens.ive, )lowever, that By unanimous consent, leave was granted to Mr. KING to withdraw the gentleman's statement in that regard may be somewhat in the from the files of the House the papers in the case of James M. Hoes nature of his loose and remarkable stat-ement as to the President's ton. vetoing the bounty bill of last winter. I f ar that this is as apocry- E~'"ROLLED BILLS . . phal a.s his statement in regard to the veto, though for the sake of the Mr. HARRIS, of Georgia, from the Committee on Emolled Bills, re victims of the war I hope not. Let me say to the chairman of the ported that the committee had examined and found truly emolled Military Committee, what the chairman of the Military Committee of bills of the following titles; when t.be Speaker signed the same : this House it seems to me ought to know, that no bounty bill was ever An act(H. R. No. 29)for therelief of First Lieutenant HemyJack vetoed by President Grant, and that the bounty bill of last Congress son, Seventh Cavalry, United States Army; passed the House and passed the Senate, but failed because of a mis An act (S. No. 2'25) granting six hundred and forty acres of land to take in the conference committee's report. And I am surprised 111at the widow and heirs of James Sinclair, deceased; and my colleague is not familiar with this fact. If the interests of · 'ur An act (S. No. 416) for the relief of C. H. Frederick, late a lieuten nnbouutied soldiers and soldiers' widows and orphans is to rest upon ant-colonel in the Ninth Missouri Infantry. the pleasure of a committee whose chairman knows so little of the MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE. history of a Congress of which be was a member, I am sorry. That A messaO'e from the Senate, by l\Ir. SYMPSON, one of its clerks, an is all I desire to say. nounced the passage of an act (H. R. No. 2'270) to provide for the pur The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the motion of the gentleman chase of material aml for the continuation of the work on the build from Indiana, [.Mr. HOLMAN,] that the committee do now rise. ing of a custom-boose and post-office at Saint Louis, Missouri, with · The motion was agreed to. amendments, in which the concurrence of the House was requested. The committee accordingly rose; and Mr. Cox having taken the chair as Speaker p1·o tempore, Mr. SAYLER reported that the Committee ORDER OF BUSI:NESS. of the Whole, pursuant to the order of the House, bad had onder con The question was upon Mr. SouTHARD'S motion that the House do . sideration the bill (H. R. No. 612) to carry into effect a convention now adjourn. between the United States of America and His Majesty the King of Mr. PAGE. I ask for the yeas and nays on the motion to adjourn; the Hawaiian Islands, signed on the 30th day of January, 1875; and but if the gentleman will yield to me to introduce a resolution, I will had come to no resolution thereon. then have no objection to his motion. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Mr. SOUTHARD. I cannot yield. Mr. PAGE. Then I ask for the yeas and nays. Mr. BUCKNER, by unanimous consent, submitted the following The yeas and nays were ordered. . resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to: Mr. PAGE. I would again appeal to the gentleman from Ohio to .Resolved, That the Committee on the Judiciary be directed to inquire whether allow me to offer a resolution. _any person then or now au officer of the Go..-ernment of the United ::;t,ates or of the SOUTHARD. There have been twenty such appeals made to District of Columbia, or any person or persons in the employ of the (iQvernment Mr. of the United States or of said District, or other person or persons, has or have used me, and I cannot yield. or attempted to USft any corrupt or other improper means to obstrnct, impede, or Mr. PAGE. There bas been no resolution offered from this side of defeat the administration of the law in any of th' courts held in said District, and ~pecially with reference to appeals from tne Court of Claims to the Supreme Court t he House. of the United States and in the recent trial and proceedings in the so-called" safe. . Mr. STONE. I object to debate. burglary conspiracy," and that said committee shall have power to send for per· Mr. PAGE. No one has been able to be recognized on this side of sons anO. papers, to administer oaths, and to sit during the session of the House, the House. and shall have leave to report at any time. Mr. STONE. I object to debate. WffiSKY TRIAL . The question was taken on Mr. SouTHARD's motion; and there were-yea.s 121, nays 69, not voting 99; as follows : Mr. KNOTT, by unanimous consent, submitted the following resolu YEAS-Messrs. Ainsworth, Anderson, Ashe, Atkins, John II. lla:rley, jr., tion; which was read,-considered, and :tgreed to : Banks, Banning, Barnnm, Beebe, Bell, Bla.ckbnrn, Blount, Boone, Bright, Buckner, .Resolved, That special committee of seven be appointed to inquire whether any Samuel D. Burchard, Cabell, John H. Cahlwell, William P. Caldwell, Campbell, officer or official of the Govemment of the United States, or any person or persons Caulfield, Chittenden, John B. Clarke, of Kentucky, Jolm B. Clark, jr., of Mis in the emplo;r of tho GQverument, or connected therewith, have in any way advised, souri, Clymer, Cochrane, Collins, Cook, Cowan, Culberson, Cutler, Dans, De Bolt, counseled \Vlth, or, directly or indirectly, verbally or in writing communicated to, Dibrell, Durham, Eden, Egbert, Faulkner, Forney, Franklin, Gause, Gillson, Glo any of the defendants or the friends, agents or attomeys of them, in the prosecu· ver, Goode, Gunter, Andrew H. Hamilton, Robert Hamilton, H nry R. HaiTis, John tions recently tried in the city of Saint Louis, Missouri, any of the l>Jans, facts~ T. Harri8, Harrison, Hartridge, Hatcher, Haymond, Abram S. llewitt, Goldsmith papers. or other evidence on which the Govemment relied, or it was believed woula \V. Hewitt, Hill, Hooker, Hopkins, Hoil.se, Htmton, Hurd, Jenks, Kchr, Knott, La rely in conducting so~id prosecutions. Said committee shall ascertain whether any mar, George M. Landers, Lane, Levy, Lewis, Lord, LuttreU, Lymlc, L. A.l'tiackey, attempt was at any time made uy any officer or official of the Government, other Maish, McMahon, Meade, Milliken, Mills, Morl!an. Morri on, Mutchler, eat, ew, than the district attorney and his assL~tants, to interfere with, advise concerning, Parsons, John F. Philips, Poppleton, Randall, Rea, Reagan, John Reilly, Rice, Rid or in any way control tho conduct of saitl prosecutions or any of them. Tbe com dle, John Robbins, William M . Robbins, Savage, Sa.;\Uer, Scales, Schleicher, Sheak· mittee shall have power to send for persons and papers, cause the attendance of wit· ley, Slemons, Southard, Stenger, Stone, Teese, Thompson. Throckmnrton, Tucker, nesses, administer oath , sit during the s ion of the House, and report their pro Turney, John L. Vance, Rob rt B. Vance, Walsh, Ward, \Varren, Era.stus W Lis, ceedings to the House for action at any time. They ball reduce to wtiting and Whitthorne, Wike. Alpheus S. Williams, James D. Williams, Jeremiah N. Will return with their report all evidence taken before them and all exhibits fill'd. iams, Willis, and Yeates-121. NAYS-Messrs. Adams, John H. Baker, Ballou, Bass. Blaine, llrailley, Horatio OI!DER OF BUSI"8ESS. C. Burchard, Cannon, Cason, Caswell, Conger, Crapo, Danford, Davy, Denison, Douglas, Dunnell, Eames, Fort, :Foster, Freeman, Frost, Hardcnborgh, Hendee, Mr. SOUTHARD. I move that the Honse do now adjourn. Henderson, Hoar, Hoskins, Hubbell, Hunter, Joyce, Kelley, Ketchum, 1!1:anklin Mr. PAGE. Will the gentleman yield to allow me to offer a reso Landers, Leavenworth, Lynch, MacDougall, McCrary, McDill, Miller, .1: ash, Nor ton, Oliver, William A. Phillips, Pierce, Pottet·, Robin on, Sobieski Ross, Rusk, lution T Sampson, Sinnickson, A. Herr Smith, William E. Smith Ste\cnson, Thornburgh, Mr. SOUTHARD. I am willing to yield to the gentleman from Martin I. Townsend, Washington Townsend, Tuft , Van Vorht>s, Alexander S. Arkansas [Mr. GAUSE] to introduce a bill for reference only. Wallaee, John W. Wallace, Walls, G. Wiley Wells, Whit.e, Whitmg, Willard, Mr. GAUSE. I ask unanimous consent to ifltroduce a bill to estab William B. Williams, James Wilson, Alan Wood, jr., and Woodworth-69. lish ·certain post-routes in the St<1te of Ark::wsas. NOT VOTING-Mes81's. Bagby, George 'A. Ba~Jey, William H . .Baker, Blair, Bland, Bliss, Bradford, John Youn"' Brown, William R. Brown. Burleigh, Candler, The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman can do that under the Cate, Chapin, Cox, Crounse, Darra'l.i, Dobbins, Durand, Ellis, Ely, Evans, Farwell, rnle at the de k. Felton, Frye, Fuller, Garfield, Goodin, Hale, Hancock, Haralson, Benjamin \V. Mr. PAGE. I do not suppose that the gentleman want.s to cut this Harris, Hartzell, Hathorn, Hays, Henkle, Hereford, Hoge, Holman, Hurlbut, Hy side of the House off from the opportunity of offering resolutions. man, Frank Jones, Thomas L. Jones, Kasson, Kiml•all, Kin••, Lapllam, Lawrence, Edmund W. M. Mackey, Magoon, McFarla.ml, Metcalfe, Money, Monroe, Morev, Mr. RUSK. I call for the regular order of business. O'Brien, Odell, O'Neill, Packer, Page, Payne, Phelps, Piper. Plaisted, Platt, Powell; Mr. PAGE. Will not the gentleman from Ohio yield to me for a Pratt, Purman, Rainey, James B. Reilly, Roberts, Miles Ross, chum.aker, Seelye, momentf Singleton, Smalls, Sparks, Springer, 'trait, Stowell, Swann, Tarbox, Terry, '£homas, The SPEAKER pro tempore. The regular order of business is de- Waudell, Waldron, Charles C. B. WalkHr, Gilbert C. Walker, Walling, Wheeler, Whitehouse, Wigginton, Andrew Williams, Charles G. Williams, James William!!, manded by gentlemen on that side of the House. Wilshire, Benjamin Wilson, Fernando Wood, Woodburn, and Young-9° Mr. PAGE. By gentlemen on this side of the House 1 Mr. RUSK. I will withdraw the call for the regular order. So the motion was agreed to. Mr. STONE. I demand the regular order of busine&s. During the call of the roll, 1500 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. J\t!AUOH 6, I 1\Ir. CASON said: The gentleman from Ohio, Mr. LAWRENCE. and post-routes in .A.rkansa~, as follows: From Mariana toConncilBend; the gentleman from Kansas, Mr. GoODIN, are absent and paired. If from Poplar Grove to Mariana; from Poplar Grove to Brinkley; from present Mr. LAWRENCE would vote" no," and Mr. GOODIN" ay." Lonoke to Pine Bluff; from Mariana to Moro ; from Table Rock to LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Pineville; from Powhatan to Kidwell; from Brinkley to Palmer Station ; from De Witt to Willamette, to the Committee on the Post- Before the result of the vote was announced, Office and Post-Roads. . Mr. BAGBY was granted_leave of absence for ten days. By Mr. GIBSON: The petition of members of the Medical and Surg WITHDRAWAL OF PAPERS. ical Association of Plaquemine Pari.Mh, Louisiana, for ~he introduc 1\Ir. SMITH, of Pennsylvania, asked and obtained leave for the tion of the cinchona tree in tho United States, to the Committee on withdrawal from the files of the House of the papers in the case of Agriculture. · Abram Eshelman, for a pension. By Mr. GOODE: Papers relating to the claim of Mrs. Mary E. ORDER OF BUSINESS. Twiford, for services rendered in giving information prior to the land ing of the Federal troops engaged in the capture of Norfolk, Vir Mr. STONE. I withdraw my objection to the resolution. of the ginia, and for losses sustained from the confederates in consequence, gentleman from California, [Mr. PAGE.] to the Committee on Military Affairs. Mr. SOUTHARD. I renew the objection, and insist upon the regu By Mr. GOODIN: The petition of citizens of Kansas, for the re lar or North Carolina, to Penn's store, Virginia, to the Committee on the Post PETITIONS Al\TJ> MEMORIALS. Office and Post-Roads. Mr. SAULSBURY presented a petition of citizens of Delaware, By M.r. SOUTHARD: The petition of Nancy A. Hammond, for a praying for an improvenent of the navigation of tl:re Jones Creek anu pension, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. · Dover River, in that State; which was referred to the Committee on By Mr. STEVENSON: The petition of 150 citizens of McLean Commerce. County, Illinois, for the repeal of the specie-resumption a{lt, to the 1\Ir. McMILLAN presented the memorial of John Schroeder, in Committee on Banking anu Currency. favor of an amendment of the homestead law, so a to save innocent By Mr. STRAIT: The petition of W. H. Jewell and others, for an settlers f.rQm the rules and regulations of the General Land Office; extension of time for homestead or timber-culture entri.es upon Gov which was referred to the Comlllittee on Pnulic Lands. ernment lands, to the Committe on Public Lands. Mr. KERNAN presented the petition of llomce L. Eme.J:y, praying Also, the petition of S. G. Anclerson and 43 others, for the mainte for the extension of his patent for improvement iu cotton-ginning nance of the present rate of duty on linseed and linseed oil, to the Com machines: which was refened to the Committee on Patents. mittee of Ways and Means. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN presented the petition of George Whit By Mr. TOWNSEND, of Pennsylvania: Remonstrance of Samuel taker, late a private in Company C, Twelfth Regiment New Jer · y Bancroft, John Mason, jr., James Stephens, J. W. Kenworthy, and Volunteers, praying re!:!toration of pay and ·an honorable uischarge '; near 300 other manufacturers ancl mechanics of .Delaware County, which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. Pennsylvania, against the passage of auy act reducing the duties on He also presented the petition of Mrs. Martha Ir-win, of Camden imported articles that enter into competition with American manu City, New Jersey, praying for an increase of pension; which was re facturers, to the same committee. fened to the Committee on Pensions. By Mr. V ~CE, of North Carolina: A paper relating to a post-route Mr. INGALLS presented the petition of E. Valctou de Boissiere, a from Shelby to Marion, North Carolina, to the Committee on the Post citizen of FI·anklin County, Kansas, praying t.lle pa sage of a law Office and Post-Roads. placing machinery for manufacturittg raw silk imported into the · Also, remonstrance of the Whitney Sewing-Machine Company, United States on tho free list; which wa.a referred to the Committee ~~ainst an extension of letters-patent granted November 12, 18GO, to on Finance. Allen B. Wilson, to the Committee on Patents. Mr. WHYTE presented the petition of llodyer Bros. ; Hamilton By Mr. WAD DELL: A paper relating to a post-route from Dun Easter & Co., and other merchants of Baltimore, Maryland, praying darch to Lumber Bridge, North Carolina, to the Committee on the that the bankrupt· law be not repealed, but amended; which was re Post-Office and Post-Roads. fened to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. WALLING: The petition of John W. Rickey and 65 other The PRESIDENT pro tempore present-ed a memorial of the Legisla citizens of Fairfield County, Ohio, for the unconditional repeal of the ture of Wisconsin, in favor of the establishment of a tri-weekly mail specie-resumption act, to the_Committee on Banking and Cunency. route from Marquette, i~ the county of Green Lake, via Kingston, to By ?tfr. WELLS, of Missouti: The petition of Henry Zeas, for a Portage, in Columbia County; which was referred to the Committee pension, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. on Post-Offices and Post-Roads. Also, memorial of the Mexican Veterans with the proceedings of Mr. WRIGHT. Some days since I had the honor to present a bill their convention at Saint Louis, on February 23, 1S76, to the Commit granting a pension to Armstead Goodlow, which wa referred to the tee on Reovolutionary Pensions. Committee on Pensions. I now present a petition and accompanying By Mr. WHITTHORNE: The petition of the heirs of Matthew Al papers in support of the bill. I move their reference to the Commit lison, for the refunding of money unlawfully taken from said Matthew tee on Pensions. Allison by the military officers of the United States ancl transmitted The motion was agreed to. to the Secretary of the Treasury, t.o the Committee on War Claims. By Mr. WILLARD: The petition of 143 citizens of Homer, :Michi REPORTS OF CO~miTIEES. gan~ that authority be granted to construct a briuge across the riYer Mr. INGALLS. The Committee on the District of Columbia, to at Detroit, Michigan, to the Committee on Commerce. whom were referred the bill (S. No. 100) to establish an insurance cle Also, the petition of 4 citizens of Vermontville, :Michigan, of simi partment aml to provide for the incorporation and regulation of in lar import, to the- same committee. surance companies in the District of Colub:lbia, and the bill (S. No. By Mr. A. S. WILLIAMS: Papers relating to the petition of Emily U:!l) to amend section 593 of the Revised Statutes relating to the Dis E. Weiss, for a pension, to the Committee on lnvalicl Pensions. trict of Columbia, and for other purposes, have instructed me to re Also, the petition of Alfred Rowland, to be relieved from the charge port a bill in the nature of a substitute for both of the e bills. I a k of desertion, to the Committee on Military Affairs. that the new bill may be read and placed upon the Calen,dar and printed, and that the bills No. 100 and No. 181 may be indefinitely postponed. The bill (S. No. 569) to provide for the incorporation and regula tion of insurance companies in the District of Columbia was read and pas ed to the second reading. IN SENATE. The PRESIDENT pm tempore. The other bills will be postponed TUESDAY, Ma'rch indefinitely, if there be no objection. 7, 1876. Mr. PAD DOCK. I am instructed by the Committee on Public Lands, Prayer by Rev. A. WOODBURY, of Providence, Rhode Island. to whom wa.a referred the bill (S. No. 256) to confirm certa,in school The Journal of yesterday's proceedings was read and approved. indemnity selections of public lands by the State of Nebraska, tore port it without amendment. I send to the desk with the bill a letter EXECUTIVE COM.."\IUNICATIO~. from the Commissioner of the General Land Office, which is a snfficiimt The PRESIDENT pro ternpo're laid before the Senate a letter from expfanation of the bill, and I ask for its pre ent consideration. tbe Acting Secretary of War, trausmitting a letter from Major John The PRESIDENT :pro ttmt)Jm·e. The bill will be reported at length J. Upham, Fifth Cavalry, stating that section 2139 of the Revised for information, subject to objection. Statutes is by the ruling of the United States district court regarded The Chief Clerk read the bill. as excepting Indians from the penalty of introducing intoxicating The PRESIDENT pro tempm·e. The Secretary will read the letter liquors into the Indian Territory, and inviting the attention of Con of the Commissioner of the General Land Office. · gress to the recommendation of Major Upham for such legislation as The Secretary read as follows : will correct the evil. . DEPARTMENT OF THE h""TERIOR, GENERAL LAl\"TI OFFICE, The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The communication will berefened to lf"aehington, D. 0., February 8, 1876. the Committee on Indian Affairs, and printed, if there be no objection. SIR: In reference to Senate bill No. 256, entitlerl "A bill to confirm certain school indemnity s lections of public lands by the State of Nebraska," which you filed in Mr. CONKLING. I venture to call the attention of the Chair to this Office for an expression of my views thereon, I have the honor to state that it the propriety of sending the communication to the Committee on the appears that Nebraska, having the Ii~ht to select schoollanils lmder the acts of 20th Revision o'f the Laws, and I will assign my reason to the Chair, which May, 18"26, and 26th F ebruary, 1859. (now section.'i 2275 and 2l7Gof the Revised Stat can then be judged of. It is desirable that corrections, if there be utes) as indemnity for lands in sections 16 and 36, granted for schools, l>u.t which were otherwise dispo ed of on account of pre-emption claims arA}nired prior to sur such in the statutes, should, as many as may, be embraced in some vey, or from other causes, selected certain lands a such indemnity, ancl ou th ir one bill and should not be found scattered over the statute-book. being reported to this Office and examined here, the selections, to the amount of The Committee on the Revision of the Laws ! ·understand is engaged 31 ,6L1.8G oores, were found to embrace tracts lying within tlle alternate sections re assiduously in collecting these instances. Therefore if the chairman served to the United States in acts of Con!!ress making land ~ - a.nts for railroad purposes, and the price thereof fixed at >2.50 per aero and which come under the of the Committee on Indian Affairs, who I see in his seat, should operation of the act of Congress of March 6, 186 , providing that the lands tht'rein agree with me, I should feel more confident than I did at first in sug referred to shall be subject only to entry under the pre-emption and homestea-tllaws. gesting the propriety of sending this communication to the Commit This Office holds that where, as in this e-ase, the sectious 16 and 3G approp1-iatetl tee on the Revision of the Laws that they might embrace it in their for schools lie within the limits of railroad grants, and selections ar-e to ue rua•le of indemnity for tracts lying thereL which ha.nl been otherwise di.lJOsed of. this may general bill rather than have it go separately. be done :from the alternate reserved sections, within the same limits, the pl"ice of Mr. ALLISON. It always gives me pleasure to agree with the Sen which is fix:etl at 2.50 per acre, where there is no e:J>.-press provi ion of law to pro ator from New York, especially on this subject. I think the commu vent it; but in the case of these selections, the prohibition contained in the act of nication bad better go to the Committee on the Revision of the Laws. March 6, 1868, of any other dispo al of the lands than such a is prodded for in the pre-emption and homestead laws, stands in the way of the approval thereof; that · The PRESIDENT pro ternpm·e. That reference will be made, if prohibition extending to the even-nnmuered sections along the t·outes of the sevBml there be no objection. roaclu mentioned in the act of July 1, U3G2, entitled, "An act to aid in Lhe consr.ruc-