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1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- SENATE. 1965

.Also, the petition of Daniel S. Lukens, Howard Preston, and other other citizens of New York, praying for the prohibition of the man­ citizens of Chester County, Pennsylvania, of similar import, to the ufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors in the District of Columbia and same committee. the Territories ; which was referred to the Committee on the District .Also, the petition of Jesse Hicken, for a pension, to the Committee of Columbia. on Invalid Pensions. He also presented the memorial of J ohn G. Reither, Edward T. Ja-ck­ By Mr. WHITING : The petition of 555 legal voters of Illinois and son, and 11 other business men of Brooklyn, New York, remon trating 444 women over the age of eighteen years, to prohibit the manu­ against the 1·epeal of the ba,nkrupt act; which was referred to the facture and _sale of alcoholic liquors as a beverage in the Di trict of Committee on Finance. Columbia and Territories of the United States, and to require total He also presented the petition of William .M. Whitney and George n.bstinehce on the part of all officers and subordinates in the civil and T . .May,·praying for a just and equitable disposition of the money military service of the United S ates ; and to appoint a commission awarded to the United States by the tribunal of arbitration at Ge., to investigate and report the effects of the liquor traffic on the health, neva; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. intelligence, industry, property, crime, and pauperism; also upon tax­ 1\fr. BOUTWELL presented the petition of the First Methodist ation, revenue, and general welfare of the people of the United States, chmch of Chelsea, Massachusetts, signed by pa-stor and officer ; pray­ to the Committee of Ways and Means. ing for prohibitory legislation for t he District of Columbia and the By l\Ir. WIGGINTON : The petition of citizens of Inyo County, Territories, the prohibition of the foreign importation of alcoholic California, for relief, to the Committee on Public Lands. liquors, that total abstinence be made a condition of the civil, military, By Mr. WILLIAMS, of New York: Remonstrance of Lawrence Bar­ and naval service, and for a constitutional amendment to prohibit groves and others, against any change in the tariff laws, to the Com­ the traffic in alcoholic beverages throughout the national domain; mittee of Ways and Means. which was referred to the Comrruttee on the District of Columbia. By 1\fr. WOOD, of Pennsylvania. The petition of J. B. Moorhead Heal o presented the petition of Rev. H . T. Cheever, H. R. Greene, and 68 other citizens of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, of similar and other citizens of Worcester, Massachusetts, praying for the pro­ import, to the same committee. - hibition of the manufa-cture and sale of alcoholic liquor in the Dis­ trict of Columbia and the Territories; which was referred to the Com­ mittee on the District of Columbia. Mr. BOUTWELL. I present a joint resolution of the Legislature of Massachusetts in regard to the metric system of weights and meas­ IN SENATE. ures, which I ask ma.y be I'ead and referred to the Committee on Finance. M ONDAY_, lJfarch 27, 1876. The PRESIDENT p1·o tempore. The resolution will be reported and referred to the Committee on Finance, if there be no objection. . Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. BYRON SUNDERLAND, D. D. The Chief Clerk read as follows : · · The Journal of the proceedings of Friday last was read and ap­ COMMOYWEALTH OF 1\fA.ssACHUSETI'S. proved. In the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six. EXECUTIVE CO:Ml\fill\TICATIONS. Resolution· in favor of the introduction of the metric system of weights ru1d The PRESIDENT pro tempo1·e laid before the Senate a letter from measures. the Secretary of War, tra,nsmitting, for the information of the Com- Resolved, That the Senators and Representatives in Congress from this Common­ . mittee on :Military Affairs, a, communication from George R. Cecil, sec­ wealth are hereby requested to forward by all legitimate means the introduction ond lieutenant Thirteenth Infantry, relative the reduction of the of the metric system of weights and mea ures as the sole legalized stru1dard to throughout the United States. pa,y of second lieutenants, giving his objections thereto, with an in­ R esolved, That the governor be, and he is hereby, reqnested to ta:ansnlit to each of dorsement by his post commander; which was referred to the Com- the Senators and Representatives in Congress a popy of the f01·egoing resolution. mittee on lliitary Affairs, and ordered to be printed. . HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, March 3, 1876. He also laid before the Senate a, letter· from the Secretary of War, Passed: sent up for concurrenoo. transmitting a communication from the Commissary-General of Sub­ GEORGE A. MARDEN, Olerk. sist ence, dated the 20th instant, asking for an early appropriation of SENATE, 1!arch 9, 1816. $300,000 on account of subsistence of the .Army for the fiscal year Passed in concurrenoo. commencing July 1, 1876, with authority to expend the amount ap­ S. N . GIFFORD, Olerk. propria,ted during the current fiscal year, to enable the Subsistence SECRETARY'S D.IU' AR~"T, BOSTON, March 24, 1876. Department to purchase supplies for the remote posts in Arizona, New A true copy. Mexico, Texas, Montana, a,nd Dakota, during the months of .April and HE};'"RY B. PEIRCE, May, 1 76, in order to reach those posts early in the next fiscal year; Secretary of the Commonwealth. which was referred to the Committee on .Appropriations, and ordered :Mr. CHRISTIANCY presented a. memorial of the bar of Ea-st Sag­ to be printed. inaw, Michigan, in reference to the Federal courts in that State; PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS. which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. C.A.l\IERON, ofPennsylva,nia, presented two petitions of citizens M..r. CAMERON, of Wisconsin, presented the petition of J . C. Pen­ of Blair County, Pennsylvania,; two petitions of citizens of Phila,­ berthy and other citi zeus of Wi cousin, praying for a general law to delphia, Pennsylvania; a petition of workingmen of Dauphin County, prohibit the liquor traffic within the na,tionalj urisdiction; which was P ennsylvania; two petitions of workingmen of Montgomery County, referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia. Pennsylvania; three petitions of workingmen of Lawrence County, He also presented the petition of M. F. Taylor and other citizens of P enn ylvania; apetitionofworkingmenofHuntingdon County,Penn­ Wisconsin, praying for the prohibition of the manufacture and sale sylvuia; a petition of workingmen of Berks County, Pennsylvania; of alcoholic liquors in· tbe District of Columbia and the Territories; a petition of workingmen of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania; and a which was referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia. petition of workingmen of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, praying Mr. WRIGHT presented the petition of I aac Herring, of Polk that the tariff laws may rema,in undisturbed; which were referred to County, Iowa, prayin_J? to be allowed a pension; which was referred the Committee on Finance. to the Committee on .t'eru;ions. He also presented the memorial of Samuel Riddle, William Simpson, Mr. EDMUNDS. I present the petition and remonstrance of sun­ John Ledward, J.P. Crozier, and G20 other manufacturers, mechanics, dry citizens of Washington, against railroacls on the public grounds, and citizens of County, Pennsylvania, remonstrating against &c., which I ask may be referred to the Committee on Public Build­ the pa sage of any act reducing'the duties on imported articles that ings and Grounds. I introduced illst week a bill for the removal of enter in~ competition with American manufactures; which was re­ the railroa-ds on the pul:)lic grounds, which, I understand, was re­ ferred to the Committee on Finance. ferred contrary to my motion to the Committee on the District of 1\fr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I present the memorial of workingmen of Columbia. I understand that that matter properly belongs to the Pas aic, New JerseyJ remonstrating against the propo.sed change in Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, and I move a change of the tariff laws. I observe they sa,y in their petition that while they reference. are rea-dy to bear With I'eSolution their share of the depression which The PRESIDENT pro tempore~ The Chair hears no objection and exists all over the world, that resolution will be changed to despair that change of reference will be made. This petition will be referretl if the proposed tariff bill passes. I move the reference of the petition to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. to the Committee on Finance. 1\fr. CONKLING. I present a memorial signed by many busine s. The motion was agreed to. men, leading citizens of the county of Clinton, in the State of New Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN presented a petition of pensioners of the York, saying that they observe with alarm the introduction of a scheme­ United State , residinginNew Jersey, praying that Congress in defer­ for tariff reduction a,nd revision; which, in very earnest language,. ence to their interests will not pass a law changing the pre ent mode they protest against. I move the reference of this memorial' to the­ of paying pensions; which was referred to the Select Committee to Committee on Finance. Examine the Several Branches of the Civil Service. · The motion was agxeed to. Mr. KERNAN presented a petition of the Lodge of Good Templars Mr. W ITHERS pre ented the petition of Weisiger & Co., .A.. L~ of Brooklyn, New York, praying for the prohibition of the manufac­ .A..llett & Co., and other merchants and business men of Richmon

1966 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. MARCH 27,

tition of the Vh·ginia Military Institute, praying compensation for charging works at Fort Blakely, Alabama; which waa referred to the building, library, and cientific apparatus burned by order of Gen­ Committee on Pensions. eral Hunter, commanding United States troops, during the late war; He also presented the petition of citizens of Decatur, Illinois, pray­ which was referred to the Committee ou Claims. ing Congress to maintain the present rate of duty on linseed and lin­ Mr. MAXEY presented a joint resolution of the Legislature of Texas seeu oil ; which waa referred to the Committee on Finance. instructing her Senators and requesting her Representatives to urge He also presented the petition of H. A. Mills, and 38 other citizens upon Congress the early and favorable consideration_of the claims of Mount Carroll, Illinois, praying Congress for the removal of the two­ upon the people's gratitude of those who rendered service in the cent United States stamp tax on bank-checks; which was referred to Army and Navy of the United States in the Mexican war; which was the Committee on Finance. referred to the Committee on Pensions. He also presented the petition of Harris B. Lovell, of Kane, Greene •Mr. MAXEY. I also present the petition of John G. Walker, of County, Illinois, formerly a private in the One hundred and twenty­ Texas, praying for the removal of his political disabilities. I will say second Regiment· of Illinois Infantry, praying to be allowed a pen ion; that I have known G.eneral Walker smce 1846, and he is an honora­ which was referred to the Committee on Pensions. ble gentleman. I commend his prayer to the consideration of the 1\ir. MORTON presenteu the memorial of William H. English and Committee on the Judiciary, to which I move that the petition be other citizens of Indiana, praying that the tariff laws may remain un­ referred. disturbed; which was referred to the Committee on Finance. The motion was agreed to. Mr. SPENCER presented the petition of James G. Naylor, praying Mr. WALLACE presented three petitions from citizens of Mifilin that he may be allowed to complete the work of building the ''Western County, Pennsylvania, praying that the tariff laws may be undis­ market," in the city of Washington, in accordance with his contra-ct turbed for the present ; which were referred to the Committee on Fi­ heretofore made with the District commissioners; which waa referred nance. to the Committee on the District of Columbia. 1\Ir. BOGY presented a petition of pensioners of the United States, residents of the State of Missomi, praying for the continuance of the REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. present system of paying pensions; which was referred to the Select 1\Ir:WRIGHT, from the Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was Committee to Examine the Several Branches of the Civil Service. · referred the bill (H. R. No. 1589) to amend section .190 of the Revised Mr. THURMAN. I present a petition of twenty-six persons who Statutes, submitted an a~ verse report thereon; which was ordered to were lately soldiers in the Union Army, who represent that in the late be printed, and the bill was postponed indefinitely. war each of them lost an eye, and pray for the relief-that is mentioned He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred the bill in the petition. The petition is short, and I ask that it may be read. ( S. No. 422) to amend section 190 of the Revised Statutes, .reported The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Secretary will report it. adversely thereon, and the bill was postponed indefinitely. The Chief Clerk read as follow_s: Mr. HAMLIN, from the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads, To the honorable the Se-nate and House of Representatives of the United States of Amer­ to whom wa,g referred a resolution of the Senate directing that com: ica. in Oongress asse-mbled : mittee to inquire into some mode of bringing the Post-Office Depart­ We, the Widersigneu, citizens of the United States, do respectfully and humbly ment nearer to a self-sustaining baais, reported a bill (S. No. 6GO) fix­ petition your honoraulo bodies, and would rcprc ent that durin~ the" ci"vil war of ing the rate of postage on third-class mail matter, and for other pur­ l SGI we abandoned for the time being our chi.e avocations and entered the military service of our country, and that during our connection with the .Army, and while poses; which was read and passed to the second reading. in the line of our duty as citizen-soldiers of theUnited States, we were the recip­ }fr. STEVENSON, from the Committee -on Revolutionary Claims, ients of many severe wounds, and that we have eaeh of us lost an eye. to whom was referred the petition of Osceola C. Green, administrator And we would further respectfully represent that the loss of an eye secured for de bonis non and one of the heirs of Uriah l!'orrest, deceased, asking the ·"Roman soldier Flavius an augmentation of his pay, the ciVIc croWll, and other honors;" that in modern times such

Mr. KERNAN asked, and by unanimous consent.obtained, leave to tickets impose~ '?-POD voters, so. that a popular majority of more than 25,000 was introduce a. bill (S. No. 658) extending the juri diction of the Court overcome, and m Ita place was giVen an apparent but fraudulent majmity of more than 25,000; and whereas the Legislature thus chosen will have the election of a of Claims, and for other purposes; which was read twice by its title. Senator to repre ent that Sta~.in this body; and whereas if these alleaations are :Mr. KERNAN. I introduce this bill by request. I do not know true a great number of the citizens of the United States have had t'&eir rights anything of its merits. In order to show it to some officers it is de­ 1mder the Constitution and laws of the United States wickedly violated: There­ sirable to have it printed. I move that it be referred to the Com­ fore, Resolved, That a. committee of five Senators be appointed by the Chair to investi­ mittee on Patents and printed. gate the truth of thesaid allegations and the circumstances attendin.,. saillelection The motion was agreed to. with power to visit said State to make t~eir inve ti!!ations, to end lor persons and Mr. McDONALD asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, l_eave papers, and to use all nece sary process m the performance of their dutie . and to mak;e report to the Senate before the end of this session of their investigation and to introduce a bill (S. No. 659) giving the Qourt of Claims jurisdic­ findings. · tion to hear and determine the claim of William T. Pate and Sila.s Q.

Howe for taxes 'twice paid; which was read twice by its title, and, The PRESIDENT pro ternpm·e. The question is on· ao-reeino-0 to the with accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Claims. resolution. o · Mr. DORSEY asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave to Mr. DAVIS. Do I understn,nd that the resolution is on its pafisage! introduce a bill (S. No. 660) for the relief of H. K. Randall and others, The PRESIDENT p1·o tempm·e. It is on its passage. for damages to thffiT property on Pennsylvania avenue, Washington, 1\fr. DAVIS. I ask for the yeas and nays. · District of Columbia; which ~as read twice by its title, and, with the The yeas and nays were ordered. • a-ccompanying petition, referred to the Committee on the District of Mr. CHRISTIANCY. Before thn,t question is put, I wish to offer Columbia. an :1mendment making it somewhat more definite. Mr. CONKLING asked, and by unanimous consent obtained, leave This resolution, with its present recitals, would seem to imply-al­ to introduce a joint resolution (S. R . No. 13) requesting the President though I do not know that wa.:s the intention of the Senator from of the United States to accept the invitation of Peru to join in a con­ Indi:ma in presenting it-that the Senate would have power to insti­ ference of the governments of North and South America with a view tute this inquiry for the purpose of inquiring into the election of to the amelioration and codification of international law; which was State officers, members of the Stn,te Legislature, or members of the read twice by its title, referred to the Committee on Foreign Rela­ other House. While I am anxious to have the information called for tions, and ordered to be printed. by this resolution in some authentic form, I do not feel that I have Mr. DAWES (by request) asked, and by unanimous consent ob­ any right to dem~d it for any prying .c~osity of mine or on any tained, leave to introduce a bill (S. No. 661) to provide for the organ­ ground except a:s It may have some leg1trmate bearing upon some ization of the Territory of Oklahoma, and for the better protection of ~atter ov~r which. the Senate has a 1·i~ht to act in its lerulative or the Indian tribes therein; which was read twice by its title, referred 1ts executive capamty. In order to avmd that difficulty Isend to the to the Committee on Indian Affairs, and ordered to be printed. Chair a substitute for the resolution of the Senator from Indiana and ask that it may be read, and I hope the Senator from Indian~ PAPERS WITHDRAWN. will accept the substitute in place of the original resolution. On motion of Mr. MORRILL, of Maine, it was The PRESIDENT pro tempo1·e. The. proposed substitute will be Ordered, That .Jennie L. Wall ha.ve leave to withdraw her petition and papers read. from the files of the Senate on leaving copies of the same. The Chief Clerk read as follows : AWARD BY VENEZUELA. Whereas it is alleged that the late election in M.issi~sippi, in 1875, for members of Congre sand State officers and memb:bx-s of the Le!nSlature was characterized by Mr. JONES, of Florida, submitted the following resolution; which great frauds committed upon and violence exercised' toward the colored citizens of was considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to : that State and the white citizens disposed to support their riahts at the election Resolved, That the Secretary of State be directed to inform the Senate how much and especially that the colored voters, on account of their colns of volved so vital to the present ancl future welfare of the entire nation, hostility and some local conflicts, yet that all idoa of general resist­ that, in my estimatioii., they are as fru· above mere party politics as ance had been abandoned. Btit if the evidence upon this inquiry · heaYen is a-bove hell; and to sacrifice, or even to imperil, any of shall show· that, instead of some merely local and sporadic outbreaks these great interests for merely pu.rt.y snccess, would be a crime alike of violence and intimitlation, there has been anyt.hiug like general con­ against God, against tha nation, and humanity itself. cert of action throughout the State, or a large part of the State, forsys­ The PRESIDENT p1·o tempore. The Senator from Indiana has ac- tematioally intimidating colored voters and those who were inclined cepted the substitute. The question is on the resolntion a-s modified. to vote with them, for the deliberate u.nd common purpose of depri v­ Mr. COOPER. I call for the regular order. ing them of the right of suffrage guaranteed b~T t.h e Constitution, no The PRESIDENT pro temp01·e. The morning hour has expired. one will, no one can, regret it more than I shall. .A.nd if future de­ Mr. MORTON. I think we can have a vote without any delay. I velopments should show .thu.t such. a determination exists generally move to postpone the present and all prior orders for the purpose of among the white population of the Southern States, and there should continuing the Mississippi resolution and disposing of it. I think we appear to be a concert of action in such a common purpose, I shall be can do it in a few minutes. compelle1l to admit what I have thus far refused to admit, tb.at the The PRESIDENT pro tmnp01·e. The unfinished business is the bill war is, indeed, not yet over. For, though there is the kindest feeling (H. R. No. 169-l) making appropriations for t.he consular and diplo­ among almost all classes and all parties in tho North toward their matic service of the Government for the year ending J nne 30, 1 ~77 , southern lnethren, and thero iti nothing in their power they would not and for other purposes. The Senator from Indiana moves the post­ do to promote the prosperity of the South whilo the latter shows n. ponemellt of this and all prior orders for the purpose of continuing disposition to submit in good faith to the re ults of the war and to the Missi sippi resolution. abide bythe constitutional amendments; theyaro not willing to give Mr. SARGENT. I shall strenuously resist that unless it is distinctly up all the results of the war, gained at the cost of so much blood and understood tllat if the vote is not taken in a fow minutes we shall go trea ure, and that, too, with the prospect of another like bloody con­ on with the regular ortler. test to secure the same result. .Mr. MORTON. I think we can get a vote soon. In this last quarter of the nineteenth century, after so much pro­ Mr. SARGENT. If it is understood that, in ca.se this resolution is gre s has elsewhere, as well as h ere, been made in the abolition of to be debated on either side, it will be laid ru:;ide for the uu:fini heel slavery and in the elevation of the oppressed, those men are simpl, i n­ business, I will not objP.ct; bnt an indefinite postponement I should sane who think that the people of the United States will perruit a feel called upon from my duty to the business of t he Senate to object single backward step in the march of freedom, or that they will ever to. cease their efforts to secure the enjoyment of equal rights to all men, Mr. WI'l'HER15. I think it may be safely assumed that the propo­ without reference to race or color, until every man, white or black, sition will be debated. throughoe great numbers of men in the South who dered them inaudible to a great portion of the Senators. For that desire to go into such a movement, their representative men have reason I trust Gh e Senator from Indiana will not. press the considera­ certainly too much intelligence not to see that any pa.rt.y which shoulcl tion of the question at all, either on his original resolution or on the dare to place itself upon any such ground, in any of the Northern amendm~nt of the Senator f1·om Michigan, but that the reguln,r order Stat.es, or to favor it after coming into power upon any other issne, will be proceeded with in accordance with tho motion of the Senator ·· would thereby sound its own death-knell, and become a stench and a from California. The question cannot be passetl on without discus­ by-word to the nation for all future time; and that every man who sion. favored it would pray, but vainly pray1 that his dastard act might Mr. MORTON. This matter has been before the Senate for a long be shrouded in oblivion, lest his clescencta...11ts to the tenth generation time, and Senu.tors have had opportunities of considering the ques­ might inherit his infamy. No, Mr. President, (as you have heard me tion in all its constitutional bearings. The form in which the Sena­ s"ay before,) upon this question, all parties at the North have given tor from Michigan ba-s put the resolution, it seems to me, takes away bonds to fate. None want. another war, and aU understand that., sooner the last pretense that H is not within the constitutional power of or· later, th~t would be the inevitable result of again opening those the Senate to make the. investigation; and, as I think the adoption dangerous questions by t he repeal or nullification of these amend­ of this resolution L'> of more importu.nce now than auy other me:1sure ments. that will come before the Senate for a brief period, I ask that the But there are still other grounds for the hope I have exrressed as question be put on my motion to postpone. to the result of this inquiry. I take it for gr::mtec:l that the people of 1\Ir. SARGENT. •I am willing to be instructed by the Senate; but Mississippi have common sense ancl ordinary sagacity, upon matters I shonlcl really like to know, at the threshold of the business which IV--124 1970 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- SENATE. MARCH 27, tbe Committeo on Appropriations are bringing forward, whether the from a very widespread suspicion, or to ascertain what the trn:h may on.liuary course of the Senate will stm be pursued, so that wo cau have be if that suspicion is well fotmded, I believe it is our imperative the consideration of the appropriation bills which we have prepared. duty to dispose of this resolution, wbich ongbt not to take more t.ban The Appropriation Committee during the last week were quite lib­ a few hours. I cannot conceive auy ground upon which, fairly con­ el·:d; they g::we way for the consideration of a bit) in which the Sen­ ducted, it ought to occupy any considerable lengt.h of time. There a.tor from Indiana took a very natural interest, and which certainly will be plenty of time then to take np this bill ahout appropriations wa an important one; day after day I waited ontil that bill could and to dispose of it. We have not fixed any day for the adjourn­ be disposed of, giving notice, however, that as soou as it was disposed ment; we are under no pressure at this pre ent time; but matter!:! in of I would ask that this important appropriation bill might be con­ the State of Missi sippi, as they have been reported, and I certainly sidered. I do not say that the appropria ion bills are the only im­ hope untruly, are in such a condition as to demand an inquiry, as it portant business of the country; but there are so many of them that appears to me, on the part of Congress; but of course I cannot go tl.!ey must have way, or theywillfail to pas. I shall look upon it as juto any discussion of the merits of either of these measures except Aomewbat in the natnre of a test whether it is desired that '"e shall so fa1· as t:> tlhow the importance of them. Now, therefore, although pre:.; 1hcse bills, as we have done heretofore, on the attention of the I almoRt a.lwa.ys stand by the Committee on Appropriations, Is all '-'enute, at tbi~:~ session, at every opportnnity. feel compelled to vote in favor of the motion of the Senator from ~1r. HAMLIN. Will the Senator before he takes his seat inform Indiana,. me whether the Committee on Appropriations have any other bill Mr. SHER~IAN . Mr. President, it is not only a rule, but the neces­ from tho Honse now before them 'i sity is admitted usually, of giving the Committee on Appropriations Mr. SARGENT. Not any other now before them; seveml are in the right to present its bills aud have them acted on when they are committee of conference, however. ready for consicleration. That rnle or necessity is stronger now than Mr. HAMLL.~. There is no other appropriation bill before thecom­ ever before. We now know as a matter of daily history that the mitteef House of Representatives intend to present to us in these bills the Mr. SARGENT. No. The one in the most state of forwardness is consideration of every branch of the public service, not only upon tlie legislative appropriation bill, which we hope to get soon. the basis of existing law, but upon the basis of the law as they pro­ Mr. HAMLIN. That is in the House. While I individually wish pose to make i t, so that e\Tery law which affects a salary or expendi­ to be guided by the Appropriat-ion Committee, it does not seem to ture is to be brought before us for revision and action in the appro­ rue that we are now in a condition to anticipate any pressure in :rela­ priation bills. That has greatly delayed the appropriation bills in the tion to the appropriation bills; and inasmuch as this other matter is other House- we have a right to speak of it as a matter of history­ one that bas been long befort\ the Senate, it does seem to me just and .so that of the bills which are usually in the Senate long before the appropriate that we consider it, and that we shall rlo no injust.ice to 1st of March, and certainly long before the 1st of April, only two or the Appropriation Committee if we so vote, at the same time holding three have passed the Honoe. They will pass the Hou ·e at a later it to be a rnlfl which will generally guide me to sustain that commit­ period of the session than usual. It is perfectly obvious that. the tee in getting its bills before the Senate, certainly whenever there is Senate, if they intend to keep up with the public business and pa s pressure or a want of t ime for the c011sideration of those bills. the appropriation bills without being hurried at the close of theses.: 1r. SARGENT. One of thA chief evils of legislation on appropria­ sion, mnst take them up as they are presentetl in their order, so as to tion bills heretofore bas been that they have been crowded into tho allow the Committee on Appropriations to consider the billR as tboy very last of the session on almost any excuse. The Senate will ad­ come over and have them acted on here as rapidly as they are pre­ journ at half pa 't two or three o'clock when those bills, which they sented. say are so long pending, are ready for consideration, taking no action I shall therefore vote with the Committee on Appropria.tions to upon them; and week after week goes by, and month after month, take up their bills as they are presented against anything that I know nntil finally the Committee on Appropritttions find themselves pressed of that is pending. I concede the importance of this Missis ippi res­ in the last two weeks or the last week of the session with important olution. I was in hopes that the gentlemen on the left of tho House bnsiue.;s on theil; hands. Is it any wonder that there is careless legis­ would at once agree to this investigation on the ba is now stated by lation in them f Is it any wonder that the service is injuretl antl that the Senator from Michigan, and I am only surprised that the resolu­ the Trea ·m·y is unneces arily drawn upon 'I It is so year after year. tio~ was not pressed before. Indeed I think it ought to have been L ast sear we sncceeded, by persistently insisting, in getting some passed in the first week of the session. Aft.er three months have rolled of the appropriation bills out of the way before that last period. around, there is no greater necessity for it to-day than there was the Nevertheless the snmlry civil bill and the deficiency bill, both of day before yesterday or at any time within the last ninety or one hun­ which ougiJt to have been disposed of a fortnight before, wore left dred days. Therefore it is not wise for us to interfere with a.n or<.lor to the very last night of the session. of business that has been established by the vote of tho Senate, that Jt, l-\ecms to me tha.t in this very important bill the other House­ comes up now, and ought now to be properly considered. It seems as I shall call the :1ttention of the Sen:1te if I have tiJe opportunitv­ to me to make an immediate neces ity of the Missi sippi c3se when ha \·e entirely changed the foreign service; t hoy have strnck out con­ there has been no necessity for it the la-st ninet.y ua.vs is to crowd suls an~l retlncetl the salaries of minister~; a.n

1876. CONGRESSIONAL REOOR,D-SENATE. 1971. here he would vote "nay" on this propogit ion, and I presume the Sen­ leave out anv of class 1 and class 2 in the bill by degrading those ator from Iowa would vote "yea." whoareinclaas 1 down tocla s3, and making a corresponding reduction The roll-call having been concluded, the result was announced­ down to the last class, where they eliminate consuls, leaving mere yeas 28, nays 31 ; as follows : consular agents or entirely abolishing them. YEA.S-Messrs. Boutwell, Bruce, Burnside, Cameron of P ennsylvania, Cam~ron In view of t his action, in view of the fe::tturcs of the bill before us, of Wisconsin, rdon, Howe, K elly, K ernan, Key, 1\Ic(Jreery, McDonald, ice iu which there was a large ueficieucy, and that it was necessa.ry Maxey, Merrimon~ Norwood, Randolph, Ransom, Sargent, Sherman, SteYenson, to cripple commeree, or take the risk of eripplin·g commerce, in order Thurman, Wallace, Whyte, Windom, and Withors-31. . ATISENT-Messrs. Alcorn, Allison, .Anthony, Conover, Cragin. Goldthwait-e, to save the Treasury of the United States. The figures are that the Johnston, Jones of Florid:~, Jone..~ of Nevacla, Mon·ill of Maine, .l:'a.aerson, Sanls· total consular receipts for 1tS74-'75 were $j97,9 .~8.49; tho whole cost bury, Waclloigh, and Wrigl.at-14. of the consular service was but .$549,172.4'7 ; making an exce s over So the motion was not agreed to. cost of revenue into the Treasur,v ::tbove the expenses of $148,!:316.02. Mr. S'i:IERMAN. Are all expenses included Y PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL. Mr. SARGENT. The figm·e include everything of every nature, A message from the President of the United States, by Mr. U. S. loss of excllange, salaries, and everything else. Commerce pays this GRANT, jr., announced that the President had, on the 27th instant, ap­ ta.x into the Treasury. proved and signed the act (S. No. 386) approving an act of the Legis­ Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Will the Senator state the amount lative Assembly of Colorado Territory. again' Mr. SARGENT. The amount over and above expenses is $148,816.?2, CONSULAR AND DIPLO;'r!ATIC APPROPRIATION BILL. nearly ," lW,OOO. The Senate, as in Committee of the Whole, proceeded to consider Mr. DORSEY. Tba,t is on the b:.tSis of the estimates of the De­ the bill (H. R. No. 1G94) making appropriations for the consular and partment? diplomatic service of the Government for the year ending June 30, Mr. SA.RG ENT. That is the amolmt as shown by the Fifth Auditor's 1t:S77, and for ot.ber purposes. report of actual receipts and expenditures. The PRESIDENT pro tem1101'e. The amendments of the Committee 1\lr. DORSEY. That is on the oasis of the estimates made by the on Appropriations will be acted on a.'3 they are reached in the reading Department for the consular s rvice this year f of the bill in their onler, if there be no objection. • Mr. SARGENT. No; these are- the figures of t he expenditures and Mr. SARGENT. Mr. Presiuent, a very few words prelimiuary to receipts. for 1874-'75, the actu·tl figures, not an estimate or a guess. acting upon the amendments may perhaps bA proper. The foreign commerce of the country is increasing in a most gratify­ The bill which I holu in my hand, as it passed the House of Rep­ ing wa.y; and certainly it is a bud time to b(jgin to cut down the resentatives, appropriated $912,747.50. The Committee on Appropri­ agencies oy which that business is facilitated. I have no doubt that ations of the Senate have reported it back, with amenuments, so that the receipts from the consular officers will be greatly increased the the am01mt is $1,a41,647 50. The amount of appropriations last year next fiscal year, provided the system is not crippleu. · was ·1,374,9 5. That is to say, the bill which we now report -to tho In 1810 the foreign commerce of the United States wM $8'i5,70S,616. Senate makes appropriations less than those masful, There is not an instance where we have increaseu a salary or created growing year by year, and counting by the hunure 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECOR.D-SENATE. MARCH 27, appropriations made by the House for these purposes; but in other much less than auy other nations pay, even nations much poorer ~ban respects I think the bill as reported is objectionable. I believe iu we are, with a larger debt, and with much less resources. I do uot so rue iut:~tauces the salaries then~in provided may properly b~ reduced, see myself bow any man can live, even respectably, upon the salary aud without any detriment to the public service. I believe that in which we pay at either of these four courts. It certainly wonld be sume instances consulates may be abolished without in any degree impossible for him to save any money. But as this is the amotmt illlpairing our public service. Thus believing, I shall vote upon the which bas been allowed for years, it looks like requiring that the dip­ amendments w they are proposed by the committee iu consonance lomatic service in important posts shall be filled only by rich men with my own convictions of public duty and propriety. I have thought for us to reduce the amount of salary which we pay them to such a it necessary, being a member of the Committee ou Appropriations, to figurethattbeymusteitberappearmeanlythereordrawupon theirown make this general explanation of my position before we come to con­ resources in order to ma.inta.in themselves in some respectable degree. sider the bill by sections. Mr. DAVIS. The first amendment involves the principle of the The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Secretary will proc~ed to read bill. The bill came to us reducing the salaries of our ministers at the bill, and the first amendment will be stated as it is reached in the these four great powers, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia, reading. -to $14,000 instea-d of 17,500, as it bas been heretofore. That will iu The Chief Clerk proceeded to rea.d the bill. The first amendment a measure nx t.be principle on which the bill ~arne to the Senate and reported by the Committee on Appropriations was in line 10 to strike which your committee has changed by this first amendment, and the out the words "14,000" and insert" 17,500," and in line 11 to strike same principle runs all through it. The salaries, charges, and compen­ out "56" and insert" 70 ;"so as to make the clause rea,d: sation of the parties named in it have been by the House reduced in For salaries of ·envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary to Great the aggregate by about half a million dollars, I think. In other words, Britain, France, GermanY., and Russia, at 17,500 each, 70,000. the total was $91~,750, as reported from the House, and now it is M.r. STEVENSON. I should like to ask the Senator [Mr. SARGE~T] $1,341,000, making a difference of about half a million of dollars' in­ who bas charge of this bill a question. Did the committee, in con. crease by the committee of the Senate. sitlering the rednction of salaries proposed by the House to our min­ I am disposed to think that the House in some instances got the isters to England, France, Russia, and Germany, take in' considera­ salaries below what a proper economical management of the Govem­ tion the relative difference in the cost of living at these respective ment wonld require. I believe in some instances they are too low, courts t They were reduced from 17,500 to $14,0()0 a year by the aud tha,t there ought to be an advance upon the House bill. I al o House of Repre ·entativcs, and the Senate is asked by the committee believ~ that the Senate Committee bas made atlvances where they to non-concur in this reduction. ought uot to have occurred. I think there is force in what the Sen­ In former times the salaries were graduated by the difference in the ator from Kent.ucky has said, that the expenses of living in Great co ;t, of living at the respective capitals. The costlier courts demonded Britain and Frooce are greater than in Germany and Rus ia. With tl.w higher salaries. That standard of graduating sa,laries to our for­ that view I move-I believe it to be in order-to strike ont " Ger­ eign ministers seemed just then, and Ithink it is just now. We know many and Russia" from this clause, in order at the proper time to that tbn expenses of livin~ in London used to be a third mme t.han move that the salaries of the ministers to those two countries be they were in Germany. If this be true, why should the salary be the made 15,000. same V · The PRESIDENT pro tempm·e. The first question is on the com­ We know, too- at least. I have been so informed-that the expenses mittee's amendment.. The Sanator will have an opportunity of strik­ of living in Russia. used to be much less than in France. 'Vby, if ing out afterward any part of this cla.use. this IJe true, should the salaries be the s:lme? It occurs to me that Mr. DAVIS. If we adopt the committee's amendment of $17,500, this practice in the early history of the Government, which continued will there be any power to change it afterward f My object is to ht ~hey ar~ re~)ly toQ small :rather than too large. They_are v_ery in the Senate on the question of ~oncUITence.. 187(3. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. 1973

Mr. SARGENT. I concur entirely with the Senator from \Vest Vir­ fullest consideration, with entire unanimity. That is tbe law of the ginia that the amendmeat of tho committee now pending is really a land. It has stood there for twenty years, and noh•.dy ha.s ever pro­ t.est one and illustrates the principle of the bill; and in order that it posed to change it. may be distinctly taken I ask for the yeas and nays on adopting the I am disposed to go as far toward economy as any member of this amendment. . body, I think; and, if we have advanced during the war or since the Tile PRE~IDENT p1'0 tempm·e. The Chair will state to the Senator war the salary of .any of our civil or military or naval employes be­ from Virginia that if this amendment should be agreed to in Com­ yond what is reasonable, I am willing, without regard to cu·curust:mce mittee of t.he Who~e, when the bill is reported to the Senate the ques­ or time or persons or place, to reduce it; but we ought not, when we tion will be on concuning in the amendments of t.lie committee, at are endeavoring to accomplish a real ~ood, (to promote economy in which time the Senator from Virginia or auy other Senator can move the service of the Government,) to strike at all branches of the Go v­ to modify it as he may see tit. Then the question will be taken first ernment by" some arbitrary rule, without regru·ding the circumstances on the mollification, and then on the amendment as modified. which led to fixing the salaries. I say to Senators nu ,v that these sal­ Mt·. DAVIS. And we can modify any portion of the amendments aries were fixed twenty years ago, without the slightest controversy, adopted in committee T without the slightest dispute, upon a lower basis than those of the The PRESIDENT pro ternpm·e. They can be modified by the Sen­ diplomatic service of any leading nation of the world. 'While the ate. minister of Great Britain to the United States gets, according to the Mr. WITHERS. But the passage of the amendment precludes any news.r_apers and the Blue-Book of England, somewhere between $25,000 further amendment in Committee of the Whole 'I and $30 000 a year, we pay our mimster to live in London, a much The PRESIDENT pto tempm·e. Certainly, because it is conclusive more expensive place to live in than Washington, only $17,500. there; but when it is reported to the Senate itiq in a different stage. Mr. MAXEY. I wish to say to the Senator from Ohio t.hat my vote Mr. McDONALD. Do I understand that the Senate is now acting will be controlled by his answer to a question which I wish to put. on the amendments of the Committee op. Appropriations to the House I understood him to say that the salary had not been increased for billf twenty years; that it stands as it did twenty years· ago. The PRESIDENT pto tempore. On the first amendment. · Mr. SHERMAN. I ought to say that what I stated was litetally Mr. McDONALD. Striking out "$14,000" and inserting "$17,500 'In true of the missions to Great Britain and France, but when Germany The PRESIDENT p1·o tempore. Yes, sir. advanced to a great power and beca-me an empire, absorbing several Mr. McDONALD. I understood the Senator from California to ask countries to which we had several missions, we put Germany on a for the yeas and nays on that. footing with France and Great Britain. w·e saved money by that Mr. SARGENT. Yes, sir. enlargement. Then Russia had been a warm friend of this country The PRESIDE~"'T pro tempm·e. The yeas and nays are called for at every stage of its histOI'Y,; and when.we were fixing the relations on this amendment. with this great power, we placed Russia, a country with seventy The yeas and nays were ordered; and being taken resulted-yeas millions of people, on the same footing with the other empiroo of the 32, nays 17; as follows: world. YE.d.S-Messrs. Allison, Bayard, Boey, Bootll, Cameron of Wisconsin, Chrls· Mr. MAXEY. So that, as this bm is reported, the salary of the tia.ncv, Uonklin~r, Cooper, <..:ra,!!in, Dawes, Dennis, Edmunds, Ferry, Frelinl!huyson, minister to the Germanic confederacy is not larger than that of the Ilarulltou, Hamlin, Han·ey, Hitchcock, Ingalls. Lo~, McMillan, Morrill of Maine, minister to England or France 'I M.on-ill of Vermont, Morton, Oglesby, Paddock, Robertson, Sargent, Sharo~ Sher·. man, Spencl.'r, and Windom-32. Mr. SHERMAN. The same. The Italian mission is what this NA. YS-Messrs. Cockrell, Davis, Eaton, English, Gordon, Kernan, Mr.Creery, amendment involves. That is the last portion of the world on which McDonald. Maxey, Merrimon, Norwood, Ransom, Stevenson, Thurman, ·wallace, anybody ought to promote economy or to make a point. I remember Wln"tl', and Withers-17. very well that Italy was placed among th second-class missions A'BSENT-Messrs. Alcorn, Anthony, Boutwell, Bruce, Burnside, Cameron of Pennsylvania, Caperton, L:layto~ Conover, Dorsey, Goldthwaite, Howe, Johnston, shortly after the battles of Magenta and Solferino, which established Jones of Florida, Jones of Nevada, Kelly, Key, Mitchell, Patterson, Randolph, Sauls· Italy as a secondary power. It was on the motion of Mr. Bmlingame, bnry, Wadleigh, TI"est, and Wrightr-24. after those victories of Victor Emmanuel and the French against Aus­ So the amendment wa~ agreed to. tria, wheu Haly became a power in the world, that Italy was, by a The Chief Clerk continued the reading of the bill. The next amend­ unanimous vote and by a generalhea.rty, joyous feeling, placed in the ment of the Committee on Appropriations was in line 13, to insert class of secondary mi&;ions at $12,000 a year. That was in 1860, if I after the woru '·Austria" the word '' Italy;" so as to read: remember right, before the occupation of Rl'>me but after the battles of Magenta and Solferino, hy which Victor Emmanuel's dominions were For salaries of envoys extraor,linary and ministers plenipotentiary to Spain, A us- extended. There it stands. Since Italy was pla,ced on the secondary tria, Italy, .Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and China, &c. roll,· it has advanced several grades really in power. Since that time l\fr. McDONALD. I ask for the yeas and nays on that. it has occupied Rome, and now Italy is a great country of the Med­ The yeas and nays were ordered. itenanean-next to France the greatest country of the Mediterranean. 1\lr. STEVENSON. Why is this restored f It is a country with which our people have more intimate relations Mr. SARGENT. The bill as it comes from the House tears the serv­ than almost any other country in Europe. Our American citizens go ice all to pieces. The reaaon we Eut Italy in this pru·agraph is be­ to Rome to study art and literature, and we have a good deal of com­ catise it is a mission of cousiderab e importance. We simply restore merce with Italy. Many commercial ports of importance are in Italy. the service as it has been heretofore for years, believing that it is for We have quite a number of consuls there. It is now a great power. the public interest. We understand by the rules of the Senate that Why it should be stricken out of this bill when it baa already ad­ we are to report appropriation bills according to the existing law. vanced beyond the grade it was when the salary was fixed and when That is of itself a sufficient re:1son, and that is the general reason it was uot so important a power as now, I do not know. Why it is which applies all the way through, and specifically in this case. stricken ont of the list of second-cla{JS powers and put on a list by it­ There is no showing why Italy should not be put in as well a{J Brazil, self, I cannot see. There is no sense in that, it appears to me. or Mexico, or Spain, or Austria. We have as large a commerce with It seems to me, dealing with this bill, that we ought not to change it; we have as important political relations with it. For that reaBon the law in bills like this. Certainly we ought not to chango the law we restored it. We have not created an office or created a salary, or unless there is some rea.Son for doing so, because there is less abuse displaced it from the service. · in the diplomatic and consular service of our Government than in Mr. MORRILL, of Ve~mont. Mr. President, the government of Italy other branches of the Government. There never has been any a-buse at the present time comprehends about as large a population as that in the diplomatic and consular relations of the Go~ernment. That of Great Britain, and it also comprehends the place where the Roman service has been conducted in the main with great abilit.y and with Catholic religion finds its head-center. It is of great political sig­ great economy, and therefore it is idle to strike at these salaries unless nificance, therefore, that our country should be represented at that there is some good rea{Jon for doing so. If Seuators would go into court; and this Government now hw1uues within it the former gov~ the cities where these men have to li\'e, and considerthe peculiar re­ ernments of Naples and Sardinia. Only a few years since we had lations which surround them, the difficulties that surround them, the missions at Sanlinia and at Naples and at Rome, the whole cost of habits and customs that form part of the expense, and the necessary which was $22,500. All these are now condensed into one mission, expense, of a minister of the United States to one of these countries, costing $12,000 annually for the last few years. I hope that we shall they would see that it is not ·wise economy to reduce these salaries. not degrade this ll}is ion below what it has been since the accession to I shall therefore vote with the Committee on Appropriations in t·e­ power of Victor Emmanuel. storing this bill to what the law requires; and I say neither House Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. President, I am surprised to see the vote on has a right to force the other House to consent to a change of exist­ t.he last amendment. It doe seem to me that if Senators will look ing law. Each House should freely consent to a change of the law at this matter in a dispassionate way, and not iu any party aspect, ·before it is made. When the House of Representatives sends these the idea of reducing the salaries of our leading minister below '!'haL appropriation bills to us proposing to radically change the whole serv­ they were twenty years ago id so totally unjustifiable that we ought ice of the Government, it has no right to ask us to a-dopt tho e not to divide about it. The salaries of these ministers was fixed by changes unless we see that there is good reason for changing the law. what is known as the Pennington act of 1856. Twf'nty years ago Mr. MAXEY. Does the amendment of the committee correct the that act was passed by the unanimous vote of both House , the Sen­ appropriations so as to conform to the law as it stands 1 ate being democratic and the House being republican. The sala.ries Mr. SHERMAN. Yes, sir. I think, therefore, that we ought not were fixed then in gold, when everything was based upon gold. It to divide into political parties on this question because the democr:1tio was called the dipl~matic bill, ~nd is. so known in the ordinary party hap:pen to have a majority in the House. ~.fhe very diplomat.io hra8~f?10"gy of the Department df State. It was t~a s;se d , after the l>ill t.o wlncu I have niferre'tl was framea by a Congress in tlie midst 1974 '{· CONGRESSION1\..L REOOll D-SENATE. MARCH 27,

of high party excitement, when +he Senate wa>S three-fourths dem­ comment npon a House bill on which the Senate is called upon to ocratic, and the Honse of RepresentatiYes had a decided republican act, I't.hink the g-reat right ofdiscnssion is taken away. majority, and when party heats were at the highest, in 1856, in the The PRESIDING OFF1CER. The Senator misunderstood the Chair midst of a presidential canYass; and yet no question was raised be­ if he underst.ood the Chair to decide in that way. tween the two Houses us to the Sttla.ries, and if I rememl>er aright, Mr. STEVENSON. I only want to know whether I e I sha.U giv~,. but. I ball amount. That gives them a log:-..1 right to go before the Court of continue to vote aO'ainst the arnend.meuts. Claims and demand more money, because the law proYides. that a Mr. MERRIMON. Mr. President, I voted against the amendment minister shall have 17,500, and the appropriation bill only give him ah·eady acted upon, and in view of what has been saia in refereuco $14,000. to the vote of t ho minority ou t.his question, I wish to sa;v that. I am Mr. DAVIS. The Senator will notice that there is proYision for very sure I desiro to do nothing that will in any way impede tbe pub­ that in the bill. lic service, or the pnblic convenience, or the pnblic good. Ever since - Mr. SHERMAN. I am told that is arranged; bnt at any rate there the beginning of the Government I believe the practice has prevailed. is no roason for such action ·in this bill. . There is reaBon sometimes that the HoH~:~e of Representatives originates the geneml appropria.­ for changing- ouT salaries, which have been fixed some years ago, be­ tion bills, and I take it that practice goes upon the ground that as cause there IS n. change of circum~:;tances. Money is worth more at they alone can provide for raising revenue in the fir tin tam'e, they different times; but in Europe it is different; gold is less valuable are bet.ter acquainted wit-h the amount of money we have to e4pcnled in we are, patriotic, and desire to do their duty, and that t hey do not wealth, vastly increa>Sed in power and strength, and in every other move in a matter of so much moment to the Government as t his with­ respect. Therefore there is no argument, it seems t.o me, in favor of out having familiarized themselves with all the facts neces a.ry for a these reductions, except·a hap-hazard, blind strike in appropriation rea on able and correct judgment. When, therefore, after long deli b · bills; and it seems to me we can only yield to that so far as the pub­ oration, they have co!lle to a solemn jud~ment upon thiH r..!..ia, t.ter ancl lic interest demands. sent their action to this House, unless 1 can be satisfied that t be.v l\1r. D.A VIS. 1\fr. President, I do not know tha.t I should haYe risen have acted through inadvertence, that they were not properly in­ to say anything bnt for the last remark that fell from tho Senator formed, tha,t they were deceiYed or misled by some consideration, I from Ohio. I was one of tho e who voted against the previous amend~ shall always whether the House be controlled by one political party ment of the committee on the gronnd, as I stated t.o the Senate, that or_ano ther, be inclined to follow the action of the Honse of Hcpre­ I belieYed tho Russian and German missions were not so expensive as sent-ative . Under tbe Constitution all bills for raising revenue those to Great Britain and Franco, aml with a Yiew at the proper must originate in that House. We here in the Senate may amend time of moving a proposition to Repa.rate them. But the Senator from tho o bills, bnt we cannot originate a bill to raise revenue. We ma.v Ohio says there is no reason for these reductions except mere blind amend those bills, and I suppose t.hn.t power is vested in the Senate party policy striking hap-h::tzard. He certainly does not believe that. with a view to cnre a.ny inadvertent. mi apprehension or misinforma­ He does not mean that Senators only vote because of party zeal at tion which may have prevailed in the RousA, and a like pract ice it blind hap-hazard. I -think that is rather an extravagant a sertion. seems to me ha>S prevailed in reference to the general appropria ion Mr. SHERMAN. I said we ongllt not to do it. We ought not to bills. If I can be satisfied that the House committee were not well make this reduction in this hup-llazard way. informed, that they did not know what they were abont, that some Mr. DAVIS. Then I agree with the Senatm·, but I understood him material fact which they ought to have considered in connection to say that he knew of no reason exc•Jpt that. If the Sena,tor knows with the salaries of onrminist!ers to Great Britain, France, Germany, no other rea8on, SQme of the rest of us who happened to vote· that and Ru sia was omitted, and that they have erred, then I am will­ way believe we k11 ow a rea on. ing to join the Senate in correcting that error a.nd exercising appro­ l\lr. McDONALD. Mr. President, wo are acting upon a l,ill sent to priate and rea~onable power in that respect. But what I am ca.lletl us from tho R ouse of Ropreseutatives which underwent a very thor­ upon now to do is to offer the Hou e an indignity, by saying that ough examination in that body, and on the final vote was passed by their committee did not know what they were about; that they were an oYerwhelming majority. , misinformed; and that th.ey were not capable of understand in~ the :Mr. EDMUNDS. Mr. President, I certainly do not wish to call my subject thus committed to them; and that tbe whole Hm1se of Repre­ friend :fTom Indiana to order; but I must call somebody to order in sentatives of the .American people, en masse, did not know what they the constant habit we are falling intq of relying upon t.he proceed­ were about when they pa>Ssed this bill. I cannot do it. If Senators jugs of the House of Representatives to influence· our votes. I do desire to change my vote on this question or any other in reference not make the point on my friend heca.nse he is only offending as we to a general appropriation bill, they have got to assign some reason all have dono, but on the next gentleman I shall make it. going to show the inadvertence or the misinformation of the House Mr. McDONALD. I am only following a bad example. touching that matter. Tbe PRESIDING OFFICER, (.M.r . .ANTHO~Y in the chair.) In the Mr. MORTON. Mr. President-- opiuion of the Chair the point of order is well t::tkeu: It is not The PRESIDING OFFICER. With the permission of the Senator in order to refer to the proceedings of the House of Representatives. from Imliana and of the Senate, as a point of order was rai ed, t.he Mr. STEVENSON. I did not hea.r t he point of order of th Sena- Chair will direct the Clerk to read from the Manual the authority <'n a tor from Vermont. · this subject. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The point of order raised was that The Chief Clt!rk read from page 2.'31 of the l'rfanua.l, as follows: it was not. proper for a Senator to refer to t.he proet~edings of the It is a breach of order in debate to notice what has been said on the same subject Hou e of Repre entatives for the purpose of influencing the votes of in t.he other House, or the pat·ticular vot-es or majorities on it. there; bec..·mso tho the Senate. opinion of each House should be left to it..'! own independency, not to be influenced Mr. S'l'EVEN80N. On that subject I desire to make a remark. by the proceedin,gs of the other; and tho q noting them might beget reflections Have I not a right to comment on this bill which comes from tho leading to n. misunderstanding between the two Houses. Honse of Representatives f Am I precluded from referring t o a bill Mr. MORTON. Mr. President, the Senator from Kentucky [l\fr. which comes to me for my n.ction' Can I not read it, aml can I not STEVENSON] a few moments ago asked the question whether he was show what the Honse has

Carolina [Mr. MERRIMON] in· his argument. We will presume that sol at Havre or at Lyons, 'vhether we Rh::1ll have a minister or only a the Honse has done its duty; that it bas considered this bill a-ccord­ consul-general in Japan, that committee ~lraws to itself the wllole ing to the best intelligence it has, and it is our duty to consider it in business of Congress, and to uischarge it intelligently it onght to lla-v·o the same way, not to presume anything or concede :mythingbecause as much capacity as all the ot.l.H:!r committees put together, hecanse we suppose the House nnderst ood it, and therefore take it upon their all the rest of them put together sometimes fa.il. It is siwply pre­ judgment. The Constitution requires an appropriation bill to pass posterous, Mr. Presi

eys as provided by law, it seems to me it is a perpetuation of the ex- reduction in all our expenditures where the public service willjn&tify isLing appropriations. . such reJuct.ion. You have reduced the salary of tlle President of the :Mr. MORTON. I will state what I understand to be the function United. States one-half. \Vhy was it doue, except upon the ground of an appropriation committee. It is their business to find out what of stern public necessity T You pay your Cabinet ministers in W ush­ the law requires or authorizes tq be paid in a single case. There are ington in a uepreciated currency Sd,OOO a year. We know the claims some cases where there is no fixed amount! for example, au appro­ on their hospit-ality, we realize the great expense of liviug in this priation for a public work. That is a question of judgment. That !?reat national metropolis. Wby give to your minister at London over comes under another principle; and I think even in that case all such :u.lor to and let that go before the proper committee and let it be dotermined London. If public necessity required a reduction of the salary of in the right way. I think it. is dangerous for one committee to arro­ the President, might not a small reduction be ma-Ue in this u.lar.v of ~ate to itself the determination of tbe character of the whole service. $20,300 in gold of the embassarlor at London Y I may be in error, but l'hey cannot perform it well and wisely. I do not care how good th~ir I am persuaded this proposed. reduction in these foreign mis~:~ions purposes are, ono set of ruen cannot consider it fully. might be had wit.hout detriment to the public service. 1\ir. .WITHERS. I concur fully in that view of the Senator from Mr. President, I remember as a sehoul-boy in this capital many, Indiana., and I would say here that I deprecate as much as he or any very many long years ago, that the highest salary paid to :~ny min­ other Senator can the. practice which has arisen in the legislation of ister wa{l to om· representative at the court of St. James. He then Congress of legislating in appropriation bills; but I believe that t.be received a salary of $9,000per annum. We had then, in the persons of power which did· not stop at ingraftiug upon an appropriation bill a , , Louis McLane, as able .r·epreseutatives as civil-rights bill ought not to rise up in holy horror at the suggestion any country ever sent abroad. of an abrogation of an office. l\fr. BAYARD. I ask my friend if the minister did not get an Mr. STEVENSON. I do not poncur in some of the positions as­ outfit f sumed by the Senator from Indiana, [Mr. MORTON,] and I am sorry Mr. STEVENSON. I was coming to that. He got, I believe, an to differ, too, with my friend from Virginia, [Mr. WITHERS.] I think outtit of abont $9,000. the Appropriation Committees are the selected organs of either House Mr. BAYARD. And an infit. of Congress to inquire into the legitimate eXpenditures of tile Gov­ Mr. SARGENT. Nine thousand dollars salary and 9,000 outfit and ernment"in every department, and to recommend all proper appro­ $4,500 infi t. . priations required by each and aJl its agencies for the proper execu­ Mr. STEVENSON. Nine thousand dollars salary and $4,500 infit, tion of its duties during each and every fiscal year. Tile duty of rec­ but he had no extras. ommending appropriations carries with it an inquiryinto the mode and Mr. SAR11ENT. Wbat kind does the Senator mean¥ manner of the service to be provided for in all its ramified forms. I Mr. STEVENSON. Such as are now awarded our ministers. If think upon no other committee can this duty be imposed as upon the I am not in error, though I do not speak with entire accuracy, one of Committee on A. ppropriations. If they a,<;certain that an· office is a our ministers at Loudon was not allowed the extraord.inary expemses sinecure, or that the compensation allowed is greatly above or below caused by ilaving to put his household in mouruing on the death of the se1·vice rendered by the incumbent, they should recommend au t!Je King, or taking part in the coronation of thf'l Qut-en, or ruauy increa e or decrease, as the case may be. If Congress concurs in the other necessar.v extraordinary expenses which sometime occur a.broacl. recommendation, thou modify your existing law in such manner as to Tilese are now properly allowed, in addition to the sala1·y. harmonize. with the appropriation. What objection is there to this I admit, 1\fr. President, that the cost of li \ing and of evel'y thing else mode of legislation? How can any committee of appropriations has advanced greatly since that period. I am sure I de!:!ire that our properly discharge it~ duty without inquiring into the character ancl ministers should be paid competent salaries. But I must say thnt value of the servJCe, whether beneficial or otherwise? If the servica they should uear some proportion to the salaries which are giveu to can be dispensed with, then to recommend no appropria,tion, but ask the President and his Cabinet. We know that the expenses of living its immecliate abolition. If the only duty of a committee of appro­ are much more extravagant in Washington than in most of t~e Eu­ priat ions be to recommend the various amounts fixed by law as sala­ ropean capitl:!.ls. I cannot understand, if the salary of tbe Presitlent ries, then ·the committee ought to be abolished. That seemed t.o be and. his Cabinet ru·e placecl at $25,000 and at $8,000, why we cannot the argument of the Senator from Indiana, [.Mr. MORTO~.] make a small ~·eduction in some of our foreign ministers. Salaries of The Senator from Ohio [.Mr. SHEIDI.AN] need have no alarm t.hat, all public functionaries in.sidionsly go up. 'l'iley continually expand.. if the reductions of salaries proposed by tbe House bill are adopted, You rarely hear oftheir coming clown without a public outcry against the proper legi lation reducing the salaries to the proposed reductions the injust ice of such reduction. The Honse of Representatives, after will not be carried out. That Senator seemed to be amazed that any a full investigation, have attempted this reform. Will the Senat.e re­ of the Senators n;ton this side of tile Chamber voted to concur in the fuse to concur without testing tbe experiment t I agree fu1ly to the House bill reducing the salaries of the missions to Fmnce, Great sentiment so often expressed in this debate, that no Senator sllonld Britain, Germany, and Russia. Now, Mr. President, (I am one who feel bound to follow the House. By no means. We are here as l::ien­ Yoted for the reduction proposed by the House bill,) I disclaim, sir, ators, upon our own individual sense of what is right and proper. I all party bias in that vote· for I do not hesitate to say, here and acknowledge that in the ilighest sense of official responsibility. Many now, that there never was a time in t.he past history of this Govern­ Senators around me whom I honor and respect-ancl with whom po­ ment when stern economy was demanded by both parties in every litically I am accustomed to act-0.62; in Germany, $3,648.34; in En­ ployes, a,t home or abtoad; but I shall earnestly strive fo'f a motlerate gland; $3'~359;29 ~ and so we $0 on. . ·- •

1876. CONGRESSJONAL RECORD-SENATE. 1977

Mr. BAYARD. May I ask the Senator from Kentucky whether any Interior and all his officers and transferring that over to the Tre-asury portion of this fund he·speaks of as being contingent entered into the Department. That is the precise principle involved in this bill. We personal expenses of tho minister, or were they expenses that ''ill have a question in both Houses, Where shall the Indians be taken ari'le, of an official and public character, necessarily in the execution care of Y Shall it be under the charge of the Interior Department, of his duties T the present system, or shall it be transferred to the War Department .Mr. SARGENT. They were for postage especially. and put under the c:tre of the Army! That is 3i proper question for Mr. STEVENSON. I am sorry I cannot reply to the inquiry of my the Committee on Military Aff'airs to conside1·. It is a proper ques­ friend from Delaware. I have not looked to see what the real char­ tion for the Committee on Indian Affairs to consider. But the Ap­ actei· of the e contin&"encies wa-'!. I see Lbem quoted a-s contingencies, propriation Committee comes in and cuts the Gordian knot, ancl takes but I do not know oi what items of expenditure they are composed. the whole matter into its own bands, and relieves tbe Committee on The Senator from California says they are for postage especially. Indian Affairs and the Committee on 1.-lilitary Affairs from the further That may be so; I am only sorry the Committee on Appropl"iations consideration of it. • cannot give us every item, to let the l::lenate see whether some of them That is the theory of this bill. It seems to me that it is neither econ­ might not be dispeusetl with. vVe have, in addition to the embassa­ omy nor is it wise. If these radical changes are to be made, missions dor, a secretary of lt>gation and a com•ul also at London. They of reduced or abolished, consulships raised, lowered, or abolished, these course receive stated salaries at much less amounts than "the amount things shoulcl be passed npon by Congress in a separate bill. There paid the ministe1 a. is ample time and there is uo necessity for crowding everyt.bing into Mr. SARGENT. Will the Senator allow me Y He speaks of a the appropriation bills. minister having a consul. I would like to ask the Senator if he is Mr. HAMLIN. Mr. Presiclent, I was a member of thls bocly long aware that there is no connection between a miuister and a consul in years ago w ben a bill was reported from the Committee on Foreign relation to their duties, and that the consul pays over to the Govern­ Relations fixing and determining the salaries of our foreign ministers. ment of the United States somewhere about $52,000 annually above It was many years ago. It was at a period of time when the scale of his &alary f prices for all that a man woultt require to sustain life, to clothe and Mr. STEVENSON. The Senator misunderstood me. I did not say feed him, either in this country or au road, was vMtly below that which the minister at London had a consul. I said t.here was a secretary of exists to-day. It was a scale of salaries that was considered and care­ legation and a consul at London I wa-s aware that the minister at fn11y examined first by that committee to which it appropriately be­ London and the consul there were independent positions; but I am longed, and it wa.s then consirlere•l by both branches of Congress, and not now aware, antl I do not think the Senator from California is, received their approbation. It is now proposed by the Committee on nor do I think any human being can be, that the consul cannot and Appropriations of the Honse in the bill which tuey send tons to abol­ does not often perform many duties ··u the absence of the minister ish a very large number of those missions and to reduce the salaries in which, were be present, would devolve on him. a st.illlarger number. Is it wise f Is it econoruy 1 Mr. SARGENT. I say they are independent. We all know that these several ministers are the representatives of Mr. STEVENSON. Of course they are independent, and their sala­ our Government abroa..d. We all kuow that they reflect very much ries are independent. I meant to convey no other impression. the character of our people a.nd our institutions, antl that in other Mr. SARGENT. And that consul bim elf pays, as the i'esnlt of t he count.l·ies there is an impression which is prodtu}etl by tbe character . exiotence of bis office, something over $50,000 into the Treasury of of the minister we send there. vVe all know that one of the duties the United States. devolving upon that minister is one of simple ho pitality. first per­ .Mr. STEVENSON. I am very glad to hear it. He deserves a good haps it may be to the citizens of onr own country who may bave oc­ salary, and there is no proposition pending to reduce it. It is a great casion to go abroa{}, and second to"the citizens of the country to which mistake to suppose that large salaries to ministers or to consuls en­ he is accredited. huge our commerce. Com·mercia.I intercourse are the incidents of Ta.kiug then the fa-ct that this was a scale Q.f salaries agreerl upon commerce, b nt dn not create it. It is the sheerest fallacy to sn p pose that at a periotl of time when the price of everything was upon a lower salaries to ministers or to consuls bave.any part in increasing or re­ scale than at present, taking the condition of these ministers at ever.v E

1978 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SEN... L\.TE. ~fARCH 27,·

article, and there is no article that we manufacture that the uncul­ abstractly might be right if I have got to take it· only npon condi­ tivated fields of the e republics s. They are commercial officers; hence it bas been appropriate bearing of every treaty that comes before tllem. So it is, I suppose, that they should be consid• red by the Committee on Commerce. in a similar way with the Appropriation Committee, that they will I know, as the Senator from Vil·ginia I think it was said, that we not agree to recommend any appropriations until they know that the have pr~cedents in abundance of regulating salaries, if you please, public service will be benetited thereby. Ulld of (loing, I will admit, almost anything else by way of amend­ .Mr. EDMUNDS. Before the Senator sits down, I wish to ask him ment to appropriation bills. I concede it; but never within the his­ a question in reference to what he ha-s just. said about the tonnage of tory of 1he Governmf'nt has there been a time when the Appropriation the United States in 1860 and 1871, or whatever tile time was. The Committee bas sought to regulate the whole service of your country Senator says it has vastly diminished since 1860, if I understand him. and to assume tbe control and regulation of every other committee Mr. STEVENSON. I said in that period of thirteen years, from that belongs to the legislative body . . Tht>.re bave been. large and 1861 to 1874, the diminution against American shipping was 7,277,819 sweeping amendments made upon the appropria1ion bills in relation tons. to the Army; t·hey have been made in relation to the Navy; but I Mr. EDMUNDS. Now, I wish to ask the Senator in all fairness to think if Senators will go hack to the Journals, I will not say that they ~:>tate to the Senate whether he is not aware-- will find in every instance, but in almost every instance tht~y will find Mr. STEVENSO:N. Of the war f that those amendments have been prepared by the appropriate com­ Mr. EDMUNDS. That the rebellion swept from the seas substan­ mittees, and have therefore come to the body with the sanction oftilat tially the whole of American cominercef committee towhich the sn bj ect appropriately belonged. Consequently Mr. STEVENSON. I suppose that had a great deal to do with it, the precedents to which Senators refer have no relevancy and no and I did not desire to conceal that fact; but even before t hat the application to this bill. gentleman must know that our American shipping had virtually gone It is a vicious system of legislation. I am told that I must vote for down. this bill and vote the appropriations, or there is to be no appropria­ Mr. EDMUNDS. So it has virtually gone down. tion bill. Well, sir, let· it come; I only speak for myself, but I say, :Mr. STEVENSON. So tbe Senator will agree with me. . 80 vicious is that system that as one Senator I never will vote one 1\Ir. EDMUNDS. I t went down under the arms of the rebellion, dollar of appropriation nnuer that limitation and nnder that threat and it will take a great deal of time to cure that wound that the re­ of coerciou. Other Senators will vote as their judgment leads them bellion inflicted on our country. I am glad to know that at this to believe is correct. Mine leading me to believe I am correct will present day it is beginning to revive. But to have the honorable restrain me from giving a. vote under duress here. And this is in my Senator from Kentucky, who knew so much about the rebellion and juclgment, I repeat, the .poorest kind of economy. I will on all occa­ the devastation that it created, bring forward. that circumstance as a sions when there shall be brought before this body any bill seeking reason why these sala1·ies should be reduced rather astonishes me, I to limit,, diminish, or restrict t.he arpropriations of the Government mlll!t confess. . where they are now in excess, give to it my cordial support; but I\lr. STEVENSON. I am more astonished at the Senator from Ver­ when a general system like this i'1 presented, which seems to be the mont, who undertakes, as he always does, to bring in the rebellion ooo that is to be adopted, I would not vote for that which of itself agaiJJst.a sirp.ple statement of fa~t that the increase of salaries did .1876. ONGRESSI01 AL RECORD-SENATE . 1979

not create commerce. Does he say that it doesf The rebellion ha81 inquiry into· the expenses of the British mission, the necessary and ended for more than ten years, and will the Senat.or go back five just expenses of it, have t.aken an a.rithmetic and slate and sa-t down yea,rs and try it and show whether the shipping occupies the same and made a division which would cut horizontal1~7 over everything. position now it did tl.len f If that is economical or evl'n respectable legislation, I do not under· Mr. EDMUNDS. .Mr. President, with the greate t po sible respect stand wha.t that Hort of legislation is. to my friend, I shall always bring in t.be rebellion \vhenever it bears There is ont' mission that I happen to know something about per­ upon t,he subject under consideration. I am not in tl.le least afraid sonally, and I only speak of it as a.n illustration, and that is the mis­ of it. I am not afraid of being misunderstood about it. The rebell­ sion to Italy. I have seen the house in which the American minister ion is a great factor in the present distress of this country, and as t.o Italy Jives-the second story of a llonse, the first story being let such I do not. intend to shut up my eyes to it; and wben I see my hon­ to other occupants, and the third story being let to other occupants. orable friend, a leader of the democratic party here, urging a pinch­ He lives in a.n obscure and quiet street; and yet in the city of Rome, ing down of salaries tl.lat were established before the rebellion, upon where the salary is now $12,000, it t.akes, if I am correctly informed, the ground that our commerce on theseas has fallen off~ and omitting alt. hough my information is not recent, and not with reference to any to give any other reason for it than the fact that he may suppose there bill of this sort, over one-third of the salary of that minister to pa.y t.he were too many representatives and consul.: l:l>broad, I fe')l obliged, simple rent of that fiat., in a little old stone house in a La.ck street. with great deference to him, (I hope· it does not cut him or hurt his Then, when you proceed to t.he other expenses of missiona,. think of feelings,) to refer to what is the fact, as he has admitted, that our the constant drain tipon our ministers everywhere to take care of 1 he commerce was swept from the seas by the rebellion. If that disturbs needy, destitute citizens of the Unit.ed States, and provide the me:1ns any·body's equanimity it must be his misfortune, for I shall certainly of their getting home-not an offi.ci:1l duty which the statute enjoins, I allude to it every timojt is a f to enQdy bas talked about the demands of the peo­ to pay him what it will co. t him to live there in decent., not ostenta­ ple. The people whom I represent specially do not demand a-nything tious, respectability If you do not, then you must occupy one of of the kind. They demand economy. They always have, aml always two grounds: you mr.:st either say that you will only select the wealthy will. They demand honesty and fair play, ann I hope they will con­ citizens of this country for the stations of public trust and honor or tinue to do that, and I have no doubt they will: and therefore I ex­ you will leave it to tha poor ones that may be appointed to make up pect to be justified when I vote to continue a salary at what the law what is necessary to their livelihood by devious wa.ys. \Vhich does has fixed it, unless it is made apparent by some estimate and infor­ the honor of the Government require1 Dtles anybody who professes mation about the expenses relating to the (lischarge of that office that to be a democrat or u. republieu.n wish to establish in this country the tho salary is too high. \Vhen that is made a-pparent I shall most cheer­ idea that wealth is an indisp en~>able prerequisite to the holding of fully vote to reduce it, and until that time I certainly shall not. offi.t·e and the discharging of public trusts f I take it not. Doe~ any­ Mr. CAMERO~, of Pennsylvania. Mr. President., I move that the body in this country intend to advance the proposition tb&t we shall Senate n1)W proceed to the consideration of executive business. put men into office who are not sufficiently paid to keep them out of Mr. SARGENT. 0, let m1 finish this bill. the temptation of doing wrong! I talie it not.. Therefore, Mr. Presi­ Mr. CAMERON, of Pennsylvania. I do not want, to interfere with dent, I assume that evt'rybody will agree that every one of these this bill, but there is some business in ·executive session which will salaries, taken by itself, ought to be large enough t-o support any require a good rleal of time. citizen of the United States, witbout calling upon his private mean~:~, .Mr. SARGENT. It is too early yot; five o'clock will do. in that just and proper and simple republican maintenanqe of his Mr. CAMERON, of Pennsylvania.. I do not like to interfere with establishment which belongs to the character of our nation and to this um. enable him to discharge t.be duties be is calleclnpon to perform. l\lr. SARGENT. I trust the Senator will withdraw the motion. It If you appl,v that test, and I believe ever.rbody will agree that it is very earl;y yet. is a just one, where do you find yourself¥ Has any committee nuder­ Mr. CAMERON, of Pennsylvania. Then I give notice that to-mor­ taken to .report in re ·pect of the expenses at the court of St. James, row :1t three o'clock I will ask the SenatP. to go into executive session. that it has been found that the minister of the United States at that 1\Ir. MORRILL, of Maine. .Mr. President, I do not intend to delay court has been making money out of his office; that the salary was the Senate nor do I intend t0 discuss the question of salaries. The too great for his just necessities of livelihoou '? I h:1ve not heard any qnestion of salaries, what they ought t-o be, is not germane at all to such information at all. It seems that those who arranged thid bill­ this bill. I can conceive of :Q.oihing more strangely out of place than ! m·ust assume that it was the Department or somebody; I cannot the idea of undertaking to determiue upon an U.ppropriation bill what · assume that it was the House of Representatives; I have no right to the service ought to be. The tirst thing and the ouly thin~ t ·, What refer t,o it, and I do not assume that it waa-instea{l of n.;taking an is the service . ~ esta~lished by ]JJ.w_' The d~ty of an appropriation 1980 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARCH 27,

committee is not legislatiYe at all in any important sense whatever; ~ all of us come to recognize the principle which underlies all whole­ it is adminh;trative simply. Mr. Presitlent, unless we ob::!erve ~he some legisle:Ltion , that this bill must be kept fi·ee, absolut,ely free. I fundamental distiuct.io1 1S between le;;ii:ilat.ion an1l appropriation, this do not mean to say that an appropriat ion bill ma.v not be amenrled. sessinn will end. when the next ~Session begins in December next. As It may. The public service may lw changed.. It may IJe changt>; on the quest.ion, then the public service remain~ precisely as it began; neither branch of C;mbrress has the authority or the power to change the puhlic service so much as a single sala.ry. That is a question of legislation, and can only be effected by the. concurrent ac­ HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. tiou of bot.h branches of Congress and the ~tpprova1 of the President acting in perfect harmony. If Senators remember that fact., we shall MONDAY, March 27, 1876. see at one{\ the impropriety, not to say absurdity, of one bra:nch un­ <.lertaking to revolutionize the public service without the assent of :'he Honse met at twelve o'clock m. Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. I. L. TOWNSE!\"'D. the utht'r. It cannot be don'e, What is the rule that underlies all this' By the comity, by the usage, The J oumal of Friday la t was read and approved. the Hom;·· of Representatives, ordinarily, generally initiates the appro­ COST OF SIG~AL SERVICE. priation bills. It is of no great consequence which Hon~e initiates the The SPEAKER, by unanimous consent, laid before the House a let­ measure; but ordinarily the House of Represeutati ves does it. There ter from the Secretary of War, transmitting, in compliance wit.h House is ueit her law, nor Coustitution, nor joint rule of the bodies, which resolution of tlle 23d instant, reports from the Chief Signa.l Officer, the makes that imperative. Accor1ling to my notion it may be done by Paymaster-General, and Quartermaster-General, showing the cost of either body.· Jt. is, as a ma.t.ter of fact, ordinarily done by the Ho~se the Signal Service during the last fiscal year. of Reprt>.sent.at.ives, I repeat. What is expected to be done 'l To ap­ Mr. CLYMER. I in trounced the resolution to which that is a reply. propriat-e 1s simply t.o make a provision for the public service as it is I move that the communication be referred to the Committee on Ex­ e;;tablishe. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 1981 cer to draw o~ +. be Treasnry, deposit, and redeposit such moneys as for loss of stamps, stamped envelopes, and other materials stolen or havo been erroneously depo ·ited to the credit of the Post-Office De­ destro.ved by the elements, without fault on the part of the postmas­ partment, with< letter from the Third As istant Postmaster-General; ter making the claim; which was read a first and second time. whicll was refe!Ted to the Committee on tb.e Pol:!t-Office and Post­ Mr. HENDEE moved the reference of the bill to the Committee on Roads. the Post-Office and Post-Roa~s. ORDER OF BUSINE!"S. .Mr. CLARK, of .Missouri. I ask that the bill be referred to the Com­ The SPEAKER. Is there objection to taking from the Speaker's mittee of Claims. Bills of this character have been referred to the table and referring the bills from the Senate and the House bills re­ Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roa,ds and have been reported turned from the Senate with amendments f back to be referred to the other committPe. · Tliere was no objection, and it was so ordered. Mr. HENDEE. I have no particular objection to the reference of the bill to the Committee of Claims. EULOGIES 0 T THE LATE SENATOR 0. S. FERRY. The bill was referred to the Committee of Claims, and ordered to The bill (S. No. 644) to authorize the printing and dishibution of be printt:d. tb.e eulogies deH vered in Con~ress on the announcemen_t of the death METRIC SYSTEM OF WEIGHTS Al."'D llfEASURES. of the late Orris S. Ferry, a l::ienator from tl.Je State of Connecticut, Mr. BA.J..~KS presented resolutions of the Legislature of the State of was taken from the Speaker's table, read a first and r;;econd time, and Massachusetts, in favor of the metric system of weights and measures referred to the Joint Committee on Print.ing. as the sole legalized standru·d throughout the United Star-es ; which DISTRICT JUDGE OF THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLV~"IA. was referred to the Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measure , The amendment of the Senate to the bill (H. R. No. 219) to permit and ordered to be printed. tbe judge of the district court of the United States for the western W. R. BROWN. district of Pennsylvania to retire was taken from the Speaker's table Mr. BANKS also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2859) granting a pen­ and refeued to the Committee on the Judiciary. sion t~ W. R. Brown ; which was read a first and second time, referred INDIA.l."'" DEFICIEL~CY. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. The SPEAKER also laid before tbe Honse a mes age from the Sen­ SClENTIFIC EXHIBITIONS, ETC., AT THE CENTENNIAL. ate, informing tb.e H Qn e that the Senat-e insil:!ted upon its amend­ ments, disagreed to by the House, to the bill (H. R. No. 2589 J to supply Mr. BANKS also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2860) to facilitate and the deficiency in t ile appropriation for certain Indians, and requested encourage philosophical, mechanical, and scientific exhibitions and a conference with the House upon the di agreeing votes thereon, and experiments at the centennial exhibition ; w llicb. was read :1 first. and had appointed Mr. WITHERS, Mr. ALLISON, and 1\ir. OGLESBY the con­ second time, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and ordered ferees on the part of t-he Senate. to be printed. Mr. HOLMAN. I suppose tb.e House will comply with the request A. HERBERT BAILEY. of the Senate for it conference. The gentleman having charge of the Mr. WARREN introduced a bill (B. R. No. 28fll) t o re-imburse A. bill is not now in his seat, but I think there will be no objection; and Herb~t Bailey, of Boston, for duties illegally paid; which was read I t herefore move tllat the request of the Senate be granted. a first and second time, referred to the Committee of Ways and Means, The motion was agreed to. and ordered to be prillted. ORDER OF BUSINESS. C0l\1PULSORY PILOTAGE. The SPEAKER. The morning hour begins at twenty minutes before 1\Ir. EAMES presented resolutions of the General Assembly of the one o'clock; and, this being Monday, the first business in order is Stat-e of Rhode Island, for an act of Congress exempting coast-wise the ca.ll of the States and Territories, beginning with the State of vessels from compulsory pilotage imposed by State laws; wbich was Maine, for the introduction of bills and joint resolutions for reference · read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Commerce, to tb.eir appropria.te committees, not to be brought back on motions and ordered to be printed. to reconsider. Under this call memorials and resolutions of State and NATIONAL CREDIT. territorial Legislatures may be presented for reference and printing. Mr. WILLIS introduced a bill (H. R. ·No. 2862) to restore national Is it the pleasure of the House that this call shaH continue until the credit by funding the non-interest-bearing debt into bonds bearing States and Territories have all been calle£1, without reference to the interest at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum, and to repeal so much termination of the morning hour f The Chair hears no objection. of the act entitled "An act to provide for tb.e resumption of specie MARY LYNCH. payments," approved January 14, 1875, as requires the Secret-ary of Mr. BLAIR introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2851) for the relief of Mary the Treasury to redeem ·all outstanding legal-tenders with coin on Lynch, executrix of Ambrose Lynch, of Wa-shington, District of Co­ and after January 1, 1tl79; which was read a first and second time, lumbia; wb.ich was read a first and second time, referred to the Com­ referred to tbe Committee of Ways and 1\feaus, and ordered to be mittee for the District of Columbia, and ordered to be printed. printed. ED*ARD M1DONALD REYNOLDS. D. L. MORRISON. Mr. WILLIS also introduced q, bill (H. R. No. 2863) to restore Ed­ 1\fr. BLAIR also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2852) for the relief of ward McDonald Reynolds to the Marine Corps; which was read a. D. L. Morrison, of Washington, District of Columbia; which was read first and second time, referred to the.Committee on Naval Affairs, and a. first and second time, referred to the Committee for the District of ordered to be printed. Columbia, and ordered to be printed. HEIRS OF AUGUSTIN DE ITURBIDE. MARIA MILLS COLE. Mr. BLAIR also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2853) for the relief of ltfr. WILLIS also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2864) for the relief Maria Mills Cole, Washington, District of Colombia; which was read of the heirs and executors of Augustin de ltnrbide; which was read a first and second time, refelTed to the Committee for the District of a first and second time, referred to the Committee on Private Land Columbia, and ordered to be printed. Claims, and ordered to be printed._ ELLEN C. DANGERFIELD. COURT OF CLAL'IS. 1\Ir. BLAIR also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2854) for the relief of Mr. TOWNSEND, of New York, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2865) Ellen C. Dangerfield and S. S.D. Barbour, Washington, District of Co­ extending the jurisdiction of the Court of Claims, and for other pur­ lumbia; which was read a first and second' time, referred to the Com­ poses; which. was read a first and second time, referred to the Com­ mittee for the District of Columbia, and ordered to be printed. mittee on Patents, and ordered to be printed. WILLIAl\I R. RILEY. MARSHALL 0. ROBERTS. :Mr. BLAIR also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2855) for the relief of Mr. HEWITT, of New York, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2866) for William R. Riley, of Wa-shington, District of Colurub~a; which was the relief of Marshall 0. Roberts, of New Yilrk; which wa-s read a first read a first and second time, referred to the Committee for the Dis­ and second time, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and trict of Columbia, and ordered to be printed. orde~ed to be printed. GEORGE. A. YOUNG. . AMENDME1\"'T OF THE REVISED STATUTES. Mr. BLAIR also introduced a bill"(H. R. No. 2856) for the relief of 1\h'. G. A. B.A.GLEY introduced a bill (H. R . No. 2867) to amend sec­ George A. Young, of Washington, District of Columbia; which was tion 2958 of the Revised Statutes; which was read a first and second 1·ead a fin;t and second time, referred to the Committee for the Dis­ time/ referred to the Committee of Ways and Means, and ordered to trict of Columbia, all(l o~dered to be printed. be printed. WATER-RENTS IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. MARGARET MILLS. Mr. HENDEE introduced a bill (H. R: No. 2857) to fix, l'e!!lllate, Mr. PLATT introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2H68) granting a pension to and adjust water-rents in the District of Columbia; which w~s read Margaret Mills, widow of Madison Milll:!, late surgeon United States a first and second time, referred to the Committee for the District of Army; which was read a first and second time, referred to t.he Com­ Columbia, an«l ordered to be printed. mittee on Invalid P ensions, a.nd ordered to be printed. POSTMASTERS' CLAIMS FOR LOST STAMPS, ETC. LEGAL DAY'S WORK IN THE DISTRIC~ OF COLIDIBIA. Mr. HENDEE also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2858) providing for :Mr. J. B. BAGLEY introduced a. bill (H. R. No. 2869) to define auditing and paying claims of postmasters against the United States a legal day's work in certain caBes in the District of Columbia; which 1982 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARCH 27,

was read· a. first and second t.ime, referred to the Committee for the for the relief of A. J. Harvey, of Washington, District of Columbia; District of Columbia, an4 ordered to be printed. which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee .for AMEND~T OF PENSION LAws. the District of Columbia, and ordered to be printed. Mr. WILLIAMS, of New York, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 28i0) to R. B. CLARK. amend section 4702 of the revised and consolidated pension laws; Mr. O'BRIEN also (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2884) which was read a first and second time, and referred to the Committee for the relief of R . B. Clark, of Washington, District of Columbia ; on Invalid Pensions. which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committeo for PROOF OF :MARRIAGE. the District of Cokmbia, and ordered to be printed. Mr. WILLIA..M:S, of New York, also introduced a bill (H. R. No. WILLIAM: SCHWING. 2871) to amend the pension laws as to the manner of proof of marriage l\Ir. O'BRIEN also (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2885) by the widows of deceased soldiers and t:~ailors; which was read a first and second time, referred to t.he Committee on Invalid Pensions, and for the relief of William Schwing, of Washington, District of Colum­ ordered to be printed. bia; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Commit­ JESSE IDCKEN. tee for the District of Columbia, and ordered to be printed. MJ.·. TOWNSEND, of Pennsylvania, introduced a. bill (H. R. No. 2872) .ELIZABETH BROCKETT. gTanting a pension to Jesse Hicken; which was read a first and ec­ Mr. HUNTON introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2886) for the relief of ond time, referrecl to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered Elizabeth Brockett, v.idow of Robert Brockett, a soldier of the wat· to be printed. of 1812; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Com­ CHARLOTTE :M. BYERS. mittee on Revolutionary Pensions, and ordered to be printed. Mr. ~ENGER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2873) for the re1ief of WILLIAM STEWART. Charlotte l\f Byers; which was read a first and seco_nd time, referred to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. Mr. HUNTON also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2887) for the relief of William Stewart, of Saint Mary's County, l\fary]and; which was .JOHN W. HAMER. read a first and t:~econd time, refened to the Committee on War Claims, Mr. MAISH introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2874) for the removal of and ordere(l to be printed. the charge of desertion from John ,V, Hamer, late a private in the VIRGIXIA MILITARY INSTITUTE. Seventh Regiment Infantry Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteers; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee ou Mili- Mr. HUNTON also presented a joint resolution of the Legislature tary Aflairs, aud ordered to be printed. · of the Sta.te of Virginia, transmittiug the memorial of the IJoarcl of visitors of the Virginia Military Institute, praying for the r<·lief of LEGAL DAY'S WORK IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. the institute; which was referred to the Committee on Education 1tlr. MAISH also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2875) t.o define a legal aml Labor, and ord~red to be print.ed. . day:s work in certain cases in the District of Columbia; which was WARRANTS OF ARREST. read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on thtf Judi­ Mr. V A.L~CE, of North Carolina, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 288 ) ciary, and ordered to be printe

• OFFICIAL PATROXA.GE OF THE GOVERNME...'H. I wJ:ich was read a _first and second time, ref~1-red to the Committee on :Mr. JONES, of Kentucky introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2895) for the Pnvate Land Claims, and ordered to be prlllted. distribntiou of the official pn.tronap;e of the Government in. its Dep3;rt- I?ERDL~A..'\D CAIS. ment a.t Wa.sbington equally among the Rt.ates of the Umon; which 'Ir. SCHLEICHER also introduct>d a joint resolution (H. R. No. 94) was re:cL<.l a fir t and econll time, referred to the Committee on the to enable the Court of Claims to bear and determine the claims of the Jmiiciary,.and ordered to be printed. per~ onal representatives of Ferdinand Cais, acit·izen of France; which :r-.TJMROD M'INTOSH. wa~ read a first and second timo, referred to the Committee on the Mr. WHITE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2896) granting a pension Judiciary, and ordered to be printed. to Nimrod Mcfntosh; which was rea.d a. first and second time, 1·eferred SOLDffiRS' MO Tm:IENT AT MUSCATINE, IOWA. to the Committee on Invalitl Pensions, and ordered to be printed. Mr. TUFTS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2911) donating certain con- SALLY nAXTER. demned cannon to the soldiers' monument at Muscatine, Iowa; which 1\fr. A. TKINS inb·oduced a bill (H. R. No. 2897) fen· the relief of Sally was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on 1\lili­ Ba.xter, of Carroll Connty, State of Tennessee; which was read a first tary Affairs, aml ordered to be printed. ancl second time, referred to the Committee on Revolutionary Pen- JOHN Q. WILLI&'\118. sious, ami ordered to ue printed. Mr. C \.TE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2912) for the relief of John LIGHT AT afAUMEE BAY. Q. Will .1illS, sole heir of Mary Ann Willia,ms and Tllomas Williams, Mr. DIBRELL (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2898) to rlecea~c , and sole heir of Eleazer Williams, deceasecl; which was provicle for the construction of a range-light at Maumee Bay; which read a .... rst antl second time, and, with the accompanying papers, re­ was 1·ead a fir. t and second trme, referred to the Committee on Com- ferred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, and ordere(l to be printed. merce, and.orderecl to be printed. ST. CROIX RIVER. WILLIAM T. P ATE AND SILAS Q. HOWE. Mr. CATE also present~'d a memorial of the State Legislat.nre of Mr. HUNTER (by rel}uest) introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2899) giv- Wisconsin,· asking for an appropriation for the improvement of the in o· to the Court of Claims jurisdiction to hear and determine the Saint Croix River; which was referred to the Committee on Com­ cl~ims of William T. Pate and Silas Q. Howe, now pending in said merce. court; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Com- Al\:IENDI\fF.:NT OF PATENT LAWS. mittee on the Judiciary, and ordered to be printed. Mr. LYNDE presented a memorial of the Legislature of ho State JOH • THOMAS. of Wisconsin, asking for amendments to the patent laws; which was Mr. LANDERS, of Indiana, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2900) to ex- referred to the Committee on Commerce. tend the patent of John Thomas; which was read a first ancl second BRIDGING DETROIT RIVER. time, reforrecl to the Committee on Patents, and oruerecl to be printed. 1\f LYNDE ,_ se t d a memo .· .., of the Lem latt, ... e of the • .... r.. au;o pre n e · 11..,1 0 PAYMENT OF NON-COMMISSIO~D OFFICERS. State of Wiscom~in, protesting against briclging the Detroit River; 1\fr. SPARKS introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2901) for the payment of which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. nou-commi ion ell officers a-ccording to the duties discharged by them; which was read a fi_rst and second time, referred to the Committee on OFFICIAL CENTRXKIA.L DIRECTORY. Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. Mr. LYNDE also presented a joiut resolution of the Legislature of the Stat-e of Wisconsin, relating to an official directory of the' genera.! BOUNTY LANDS TO SOLDffiRS. and sevt:)ral State governments of thu Uuiteu States of America; 1\Ir. BURCHARD, of Illinois, introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2902) to which was referred to the Select Committee on the Centennial Cele­ grant bounty lancls to soldiers who served in the late war tv suppress bration. the rebellion, aud to the widows and children of such of them as are 1\:IRS. JOSEPH S. WIL OX. dead; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Commit­ Mr. LUTTRELL (by request) introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2913) tee on Military Affairs, and ordered to be printed. making compensation to 1\lrs. JosephS. Wilsou, wiclow of JosephS. JA iES H. LINN. ·wilson, for collecting the scientific museum at the General Land 1\Ir. HARTZELL introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2903) for the relief of Office; which was read a first and second time, referred to the Com­ James H. Linn, late acting first assistant engineer in charge of the mittee of Claims, and ordered to be printed. Mississippi squadron of the United Sta.tes Navy; which wa read a first and secc:nd time, referred to the Committee on Naval .Affairs, and POST-ROUTES IN CALIFORl\J:A. ordered to be printed. 1\fr. LUTTRELL also presented a memorial of the Legislature of JOSEPH KINNEY. the :State of California, for establishing post.-routes from. Mendocino t.o Eureka, California; which was referred to the Committee on the 1\fr. CLARKJ of Missouri, introduced a bill (H. _R. No. 2904) for Post-Office and Post-Roads. · the relief of Joseph Kinney, administrator of David Ballentine, for the burning and destroying of furniture by order of General Lyon; CHEAP POSTAGE. which was rea-d a firMt ancl second time, referred to the Committee on 1\fr. LUTTRELL also presented a concurrent resolution of the Legis­ War Claims, and ordered to be printed. lature of the State of California, relating to cheap postage: which was to E. B. M'PHE.RSON, JR. referred the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. · Mr. CLARKE, of Missouri, also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2905) CHIPPEWA INDIANS. for the relief of E. B. McPherson, jr., or Boonville, Missouri; which Mr. STRAIT intro(luced a bill (H. R. No. 2914) to aid the various was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on War banus of Chippewa Indians herein named to obtain subsistence by Claims, and ordered to be printed. agricultural pursuits and to promote their civiliza.tion ; which was H. V. PHILPOTT. read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on.lnflian Af­ M.r. HANCOCK introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2906) for the relief of fairs, and ordered to be printed. H. V. Philpott, of the State of Texas; which was read a first and JAMES H. DAVIDSON. second time, referred to the Committee of Claims, and ordered to be 1\fr. STRAIT also introducefl a bill (H. R. No. 2915) for the relief printed. of James H. Davidson, ]ate colonel One 'hundred and twenty-second CHARLES W. ADAMS • . Regiment United States Colorecl Troops; which was read a first ancl Mr. HANCOCK also introfkced a bill (H. R. No. 2907) to refE:'r the second time, referred to the Committee on 1\lilitary Affairs, and or- claim of Charles \V. Adams to the Court of Claims; which was ·rea-d dered to be printed. · a first ::mel seconcl time, ;referred to the Committee on War Claims, w. B. ASHTON. . aml ordered to be printed. Mr. CROUNSE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2916) for the reli,)f of TAXES ON STATE OFFICERS. W. B. Ashton; which wa~ reacl a first ancl second time, referred to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed. ~fr. HANCOCK also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2908) authorizing the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to refund taxes collected on C. T. SPEER. salaries of State ofrlcers ; which wa~ read a first and second time, 1\lr. PATTERSON introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2917) to restore C. T. referred to the Committee of ·ways and Means, and ordered to be Speer, of Colorado Territory, to his rank a-nd position as second lieu­ printed. tenant in the Eleventh Unitotl States Infantry ; which was read a l\:IA.RY E. llRACKE1\TBRIDGE. first and second time, referred to the Committee on Military Affairs, Mr. SCHLEICHER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2909) for the relief and ordered to be printed. Mary of E . Bracken bridge; which was read a fi.Tst and second time, SCHOOLS IN DENVER CITY, COLORADO. referred to the Committee on War Cla1ms, and ordered to be printed. Mr. PATTERSON also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2918) donating BENJA..1\:Irn E. EDWA.RDS . to the board of education of the city of Denver, lot No.143, in the east Mr. SCHLEICHER aJso introduced :1> bill (H. R. No. 2910) to confirm division of the city of Denver, Colorado Territory, for common-school the title of Benjamm E. Edwar

1984 CONGRESSIONAL... RECORD-HOUSE. M.AROH 27,

BRIDGL'W BIG SIOUX RIVER. Mr. KASSON. I askt.hegentlema-nfrom Ohio [Mr. PAYNE] ,vl.J cther Mr. KIDDER introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2919) making an appro­ he does not desire the judgment of one of the regula.r committees of priation for building briuges over the Big Siotlx River at or near the Honse on this bill Richland, Canton, and Sioux l!'alls; whiciJ was read a fin;t and second Mr. PAYNE. I ask for ths yeas and nays on my motion to suspe11d time, referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to be the rules and pass the bill. printed. 1\ir. KASSON. I suggest that the Committee on Banking and Cur­ DEVELOPMENT OF MINING RESOURCES. rency, of which the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. PAYNE] is a member, l\Ir. BENNETT introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2920) to amend an act would be a very proper committee to consider this bill. to promote the development of the mining resources of the United Mr. CONGER. May I ask whether the bill is printed f Statelil; which was read a first and second time, referred the Com­ Mr. PAYNE. I do not yield for any purpose. I ask for the yeas to and nays. mittee on l\lir1~s and Mining, and oruered be printed. to The SPEAKER. The Chair understands that the bill is printed. LAW LIBRARY FOR WY01\ITNG TERRITORY. Mr. HOLMAN. Is it in order to divide the several propositions Mr. STEELE introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2921) making an appro­ embraced in t.he bill, so as to have a separate vote on the last section. priation for the purchase of a law library for the use of the courts The SPEAKER. I t is not. and the United States officers in the Territory of Wyoming; which Mr. HOLMAN. I trust the gentleman from Ohio will allow that. was read a first and second time, referred to the Committee on the Mr. GARFIELD. My colleague can an-ange the matter so tba.t 'l'erritories, and ordered to be printecl. separate votes may be had. I ask him to do that. . The SPEAKER. The gentleman refuses to yield for any purpose. COLLECTORS OF l~TER~AL REVE~UE. Mr. HOSKINS. I uesire to inqnire whether the bill as read by the Mr. WALLACE, of Sout.h Caroli ua, (by request,) in trodneed a bill Clerk is precisel.vthe bill known as the" Payne bill," which is printed. (H. R. No. 29:l:l) to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to make The SPEAKER. The Chair is not able to answer that inquiry. allowanc~s for compensation to collectors of internal revenue who Mr. HOSKINS. Then I inquire of the gentleman from Ohio, [Mr. went out. of office prior to February 8, 1875, upon final flettlements PAYNE.] of their accounts; which was read a first and second time, referred .Mr. PAYNE. Ianswerthat itisprecisely that bill withont chanO'e, to the Committee of Ways and .Means, and ordered to be printed. I wish to explain, however, that it is not the bill which has been hc':c­ HOMESTEAD ENTRIES IN MICHIGA....~. tofore introduced in the House. Mr. HUBBELL introduced a bill (H. R. No. 2923) extending the The SPEAKER. Explanations, which are in the nature of debate, time within whiCh homestead entries upon certain lands in Michigan are not in order. The gentleman from Ohio calls for t.he yeas and nays. may be made; which was read a first and second tirue, referred to The yeas and nays were ordered. the Co~ittee on Public Lands, and ordered to be printed. Mr. KASSON. I wish to inqnire whether this bill uoes not violate the public faith pledged to the sinking fund! PROMOTION OF ARMY OFFICERS. l\1r. RA..~DALL and others objected to debate. · Mr. HUBBELL also introduced a bill (H. R. No. 29'24) to promote 'l'he SPEAKER. No debate is in order. The gentleman from Ohio officers of the Army as provided in section 1204 of the Revised Stat­ [1\ir. PAY~E] refuses to yielu for any purpose. . utes of the United States; which was read a first and second time, Mr. KASSON. I believe it is in order to make an inquiry. · referred to the Committee on .Military Affairs, and ordereu, Hartzell, Hatl10rn. Haymond, Hene. tary of the Treasury to redeem legal-tender note.~ to the amount of 80 per cent. of the snm of national.lJank not.es issL1ed to any banking assooiation iocrea ing its cap­ Mr. HA.LE stated that his colleague, Mr. FRYE, who was unavoid­ ital or circulation or to any association newly organized, as provided in said section, ably absent, would, if present, vote iu the negativo. 8 0 A-ir. J. H. BAGLEY stated that he was paired with his colleague, ~~! ~t~~ u~f~df S~~:!s i~~~lt!:de~e!~~ ~ ~n~~~rej!~~!~; rts~~P!dn ~ Mr. DAVY, who, if present, would vote in the uegative. other provisions of law inconsistent with this act are hereby repeaied. Mr. WALLACE, of South Carolina, stated that his colleague, Mr. l\Ir. KASSON. Does this bill come from any committee of the MAcKEY, wa.'3 confined to his room by sickness. House T Mr. SEELYE stated that his colleague, Mr. FROST, who was absent, The SPEAKER. I t does not. would. if present, vote in the negative. 1876. CONGRESSIONAL REOO~D-HOUSE. 1985

1\Ir. ODELL stated tha.t his collea,gue, Mr. BASs, who was absent :MESSAGE FROM THE SE.s'ATE. by ]en.ve of the House, would, if present, vote iu the negative. A message from the Senate, by Mr. SYMPSO:N, one of their clerks, in­ Mr. IJ OSKINS stated that his coll e{t~ues, Mr. MACDOUGALL and Mr. formed the House that the Senate had passed joint resolutions of the DAVY, who were both absent, would, 1f present, vote in the negative. following titles; in which the concurrence of the House was re­ Mr. HOPKINS stated that his colleague, Mr. MACKEY, wa.s confined quested: to hi house by sickness, and that his other colleague, 1\Ir, JENKS, A joint resolution (S. R. No. 11) to authorize the Joint Committee was unavoidably absent. on the Library to permit Thomas Momn to exhibit two paintings at :Mr. CALDWELL, of Te:qnessee, stated that his colleague, Mr. the centennial exhibition at Philadelphia.; and • HousE, was confined to his room by illness. A joint resolution (S. R. No.12) declaring the 14th day of April, 1876, The vote was then announced as a.bov-e recorded. a holiday. · MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT. The message further announced that the Senate had passed with A message in writing. was received from thePresidentof the United amendments, in which the concurrence of the House was requested, States, by Mr. GRANT, his 'ecretary; and fmther it was announced a bill (H. R. No. 2262) establishing post-routes. t hat the Pre ident hau approved and signed, on March 25, 1876, bills HARBOR OF REFUGE AT SAND BEACH BAY. • of the following titles: - Mr. CONGER, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H.' R~ No. Au act (H. R. No. 80) granting a pension to Elizabeth B. Dyer, 2927) for the government and control of the harbor of refuge at Sand wi1low of Alexander B. Dyer, late brigadier-general and Chief of Beach Bay, on Lake Huron, Michigan; which was read a first and Ordnance, United States Army; and second time, referred to the Committee on Commerce, and ordered to An act (H. R. No. 19~) to relieve J;he disabilities of Robert Tansill, be printed. of Virginia. COMMITTEE ON EXPID-."'DITURES IN THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT. EVENL_~G SESSIONS. Mr. RANDALL. I move to suspend the rules and adopt the follow­ Mr. MUTCHLER, by unanimous consent, submitted the following ing resolution. resolution; which was read, considered, and agreed to : The Clerk read as follows : llesolved, That the Committee on Expenditures in tbeJnterior Department have permission to sit during the sessions of the House. Resolved, That the rules be su pended so as to enable the House to take a rece s daily for tln·ee days of the present week, to wit: 'l'uesday, Wednesday, and Thurs­ SUBSIDIARY SILVER COIN. day at half past four o'clock p. m., until half past seven o'clock p. m., for the pur­ pose of considering the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation bill. Mi.-. RANDALL. I move that the rules be suspended and that the Mr. GARFIELD. · Let me make a uggestion to the gentleman from House resolve itself into Committee of the Whole on the bill in rela­ Pennsylvania. I believe experience has shown that at this period of _ tion to the deficiency in the Printing and Engraving Bureau of the Trea>9ury Department. the ession we can do more work if we sit 1mtil half pa t five o'clock The motion was agreed to. each day. If members will agree to sit each day until half past five The House accordingly resolved_itselfinto Committee of the Whole o'clock, and work" on this legislative appropriation bill, they will do on the state of the Union, (Mr. SAYLER in the chair,) and resumed the more work than they would by adjomning at half past four, and com­ consideration of the bill (.fl. R. No. 2450) to provide for a deficiency ing here to attend a night session, and having a call of the House to in the Printing and Engraving Bureau of the Treasury Department, compel the attendance of a quorum. and for the issue of silver coin of the United States in place of frac­ Mr. RANDALL. My judgment is, and Ithink it is that of the Com­ mittee on Appropriation , that it will be betterfor ns to have evening tional currency. s ssions now during the cool weather than to be forced to have them Mr. TOWNSEND, of Pennsylvania. If in order I desire now to near the end of theses ion. offer an amendment, which I send to the desk. The Honse divided; and there were-ayes 109, noes 7t!. The Clerk read as follows : fr. At the end of the printed bill insert tU.,e words: RANDALL. I demand t he yeas and nays. Provided,. That all such coin shall be exchangeable at par by the assistant treas­ 1\Ir. HOAR. I do not think it is necessary to consume time by call­ urers and designated depositaries for United States notes in sums not less than ing the yeas and nays, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania can have ~; and shall be r eceivable for postage and revenue stamps, and for all dues to the a night ession any day he desires by a majority vote. United States except customs, in sums not over $5, and shall b~ redeemed on pre­ Me. RANDALL. I prefer to have the yeas and nays. I wish tore­ sentation at the Treasury of the United States in such SUIIlS and under such reg- lieve the Committee on Appropriations of any responsibility for delay ~!~f:l f:s!:~fs:~~ttarcl;~~t J::ae~le~h:f tft~c~~':iuJ·r~~\~e:'th~~~b~l in the transaction of the public busiues . $50,000,000. The yeas and nays were ordered. Mr. RANDALL. I belive that by order of the House the length of The que tion wa: taken; and it was decided in the affirmative­ speeches in this debate is limited to fifteen minutes. yeas 152, nays 71, not voting 66 ; as follows: The CHAIRMAN. It is. The gentleman from Indiana [l'tlr. LAN­ YEAS-Messrs. Anderson, Ashe, Atkins, Bagby, George A. Bagley, John H . Bag­ DERS] is entitled to the floor. ley,jr., Banks, Barnum, Beebe, Bell, Blackburn, Blount, .Boone, Bradford, Bradley, Bright John Young Brown, Burleigh, Cabell, John H. Caldwell, William P. Cald­ • iUr. LANDERS, of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, in the short time al­ well, Campbell, Cate, Caulfiel

1986 OON~RESSION AL RECORD-HOUSE. ~1ARCR 27,

support to the Secretary of the Trea ury in carr)''ing out one of the in the Treasury 11,202,258.60 of silver coins and $4,146,932.67 of silver provisons of this same act, so bitterly opposed by democrats at its })as­ bullion, and on the 24th day of February last of silver coins and sage. The principle of increasing the interest-bearing obligations of bullion 14,193,61 .70. This act .in express terms authorizes andre­ the Government and the contraction of the currency I protest against. quires the Secretary to cause silver of the denominations named: to The provisions of this bill cannot be carried out without a sale of Gov­ be coined, and to issue them in redemption of fractional currency, ernment bonds to take up the-fractional currency. and upon such issue authorizes and require him to redeem an equal Mr. Chairman, the office this currency has performed has been sat­ amount of fractional currency until the whole amount of fractional •isfactory, and the people are satisfied with it, and the party that re­ currency outstanding shall be redeemed. tires this currency and fails to furnish some other equally as good will The provisions of this act, so far as applicable to the coining of be held to stl:ict account. silver and the issue of silver coins iu redemption of the :fractional Mr. Chairman, I regret to see members here so hasty in imposing currency, seem to be sufficiently definite and explicit, without further legislation upon the country. The people do not ask the enforcement legislation, to require the Secretary of the Treasurv to is~ue the silver of this resumption act, but demand its repeal. Will you carry out coin now in the Treasury and to apply it to the•redemption of the th~ir wishe f The vote upon this bill will show who are to control fractional currency. But a doubt seems to exist whether or not the legislation. You now have the power, and if you expect the people time for the issue of the silver coins is not, at least to some extent, to trust you again, you must do theil' biading. This resumption act in the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury. And for the pur­ has been a failure; it bas but few friends. Since the passage of the pose of removing this doubt the bill now pending before the House law business is everywhere paralyzed and bankruptcy frightfully on in its second section expressly directs the Secretary to issue the silver the increa~e. coins now in the Trea-sury in redemption of an equal amount of frac­ 'Ihe nationa;l bankers are now hedging again t the ruiu that the tional currency. enforcement of this law will bring to their business. They know re­ This bill, introduced merely to make definite and certain the re­ sumption is impossible with their present volume of currency and the demption of the fractional currency with silver coins as intended by small amount of gold within their reach to redeem with. They are the a-ct of Jannary 14, 1875, has been made- he pretext for a somewhat retil'ing their currency, and consequently adding additional burdens violent attack upon the republican party by the gentleman from New to business operations. York [Mr. HEWITT] in his speech a few day since. 'fhe gentleman Mr. Chairman, since the Secretary of the Treasury commenced the seems to thi"Qk that his party, the democratic party, will be held re­ enforcement of this law, I understand he has sold bonds and bought sponsible for the legislation upon this subject of a republican Con­ bullion to the amount of $16,000,000. Twelve millions have been gress, by an act which proposes simply to remove a doubt as to the coined. All this is idle. Money is the tool of business, and like tools, tin1e when what is required by the act of the last Congress shall be amounts to nothing when unemployed. · done. He need have no fears on this ground. The act of January I am opposed to keeping money unemployecl. We need not stop to 14, 1875, was passed by a republican Congress and approved by' a re­ abuse republicans for selling our bonds that are. now on interest publican President; and so far as the pending bill is a remedy for and keeping this silver hoarded. -We should act in a way that will any defect in that act, if it is pas eu it will be upon the suggestion of promote the best interest of the Government, while we are here a republican Secretary of the Treasury, by the democmts and repub­ to represent it. In view of this, I have a substitute to offer for the licans of a democratic House, with the as ent of a republican Senate second section of the bill. It gives the Secretary power to pay out and the approval of" a republican President. It may therefore be on debts against the United States all t4e coin now on hand and to hoped tha,t the appeal of the gentleman from New York will not. de­ be coined out of the bullion on hand, in such way as he may prescribe. feat the bill, but that it may be considered without regard to party This money should be put in circulation to do the l.msiness of the and solely upon its me1·its, and with a view simply to the best .inter­ country. Should there be more than is required to do the business, ests of the country. there is provision for the retirement of fractional currency. When About thirteen millions of silver coins of the denominations of ten, legal-tender notes are preferred • fractional currency, t,hey can be twenty-five, and fifty cents are now in the Treasury. What shall be exchanged at the Treasury of the United States on demand. Some done with these coins f No one suggests that they shall be any longer will say this is inflation, but I hope our hard-money friends will not held in the Treasury. The complaint is that they have already been oppose an incre.a e of hard money. kept there for too long a period. Mr. Chairman, the currency bas been contracted more than $40,- The opponents to the issue of these coins in redemption of the frac­ 000,000 since this resumption act was pa-ssed. Cannot we afford to put tional currency say : "Dispose of them immediately for nse in the me­ in circulation 16,000,000 of silver coin f This would to some extent chanical arts or a~ bullion for export to other countries, and apply relieve business, and confidence would be somewhat restored. It the proceeds to some obligation of the Government." To issue these would be a declaration that we did not intend to enforce the re­ coin now, they say, for the purpo e of circulation in the place of the sumption act. If the committee will amend this bill so as to provide fractional currency, is a "blunder," for which let the republican for the purcha~e of bullion, out of which to coin money and make party be held responsible. silver a full legal tender, as gold now is, and would make no provis­ Mr. Chairman, the republican party, I think, is willing to assume ion for the retirement of fractional · currency, I would regard it as a · the responsibility of an attempt to redeem the fractional currency in wise measure and worthy of support. silver coins as proposed in the act of Jannary 14, 1875, and in the The interest on the bonds is payable in coin. Silver is coin, the pending bill, and to make that attempt now, in the hope that there­ same as .. gold, according to our Constitution. Then why keep it de­ sult will justify the reasonable expectation that the silver coins issued monetized, when we can make it useful in paying the interest on the will be kept i.n circulation and be used as cuiTency in place of the })Ublic debt fractional cuiTency. If this can be done, it will be a step in the right .The country was looking hopefully to this House, it being democratie, direction. For it is certainly advisable to substitute the money of and always regarded a!} the sn pporter of legi~lation in the i u terest of the the Constitution for a fra-ct.ional paper currency, justified only by the productive industry of the country. They eA'J>ected, and had a right extreme necessity of the Government, and receivable for public dues, to expect, t.hat all Government money be made of equal value, so as except customs, only to the extent of $5 and exchangeable for legal­ to have one eu?"''ency for all, as declared in the democratic platform tenders only in sums above $3. made in New York in 1· 68. This could be done at once if we would It is a very small kind of currency to be issued by a Government reqnil'e the Government to receiTe her own notes for debts due her of 40,000,000 people and holding the first place among the nations and make silver a full legal tender. When we propo e to make legal­ of the world. If what is recognized as money by every commercial tenders receivable for tariff dues the question is: How will you pay people can be substituted for this scrip it will be a creditable thing the interest on your public debt 1 for the Government, even if it can go no further in the same direction I answer, that all Government money, both coin and paper,·would by redeeming the legal-tenders in gold and silver. • be par and of equal value. We have an abundance of bullion, both But it is said that the silver coins if issued cannot be kept in circu­ silver and gold, that 1s t1·ansported to foreign countries aunually. In­ lation a currency. If this is so, it may be wise to melt and dispose vest your legal-tendernotes in silver and gold bullion, coin it, and pay of them for other uses. It seems to me, however, that this step may the interest on your public debt with it. · be safely taken now. Silver is of less value in gold now than legal­ Mr. EAMES. :Mr. Chairman, the act of January 14, 1 75, author­ tenders; and, if it shall so continue, as it will, until gold is at a premium izes and requires the Secretary of the Treasury, as rapidly as practica­ of 20 per cent., there is no reason to suppose that silver coins when ble, to can e to be coined at the mints of the United States silver issued will not be kept in circulation as currency. Nor is it probable coins of the denominations of ten, twenty-five, and fifty cents, of stand­ that silver will increa-se in value or that the premium on gold will ard value, and to issue thllse coins in redemption of an equal number go beyond 20 per cent. The product of silver is inm·easing from year and amount of fractional currency of siinilar denominations; and to to year, and the highest premium on gold for the last five years was enable the Secretary of the Treasury to prepare and provide for such in 1873, when it reached 19t per cent., and during these years fluctu­ redemption, authorizes him to use any surplus revenues from time to ated between 15i and that point. time in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and to issue and dis­ And, besides this, the experience of the past shows that about the pose of, at not less than par in coin, the bonds of the Unit-ed States to amount of fractional currency now outstanding is required as cur­ the ext-ent necessary to carry the act into fnll effect, and to u e the rency in the trade and busjness of the country in small transactions. proceeds thereof for the purposes named in the act, one of which is If, then, the fractional currency is redeemed and an equal amount of the redemption of the fractional currency. silver coins of the same denominations is issued, the volume will be Under and 1:>Y virtue of these provisioDB of the law the Secretary the same and the necessity for its use for change·will keep it in cir­ of the Treasury has caused silver coins of the denominations named culation as currency. in the a-ct to be coined, and on the 26th of January, 1876, there waa In addition to this, silver coins have a value, irrespective and inde- 1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 1987 pendent of the value of silver bullion for use in the mechanical arts silver coin. Now mark the proposition. We have, since we pas ed _ or for export. Fractional currency is not a legal tender for any the resumption act, been buying a good deal more than one-third of amount. Under 3 it cannot be exchanged for anything which is a the whole silver product of our mines. We have not issued it. It is legal tender. Silver coins to the extent of 5 are a legal tender not in circulation. 'Vc have of that silver h~ld back nearly two­ for all debts and obligations. Silver coin therefore is equally good fifths of the whole product of those mine . And in the face of that for circulation as fractional currency, and is preferable to it, inasmuch fact it has diminished in value in that time more than 5 per cent. as it is by law a legal tender for the payment of all debts under $5. There is but one question in this bill, and that question I wish to For the e rea ons, if no other existed, the silver coins now in the impress upon this Honse. We have already two standards of value, Treasury hould be substituted for the fractional currency. gold and legal-tender; and now this House in this bill proposes to But there is another reason which commends this bill to the favor­ have a third, that of subsidiary silver coin. I warn the Honse that able consideration of the House. It is not only in the direction of the moment this sub idiary silver rises above the price of the legal­ ·pecie payments but it is also in the direction -of economy. The frac­ tender, that moment it becomes a commodity and goes out of the tional currency is e · sily defaced, torn, and mutilated. It must be com1try, leaving us without change; and when it falls below legal­ ret.ircd, and new i sues made from time to time to keep it in a fit con­ tender you defraud t.he laborer and reduce the value of the currency clition fOI.' use and circulation. The estimates show that this can be instead of appreciating it, for he can to-d.ay buy more gold with the done only at an annual expense to the Treasury of about a million legal-tender than the silver. That is not all. We have had are­ of dollars. The sub titution of silver coins for the fractional cur­ markable spectacle within a month. I find from the statement of l'ency will save this amount annually to the Treasury. The silver the Director of the Mint that a month ago our subsidiary silver coin · coins when issued will continue for half a century as fit for use as was 3 per cent. and one mill below legal-tenders. In ten days it fell when first issued from the mints. . 1 per cent., and in those ten days we lost 160,000 on our stock of But it is satd that the Government has the u e of the amount of silver on hand. When the gentleman from New York [Mr. HEWITT] the fractional currency in circulation, and that this i more than an spoke a week ago it had ri en 3 per cent. and one mill in three days. equivalent fo1· the large expenditure 1·equired for its annual renewal, How did it so rise f I will tell you. Mr. Secretary Bristow, when becau e the intere t which the Government will lose or have to pay silver touched that point, 4 per cent. below greenba-cks, bought.more on the money or bonds which are required to obtain the silver coin is than half a million in California, which is now arriving. As he was greater than the expense now required to renew from time to time the directed to buy silver, he no doubt a-cted wisely in buying when it currency. But it is only to the extent of the difference between this was so low. interest and the cost of supplying fractional currency that the Gov­ The British Parliament a few weeks ago passed a bill to pay the ernment will suffer any lo s in its reven nes. whole of the expenses of its Indian service in silver coin, and tele­ But b~sides this the fractional currency i~ a debt which sooner or graphed to San Francisco for the silver, and they telegraphed ba-ck later must be met and paid by the Government just as its legal-ten­ that they had sold it all to ~.11:. Bristow. There is no doubt but what del'S and bonds are a debt wJ:tich must some time be met and paid. they could have filled both orders. A few men in New York are able And when it is paicf the Government has only discharged its obliga­ to bull the market in silver. They took advantage of this opportu­ tion, and from that time only cea es to derive a benefit which it pre­ nity and will do it again; but there was nothing reliable or perma­ viously had by a refusal to meet its just obligation. By redeeming nent in it. By telegraph we learn that last week it fell t per cent. the fractional currency in lawful money the Government merely pays lower than the lowest rate it had ever touched before. That was last a debt, and in no true sense loses anything, unless it is entitled to Friday; and since then it has again risen three-fourths of 1 per cent., receive interest upon what it owes. . and thus stood yesterday at 103-t cents in gold per ounce sterling sil­ As well, then, upon the ground that the substitution of silver coin ver. This was worth 1.18 in greenbacks, would coin into $1.244 in for fractional currency is in the direction of resuming specie payments, our snbsidi:;try silver, and taking 1 per cent. and one mill for coining, as for the reason that by snell substitution an annual expense of a mill­ thus produced 5 per cent. more of subsidiary silver coin than the ion of dollars will be saved to the Treasury, this measure ought to re­ $1.18 that bought it, or is, in other ord, worth that much less. ceive tlw approval o.f the Hou e, without regard to its political effect, Now, sir, these are fa-cts, and the proposition to i sue this silver either upon the democratic or .republican party. coin is not, in any conceiv:able sense, a step in the direction of specie It may be but a small beginning in the direction of resuming specie resumption. However much we may dift'er on that subject, this sub­ payments. It will, however, I hope, prove to be only the beginning of sidiary token business raises entirely different questions. It proposes the end, and ultimately lead to the payment in lawful money of the disturbing the standard of value by issuing this coin that rises or legal-tender notes of the United States. falls in one or two hours or one or two days as many per cent. I The appearance of· silver coin as a part of the currency will to want to warn the members of this Honse of this fact. It is proposed some extent re tore confidence in the purpose of the Government to that we shall issue this silver coin which is bound to depreciate, meet its other obligations in lawful money, and will be a step in the which may fall 50 per cent. below pru·, and which we are thus asked direction of restoring the money of the Constitution and of the com~ to make a standard at the very moment it is for this reason rejected mercial world as the only standard of value in the transactions of as a standard by every natio!l in Europe. busine , commerce, ani trade. The bill proposes to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to issue In the hope that such will be the result I shall give my vote for the in lieu of the '11 45,000,000 of fractional currency now in circulation an bill. ' . equal amount, if necessary, of this depreciated silver, and to sell the Mr. PHILLIPS, of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, when this bill was be­ gold-bearing bonds of the United States to buy it. Others propose fore the committee the other day, I listened with interest, and not with­ to amend so that the Secretary shall issue the fifteen millions he now out admiratwn, to some portions of the speech of the gentleman from has, but forbid,ding him from buying any more. Sir, do we want New York, [.Mr. HEWITT.] He brought to the attention of the House two standards of subsidiary coin T Are we to have fractional currency statistics not altogether new on this floor, but facts bearing upon the and silver mixed, or are we to reduce the volume of small change proposition of the committee that were pertinent and proper facts to to one-third of what it is now f .I say that this measure will lead · consider while acting on a bill like this; facts which cannot be brought to fearful confusion in th~ subsidiary cmrency of the country, and to om· attention too oft.en or impressed upon us too deeply. And for the moment our greenbacks fall 2 per cent. below this silver, our these reasons I more deeply regretted the closing part of the gentle­ subsidiary coin becomes a. commodity, it goes in a day, and we are man's speech, when be took his stat.istics, the valuable opinions he left without change. I do not wish to consume the time of the House. owed the country, and his eloquence, and trailed them all in the pool I will not indicate for a moment that any undue influence has been of partisan politics. And, sir, when that speech is read, as it will be brought "to bear upon the House in favor of t.he pas age of this bill read throughout the country, the people will first admire the mind in the interest of the silver mines in Nevada, but I rose simply to say which brought to the attention of this House those facts so pertinent to the Honse that this measure will inextricably confuse the currency and so nece ary, and will then regret that the men upon this floor of the country. It is no settlement of any question. It is no resump­ are unable upon this question to rise above all party and give to their tion of specie payments, and the argumen~that the clinkingof silver country what that country has the right to ask. will make our people desire the clinJring of gold is simply prepo ter­ Now what is this billY When we first assembled here the Treasury ous as an argument. With less than thirteen millions of gold in the Department, through its proper officer, estimatedfor$163,000 to print Treasmy we might want it very badly before we could get it. It is the Government notes, us is reported in the first section o.f this bill, certainly a. very questionable kind of legislation, which is in itself and for 250,000 to print the fractional cmTency. We are to-day, so confessedly injudicious, but which is to lead or force us to legislation the Secretary. of the Treasury info;rmed me on Saturday, on the -.;rery that could not receive the a sent of our deliberate judgment. eve of a famme for want of fractwnal cuiTency, and we have seen Mr. BURCHARD, of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, the United States I for six weeks part of the machinery of the Government stopped. \Ve believe is the only civilized nation that does not to-day have in cir­ have seen the employes of the Printing Bureau discharged or fur­ culation silver coin a.s a subsidiary cur:ency. Even France, which is longhe.

1988 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARCH 27,

cunency. As a mMter of economy the committee have reported t.he The proposition for the suppression of small note recei vP.d the sanc­ bill to this How.e. It is opposed here by gentlemen w·ho do not be­ tion of the most illustrious names in English financial le"'islation­ lieve in a metallic cmrency of any kind. They look upon t.his as tlJe Peel, Canning, Brougham, Huskisson, Liverpool, and We~l'ington. first step, an insidious advance upon theu: theory that there is no In the parliament:try debate in 182tithe chancellor of the exchequer necessity for a metallic cnJTency and no necessity for a standard of said: value. They believe- that yon can do the business of the country on Ther was a natural antipathy between the one-pound note and the guinea. They paper promises. It is not surprising, therefore, although it is demon­ would not exist together, for the note soon drove the sovereign ont of circuln.tion. strated that it is cheaper and more economical to issue silver coin as The Duke of Wellington said : a subsidiary cmrency than fractional currency, thn.t they should op­ pose this bill. The experience of the last few years had proved that one-pound notes and golll It has been said in debate "standards are fixed, do not fluctuate, sovereigns would not circulate at the same time. are not given to vicissitude, do not vary." Is it true that standards Mr. Huskisson said: · are fixed and do not fluctuate 'I Sir, there are no perfect invariable When the paper is let in 1.he gold will disappear. They might vote the money, standards of length, space, quantity, time, or motion. All alike in this they might coin it, but how could they retain it in the country~ mutable, changing world are affected by surrounding circnmst,ances. Heat exp·a.nds the metal yard-stick and snrveyor's chain; moiRtnre Such is the invariable rule. You recollect the remark that is attrib­ swells woody fiber, and both affect textile fabrics. Shall the smveyor, uted to Edmund Burke, in a letter he wrote to Mr. Canning in 1797, therefore, discard his chain and use elastic India-rubber tape-lines f when it was proposed to allow the Bank of England to issue notes of The pendulum swings faster ori a frosty morning and is tardy under a denomination less :than £5, or $25. He said: ummer heat. Shall we r~ject chronometers and measure "time by the T!3ll Mr. Pitt that if he consents to the issue of £1 notes he will never see a guinea movements of the stars or the shadow of the sun 'I To have a mea. ure a:rarn. of time· absolutely invariable, the length of the pendulum, the density As a matter of fact it wa some twenty-five or thirty years before of the air, and the resistance of friction science as well as ob ervation guineas were again in circulation in England. tells us mnst remain the same. The pendulum's length mu t be ad­ And it has l.een so in this country, and will be again. As long as justed to the mountain-height and to the sea-luvel. All that is claimed by our laws we prevent the is ue of silver coin for circulation and for the precious metals in this respect is that they :1re less variable, authorize the i sue of fractional paper currency, silver will not cu'­ taking into account all the circumstances that afteet Yalue from one culate. Withdraw the fractional p:1per currency and, whether it be year to another and from one day to another, than paper promises cheaper or dearer, the silver rnnst come in hero. We rai.se from onr are. I believe, sfr, that we need a certain standard, and I believe mines almost 40,000,000 a year, which flows through our country n. that this bill is a step and a necessary economical step in that direc­ teady stream, from which we are unable to draw even a portion for tion. onr own use as a circulating medinm. But even if we were destitute And here let me call :1ttention to the fallacy of the arguments of of silver, the discontinuance of the issue of fractional paper currency some gentlemen whom I have beard on this floor in regard to paper would soon supply an abundance of silver currency provided the money. My colleague from the La Salle district, [i\Ir. CAMPBELL,] Government will permit its cbinage. speaking the other day in regard to the American system of finance, [Here the hammer fell.] :18 he called it, recognized only that fnnction of mouey which makes Mr. BRIGHT. 1\Ir. Chairman, I propo e to submit some remarks it an instrnment of exchange, such office of money as is performed by upon the bill which is now pending before this committee, and if I the bill of exchange, by the ban k-cbeck or any other species of paper cn,n have the attention of the committee I think I can demon trate promise to pay. He did not in his remarks, nor did the gentleman that the bill as a who1e ought not to pass. . While! have no objection who followed in the same strain, recognize any other function of to the first section of the bill, as to the second section I conceive that money, namely, to serve as a standa-rd of value, for which purpose all it is unnecessary a.s well as impolitic. Unnece ary, because it is al­ civilized nations have adopted the precious metals. rea,dy the existing law; impolitic, because the democratic party has The proposition of this l]ill is to issue in place of about $28,000,000 no interest in shouldering the financial blunders of those upon the of fractional paper cmTency, in actual circulation, the coin that is opposite side of the Honse. If disaster should hang upon the heels already in the Mint of the United States. There are objections mane of om financial policy, let the fault lie at the doors of those who are which I will not now stop to answer, except to say, in r~gard to the the authors of the system. argument pre ented that this coin will be drawn away from the coun­ Withm,1t fmther remarks upon that subject, I would state as a prop- try if the credjt of the nation should depreciate, that we do not ex­ o ition that om' fractional silver cmrency now on hand should be pect that the credit Qf the n:1tion will depreciate. I do not tllink issued, but not for the purpose of redeemrng any portion of our frac­ that a.s long as the administration of the Government is in the hands tion:11 paper currency. If I can have the at.tention of this comm~tee of the republican party they will permit th~ credit of the nation to for a few minutes I think! can demonstrate tbe truth of the propo­ depreciate, but it will continue to appreciate, even rneasmed by the sition which I have submitted. We have now already in the mints rate of interest, as it has appreciated for the last half dozen yem·s, of the United States n.bout $12,000,000 or '15,000,000 of fractional il­ :from over 6 per cent. in gold until now it is almost at 4 per cent"., if ver currency. Let that be issued, but let not the fractional paper not quite, as asserted the other day by the gentleman from Pennsyl­ currency be redeemed through the operation of law. If there should vania, [ Ir. KELLEY.] Neither do I believe that the country will per­ be a redundancy of the fractional cnrrency, the silver coin anu the mit the democratic party t.o a snme the control of tbi!!! Government fractional paper cm-r ncy combined, then, the fractional cuJTency be­ nnle s the people shall be satisfied thn,t the democratic party will not ing redeemable in legal-tenders, the excess would be disposed of in assail the honor and credit of the Government by attempting to undo that way. lf there should not b enough of fractional currency,.then ·what has been done by the republican party in advancing aud appre­ legal-tenders could be exchanged for the deficiency. If the fractional ciating the credit of the nation. silver cnrrency shonlll be unnecessary or should go to the payment of This question of upplying the country with the precious metalA is either a home or a foreign debt, it would answer the purpose of o-old not a new question. There is no theme more instructive, no subject to that extent, and would not prejudice the interests of the coU:try. more interesting, than to go back thil'ty or forty years :1nd review So much upon that point. the debates and eli cussions of the time when the old democratic I have another suggestion to make in relation to it, one which I party had the control of the Government. I wish I had time to read think will more thoroughly demonstrate the impropriety of the pas­ what was said by Jackson, and Benton, and Walker, and Levi Wood­ sage of the second section of this bill. First, it is cheaper to the Gov­ bmy, and other .men I might name, who were prominent ill the dis­ ernment of the United States to arrest the execution of what is called cussions of the currency question growrng out of the proposed re­ thefractional-silverclanseoftheactof January 14,1875. A few figmes chn,rter of the Bank of the United St:1tes, prior to 1 3G. It was then which I present will verify wbat I have to say. The fractional cur­ said that the privilege of issuing small note had driven the coin rency reported by the Trea urer of the United State in his report to from the country. President Jack on not only recommended in his Congress in· Decemb r, 1874, amounted to $45, 0,000. Fine silver ·mes ages to Congress that the United States should discourage the bullion yields 12 per cent. in coinage, according to the last report of issue of small notes by refusing to deposit tho money of the Govern­ the superintendent of the Mint. Hence it wonld take about 7,000,000 ment in banks that issued bills of a denomination less than $5, but in gold bonds to buy sufficient silver bullion to make the necessary

in hi last annual message he said : coina"'e. Deduct the amount of bullion already purchased, 121658,000, In the acts of several of the States prohibiting tbo circulation of small notes and from §37,000,000, Lhe reqnired silver bullion, and it would leave a bal­ the auxiliary enactments of Con~ress at the last session forbidding their reception ance of $24,000,000 of bullion at gold value to be yetpmchased. The in payment on public account, tne true policy of the country has been advanced interest of this 24,000,000, payable quarterly, would amount to 6 per and a lartJ;er proportion of the pr~cious metals infused into our circulation.-Gales cent., which would equal '1,440,000 in gold. This, converted into & Seaton's Register, volume 13, pa1·t 1, page 634. legal-tenders, would give a premium of "75,000; so that the interest President Jackson recommended that the party it elf shoulclsee to it anu the preminm would yield $1,515,00_0 in legal-tenders. That. would thattheseveralStateLegislaturesrepealedalllawspermittingthei ·sue be the annnal cost of the bonds yet to be pmcha ed to execute the of small notes. Many of the States did repeal tho e laws, and in con­ law of January 14, 1875, in its relation to the fractional cmTency. sequence it was claimed, and I believe the statist.ics showed it, that Upon the other hand, the expenses for the manufacture of fractional in 1~6 the a,mount of specie in the country, accor

$1,100,000. Upon a partial examination which I have made into this for, the interest thereon would be $500,000. No one supposes that the subject, I fiucl that a large proportion-supposed to be about 60 per silver coin on hand would be sold; it would, doubtless, lie idle in the cont.-of. the fractional currency is returned to the Trea~ury of the vaults of the Treasury if not substituted for fractional currency. United States which might remain on issue; and the average life of The result then, in an economic view, is t.he difference between the our fractional currency ought to be at least two years instead of fif­ cost now to the Government, $1,400,000, and the interest on, say, teen months, as it is now reported. That being the case, there should .• 10,000,000 of 5 per cent. bonds, $500,000; leaving an annual gain to be a diminution in the cost of the fractional currency perhaps to the the Government of $900,000. extent of 25 per cent. In additi~n to that, I am satisfied that the The gentleman from New York, [1\Ir. HEWIIT,] it seems to me, in­ amOimt paid in the different chemical processes for the execution of dulged more in fancy than fact when he expressed his fears that the that currency is too great, and that there should be a diminution in poorer classes woulcl be detrimentally affect.ed by the issue of the sub­ that respect. After making a net calculation as nearly as I could ap­ sicliary silver coin. He says the savings-banks of his State (New proximate the truth, I have come to the conclnsion that this fractional York) hold the urn of $315,000,000 deposits, and if the whole sum, currency ought to be prepared at an annual expense of · · OO :OQO, which, · "315,000,000, shonld be withdrawn in sums of $5 or le s, paid in silver, deducted from $1.515,000, leaves an a-dvantage of $715,000 in favor of the loss to the depositors would amount to over 15,000,000. Now, it the fractional currency over tho plan of selling bonds for the purpose is manifest that this snggest1on is purely imaginary, as out of tlle of procuring silv:er bullion to execute the htw. This amount is acon­ $30,000,000 to be put afloat throughout the United States the savings­ _sideration which ought to have its weight with those who have to banks of New York would get hold of a mere trifling amount. Besides, vote upon this subject. I think it wonlcl be difficult to persuade the poor man that $5 in sil­ But independently of t.hat, 1\h'. Chairmalj; there is another consid­ ver would not be as desirable to him as so much fractional currency. eration to which I wish to call the attention of this House. If the Let us go this far toward*constitntioual money. · cost of the fractional currency were equal to that of the coinage of The republican party conceived and brought forth what they are fractional silver, it is to be con idered that we furnish home labor in now pleased to rlesignate as the rag-baby; they forced the illegHimate the preparation of the fra{ltional currency on the one hand, and upon bantling upon thtl country against the protest and remonstrance of the other w sell gold bonds, the interest of which goes to feed the the democratic party; and in order to prolong and perpetuate its ex­ foreign vampires that are sucking the blood from the American nat.iou. istence, they resorted to the reprehensible means of re-organizing and To bring the matter homo. We have recently seen about fifteen hun­ packing t.he Supreme Court of the United States that they might dred employes turned out from the Bureau of Printing and Engrav­ overturn its well-considered judgment that the bantling was illegiti­ ing in midwinter, poor and shelterless, under the operation of that law ; mate, unconstitutional, and not a legal tender for money. It is now famine and disease are now pictured on the shri velerl cheeks of some very unkind, very unnatural, for that party to repudiate their off­ of those poor unfortunates. If discrimination is to be made at all, let spring, and to attempt to quarter it upon the democratic household. the Government of the United States feed its own labor, take care of I regret to see a few of my democratic friends disposed to foster its own helpless dependents; let it not be t.browiug bait after bait to the_bantling, and to give it their COimtenance and support. I trust the European cormorants that are swallowing up the labor and sap- upon reflection they will see the propriety of leaving it severely alone ping the foundation of our own Government. .. and entirely in the charge and management of its own paternal house­ Something has been said about General Ja-ckson and the democratic hold. party. . Every one of the men of that party at the time referred to Having forced it upon the country, and thereby engendered the denounced a national debt as a national curse ; and it is not to be wild and reckless trade and speculation which collap ed into the late found upon the record that even Ma-dison or Jackson or Adams, if panic and disturbance, bringing in the want and distress which now you please, ever advocated a foreign debt to relieve the necessities of pervades the country, the republican party alone should be held re­ the Government in a time of peace or administer your fi.bancial sys­ sponsible for the results. If they had been willing t.o let the judg­ tem. They were wise, and advocated the doctrine of Mr. Benton that ment of the Snpreme Court as pronounced by Chief Justice Chase · if you wish to reach pecie resumption it must arise out of the pros­ and his four able associates (five against three) stand in force, as it pefity of the nation, and not by plunnce the said company agree tp pa.v inlerral­ to issue , 18,000,000 of the .subsidiary silver coln-to make, say, tender notes to tile said holder·. with m terest from date liereuf, upon ihe h;t of .April, 1871, (upon surre!lllei· of this memorandum,) unless in the mean time itshaU $_12,000,00~ more would require the purchase of about 10,000,000 of b decided by the Suprefll.e Court of the United States that debts contracted llrior siol.ver bullion. Shonld5 percent. bondstothatamountbeissned there- W tqe 2:?t4o:!' :februar~,l862 , maybe {Uscbarged in Iegal - tendern~te s of the Unitecl -1990 OONGR.ESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MARCH 27,

Sta.tes; in which event no obligation to pay shall arise under this memorandum: for this Honse to clet.ermin in onler to decide whether they will pass lt b ing expressly ~rrre etl, however, thn.t in ease the Supreme Court of the Unit-ed or reject the bill. The fir t is its relation to conomy in expenditnre. kl>Wl shall within one year from the 111t day of April, 1870, de.cide that debts con­ tracted in lawful money of the United States before the 25th of February, 186'"J, We are connonteu with tho fact that the appropriation for printing must be paid in ~old, the saill company will within· twenty days from the render­ the fractional currency has rtrn out, and are now callecl upon to ap­ ing of such deeis10n pay the aid holder, upon the surrender of this memorandum, propriate $418,000 to keep up the work for the remainder of the fiscal the aforesaid di.fforenco in legal-tender notes, with interest. year. The Committee on Appropriations find, if we issuE) the silver we have on hand and proceed to substitute silver for paper fractional (SEAL.] currency as far and as fast as we cah, we shall need but 163,000 t.o be now appropriated to eke out the supply of the paper fraction a 1 Reeolution as to payment of interest. currency while the substitution is taking place. If we do not, if Lhe Extract from the minutes of the joint board of directors of the United 'Canal and silver portion of this bill is rejected, we must appropriate just. 2.'),000 "Railroad Companies of ew Jersey, held at Trenton, February 26, 1870. more than the amount proposed in this bill. We must take it in "Resolved, That the trea urers of the united companies be clirected to pay the hancl at once and determine whether we will turn back from the sil­ intRr st coupons ou bonds issued prior to February 25, 1 62, and other obligations crea.tcd prior to that time in the usual currency of the country as heretofore, but to ver policy of the Government and at once appropriate a quarter of a notify tbe·yarties interested that the difference between the value of said currency million more to print paper scrip, or go on with the silver resumption and of gol{ at tho time of payment will be hereafter paid by the companies should' and save immediately in this bill a quarter of a million of dollars. the right to require the same become the settled law of the land. Mr. KELLEY. Will the gentleman permit me to ask him a ques- · Mr. HAMILTON, of New Jersey. It is said that these undertakings tion? . were prepared by the respective counsel of those two companies, who Mr. GARFIELD. Excuse me; I cannot yield. were afterward appointed judges, and made two of the number who Mr. KELLEY. What amount will we have to report in support of gave the overruling decision. mints to coin silver if substituted for this paper T It is not my purpose nor do I wish to be understood as impugning Mr. GARFIELD. If I had time I would gladly yield. The other the integrity of the judges referred to. We have aright to believe that point is the relation of this bill to the general question of the resump­ their opinions were expressed from honest convictions, but those con­ tion of specie payments. These are the two principles involved. victions were well known prior to their appointment, and we may be But before I come directly to the merits of the two points, I wish to well assured that had they not entertained such convictions they call attention for a few moments to some of the criticisms made on this wonld not have been appointed. bill. First, to my great amazement, is the charge made by the gen­ The reprehensible part of the ·transaction was, that the party in tleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. KELLl!.'Y] in his speech that the Direc­ power set to work and by legislative and executive contrivance and tor of the Mint hacl done a disgraceful thing, which ought to make t.he management re-organized, changed, and packed the Supreme Court cheek of every man redden with shame, because he had put into his in oruer to secure a decision to sustain their ~reenback issue against . annual report a statement of the condition of the great ilver min~ tbe olemn prior judgment of the court, agarnst the plain import of of this country. I will quote the language of the gentleman, so I may the Constitution, and against the almost universal jndgment and do him no injustice: opinion of the legal, judicial, and intelligent men of the country. Turn to the report of the Director of the Mint; it i little more than an adver­ We are now reaping the harvest of derangement and distress which tisement of old Townsend's genuine sarsaparilla. [Laughter.] It is a pamphlet molded upon the advertising pamphlets of that phy jcian, whose sands of life are that reprehensible management brought forth. nearly run. Pages of it are covered with eviuence of the increasing value of the Mr. Chairman, in my judgment there is but one direct way out of stock of the mines on the Comstock lode, and itd bulk i swollen so tliatitis incnn­ the entanglement in which the country is placed, and that is by an venient for carriage by the insertion of maps of mine.s aml their machinery, in­ unqualified repeal of the legal-tender enactment, as applied to all tended to demonstrate the truth of his ad'rice to the pc c;~pl e that if they want to buy contracts made prior to its enactment or which may be made in the stock in the Comstock mines they bett-er do it at once. [Laughter.] future, ancl uy making the greenback issue receivable for all debts, I will say in re'3ponse to that, what my friend nom. Pennsylvania. duties, and taxes to the Government. Let the Government, with the ought to have known, that we have for years annually appropria~cl great railroad corporations, the banks, and other millionaire debtors 10,000 to 15,000 to secure tatistics of the precious metal , and neatly meet their engagements on a specie basis-the only money known to two years ago that particular work was placed under the control of the civilized world-and business will soon revive upon a stable the Director o~ the Mint by the Secretary of the Treasury. I'will foundation and all will be well. print his letter of July 3, 1874, by which it is made the duty of the The pretended resumption bill which, under the party la.sh and Director of the :Mint to see to this business of collectin·g statistic of without due consideration, was rushed through during the closing the precious metals : hours of the last Congress and became a .law a~ainst the vote of every TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. 0., July 3. 1874. U.emocrat in each branch of Congress, is nothmg but a hollow sham, Srn: The collection of statistics of mines and mining, for the continuation of a perfect abortion. which there is an appropriation of $10,000, is hereby devolved upon your office, aml The gentleman from Maine, [Mr. BLAINE,] who discoursed for a you. are anthorized and instructed to take such a{)tion as will in your judgmunt most efficiently and economically attain the object of the appropriation above r e­ whole hour a few days since on the subject, while he totally avoided, ferred to. with the craft of a politician, to announce or recommend any mode Very respectfully, for resumption, was obliged to admit the futility of the bogus meas­ CHAS. F. CONANT, ure which he aided largely to enact. He sajd: Acting Secretary of the Treasury. H. R. LINDERMA..l.V, Esq., The Mt providing for resumption in 1 79 requires, in the judgment of the Secre­ Director of the Mint. tary of the Treasury, some additional legislation to make it practical and effective. As it stand it fixes a date, but gives no adequate process; and the paramount duty He was obeying the laws of the United States and the order of his of Congress is to provide a procesa.-Gongrcssiromoting all legitimate busine s, and carefully these silver mines and make thorough report, o they may show what avoiding everything that may tend to create fear and distrust amon~ the people. In other words, what we mo t n ed as the outgrowth of legislation IS confid nee, this great new American silver prodnct is, and what its effect is likely public and prh·ate,.general and individual. To-day we are suffering from the to be upon the money of the world. _ timidity of capital, and so long as the era of doubt and uncertainty provails that Shall we, then, in the American Congress attack our own Govern­ timidity will continue and increase. Step toward i.nfia.tion will make it chronic; ment for taking such mf\ans at a less expense to ascertain our own unwise steps toward re umption will not remove it. We shall have discharged our full duty in Congress if we can mature a measure which will steadily advance our silver product' I will print these papers a.s a part of my remark~. currency to the specie standard, and at th same time work in harmony with the [Copy of translation ] reviving industries and great commercial wants of tlJ.e country. Letter froni Leon Say to Colonel Jules Berton. Words! words! So far as any plan or policy for resumption is con­ · PARIS, J anu.ary 31, 1876. SIR: I thank you for the feneral information with wbioh on have furnished me cerned, they are nought but sounding brass and .tinkling cymbals. relating to the production o precious metals in the United tates. Now, Mr. Chairman, I am no candidate for President, and can there­ I have authorized Mr. Rua.n, director of the French mint1 to enter into corre­ fore afford to express an opinion and am at liberty to give a plan, spondence with you, anu ask for r eports upon everytbina- which appertains to the whether it be good, bad, or indifferent. · monetary question, as well as circulation, in the United tates, and more particu­ larly to the production of mines. My plan is to take away the enforced character of Uncle Sam's I hop that the relation which will be establi heel between you and the mint 'of note~ and let him, like you and I and every other citizen when he France will enable us tQ prosecn te with usefulness the strtdies we have UQdertaken, gives his notes to p~:v JDOney on demand, be compelled to do so, and jn order to prepare us to revise the mouetar.v convention co.qclqde

(Translation.] He then goes OI! to say that our fractional currency and subsidiary P A.IUS, February l , 1876. silver are now almost on a level of value. ~ There was no luck about Sm: In conformity with instructions that have been transmitted to me by the minister of finance, and of which you are cogni7A\nt, I beg to request you to that. The demonetization of silver in Germany had happened two trausmlt to me reports upon everything appertaining to t-he monetary questions years before that time. The Bonanza mines had been discovered long and circulations in the United States, and more particularly upon the production before. It was a plain matter of fact, well known at the time and of mines. The following are the principal points to which for the present I call announced by the author of the bill. Where is the luckf your attention: • First. Monetary q_uestion in the United States. Ways and means proposed to :Mr. HEWITT, of New York. How 'Yas it six weeks afterward. :Mr. GARFIELD. As a matter of course fluctuations followed, s~fi~~c!h:/~~~~:~~a~f b:er;Fo~:!~ t.t~i~ee~tt~~~~!~~ t~~~:~r:£ which it was easily foreseen might follow. But I have quoted tho e the issue of greenbacks and other paper moneys. remarks by Senator SHER;}IAI.~ to show my friend from New York it Second. Organization and administration of the UniteU States Mint. Statistics of the coinage. Circulation of gold and silver coin, and what is the special im- "'as not a matter of mere blind luck as he stated. portance of tbe coinage of the trade-dollar and its use. - Now I call attention, in the next place, to what seems to be the . Third. Production of gold, silver, and quicksilver in the Pacific States, and more Malakoff of my friends on the other side, especially the gentlemtm particularly in California and Nevada. from New York; namely, the question of economy; and in this I ob­ Fourth. To point out the leading silver mines now being worked on the great Comstock Lode in Nevada, and the importance of the auriferous lands and grants serve that there is another bonanza besides silver. The gentleman of California. from New York asks for bids from a couple of corporations to see · Fifth. Valuation of the productiop, domestic consumption, and exportation of whether he cannot get the work done. cheaper than it is being done precious metals. · in the Treasury, and these two bids are printed in his speech; one I shall avail myself of the opportunity of asking you for such other information. as will complete the points above indicated. bank-note company saying they can do the work for a round million Accept, sir, the assurance of my sentiments of high consideration. of dollars; the other saying they can do i.t for perhaps 950,000; and I •. RUA.N, then he attempts to show we are paying 1,410,000 to do that work. Director of the Mint. Colonel.JULRS BERTON. To do what work '1 'l'he work of .the gentleman's two bank-note companies T By no means. Did the gentleman suppose that the [Translation.] PARIS, January 29, 1876. printing and engraving of these notes was the whole cost of the frac­ MY DEAR Sm .AND COLLEAGUE: I take thEI liberty of introducing to you Colonel t.ional currency' By no means. What more Y 'Ve have a great .Jules Berton, ex-vice-consul of France in Californla, and adual lJresident of the Bureau in the Treasury where these notes have to be counted, re­ London and Pacific Coast Mining Bureau. . counted, a-nd counted again. We have a bureau in New York to The French administration has the greatest clesire to be enlJ.ghtened upon various gather up these very fractional notes, and twelve men are in the em­ questions connected with the monetary organization in the united States, as well as the production of precious metals antl quicksilver in the Paci fie States. ploy of the United States for the sole purpose of sorting, counting, I will be very grateful to you for whatever you can do in order to enable Mr. and returning to the Treasury the filt,l:1y, worn~Q~t fractional cur­ Berton to fulfill with usefulness the mission with which he is intrusted by the rency. We have eight more men in Bes~on for ~at purpooe; :five or French administration. six more in Cincinnati; and in all the sub-treaBuries of the United I thank you, therefore, beforehand for the reception you will kindly extend to Mr. Berton. Rest a stue

.Juno 30, 1 71, fractional currency ...... : ...... 40, 574, 765 20 ~bey ~ot be got rid of by melting or e?Porta~on at their nominal vain s. If June 30, 1872, fractional currency ...... 40, 855, 835 27 mdiVIduals were free to demand as much silver com as they liked a surplus might .J twe 30, 1 73, fractioual currency ...... 44, 79!), 365 44 be thrown into circulation in years of bri k trade which in a subsequent year of June 30, 1874, fractional currenuy, (Bristow, June 3, 1874) ...... 45, 881, 295 67 depressed trade would lie upon people's hands. June 30, 1tl75, fractional currency ...... 42, 129, 424 19 Average outstanding for twelve years, $35, 000, 000. The UnitE?d States has also adopted this wise policy, and our silver coin is to-day under our laws more -valuable than that of any other This table shows that tbe a,vemge outst[~nding amount during the nation. Here is a table showing the relativ-e -valuation of the sub­ last twelve years ha.s been about thirty-five millions, and the amount sidiary silver coinage of different nations: out tanding on the first day of the present month was $45,124,134.47. I had al o a taule co111piled from the officia.l records showing the Legalmtios of valtte of gold to silver. faue value of the fractional cnrrency issued each year since 1869 and its cost of printing and engraving. Cost of jriwUonal mwrency. ~:::ut~D: ~~:~ :~:::~::~ =~L::::L~~~ ~H ~: :m~ I! iI Scandinavian states Coinage Union ...... 14. r8 to 1 Number of Fiscal year. sheets de- Fa-ce value. Cost. The United States silver coinage is a little more valuable and it livered. has more silver in it than the silver coinage of the other cotmtries ~m~. . Now, the gentleman from New York [Mr. HEWITT] must make his 1869-'70 .. •...... 8, 577,996 $31, 209, 716 1926,072 36 attack against England and again tall the countries of the worlc1 1870-'71...... i, 904,100 31,103,900 712,074 19 1871-72 ...... 9, 637,900 31,816,900 931,527 55 which follow the wise practice of the last two hundred year if he 1872-'73 ...... 11,478,300 38, fi74, 800 1, 159, 289 69 raises the question a,s an injury to the poor man. Ul73-'74 ...... : ...... 11, 964,500 38,927,900 917,664 32 Mr. HEWITT, of New York. Will it always retain that relat.ive 1874-'75 ...... 12,988,000 36,612,800 1, 083, 52! 20 ------value f Total...... 62,550,996 208, 346, 016 5, 730, 149 31 Mr. GARFIELD. We can always keep our silver coin in proper === ~..=. .==:-====: relation to gol9.. · · Average per annum .. _...... 10,425,166 34,724,336 955,024 90 :Mr. HEWITT, of New York. Will you redeem it in gold¥ Mr. GARFIELD. It is a legal tender for the payment of debts up This table shows that during the last six years the average amount to 5. · For all ordinary purposes of change it does exactly what a issued bas been over thirty-fom· millions a year of face value and the gold dollar would do. a,verage cost has been 9!15,024.90 per year. This of course does not The wisdom of the la.st two hundred years have taught the nations include the cost of a sorting, counting, and redeeming. Could we that this is the wisest thing to do. estimate the expense of a orting and countin~ at the -various sub- The onlypo sible danger I can see in this measure is that, should Con­ . trea uries, it would swell the annual cost considerably more than a gress so behave as to depreciate the -value of greenbacks until gold million and a half per year. should reach a premium of 120, the silver might become more valuable .Altogether it costs us very nearly $2,000,000 a year to keep up our than the greenbacks and be driven out of circulation. But I reminll fractional curnmoy. Now, if we issue silver in place of this fra-ctional gentl~men of the fact that, notwithsta:nding all thl fluctuation, the currency it will stay out forty or :fifty years without renewal and after premmrn on gold has no_t b~n so high a 120 since 1 71, and we one issue it will be half a century before we shall be called upon to ought to have. enough fa1th m ourselves anrl enough determination 1·eplace it at all except in ca e of actual loss. The gentleman refuses that we will not permit such unwise legi lation as to make this hill to give np a cnnency which must be renewed every ten months; we dangerous in that respect. Our friend from New York finally says propose a currency that need not be renewed for half a century. He that this will be no step forward toward specie payments. H e s 'em refuses to aba.ndon a cnrrrency that costs nearly 2,000,000 a year; we to_ prefer paper for our fiactional cm:rency. I uo not know that my propose a currency which cost us but one-fiftieth of that after the cost fnend means to st.and by that; I.Jut his language seems to imply that of the first i sne is borne. he wants us to resume in gold, and have a paper fractional cunency. Therefore, for the purpose of economy, we should pass the bill as :Mr. HEWITI, of New York. I meant just the opposite. reported by the committee. . 1\ir. GARFIELD. I hope he did mean it, but he did not say the But in the second place the gentleman says that this bill will rob opposite. the poor man. I will quote a paragraph from his speech: Mr. HEWITT, of New York. I cert.ainly did say it. . Mr. GARFIEL:J?. In orde~ taner o~es .. Tne only _pec~e resumption known to tho classes of nearly 5 per cent., five cents out of every dollar o their scanty posses­ law or to the great commerc1af nations IS r esumption m gold. For minor coins sions. "o human device can ever prevent debased money from falling to its true copper, nickel, silver, or paper may be used; and their purcha ing pow or when: value as compared with other commodities. The dollar mav be still called a. dollar, ever they may be in excess of the demand, IDll be measured by what they ~ pro­ but the adulteration not apparent on its face will betray itseif in the increased price duce in gold. of every commodity which the poor man's family consumes. The remainder of what I desire to say is to this point: will this Mr. Chairman, did any body ever before hear tha,t one-half a dollar measure be a step toward the resumption of specie payments If stamperl on a piece of ilver, stamped with the Government stamp, is not, then I am opposed to it, howev-er economical it might b . If it not to lJe more relied upon than a piece of paper with fifty cents is a fair tep toward specie payment , then I am in favor of it, how­ printed on it f By what logic, by what possible feat of intellect, can ever costly it may be. Now, what is the facU Doe any gentleman a, ma.n confront a proposition of that sort and not absolutely burst believe that we shall e-ver have resumption of specie payments until forth in la,ughter at the absurdity of his own conception t Cheat the we get back to our old standard of gold with a subsidiary coinaO'e of laboring-man I Does not my friend know that this question of the silved Are we not bound to do that Y Ann if we cannot do both at rela,tion of silver coin to gold coin is two hundred years old T T-w;.o once, shall we show our _unwillingne to ~o the one tliing it is possi­ hund:red years ago all the intelligence that Newton and Locke could ble for us to do f Tha,t 1s the whole questiOn. We have now coinen bring to heM' upon thi subject. resulted in proving the impossibility in pursuance of law, 14,000,000 of sub icliary silver coin, upon which of sustaining in equipose two standards of v:hlue, the one silver and we have lost nothing. The gentleman from New York says we have the other gold-- lost . 1,000,000. Even counte~ in gold, the difference is only 2~2,000, [ Here the hammer fell.] a.s w1ll be seen by the followmg statement from the Director of the Mr. PAGE. I am now entitled to the floor, and will yield ten min­ Mint: utes to the gentleman from Ohio. The amount of silver bullion purchased under the act of January 14 1875 has Mr. GARFIELD. I am -very much obliged to my friend from Cal- been 11,130,072 standard ounces, at an aver~e rate or price of 109 cents 'p r o:rneb standard in gold coin, the cost of which bullion wao $ L2.23!J,643. ifornia. · · The present rate in London is 54! pence, which corr ponus with 107 cents p r The attempt was made to keep up two standards of -value, one of ounce United States standard, and makes the uepreciation of the stock in the gold, one of silver, and it was found utter~ impossible, because hands of the Government about 2'22,000, anu not l,OO oJ,OOO, as tated by 1\fr. :fluctuat~d HEWJ'IT. the value of the two metals in the market, and finally, With silver at 107 cents per ounce nited States stanllard, a dollar in subsidiary after a thorough di co sion of the whole subject, it was found impos­ silver coins is of the gold value of eight.r· ix cents. Gold was 114! p' terday which sible to keep np a double standard. Some nations took silver as make~ the greenback dollar worth eighty- e>en cents and three mill . . their standard of value and some took golrl; bnt almost all nations have aciopted one metal for their standa,rd coin and another met.al for What shall we do with that amount of silver coin f Sha,ll we turn a nbsirliary coinage for the sake of change. Most nations hav-e back on our tracks and refuse to is ue it or hall wei sue it in adopt.ed gold as the standard of value a,nd silver as a sub idiary cur­ place of the peri hable, wasting, uncertain paper currency that now rency. 'Vhy T They cannot o well divide gold as silver for small circulates for change T The gentleman from .Mi ouri [Mr. WELL ] iu coin. The ca e is well tated by a recent author: has shown that there ha..s boon lo t by wastage the hantls of the people about 1£)~000,000 of this paper fractional curr ncy. And There is no law, statute or common, which gin's any private person, company, or in.'ltitution the ri~ht to take . ilver to the miut and demand coin in exchan!!e. Thus it is left in the nands of the Treasury and the mint to i SUE'> so much anrl such *These countries. France, BelgiUIJi, Italy, and Switzerlancl, coin a silver five-franc denominations of silver coin:s as they m.1.y think needful for the public ervice. piece on the basis or ratio of 15~ to 1. . This coin is an unlimitod tender in pay­ This stare of the law is perfectly right, h~ca.use, as tho silver coins a.re tolrens ment. All denoll)iwl.tiOll!! below it are subsidiary and limited tender. 1876. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 1993

these very poor laboring people for which the gentleman from New 500,000, yet, as a Representat-ive from that.State, favoring as I do York [Mr. HEWI'IT] has so much sympathy have suffered all or nearly the resumption of s-pecie -payments at an early day, I cannot stand all that loss. here to say one word against t~s bill, but shall on the contrary give Now shall we put into their hands a currency less perishable'¥ Shall it my hearty support. we familiarize the American peopl~ with the use of coin, of the coin 1\Ir. TOWNSEND, of Pennsylvania. :Mr. Chairman, when I heard recognized under our old laws, our laws before the war? Or shall we the opening remn.rks of the gentleman from New York [1\Ir. REWI'IT] pnt off this opportunity which is now open to us to educate the people the other day, upon the first di cu sion of this bill, I congratulated by 1 uttin~ in their hands 25,000,000 of coin money, of lawful coin, myself, as did the gentleman from Ohio, [1\Ir. GARFIELD,] that at althonl;?h 1t is subsidiary coin and not up to the full value of gold'¥ last we had come across a democratic statesman who had promised It is a legal tender, and by l~w it is the lawful coin of the country. to discuss this question without regard to party. But I had not list­ Shall we do that much toward resumption of specie payments'¥ ened for two minutes nor heard more than two or three sentences 1\Ir. KELLEY. Legal-tenders to what amount Y before I found that the gentleman's remarks in their whole tenor 1\fr. GARFIELD. To the amount of $5. Shall we do that much and tone were of an inten oly partisan character . He endeavored by now, when we can, when we have already half done ~t Y We have every art and artifice in his power to rally to the defeat of this bill half enough silver coin ready to be issued for the purpose of supply­ the democratic forces. He called upon them in every way whereby ing what everybody knows will be a sufficient amotmt of change for he could appeal to democratic prejudice to oppose the bill. He held the busine s of the country. .And if we do just as much more as we up before them the great Bonanza and the rich mine-holders of have already done we shall have ma{}e the substitution complete. We Nevada, and indulged in some. seemingly unparliamentary rem:y-ks can then dismiss an army of clerks and counters and workmen who concerning his peers in the other end of the Capitol: the silver-min­ are now making our pa.per fractional currency, and in the common ing Senators from Nevada. He endeavored to impress upon his polit­ school of the silver cunency we can begin the work of educating our ical as ociate that if this bill should pa s and should be a failure it people up to the gold standard when the time comes. would be attributed to tho democratic party and they would have to I hope we will not go back on our policy ; that we will not here bear the ignominy, if there be such attached to its failure; that if it show our unwillingne s to resume specie payments, when we can should be a succe s then the republican party would point to it as a hurt nobody, when we will be wronging nobody, when we will not republican mea ure and claim the merit of having eu.acted it into a be affecting injuriously any great intere t of the country. No one law. He endeavored, therefore, by every po ible means to rally pretends that this will produce ny shock to . business. The stock them, hoping that whenever the vote should be taken they woulu argument used against our resuming payments in gold does not apply come to his support as the Alpine warriors sprang up on the hillside to this. It is safe, easy, and economical; it is honest; it is keeping at the bugle-call of Roderick Dhti. good faith for us so to do. I dare not vote against it, for in. so doing He endeavored to impress upon the mind of the House the fact that I should take a, step toward repudiation; I should aid in breaking if this bill should pass the poor man ~a-s to be robbed; that the the public faith. I shall vote for this measure whatever its origin, measure would take from him a portion of his hard-earned wages and democratic or 1·epublican. was likely to impose upon him a larger. burden than he is now obliged [TI re th hammer fell.] . to bear. His argument was that a il ver wa depreciating it would 1\fr. PAGE. How much time have I remaining! buy less of gold than p aper would buy, and that t herefore the poor The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman bas five minutes of his time left. would sufi"er the burden of the difference between the gold value of Mr. PAGE. · Of course it will not b~ expected that in five minutes the fractional currency and the gold valoo Qf ilver coin. But l!nfor­ I shall n.ttempt to discuss the merits of this bill. . tunately for his own argument he admitted in two different places in There has ueen an attempt on the part of some of those who have his speech that the subsidiary coinsl such as are contemplated, can be spoken upon this bill .to make it appear that: California and the Pa­ :floated in the country for the benefit of the public without causing cific coast, and particularly Nevada, have a different interest in the any depreciation or any lo s to the people. He has told yon tha.t passage of this bill from the rest of the country. Sir, the Pacific c.oast, although there ha been a fall in the price of silver within four months including California, Neva{}n., and Oregon, have purchased from the yet it may be po ible to pnt subsidiary silver coins into circulation Gov rnment of the United States $4,000,000 of this ilver circulating without their leaving the cotmtry or going into the melting-pot unle s medium, this silver subsidiary coin, for which they have paid the gold shouluadvance to 120 or the price of silver should again rise in the Government dollar for dollar in.. ~olcl. I trust it will not again be London market. In this paragraph he has abandoned the whole charged that the Pacific coa twill be particularly benefited by this tenor of his speech, which was to endeavor to impres upon us the idea bill more than any other section of country, providing as it does for that the fall of silver was going to be a burden upon the wages of recalling from circulation 16,000,000 of paper fractional currency and labor. But he abandons it still more frankly and still more fully substitutintwith tanding all this, he still goes on endeavoring to im­ is a small discount, as a matter of course. The inconvenience of hav­ press upon us the idea that silver in all probability will rapidly fall, and that the difference between the purchasing power of ilve1· aml ing this lar~e amount of silver coin on hand would cause perhaps a di count of l! or 2 per cent. · the purchasing power of fractional cnrrency will be so great as to be But, Mr. Chairman, I contend that the Revised Statutes fix the a burden upon all the working classe of the community. In his O"\\' n value of your silver coiu. CongTess can make it of any value it pooch he an wers him. elf on another point, when he quotes from the pleases; it can make a dollar in silver equal to l,be dollar in gold. Loudon Mon~ing Times as follows : . But Congr has deba ed thi ilver coin for the purpo e of prevent­ Bar silver was in strong llemand yesterday, and in the ahot~nce of supplies was nominally quoted at 53~ to 53& pence per ounce. The more the circum. ta.nce under ing it from b ing sent out of the country. Two silver half-dollars are which the fall in silver nas OCCUlTed are considered, the clearer does it become that not the equal in value of a dollar in gold coin j but the Congress of they could hardly have been more unfavorable to permanent recovery. .A part f-rom the Unit.ed States can make two silver half-dollars equaJ. intr insically the diminished demand for export to the East, the demonetization liy GerJr.any, the in value a gold dollar. temporary stoppage I.Jy several 11ations of t.he:ir mint , anfl the increased produc­ to tion of mines, it seems to be entleut that silver, as a. standard of value, either in The gentleman from New York [ Ir. HEWITI] attempted the other combination with g-old or by it elf, has hatl its day in Europe. To attempt to force day to make th:is House believe that since the act of Jan nary 14, 1875, this country into u. :ing it again as a legal tender side by sicle with golcl is as impos­ was passed the republican party had experienced great good luck in sible as to restore the old QQ.'l.Ches in the place o.f railways. the ubseqneut di covery of the great Bonanza mine of Nevada. That, too; an wers the other argument he made, that silver might Why, 1\fr. Chairman, pne year ago last December stock in the Con­ rise in price to such extent it would be exported instead of being solidated Virginia mine, known as the Bonanza mine, was worth circulated here a currency. 750 a share, a higher price than it is selling for to-day. So that the Now, Mr. Chairman, the gentleman ha-s attempted to impress upon republican party were not" going it blind" when they pa sed the the minds of all who listened to him the propriety and necessity of act providing for the redemption of the fractional currency, for the keeping up paper currency among the people instead of silver coin. Bonanza mine, instead of being struck some three months afterward, and he quoted the Latin maxim Tin~eo Danaos et dona f erentes, which, as the gentleman supposes, was quoted in the market at that time being properly interpreted according to his doctrine, means that demo­ higher than the stock is selling at to-day. cratic rags are better than republican silver. [Laughter.] 1\fr. Chairman, notwithstanding the fact that the Government now I want to say if ther ho any· doubt or difficulty in regard to the propo es to ell it ilver to the people of this conntry for paper, silver coin contemplated for circnlationin tbc conntry, that difficulty while California has paid in gold coin for her 4,000,000 of ilver, Ro is 1·emedied by the amendment I have proposed, which I ask the that she will suffer by this measure a loss of between 400,000 and Clerk to read. 1994 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. MAROH 27,

The Clerk read as fo.llows: This statement shows that in France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzer­ At the end of the printed bill ~nsert these words, namely : land the legal ratio of the small silver-change money to the gold coins Provided, That all such coins shall be exchangeable at par by the assistant treas­ is as 13-fu to 1; Great Britain, 14 \to 1; Germany, 13-fo-to 1; Sweden, urers and designated depositaries for United States notes in sums not 1ess than i3; 1 and shall be receivable for postage and revenues tamps and for all dues to the United Denmark, and Norway, 14-fu to 1; United States, 141\lfple, as it will be current at its nominal value. The silver subsidiary coins of the United States have a higher value The gentleman from New York [Mr. HEWITT] also spoke of the as compa,red relatively with gold than those of any other country, as ev:'!:s of a depreciated and defective coin currency in England, as de­ will be seen from a statement which I present, prepared at my re­ picted by Macaulay, which was by clippings until scarcely recorniz­ quest by the Direct.or of the Mint: able; but if we had followed that historian a few years, he .;'oul< :: has availed itself of every caution to prevent such illicit is ue. The 1,000 reis .. 500 reis . 25.087 176. 824 1 to 14 Scandinavian Union ....•.•. crown ... . crown . . 6. 225 92.392 1 to 14.8 fact stands out, nevertheless. The ' loss to the people in destroyed United States ..••.••..••..•. dollar ... . dollar... 23.22 • 347.22 1 to 14.95 fractional currency has been enormous. Some estimate it up to ten or twelve millions. ·.The metal is not destroye(l even by :fire. I now come to the second objection, that the silver may not remain Relatif?e values of gold and silver in the coinage systerns of cot~ntrie8 of the silver standard. out by reason of an increa ed value in gold premium or in il ver pre­ mium, or in both. I would be gratified if some provision of law could be enacted which would appreciate the greenback, or that such a con­ • Relative coins. Pure metal. dition of trade causes could be reached to produce the same result, for Relative Country. value. then the silver would remain out with certainty; in the ab ence of Gold. Silver. Gold. Silver. such a condition of things we must encoun.ter some risk, but before we adjourn the sncce s or failure of this undertaking will be settled, ------·1-----1------and if we have erred it is in our reach promptly to correct. Grains. Grains. Silver bullion will be in excess of our requirements, and there i uo Austria* ...... •....•.... gulden .... florin .. . 11. 2006 171. 466 1 to lSi Mexico* ...... peso ...... peso ... . :2-2. 8477 377. 1718 1 to 16i rea8on for us to apprehend a rise in gold much above the pre ent rate. Netherlands* ...... gulden . ... florin .. . 9. 3332 145. 8324 1 to l5i We are told to have fear of Germany in connection with this ilver Russia' ...... •...... 5rnble-s ... ruble .. . !)2. 57l:J 277. 7158 1 to 14-! problem. Her neighbors, France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland, where the double standard of gold and silver prevails, have recently * These countries issue a gold coin for commercial or trade purposes. protected themselves against. any act of Germany in this respect by action in what may be termed a silver convention at Brussels, as stated Relative values of gold and sUver in the coinage system,s of countries of in a letter to me from our Director of the l\lint. the. double standard. The Clerk read as follows : TREASURY D.EPA.RTliE..'

Of which 30,000,000 francs have already been coined by France, leaving 78, 000, 000 This silver once out will tell its own story, as it did in England at francs as the amount which may be coined during the balance of this year. the time the gentleman from New York failed to mention, as described, The amount of silver required for 1 his coina?e Will not exceed 15,000,000, which ia a mere trifle compared with the supplies likely to come on the market.. . under a recoinage, by"l\facaulay. I am willing to try this experi­ Very respectfully, ment, and, further, to advise others to do so, in view of the great ben­ . H. R. LINDE~ , efits to the people which must accrue, not to the Bonanza interest, but . , Dtrector. to all the people. • Hon. SA fUEL J. RANDALL. Mr. Chairman, there are various bonanza interests which ought Mr. RANDALL. Why, sir, France alone coined 60,000,000 in five­ not to be forgotten in the discussion of this propo ition. There is a franc pieces in 1873. These countries are practically closed against bonanza interest of gold, there is a bonanza interest of silver, and silver, thus to avoid an influx of such from Germany. I will now show there is a bonanza interest of nickel. '£here is also a bonanza interest the relative value of the silver dollar and the greenback dollar for not yet mentioned, and that is the bonanza intei·est of the bank-note each day since Jannary. 1 to March 15 of this year, which exhibits the engraving companies. I could show by reports to Congress that from fact that the silver dollar has averaged about 2 per cent. Jess in gold 1 63 to 1074 these bank-note companies in New York and el ewhere, value than the greenback and that t.he silver do11ar has not at any now resisting this substitution of silver for paper fractional currency, time in that period risen above the greenback. If this coin had been received more than 9,000,000 from the Government. It is important pnt out by the Sem·etary on the day first named, January 1, not a dol- to them therefore to obstruct this substitution, because they have a lar of it would have been exported or melted. · direct pecuniary interest in keepi :~w afloat paper fractional currency. In conclusion, let me say this bill only asks the substitution of sil­ Contparative value of silver andgreenbackcl{)llar front Januat-y 3 ro Ma1·ch ver coin for paper fractional currency. It can safely be done, as 15, 1876, inclltaive. . silver coin will remain in circulation so long a gold is below 1.20. Silver i.s now from 2 to 5 per cent. below the greenback, and being ~t ~ "Q' ::!;.< Gold value of- '0~ the lea t valuable, will circulate. Besides, being an overvalued coin .::a ca~ by the Government stamp, it will be barred from exportation as ~0 ~>:a bDto~ ::l,.. ~>-."' .SOH:::~ bullion. Date. 'do o "l:: oo The relative cost of production also comes int.o view here as one ad­ ?;:l. §'0 gJo~ .... bJl Silver Greenback vantage in favor of silver: and it was one of the grounds upon which ;!:l~~ a-s dollar. dollar. 8-a ~ we ba ed our action in favor of this bill. The coining of silver costs ~;>-<;:l 0 ~?..0 ------about 1t per cent. of its face value, while as to fractional currency it is disputed whether it costs 3t or 5 per cent. of its fa~e value. Silver Gents. is one of the constitntionallegal-tendem, and contin\ies in use for fifty January 3 ...... •.•...... •. 1 22 1 13 t~o 88.25 .o88 .49 .2 4 ..•...••.....•...... 1 21{ 1 12! 8 .16 8 . 88 .7 years on the average, and .then the loss is only to the extent of wear; 5 ...... •...... 1 21! 1 12& 87.89 88.79 .9 while, on the contrary, fractional currency lives only for fifteen 6 ..• . .•...... •...... 1 ·21! l 12i 87.89 88.79 . 9 months. 7 ...... •...... 1 21t 1 1~ 87.70 88.59 . 8 8 .••. . •...•..•...... t 87.70 I propose for the moment, Mr. Chairman, to look at this question in a 1 13! 88.30 . 6 10 ..•...... •...... 1 2~ii 1 13! 87.52 88.39 . 8 political a"'pect. I would like to know when it ceased to be a demo­ 11...... 1 21 1 ~~ 87.52 88.59 1. 0 cratic measure or a part of the democratic doctrine to stop the issue of 12 ...... 1 21 1 12{ 87.52 88.59 1.0 silver coin. It is a. coin recognized in the Constitution of our country. 13 ...... 1 21 1 12i 87. 52 88.79 ~-2 14 ...... 1 21 1 1:?{ 87.52 88.59 1.0 It is inseparable from the traditions of the democratic party. That 15 ...... 1 ~0! 1 13b- 87.16 88.39 1. 2 great democratic light, Silas Wright, author of the sub-trea-sury sys­ 17...... 1 20! 1 13i 87.16 88.39 1. 2 tem, which I have been taught to believe one of the greatest bless­ 18 ...... 1 20! 1 13 87. 16 88.49 1.3 ings w hlch ev r overtook a people, distinctly recognizes gold and silver 19 ...... 1 20i 1 86.98 88.59 1.6 20 ...... 1 20:1 1 ~i' 86.9 8. 39 1. 4 as the only constitutional currency for this country. In my judg­ 21...... 1 20! 1 1:4 87.16 8a.39 1. 2 ment, until we do restore gold and ilver, of cotiT e by gradual means 22 ...... 1 20i 1 13 86.98 SB. 49 1.5 and not suddenly to the serious injury of bu iness-I say until we do 24 .•.. .••.••. • ••••. ••. 1 20i 1 13 87.06 . 49 1.4 reach specie payment we cannot reach that full measure of pros-perity 25 ...... 1 20! 1 13 87. 16 88.49 1.3 26 ...... 1 20i 1 13 86.9 88.49 1. 5 which the great material re ·ources of the country and the industry !7 ...... 1 20 1 121 86:80 88.59 1.7 aud energy of onr people so richly promise. 28 ...... 1 20:1 1 13 86. 9 8. 49 1.5 Mr. HOLMAN. I desire to submit as an additional section to the 29 ...... 1 20:1 1 13 86.98 88.49 1.5 bill what I send to the desk. I ask that it may be reported by the 31 ...... 1 20i 1 13! 86.98 88. 39 1.4 February !...... 1 20i 1 13k 6. 9 88.39 1. 4 Clerk. 2 ...... 1 20:1 1 13i 86.98 88.39 1. 4 The CHAIRMAN. The Chair will state that all the amendments 3 ...... ~ ...... 1 20i 1 13 8fi. 98 Ba49 1.5 that have been sent up have simply been read for information. 4 ...... 1 20 1 13 6. 80 . 49 1. 6 Mr. HOLl\IAN. I understand that the bill is open to amAndments, 5 ...... 1 19 1 12{ 86.08 88.59 2.5 7 ...... 1 19 1121 86.08 88.59 2.5 and it is totally immaterial when the amendments come in. There.is 8 ...... 1 19 1 121 86.08 88.59 2.5 no rule to prevent any number of amendments from being offered in 9 ...... 1 19 1121 86.0 . 59 2.5 Committee of the Whole. 10 ...... 1 19 11~ 86.0 8. 59 2.5 11 ...... 1 18 85.35 88.59 3.2 l\ir. RANDALL. I may state that I have no wish to prevent any 12...... ~ - --- ...... 1 18 ~ - ~~ 85.35 88.49 3.1 amendments being ubmitted. I am willing that the geLtleman from 14 ...... 1 18 1 13! 85.35 8 . 39 3. 0 Indiana [Mr. HoLi\IAN] shall present his amendment along with all 15 ...... 1 171 1 13! 85.17 88.30 3.2 the other amendments; and after they have all been presented I hall 16 ...... 118 1 13k 85.:-15 88.39 3. 0 17 ...... 1 18 1 13! 5. 35 87.91 2.6 move that the comml ttee rise and report the bill and amendments to 18 ...... 1 18 1 13! 85. 35 7. 91 2.ti the House. I shall then in the Hons a k the previous question, so 19 ...... 1 18 1 l3i 85.35 87. !H 2. 6 that by one step after another we shall reach a vote on every a-mend­ 21...... 1 18 1 13i 85.35 87. 81 2. 5 ment. 23 ...... 1 18 1 14-! 85.35 87.62 2. 3 24 ...... 1 171 1 13{ 85. 17 87.81 2.3 :Mr. HOLMAN. It will then be understood-that i the effect of 25 ...... 1 16! 1 14 84.24 87.71 3.5 the propo ition of my colleague, the chairman of he Committee on 26 ...... 1 16 1 14 83.91 87.71 3. 8 Appropriations-that by nnanimou con ent all amendments offered 28 ...... 1 16 1 14 83.91 87.71 3.8 here may be brought into the House. Without unanimous con ent 29 ...... 1 15 1 14 83. 18 87.71 4. 6 March ! ...... 1 15! 1 14§ 83.54 87.62 4.1 some of them might be brought into the Hou e in accordance with 2 ...... 1 14 1 14f 8-2. 46 87.43 5. 0 the rules and some might not. 3 ...... 1 14 1 141 '2. 46 87.14 4. 7 1\.lr. RANDALL. Of course I only mean uch amendment a-s are 4 ...... 1 14 1 14 i 82. 4fi 7. 24 4. 8 germane. 6 ...... 1 14! 1 141 83.00 87.14 4.1 7 ...... 1 15 1 l4i 83.18 87.24 4.1 Mr. HOLMAN. But, even if germane to the bill, it may be that 8 ...... 1 15 1 14! 83. 18 87.33 4. 2 more amendments will be offered than are admissible under the rules. 9 ...... 1 15 1 14i 83.18 87.24 4.1 I therefore ask unanimous con ·ent hat amendments being germane 10 ...... 1 15~ 1 14! 83.54 87.33 3.R may be offered to the bill in committee and brought into the House 11 ...... 1 16i 1 14>~ 84.09 87.24 3. 0 13 ...... 1 17 1 141 84.63 87. 14 2.5 for action. · In thi way a fairer expression of opinion can be had 14 ...... 1 18 1 14! 85.S5 87.05 1. 7 than if the rules a,re strictly enforced. l\Iy friend from Pennsylvania 15 ...... 1 lSi 1 14~ 85.53 87.33 1. 8 [ Ir. RANDALL] will see that if this is not agreed to while every gen­ ------Average (62 days) ...... 1 19 1 13.4 tleman has a right to offer his amendment and have it voted on in 86. 00 88. 1 2.1 Committee of the Whole-this being a revenue measure-he has not the ri~ht to have it brought before the House unle. it be adoptecl in Th? c~eck of law on the issue will prevent a redundancy, and, with comm1ttee. I therefore ask unanimous consent that gentlemen may the lrm1t as to legal-tender, will without doubt pre erve the pur- submit tlteir various propositions, and that they may he voted on in cha iug power with the division limitations under the dollar. the Hon e in the order in which they ar~ pre ente

Mr. KELLEY. I moYe that the roes ::tge a.nd accompanying docu­ By Mr. BANNING : The·petition of J . .A.. Payne, second lieutenant ments be printed, and referred to the Select Committee on the Cen­ Nineteenth United States Infan~ry, giving a list of 22 office1 who tennial Exhibition. are :first lieutenants and junior to petitioner by original entry into The motion was agreed to. the service, and asking· for the declaration of a rnle of promotion in INDIAN DEFICIENCIES. the line of the Army, to the Committee on Mi1ita.ry Affa,irs. Also, the petition of 0. F . Forbus, :first lieutenant Fifth United The SPEAKER p1·o tempore announced that the Speaker had ap­ States Infantry, and William H. H::tthaway, second lieutenant Fifth pointed the following as the conferees on the part of the House upou United States Infantry, givinrr a list .of 24 of their juniors who ba,ve the disagreeino- votes of the two Houses upon the bill (H. R. No. 25 9) been promoted over them~ and asking similar legislation, to the same to supply the deficiency in the appropriation for cert~in Indians : Mr. committee. • ATKINS of Tennessee, Mr. HAMrr..TO.r of New Jersey, and Mr. HALE Also, the petition of W. T. Krause, first lieutenant First United of Maiue. States Infan.try, for similar legislation, to the same committee. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Also, the petition of C. H. Smith, colonel Nineteenth United Staks Mr. MACKEY, of Pennsylvania, was granted leave of absence for Infantry; E. H. Liscum and J. S. Secfe, :first lieutenants Nineteenth five days on account of sic1.."""Ue s. United States Infantry; George H. Cook, Charles Venon, and George Mr. SMITH, of Georgia, was granted indefinite leave of absence from B. Reed, lieutenants Nineteenth United States Infantry, for similar the 2 th instant on account of important busine s. legislation, to the same committee. Mr. HART RIDGE was granted indefinite leave of absence on account Also, the petition of . George McDermott, fi.rst lieutenant of Fift4 of serious illne s in his family. · United States Infantry, showing that a number of his juniors have Mr. BLAINE was granted leave of absence for ten days. been promoted over him contrary to law, and asking for relief, to the CHARGES :AG~ST GEORGE 1!'. SEWARD. same committee. Mr. CALDWELL, of Alabama, submitted the following resolution; By Mr. BLAIR: The petition of Webster M. Rains, M.D., for com­ which was read, considered, and adopted: pensation for medicines furnished sick and wounded United Sta,tes soldiers, to the Committee on War Claims. Resolved, That the Secretary of the TreaBury be requested to communicate to this Honse any information or facts bearing upon the lm mess of the consular agent of By Mr. CABELL: The petition of citizens of Franklin County, the United States at Shan~hai, China, while under the administration of Geor~e F. Virginia, for the establishment of a po t-route from PuJlimans to Seward, late consul-g nt>raiat that port, and now envov extraordinary and miniSter Sydnorsville, Virginia, to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post­ plenipotentiary of tlie United States near the comt of the Emperor of China, to­ Roads. gether with such correspondence as has been haJ with that officer in ma.tters of ac­ counts and the manner of transacting the business of his office; also, corre pondence By l\Ir. COCHR.A.l'ffi: The petition of iron-manufacturers and labor­ between the years 1862 and 187-1 betw en the Treasury Department and the State ing-men of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, that the present tariff Department in reference to this officer's official transactions. laws may not be disturbed, to the Committee of Ways and 1\feans. . SOUTHER.."'i CLAIMS COMMISSION. By Mr. CONGER: Remonstrance of the Cheap Transportation Company of New York, against bridging .the Detroit River, to the Mr. DIBRELL, by unanimous consent, submitted the following Committee on Commerce. preamble and resolution; which were referred to the Committee on By Mr. CUTLER : Remonstrance of the workingmen of the county W::tr Claims: of Passaic, New Jersey, against auy modification of the tariff, to the Wher as by the Constitution of the United States the people of the several States Committee of Ways alfd Means. - are secured m their possessions from unreasonable searches and seizures and as­ sured that their right to private property shall not be violated nor taken for )mblic By Mr. DAl"\fFORD: Remonstmnce of W. W . Holloway and 95 other use without just compen ation; anu whereas these provisions were originally in­ citizens of Bridgeport, Ohio, of similar import, to the sa,me coiDIDittee. tended to apply to the 11eople of all the tates alike: anti wher~:~a s the onthern Also; remonstrance of Thomas Hometon and 155 other citizens of cl::lims commiSBion, now sitting in \Vashington City, District of Columbia, by au­ Steubenville, Ohio, of similar import, to the same committee. thority of an act of Cong-re , to pas anti decide upon the claims of th~ f!eople ?f tile South for property fuken dnrinl! the late war, are rel?orted as dec1ding srud By Mr. DIBRELL: The petition of Jo eph Rnohs, for a reheariuo­ claiUIS not a-ceoriling to the proof and law, but from unofficml and merely unsworn of his claim for compensation for quartermaater stores taken by th% statements of ecret spies and informers, thus nolating that provision of the Con­ United States Army, rejected by the southern claims commission, Rtitution which secures to the citizen a just compensation for property taken by the GoYernment: Therefore, to the Committee on War Claims. Be it resolved, That a committee of--be appoi.J;lted by the Speaker of the-House By Mr. DOUGLAS: Thepetitionof MatthewWooclyard, of simila,r of Repr entative , whose duty it shall be to ht>ar proof and report to this Honse, import, to the same committee. fir t, whether or not aid commission is acting in accordance with the law under By Mr. DURHAM: The petition of Abijah B. Gilbert, for additional which they are appointed and the Constitution they are sworn to support; second, wh ther or not they are authorized by law to empioy secret spies and informers, compensation for the use of his ferry by the United States .Army dur­ and, if so, by whom ru·e they alJpointed, and under what law and by whom are they ing the late war, to the same committee. . paid ; thinl, said committee to report how many sn<;h spies, detective , or em·et · By Mr. EGBERT: The petition of A. T. Mortimer, 0. E. Taylor, and police are iu the employment of the Government, anrl their aggregate salaries and other citizens of Erie, Pennsylvania, for a commission of inquiry con­ expense to the Gover,nment; fourth, and as the existence of a secret police or spies in a free country is a standin.,. menace to the liberties of the people, and a public cerning the alcoholic liquor traffic, to the Committee on the Judiciary. ·declaration of a want of confi'aence in the inte~rity and honesty of the people, let By Mr. HAMILTON, of New Jersey: Remonstrance of workingmen them r eport whether or not it would not be to the lJest interest of the Government and citizens of Sussex County, New Jersey, against any change in the to di'!pense with their services, and whether or not the honor of the Government tariff laws-, to the Committee of Way and Means. would not be best subserved by the dissolution of said commissibn. By Mr. H.A.RDENBERGH : The petition of F. M. Faircloth, for re­ POST-ROUTE BILL. imlmrsement for losses during the war, to the Committee on War Mr. CLARK, of Mis ouri. The annual post-route bill has been, Claims. returned to-day from the Senate with sundry amendments. It is By Mr. HEWITT, of Alabama: A paper relating to a post-route important that the bill should be pas ed as soon as possible, and in from Birminl{ham, Jefl'erson County, Alabama, via Irondale and Cedar order that the amendments of the Senate may be considered and re­ Grove to Cropwell, Saint Clair County, Alabama, to the Committee ported to the ::S:ouse to-morrow, I ask unanimous consent that they on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. be now taken from the Speaker's table aud referred to the Commit­ By Mr. HILL: Memorial of citizens of Georgia, for a post-office at tee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. Fair Play, in Morgan County, Georgia, to the same committee. No objection was macle, aud accordingly the amendments of the By .Mr. HOPKINS: Remonstrance of workingmen of .A.lleghefiy Senate to the bill (H. R. No. 2262) establishing post-roads were taken County, Pennsylvania, against the reduction of the tariff on imports from the Speake1Js t::tble, and referred to the Committee on the Post­ to the Committee of Ways and Means. ' Office a.nd Post-Roads. By }fr. HUNTER : Remonstrance of citizens of Clay County, In­ l\!r. RANDALL. I now insist on my motion to adjourn. diana, of similar import, to the same committee. The motion was agreed to; and accordingly (at :five o'clock and By Mr. JACOBS: The petition of the people of Cowlitz County, for twenty-five minutes p. m.) the House adjourned. the improvement of Cowlitz Rhrer, Washington Territory, to the Com­ mittee on Commerce. Also, a paper relating. to a post-route ·from Columbus to Yakama. City, Washington Territory, to the Committee on the Post-Office a,nd PETITIO~S, ETC. Post-Roads. • The following memorials, petitions, and other papers were presented By Mr. KIDDER: A paper 1·elatiug to the establishment of certain at the Clerk's desk tmder the rule, and referred as stated: post-routes in the Territory of Dakota, to the same committee. By the SPEAKER: The petition of Johu Whittaker, R. S. Spencer, By Mr. KIMBALL: Memorial of the Legislature of Wisconsin, ask­ and other citizens of Bourbon, Marshall County, Indiana, for a com­ ing for the amendment of the patent laws, to the Committee on Pat­ mission of inquiry concerni.ng the alcoholic liquor traffic, to the Com­ ents. mittee on the Judiciary. Also, memorial of _the L egislature ?f Wisconsin, asking for an in­ Also, a memorial of-the people of the county of Taos, New Mexico, crease of mail serVIce from Lake Flre to Hartford, in vVa hinO'ton asking relief from unjust legislation in the matter of the appointment County, Wisconsin, to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post­ of a probate judge fqr said county, to the same committee. Roa,cls. By Mr. BAKER, of Indiana: Papers relating to the petition of By Mr. KNOTT: The petition of Thomas J. Durant, for leave to Mary Barr, for a pension, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. present his claim for service as United States attorney for the dis­ ..Also, the petition of J.D. Wilkins, H. H. Tyrell, and other citizens trict of Lotti. iana to the Court of Claims for adjustment, to t.ba Com- of Bourbon, Indiana, for a commission of ipqillry conce1·ning the al­ mittee on the Judiciary. ' colwlic liquor traffic, to the Commit.tt e of Ways ancl Means. By Mr. LYNDE : Memorial of the Legislature of Wi. con in, asking

~------~------~ 1998 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. MARon 28, for the establishment of a tri-weekly mail south from Marquette, by on imported articles that enter into competition with American man­ way of Kingston, to Portage, Wisconsin, to the Committee on the ufactures, to the Committee of Ways and Means. Post-Office and Post-Roads. By Mr. TURNEY: The petition of citizens of Westmoreland County, Also .• memorial of the Legislature of Wisconsin, asking for an in­ Pennsylvania, for a change in post-route No. H619, so as to include the crease of mail service on mail route 25151, from Lake Fire to Hart­ village of Huckleberry, to the Committee on the Po t-Office and Post­ ford, Wisconsin, to the same committee. Roads. - Also, memorial of the Legislature of Wisconsin, asking for the es­ By Mr. VANCE, of Ohio: The petition of Isaa-c C. Dovel and 52 tablishment of a tri-weekly mail-route from Waupaca to Plainfield, . other workingmen of Lawrence County, Ohio, that the present tariff Wisconsin, to the arne committee. · laws be left undisturbed, to the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. McCRARY: The petition of 0. F. Bre ee, that a certain Also, the petition of .A. McGoon and 118 other workin~men of Hock­ fund arising from the sale of confi~cated pro1)erty, now in the 'I'reas­ ing County, Ohio, of similar import, to the same coiDIDlttee. ury, be paid to him, to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, the petition of Samuel E. Sworts and 90 other workingmen By Mr. McFARLAND: Papers relating to the claim of R. R. Rob­ of Vinton County, Ohio, of similar import, to the same committee. inson, for compensation for two hundred and twelve gallons of apple By Mr. WALLACE, of Pennsylvania: Remonstrance of 400 work­ brandy illegally seized by internal-revenue officers, to the Committee ingmen of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, against any change in of Ways and Means. · the preAent tariff laws, to the same committee. Also, the petition of Alexander Ayers, for a moil.ification of the tax By Mr. WALLING: Memorial of John H. Kelly, Peter Duffy, and on tobacco for the benefit of small farmers, to the same committee. others, of Perry County, Ohio, asking for the establishment·of certain Also, the petition of citizens of Sullivan County, for a post-route post~rontes in Ohio, to the Committee on the P.ost-Offi~e and Post­ from Kingsport to Arcadia, Tennessee. to the Co:t!tmittee on the Post­ Roads. Office and Post-Roads. By Mr. WARD : Petition of importers and dealers in crocke1·.v, china, By Mr. McMAHON: The petition of Captain J a perM. Whitty, and and glassware, showing that the present. duty on these articles is 25 other disabled volunteers, that they be furnished 'vith artificial excessive, and a-sking a uniform rate of duty of 30 per cent., to the eyes, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. . Committee of Ways and Means. · Also, the petition of Mrs. Louis Seebohm, for compensation on ac­ By Mr. WARREN : The petition of John Griffin, for arrears. of pay count of the death of her husband in the United States service, and and bounty as a United States soldier, to the Committee on Military for other relief, to the Committee of Claims. Affairs. By Mr. MUTCJIT..ER: Remonstrance of citize:o.s of Pennsylvania, Also, remonstrance of H. W. Jordan and 72 other dealers in live against a reduction of the tariff duties, to the Committee of Ways and stock, against the passage of the proposed act requiring the unload­ Means. ing of cattle in transit, to the Committee on Agriculture. By Mr. PACKER: Remonstrance of workingmen in the county of By Mr. WHITE : The petition of Nimrod Mcintosh, for a pension, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, of similar import, to the same committee. to the Committee on InvaUd Pensions. · By Mr. PARSONS : Papers relating to the clai.m of Blanton Dun­ By Mr. WILLIAMS, of New York: The petition of Daniel Cady, can, for compensation for rents and damages to property during -the Charles Bliven, and 100 others, that the tariff may not be changed at war, to the Committee on War Claims. this time, to the Committee of Ways and Means. By Mr. PIPER: Resolutions of the lward of supervisors of San Fran­ By Mr. A. S. WILLIAMS : The petition of 64 citizens of Michigan, cisco,· California, relating to the Presidio lauds, to the Committee on for the prohibition of the manufacture, importation, and sale of in­ Military Affairs. toxicating liquors to be used as a beverage in the Territories -and By Mr. RANDALL: The petition of Albert V. Con way, to have the District of Columbia, to the same committee. Secretary of the Treasury is ne to him new bonds in lieu of· bon~ Also, the petition of the J e.fferson Avenue Methodist Episcopal which by a forgery were caused to be canceled and other bonds IS­ church and Central Methodist Episcopal church, of Detroit, Michi­ sued for them to persons not authorized to receive them and who are gan, of similar import, to the same committee. • outside the jurisdiction of the United States, to the Committee of Also, the petition of 56 citizens, of Michigan, for a commission of ·ways and Means. inquiry concerning the alcoholic liquor traffic, to the same committee. By Mr. RICE: The petition of William Anderton and 215 other · By 1\ir. WILLIS: The petition of John D. Terry, for an increase of soldiers and pensioners of the late war, that the provisions of the act pensiop, to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. of June, 1874, granting pensions at the rate of $24 per month to all By Mr. WOOD, of Pennsylvania: Remonstrance of A. B. Miller soldiers who have lost a leg above the knee, be extended so as to in­ and 84 other citizens of Mont~omery County, Pennsylvania, against clude all those who have lost a leg below the knee or an arm below any change in the existing tariff laws, to the Committee of Ways and the elbow, to the Committee.on Invalid Pensions. Means. By Mr. RIDDLE: A paper from Sperry & Co., of Nashville, Ten­ By Mr. WOODBURN: The petition of Lemuel Allen and other citi­ nessee, in favor of the reduction of the tax on distilled spirits, to the zens of Nevada, for the establishment of a post-route from Wads­ Committee of Ways and Means. worth to Stillwater, Churchill County, Nevada, to the Committee on By Mr. RUSK: Papers relating to the claim of Dr. Gustavus B. the Post-Office and Post-Roads. · Homer, to the Committee on Military Affairs. By Mr. YEATES: The petition of William E. Bond, for relief, to By Mr. SAMPSON: The petition of Mr. E. S. SAMPSON, in behalf the Committee of Ways and Means. of his constituents, for the extension and establishment of certain Also, the petition of citizens of BeaufOI't and Pitt Counties, North post-routes, to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. Carolina, relating to the establishment of a daily mail-route from By Mr. SCHLEICHER: Memorial of the heirs of Charles Fierer, Wilson to Wa-shington, North Carolina, to the Committee on the Post­ asking for relief, to the Committee on War Claims. Office and Post-Roads. Also, the petition of William Schuchardt, for compensation for pro­ Also, t he petition of William E. Bond, for compensation for com­ curing depositions and other documents nsed by the United States in missions as collector of internal revenue on cotton shipped in bonds settling claims with Mexico, to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. and under assessor's permits produced in and shipped from his dis­ By l\Ir. SEELYE: Resolutions of the Suffolk District Medical So­ tJ.ict, to the Committee of Ways and Mea';ls. ciety, in favor of the metric system of weights and measures, to the Committee on Coinage, \Veights, and Measures. By. :Mr. SINNICKSON: The petition of Charles P. Stratton and more than 1,300 other citizens of the first district of New Jersey, for the extension of the national credit to the completion of a great IN SENATE. southern line of railroad to the Pacific, to the Committee on the Pa­ cific Railroad. TUESDAY, March 28, 1876. By Mr. STEVENS: A paper relating to the establishment of cer­ tain post-rouies in the Territory of Arizona, to the Committee on the Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. BYRON SUNDERLAND, D. D. Post-Office and Post-Roads. The Jour!ill>l of yesterday's proceedings was read and approved. By .]\Ir. SWANN: The petition of the Madison Avenue church of PETITIONS AND ~'IORIALS. , Maryland, signed by the pastor and officers, representing 4 0 members, for a commission of inquiry concerning the alcoholic l\Ir. KEY presented the petition of Mrs. Mary A. Lord, widow of liquor traffic, to the Committee on the Judiciary. Henry E. Lord, late captain of Company G, Thirty-seventh Indiana By :Mr. THOMPSON: The petition of Almira Fitts, for a pension, to Volunteers, paying for arrears of pension; which was referred to the the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Committee on Pensions. Also, the petition of Elizabeth M. Livingstone, of similar import, to Mr. WALLACE presente'd two memorials of citizens of the cotmties the same committee. of Berks and Allegheny, in the State of Pennsylvania, remonstrating Aiso, the petition of Maria D. Pierce, of similar import, to the same against any change in the present tariff laws; which were referred to committee. the Committee on Finance. By Mr. THORNBURGH: The petition of Margaret A. Gillem, of 1\Ir. WEST. I present, in the nature of a memorial to Congress, similar import, to the same committee. joint resolutions of the Legislature of the State of Louisiana, in By Mr. TOWNSEND, of Pennsylvania: Remonstrance of Samuel favor of pensions to the veterans of the war with Mexico, their Riddle, William Simpson & Son,s, Shaw & Esrey, John Ledward, J. widows and minor orphans. I move their reference to the Committee P. Crozers' Sons, and 620 other manufacturers, mechanics, and citi­ on Pensions. ' zens of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, against reducing the duties The motion was agreed to.