CONGRESSIONAL• RECORD. PROCEEDINGS .AND DEBATES OF THE FORTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. SESSION. IN .SENATE. circumstances of great mercy, in the enjoyment of reason, and of health and every needed blessing. MONDAY, December 1, 1879. It hath seemed good unto Thee, 0 God, in Thine inscrntB,ble provi­ dence, to remove by the hand of death from this body one of its mem­ The first Monday of December being "the day prescribed by the Con­ bers. We pray that Thou wouldst bless his affilcted family. Sustain stitution of the United States for the annual meeting of Congress, the them in their sore bereavement and comfort them with the consola­ second session of the Forty-sixth Congress commenced this day. tions of our most holy religion. And may we be deeply impressed, . The Senators assembled in the Senate Chamber in the Capitol at by this solemn event, of our own mortality, of the shortness and un­ Washington City. certainty of life, and of the importance of being prepared for our The VICE-PRESIDENT of the United States (Hon. WILLIAM A. departure; for we know neither the day nor the hour when we shall WHEELER, of New York) took the chair and called the Senate to or- be called hence. der at twelve o'clock noon. · And, 0 God, we invoke Thy blessing to rest upon another member SENATORS PRESENT. of this body, whom Thou hast sorely stricken, in removing by death The following Senators were prt:i;ent: from his companionship the partner of his joys and his sorrows. We F1·om the State of­ invoke Thy blessing to rest upon him in his sore affliction. And if .Alabama-John T. Morgan. there be any other members upon whom Thon hast laid Thy afflicting Arkansas-Augustus H. Garland and James D. Walker. hand, we pray that Thou. wouldst remember them in great mercy and California-Newton Booth. sanctify their afilictions to them. Colorado-N. P. Hill and Henry M. Teller. We commit ourselves and all that are dear to us to Thy guidance Connecticut--William W. Eaton and Orville H. Platt. and protection. We implore Thy grace, and the forgiveness of all Delaware-Thomas F. Bayard and Eli Saulsbury. our sins. We pray for our rulers, for the President and the Vice­ Florida-Wilkinson Call. ,. President, the Senators and Representatives in Congress, and for all Georgia-John B. Gordon. others in authority. Guide their councils and lead them to the adop­ nlinois-John A. Logan. tion of such. measures as shall redound to Thy ~lory and to the best Indiana-Joseph E. McDonald. interests of our cominon country. Be Thou their guide and support .. , Iowa-William B. Allison and Samuel J. Kirkwood • through all the trfaJs a,nd changes of life; be with them in the sol­ Kansas-John James Ingalls and Preston B. Plumb. emn hour of death; and finally receive us all into Thine everlasting Kentucky-James B. Beck. kingdom, through the riches of grace in Christ, our Redeemer. A.men. Louisiana-Benjamin F. Jonas. NOTIFICATION TO THE HOUSE • . Maine-Hannibal Hamlin. Mr. THURMAN offered the following resolution; which wn.s con­ Maryland-James B. Groome. siderea by unanimous consent, and agreed to: Massachusetts-Henry L. Dawes and George F. Hoar. _, Resolved, That the Secretary inform the House of Representatives that a quorum ,, Michigan-Thomas W. Ferry. of the Senate is assembled, and that the Senate is ready to proceed to business. .Minnesota-Samuel J. R. McMillan and William Windom. Mississippi-Blanche K. Bruce. NOTIFICATION TO THE PRESIDEll.T'f. MissO'Uri-Francis M. Cockrell and George G. Vest. Mr. BAYARD submitted the follo~ing resolution; which was con­ Nebraska-Algernon S. Paddock and Alvin Saunders. sidered by unanimous consent, and agreed to: New Hampshire-Henry W. Blair and Edward H. Rollins. Resolved, That a. com.mitt.ea consisting of two members be appointed, to join such committee as may be appointed by the Honse of Representatives, to wait New Jersey-John R. McPherson and Theodore F. Randolph. upon the President of the Umted States and inform him that a quorum of each New Yorlr-Roscoe Conkling and Francis Kernan. Honse is assembled, and that Congress is ready to receive any communication he Ohio-George H. Pendleton and Allen G•. Thurman. may be pleased to make. Oregon-James H. Slater. By unanimous consent, the Vice-President was authorized to ap­ Pennsylvani~James Donald Cameron and William A. Wallace. point the committee on the part of the Senate; and Messrs. BAYARD Rhode Island-Henry B. Anthony and Ambrose E. Burnside. and ANTHONY were appointed. Tennessee-Isham G. Harris. Texas-Richard Coke and Samuel B. Maxey. HOUR OF MEETING. Vermont-George F. Edmunds and Justin S. Morrill. Mr. W .A.LLACE submitted the following resolution; which was Virginia-John W. Johnston. considered by unanimous consent, and agreed to: West Virginia-Henry G. Davis and Frank Hereford. Resolved, That the hour of the daily meeting of the Senate be twelve o'clock Wisconsin-Matt H. Carpenter. meridian, until otherwise ordered. · PRAYER. REPORT OF SECRETARY OF SENATE. Rev. J. J. BULLOCK, Cha-plain to the Senate, offered the following The VICE-PRESIDENT laid before the Senate the report of the Sec­ prayer: retary of the Senate, communicating, in obedience to law, a state­ Almighty and most merciful God, our Heavenly Father, we adore ment of the receipts and expenditures of the Senate from March 25, Thee as the only true and living God, the creator, the preserver, and 1879, to June 30, 1879; and a. statement of property in his possession · the supreme ruler of the universe. We thank Thee, 0 God, for all belonging to the United Stu.tea December 1, 1879; which was ordered thy pro.vidential blessings to us. They are more in number than the to lie on the table and be printed. stars of heaven and the sands of the sea-shore. Especially do we REPORT OF SERGEANT-AT-A.RMS. thank Thee for Thy kind preservation of us since last we met together The VICE-PRESIDENT also laid before the Senate the annual in this Chamber, and that we are permitted to enter upon the duties report of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, communicating, in obe­ and responsibilities of another session of this venerable body, under dience to la.w, a statement of property in his possession belonging to 1 2 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. DECEMBER 1, the United States December 1, 1879; which was ordered to lie on the the country, they are received and paid out as the equivalent of coin. table and be printed. The demand upon the Treasury for gold and silver in exchange for Mr. DAVIS, uf West Virginia. I desire that the communications United States notes has been comparatively small, and the voluntary connected with the Senate expenditures may be referred to the Com­ deposit of coin and bn.µ_ion in exchange .for notes has been very larg~. mittee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate, The excess of the p~c10us metals deposited or exchanged for United when appointed. States notes over the amount of United States notes redeemed is The VICE-PRESIDENT. The communications will lie on the table about $40,000,000. for the present, to be referred to that committee when appointed. The resumption of specie payments has been followed by a very COURT OF CLAIMS REPORT. great revival of business. With a currency equivalent in value to The VICE-PRESIDENT laid before the Senate the report of the the money of the commercial world, we ar~ enabled to enter upon an ~qual c?mpetit~on with other nations in trade and production. The clerk of the Court of Claims, communicating, in obedience to law, a mcreasmg foreign demand for our manufactures and agricultural statement of the judgments rendered by that court during the year products has caused a large balance of trade in our favor, which has ending November 29, 1879; which was ordered to lie on the table and been paid in gold, from the 1st of July last to November 15 to the be printed . • amount of about $59,000,000. Since the resumption of spedie pay­ RECESS. ments there has also been a marked and gratifying improvement of Mr. THURMAN, (at twelve o'clock and thirty-five minutes p. m.) the public credit. The bonds of the Government bearing only 4 per I move that the Senate take a recess for three-quarters of an hour. cent. interest have been sold at or above par, sufficient in amount to Mr. EDMUNDS. I would suggest to the Senator from Ohio to name pay off all of the national debt which was redeemable under present half an hour. It is likely that the Senate may be able to proceed laws. The amount of interest saved annually by the process of re­ with business by that time. funding the debt, since March 1, 1877, is 14,297,177. The bonds Mr. THURMAN. My experience is that when we have taken a sold were largely in small sums, and the number of our citizens now recess for half an hour under circumstances like the present we have holding the public securities is much greater than ever before. The had to extend the time. I think we may as well take a recess for amount of the national debt which matures within less than two three-quarters of an hour at once. years is'$792,\fl,700, of which $500,000,000 bear interest at the rate Mr. EDMUNDS. Very well; I do not insist on my suggestion.