1884. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 3871 ruay, in case of necessity, depute such clerks to act for him in his official capac­ should cease on the bill, and that the pending amendment and others ity ; but the shipping commissioner shall be held responsible for the a{lts of every such clerk or deputy, and will be personally liable for any penalties such clerk or to be offered shall then be voted on. deputy may incur by the violation of uny of the provisions of this title; and all :h1r. FRYE. I supposed that general debate had now ceased. I will acts done by a clerk as such deputy shall be as valid and binding as if done by ask that this bill be taken up for consideration to-morrow morning after the shipping commissioner. the morning business and that debate be limited to five minutes. Again: Mr. MORGAN. Ishallhavetoobjectto that. Ihaven4>texpressed EC. 4507. Every shipping commissioner shall lease, rent, or procure, at his any opinions on the bill, because the bill has not been in a shape that I own cost, suitable premises for the transaction of business, and for the preser­ vation of the books and other documents connected therewith; and these prem­ could gi•e my views of it properly. I shall be very brief in what I have ises shall be styled the shipping commissioner's office. to say, but I can not say it in five minutes. :h1r. CONGER. Now will the Senator read the last section but one ltlr. FRYE. I then ask unanimous consent that the bill be taken up in the act. He will see the limitation. to-morrow morning after the morning business. M:r. VEST. The Senator means the limitation of salary. Mr. VEST. Let my amendments be read. l\Ir. CONGER. I mean the last section but one of the original act. I\1r. FRYE. The amendments can be printed, and then they will be l\Ir. VEST. In the Revised Statutes: in better condition. · The PRESIDING OFFICER. The amendments of the Senator from SEC. 4595. Every shipping commissioner, and every clerk and employe in ::ny shipping office, who demands or receives any remuneration whatever, Missouri will be printed. The Senator from Maine asks unanimous t-llller directly or indirectly, for hiring or supplying any seamen for any mer­ consent that it be agreed that the bill be taken up for consideration im­ <hwt ve sels, excepting the lawful fees payable under this title, shall, for mediately after the routine business of the morning hour to-morrow. c\·ery such ofrense, be liable to a. penalty of not more than $200. Is there objection? The Chair hears none. Mr. CONGER. That is not it. Section 66 of the original act, if the Mr. MORGAN. I hold in my hand anamendmenttothebill which Senator will allow me, provides: I think I shall offer to-morrow. I ask that it be. printed. SEC. 66. That in no case shall the salary, fees, and emoluments of any officer The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama submits appointed under this act be more than $5,000 per annum; and any additional an amendment, which will be printed. fees shall be paid into the Treasury of the United States. Mr. FRYE. I move that the Senate adjourn. Mr. HALE. The Senator will allow me. The opinion of Judge The motion was agreed to; and (at 6 o'clock and 25 minutes p. m.) Wallace is given at length in ~me of the New York papers, particu­ the Senate adjourned. larly in the Times, which I ha7e before me, in which he goes over this whole question of allowances. It seems that from year to year there have been questions raised about the performances of the Duncans, but as Judge Wallace says the auditing and allowing of the accounts that HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. have been done before by his predecessors have not been upon a full TUESDA.Y, May 6, 1884.. statement of all the facts. The Duncans were allowed pretty much to b::..ve an ex parte hearing, and Judge Wallace expressly exonerates his The House met at 11 o'clock a. m. Prayer by Rev. THOl\IAS G. predecessors from any fault or negligence, because the whole facts had ADDISON, D. D., ofWashington, D. C. not been presented to them. The accounts are undoubtedly subject, as The Clerk proceeded to read the Journal of yesterday's proceedings. the opinion shows, to the auditing, control, and allowance or disallow­ Mr. ERMENTROUT. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with ance of the judges; but never until now has this most enormous piece the reading of so mnch of the Journal as relates to the introduction of of greed and frand been brought to light, and it is an instance of how bills and joint resolutions. the American people will bear a thing to go along for years that ought There was no objection. to be investigated and plucked up by the roots. I do not know of any­ The reading of the remainder of the Journal was completed, and it thing of its magnitude that is worse than this performance of the Dun­ was approved as read. eans; and the merchant marine, the shipping interest, is to be congrat­ HARBOR OF FORT SMITH AND PINE BLUFF. ulated that at last it has been brought out in all its enormity. The The SPEAKER, by unanimous consent, laid before the House a whole of the facts are disclosed in the opinion of Judge Wallace which letter from the Secretary of War, in response to a resolution of the House 1 have just been reading, and it is enough to excite the indignation of of Representatives, transmitting a report of the Chief of Engineers in any man, and it is not a party question, as the Senator from Missouri reference to changes occurring in the harbor of Fort Smith and Pine says. Bluff, Ark., and threatened cut-offs and erasure of their banks; which Mr. VEST. Not at all; and what the Senator from :Maine has just was referred to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors, and ordered to tated simply corroborates my assertion. The system permits this. be printed. It is true that the United States circuit judge has the power under this STATE, W.AR, AN"D NAVY BUILDING. tatute to remove any commissioner, to examine his accounts as he may those of any other officer appointed in his court; but until there is The SPEAKER also laid before the House a letter from the Secre­ some complaint, until the matter has come before the judge, it is never taryofWar, recommendingtheappointmentoftwelveadditional watch­ done. Here has come the exposure, it is true; but when has it come? men to protect the State, War, and Navy Department building against lt has come after eight years, it has come after this man has absorbed lo es by fire, in accordance with the report of the board appointed to $20,000 a year in payments to himself and his family, and, 1,500 was investigate the circumstances of the recent fire in that building; which was referred to the Committee on A.pp1·opriations. the rent paid for his office, but he allowed hims~lf $5,000 under th!s clause of the statute. IMPROVEME.l."'fT OF GRA:ND RIVER, MICHIG.A ""· Mr. HALE. It is about eleven years. The SPEAKER also, by unanimous consent, laid before the House a Mr. VEST. Yes. letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting a report of the Chief of Mr. HALE. The Times makes this remarkable statement: Engineers in response to a resolution of the House calling for plans The total receipts of the office from the time of Captain Duncan's appointment and estimates for the improvement of Grand River below Grand Rapids in August, 1872, up to January 1, 1883, were $361,822.95, and the sum of$496.97 in the State of Michigan; which was referred to the Committee on is all that be has ever paid into the national Treasury. Rivers and Harbors, -and ordered to be printed. l\Ir. VE T. He has absorbed that vast amount. To permit that sort WITHDR.A W AL OF P .APERS. of thing is simply intolerable; and when the Senate of the United States On motion of Mr. PEELLE, of Indiana, by unanimous consent, leave upon the action of a judge upon the record finds that a system permits was given to withdraw from the files of the House and from the Com­ that sort of thing, it ought not to allow it to remain. I have drawn mittee on Invalid Pensions petition and papers filed in support of the amendments which I will submit to the Senate. I hope they can be bill granting a pension to Katharine Bullard. made better; they are the best I could do in the time allowed me. The On motion of I\fr. TILLMAN, by unanimous consent, leave was given tirst of them does away with thi system under the circuit courts to some to withdraw the papers in the case of H. T. Farnsworth, of 1\'Iemphi , extent. The Secretary can read them: Tenn., now on file in the Clerk's office, there being no adverse report TheCHIEFCLERK. ''Thatsection4501oftheRevisedStatutes"-­ thereon. l\lr. FHYE. The Senators are anxious to leave, and of course I do not ORDER OF BU INESS. w i h to weary the patience of the Senate. I will ask unanimous consent that this bill may be considered to-morrow after the morning business I\Ir.