The New York Herald Newspaper, March 20, 1869, Page 3

WASHINGTON |==:= Reception of the Spanish Ambassa- dor by the President. SPEECHES ON THE OCCASION. A Lawsuit Growing Out of the Inauguration Ball. The Caterer Claims Half the Proceeds. Diseoasion in the Senate on the Rights of British Shipowners During the War. Startling Speech of Senatox Sprague on the Tenure of. Office Act. TOO MANY LAWYERS IN CONGRESS Passage of the Indian Appropria- tion Bill in the House. Debate on the Treaty Making Power. WaAsHINGTON, March 19, 1869, Cabinet Mecting—Nomination of a Second As- sistant Secretary of the Treasury. ‘The meeting of the Cabinet to-day was attended by all tne members and was of short duration. A few aclections were made of officers to fill vacancies, it ia said, but no nominations were sent to the Sen- ate, except that of Mr. William A, Richardson to be Frond Agslatant retary of the Treasury. Mr. begun tomers acjusih via nd alee Cuba and St. Domingo Questions. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs had a meeting to-day and considered the Cuba and St. Domingo questions. A letter received from the Secretary of State in reply to the committee's re- quest for information relative to the condition ot those countries was read, and after some discussion is was ead aRy Postpone the subject until the next ‘of the mittee, when it is expected the Btate Debate’ will be in possession of later and more definite information. ‘The Tenure of Office Bill in the Senate. The Senate consumed another day in ventilating the Tenure of Office bill, without arriving at a vote. ‘Those favoring suspension occupied most of the day, but presented no arguments throwing new light on the question. A story is told of the bill, on its origi- nal passage. Thaddeus Stevens remarked to a Sena- tor on one occasion that the Tenure of Office bill was ‘an act of cowardice on the part of the Senate, be- cause it was afraid to impeach the President, He then prophesied that trouble would spring out of that bill. Such is likely to be the case. The speech delivered by Senator Sprague, of Rhode Island, can hardly fail ‘to arouse attention throughout the whole country ‘Dy the apt originality and extraordinary boldness ‘which characterized it. Mr. Sprague is a young man and no orator, but he manages at critical ames to think with more truth, force and justice than most of our public men. His speech to-day was rambling in form, but the matter it contained ‘was of almost startling interest. The subject under debate was the Civil Tenure act, and Mr. Sprague, feeling, no doubt, intensely opposed to the retention of such a statute, and sitting for days under the infliction of a never-ending dis- cussion, carried on almost exclusively by hair- splitting and long-winded lawyers, determined at length to open his mind about what he thought of the Senate and its composition. He began in his usual quiet, careless manner of delivery, but had hardly proceeded fur- ther than a sentence or two when he startled the whole chamber by declaring that the Senate was composed of too many lawyers for the good of the country. Too many lawyers! Just think of it! Flat blasphemy as ever saluted the ears of Justice Dogberry. Too many lawyers! Did ever such an idea enter the head of any Senator be- fore? The business people—the people of wealth, worth and standing—should be more fully rep- resented, contended the Senator from Rhode Island. “What did lawyers know of the real and material Interests of the people?’ mquired the speaker. “Their time was + given to making confu- sion worse confounded, and their minds Yan iM a narrow, constrained and pettifogging chan- nel of thought, They had now taken hoid or this Tenure of OMfice act, and were expending all their ingenuity to befog the question at issue, to seize ad- ditional power under the disguise of securing the equipoise of the government and shieiding the people from Executive encroachment. ‘All sham in gubstance,” continued Mr. Sprague. “The House of Lords, nor any other legislative body, has half the power possessed by the Senate of the United States, ‘and yet they clamor for more, and for why? Why, to build up an aristocracy of power, an oligarchy of tyrants and monopoly of legislation.” He (Mr. Sprague) would rather trust one man elected straight from the people than a body of many men elected by State Legislatures. He would sooner look for the exercise of humanity and @ome degree of responsibility to one tyrant than to a conspiracy of tyrants. And soon Mr. Sprague continued spreading his extremely novel if not dis- tasteful opinions all around him. Senator Nye re- plied on behalf of the lawyers, though not pretend- img to be any very great legai light himself. His in its humor, railiery and happy style of in- ve, might be said to have demolished Sprague; ‘bat Nye desired no such result, and evidently ad- mired the pluck of the young Rhode Isiand Senator fm bearding the whole Senate to its face, Nominations Confirmed by the Senate, ‘The Senate to-day in executive session confirmed @aly three nominations, as follow: Elizabeth Van Lew, Postmistressat Richmond, Va. John Titus, United States Judge for the Territory uney Ww. Haynes, Pension Agent for Brooklyn and New York, vice Porter, resigned. ’ The Departments Besieged by Office Seekers. The Secretary of War was besieged with visitors ‘this morning, many of them being applicants for his tafiuence with the President in support of their so- Neltations for office. The Secretary is, however, ‘unwilling to give his attention to any matters of a public character, except those pertaining entirely to bis own department. Secretaries Cresswell and Boutwell and Commissioner Delano experience no rehef from the demands of office seekers. Facilitation of Government Despatches Through the Malls, Postmaster General Cresswell has addressed the following circular to the several members of the Cabinet, with a request that the names and signa- tures of the chief clerks of the respective bureaus be farnished the city Post Omice for the guidance of the Postmaster in carrying out the order: Post Orr With @ view to facilitate the transin fasion by matt official communications emanating from the ix- fective ments in this city and the bureaus, it is ordered that authority be given to the clerks of the bureaus of all the Executive ta to frank official mail matter emanating the bureaus to which they are attached. dA. I CRESSWELL, Postmaster General. ‘The Practice heretofore has been to stamp a fac simie of the oMcer’s signature upon the envelope, but ander the late law the signatures must be auto- graphic, and the authority to sign by the above astorm in the House, Schenck, republican, of Ohio, and Holman, democrat, of Indiana, appearing to feel the prick of Butler’s steel very severely and Pitching into the Essex member in a style scarcely warranted by the circumstances. The general im- pression at the time was that Butler had been too hasty in attributing the omission to deliberate in- accounted for, and it is a lite singular that its discovery should turn up 80 oon on the heels of its predecessor. Investigation develops the fact that a clause or amendment added to the Army Ap- propriation, bill withholding any further payment from a horse doctor named Dunbar has been left off the bill through some cause or other. Dun- bar got a joint resolution through Congress author- izing his employment by the War Department for the treatment of army horses in some fantastic style, and in accordance with the resolution Secre- tary Schofleld made a contract with him to pay him $25,000 in consideration of his instructing army far- riers in the mysteries of his art. About $11,000 had been paid Dunbar in execution of the contract, when, it is alleged, certain damaging revelations were made, whiclr led to another resolution withholding further payment. This resolutian or amendment, it now appears, has been left out of the Army Appropriation bill, and General Butler, seconded by Mr. Wood, of New York, intends to find out the cause. Tne subject may come up to-morrow, when, in all probability, there will be another spicy parliamentary tilt be- tween Butler and some of his foes on the floor. The Postal Telegraph System. Mr. Gardiner G, Hubbard, the energetic advocate of Poets ‘glegrens system, returns home this évening, wi a hig success, Re Senate Committee, after @ iminatiod of the ‘postal telegraph, unanimously reported a bill to establish the system, but too late in the session for it to be acted upon. The House Committee reperted against it. It was stated at the commencement of the near- ing that they were a unit in their opposition to the measure, but at the close stood five to four; one of the majority never attended a hearing of the case, while another was prevented by indisposition from attending except for a short time. The Western Union Telegraph Company are adopting some fea- tures of the system, and are introdycing their ope- rators into post offices where they can do it rent free, The friends of cheap telegraphing will con- tinue to agitate the subject through the press and by public meetings, and confidently believe that when the system is understood it will commend it- self to the public and Congress, and that the year 1870 will witness the inauguration of the postal tele- graph system. Presentation of the New Spanish Minister to the President. * Mr. Roberts, the newly accredited Minister of the provisional government of Spain was officially pre- sented to the “Presidevt’ to-day. The following is a@copy of Mr. Roberts’ remarks upon the occasion, and the President/s reply:— Mr. PRESIDENT—I bave the honor i the letter of credence by which his President of the provisional charged with the executive Pa accredits me ag Envoy Extraord! and Minister Plenipotentiary of Spain to the republic of the United States of America. 5] Mtinny | out @ revolution which has destroyed her ancient institutions, which were Spee to the development of a policy desired by ¢ nation, awaits from the national sovereignty, represented by the constituent Cortes, the form of government which is to rule over her future destinies, and cherishes the confidence that the new order of which is sprin; up will obtain the sympathies of the Unit States nnd of all liberal people, she obtained them on the reception of the news of her glorious revolution. ie only lot fall- ing to me is to discharge the honorable mission to this republic which my government has confided to me. I shall endeavor by all the means in my reach to maintain and strengthen the friendly relations which have always existed between Spain and the United States, The Fresident replied as follows:— Mr. Roserts—I am happy to receive you as the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pienipotentiary of Spain in the United States. The recent events in that country, to which you advert, have excitea and will continue to maintain a lively interest here, hoping as we do that they may ultimately lead to an in the welfare and happiness of the increase Ppekert yourself during your mission ‘to the end that these friendly relations which have. always ex- isted between the two countries may be strengthened, will be cordially reciprocated by me. The Way the Money Goes. In March, 1865, Representative Schenck engineered through Congress a resolution giving his reiative, Powell, the artist, $25,000 to paint another big pic- ture for the adornment of the Capitol. Powell is said to have received $10,000 of the amount already, but has given no evidence that he has even commenced to put paint to the can- vas. Senator Morgan some time ago asked for information on the subject, and received answer that the artist, after four years’ grace, was not yet prepared to report progress. The same artist is responsible for the famous picture of De Soto, now in the Capitol, on which the flags are flying in dif. ferent directions, and for which he received an addi- tional $10,000, The Prospective Consul to Liverpool. Captain F. Colburn Adam, of Von Toodieburg fame, fs to given the consulship to Liverpool. Cap- tain Adam, it is believed, has the support of a large number of Senators and Representatives, and enjoys the favor of General Grant and several mem bers of the Cabinet. It is supposed that he will be nomi- nated and confirmed without opposition. He isa gentleman in the highest degree fitted for the posi- tton, . A Lawsuit Growing out of the Inauguration Ball. The inauguration ball hes left @ lawsuit in pros pect. The committee having charge of the afar, it seems, agreed to give Mr. Urey, the caterer, one- half the proceeds for supplying the supper. Now, however, the committee, finding the profits so steep, refuse, it is said, to stand to the bond, and want the caterer to receive less than he bargained for, The latter don’t see it in the same light, and has William 8, Huntington, treasurer of the commnttee, to back him up. The caterer, in consequence, threatens to institute a lawsuit to establish his rights. Milnes of Mre, Grant. Mrs, Grant has not been enjoying her usual good health during the past day or two, and to-day was too much indisposed to receive callers. Her iliness is not of a serious character, and by to-morrow it is expected she will have completely recovered. Contributions to the Conscience Fund. Treasurer Spinner to-day received the following contributions to the conscience fand:—$500 from St. Joseph, Mo.; fifty doliars from New York city and ten doilars from Philadelphia. A New York National Bank Refuses to be a Government Depository. Acommunfvation has been received at the Trea- surer’s oMice from the Fifth National Bank, of New York, resigning their authority to receive deposits as @ government depository, and askiag permission to receive back their securities. Death of a Pension Clerk. Dr. H. C, Lauck, Chief Clerk of the Pension Office, died this inorning of consumption. Discontinuance of the Military Guard at the White House. The President to-day ordered the discontinuance of the military guard at the White House, which has been on duty for the last four years, under Captain McKeever, and that hereafter the protection of the wo ese to xcellency government NEW YORK HERALD, SATURDAY Ja feewefere amt fag 19 pa era = Be it enacted, That word ‘white, wherever ft oscars in laws relating to the Dis- ‘well and the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. They had a long talk with Mr, Boutwell upon money af- fairs, in the course of which the declared his deter- mination to sell gold publicly, never in private, He believed he had the power to invest the surplus gold in bonds, and thought he would do so. He informed ‘was mainly of a social character. Decisions by Secretary Boutwell. assistant treasurers and collecting officers ‘the United States are therefore instructed that the same reasons which would cause assistant withhold from circulation and send to part. ment for destruction notes of the United States will cause them to refuse to receive notes of the national banks which are no longer fit to be Kept in circula- tion. Pearls and pear! shells are to be led as * ucts of the American fisheries,” and as such free of duty under the twenty-third section of the act of March 2, 1 when whole Cromer of the taking or ig done by duly documented ves- sels of the United States; when so taken on the Pacific coast, they may be shipped from such ves- sels to Atlantic ports across the Isthmus, if due proof of their origin be given under regulations, section 11, chapter 2, nye The prohibition hitherto upon thé fifpor- tation or firearms into Alaska is hereby removed, sul however, to such restrictions upon the dis- Dosal of the same, when so imported, as shall be im- posed by the military authority, Customs Redeipts. The following are the customs receipts from March 8 to 13 inclusive:—Boston, $326,282; New York, $2,560,800; Philadelphia, $128,567; Baltimore, $207,208; San Francisco, from February 1 to 16, $238,547. Total, $3,506,503, Inventory of Government Property tu. the Treasury Building. Superintendent Rice, of the Treasury Building, is engaged in taking an inventory of the stock and property belonging to the government in that bulld- ing. ‘The Tobacco Trade in Richmond, Va. During the month of February, 334,473 pounds of chewing tobacco were shipped, in bond, from the city of Richmond. The tax was prepaid, however, on all the smoking tobacco shipped, except 480 pounds. United States Supreme Court. ‘The following gentlemen were, on motion, to-day admitted to practice as attorneys and counsellors of this court:—Henry B. Hammond and Clark Bell, of New York; Obadiah F. Strickland, of Utah; Wm. A. Richardson, of Massachusetts, and James B. Under- ‘wood, of Oregon. The following cases were before the Supreme Court to-day:— t No, 223—Ex parte William 4. McCarie, ‘apppellant, ‘The motion to enter judgment in this cause was ar- by Mr. Sharkey in support of the same, and oy a iter in opposition thereto. No, 217—The Providence Rubber Company, appel- lant, vs. Charles Goodyear, et al.—The motion to rescind the several orders heretofore entered in this cause was argued by Mr. Evarts of counsel in support of the same, and by Mr. Carlisle and Mr. Cushing of counsel in opposition thereto. No. 13—Origini ex parte Samuel Arnold, peti- tioner; and No. 14, original, ez parte Edward Spang- ler, titioner.—Petitions for habeas corpus. Mr. Phitt ps, of counsel for the petitioners, fled a certif- cate of the ce of pardons by the Presilent of the United States the petitioners, whereupon it ‘was ordered by the court that the petitions be dis- missed. No. 117—William Ward et al., plaintiffs tn error, vs. Francis L. Smith.—The argument of this cause was continued by Arthur G. Brown, of counsel for plaintiffs in exror, and by L. Brent for defendant in error, and concluded by Frederick W. Brune tor the plaintiffs in error. Adjourned until Monday morning. THE TENURE OF OFFICE BILL IN THE SENATE. The Debate on the Tenure of Office Act—The Talent Engaged in Sustaining its Principle— The Course of Argument—The Probable Re- oult. WasnincTon, March 18, 1869. The debate at present going on over the Tenure of OfMice act would loge most of its interest at any other time than the present but that just now this city hap- pens to hold over 5,000 office seekers, and General Grant in the White House stands mutely waiting but not appealing for something to be done enabling him to carry out his design of conducting the govern- ment with economy and retrenchment. The debate, as @ purely forensic affair, has been a great success; it has exercised the legal acumen as well as vhe keen- est talent for sophistry among the ablest minds of the Senate. Edmunds parried Morton's thrusts with the skill of an accomplished fencer. “The Tenure of Office act was passed to check a bad President, and but for that would never have become a law, and should therefore be repealed,” was the gist of the arguments on the sie of the re- pealers; but could anything have been more sedac- tively and plausibly convincing than Edmunds’ re- tort—“The English Magna Charta was adopted by the barons to restrain a bad king; but who called for ita repeal through the reign of any good king that followed?” Right, Edmunds; but the Magna Charta brought liberty and its attendant blessings to the people; the Tenure of Office act brought only profit and power to a few score Senators apd trouble ana vexation to the people. ‘The men who spoke in the Senate during the past three days in favor of only suspending the act and against its repeal were some of the best and hi; lawyers of the party. No one will question the legal and logical mind of Edmunds, force and com- mon sense of Howard, the delicate and subtle theo- rism of Howe, the twanging ‘and studied syl- logismns of Conkling, the brilliant fancy and capti- vating reasoning Carpenter, and the quiet, seif- and luminous intellect of Trambull; Pn all these men seemed to feel _a consciousness of fending @ weak and self-condemned cause. Never. theless oy, made the most of it, an if their je fails no one can say it was through lack of extraordin: ability. Shere mnan and Morton were the to’ movement for repeal, and fought their fight with bristling array o ments. ‘The torrent of Sher- man’s speech resembied the rapids of Niagara river. He fairly leaped gown peer turn with crashing force on the weak platform oF his opponents. The reasons came so thick fast to his mind—and weil they might, for a time there was when Sherman exercised his best energies to defeat the enactment of the law—that quick as Ms utterance naturally is it fatled fou an outlet for the trooping thoughts of the ‘The atmosphere of the Senate has been dectd edly in favor of repeal in spite even of the presence of & black cloud of office seekers. Thayer's motion to amend Trumbull’s bill, as reported from the coni- inittee, by substituting for the words “shall be sus- a city yond Son pisses 7 ive and vou,” niour of parliamentary tac- tics, for it leaves the question to. Nour in a vote on the original House motion to repeal. Should Thayer's amendmest fall and another amendment be offered, suspending the law until the 4th of March, 1873, it 18 very probable the latter would be sone ree ha! Eg Cero however, of repeal where Senators would be found:— aig ; On the question of repeal of the Civil Tenure bill:— YeAs—Mewra, Anthony, Bayard, Boreman, Cameron, Canteriy, Cole, Corbett, Davia, Fenton, Feasensten, Fowler, ring spirits of the 6 Mamita, Hi ton, Hotton, Paleray rooney Poly rat Kamaey, eb wan ’ io aay arn ore Wala faa? Bott Oappen- vile, Conkit Larlan. «How a Hebe Mert Heyy ryt Mesare Cragin, Nve, ty hoot ‘Tipton, Of those marked “doubtful Nye is ag likely to vote one way as the other. The same may be sald of Kice and aaueny it is more probable the Jatter on (his question will difter with bis colleague— th 154 y : { , MARCH 20, 1869—TRIPLE. SHEBT... THE bat the telegraph monopolists are not easily discour- aged, for I find them at their old tricks again with Tenewed vigor and assurance. An attempt was gtaph business between Great Britain and the United States for twenty years, and perhaps prevent the landing of any other cable whatever. The whole of the ocean telegraph imbrogho amounts to just this:—The Franco-American Tele- graph Company has, as is well known, @ cable nearly ready, which it proposes to lay between the shores of France and the United States, commencing next May or June, The friends of the “Pioneer cable” are putting forth every possible’ effort to strangle the new enterprise. The first plan was the introduction of a resolution declaring that no com- pany should land a cable on the shores of the United States without first obtaining the consent of Con- gress. Ji the monopolists could have got this extra- ordinary resolution through there would have been No trouble in preventing the Franco-American Com- pany from getting the required permit tnis spring, which would have postponed the laying:of the cable @ year and perhaps broken up the company, The swindling resolution was, however, tomahawked by the HERALD, and the monopolists resorted to scheme number two, which was a bill to authorize the New York and Newfoundland and London oh Company to land its cable upon the shores er the United States. This right the company already Iission ‘of telegraph iter bust mission 0} a8 any Oo} ness, If the thimble- bill could ‘be got Fn managers would be swift to assume that the ch com} cowlid not land its cabie without a simuar gen , Which they would take good care not to ve granted. « ‘The monopolists’ scheme number three is a general bill, very restrictive in its provisiol . Roorpean says—permit the landing of cables in the United States by any foreign a comments, 98 conden that simular privileges are led ié corporations ol here. Av first sight this appears entirely but it will be at once seen that it works great injury to the French company; for while the two governments are arranging for reciprocal priv! the Great Eastern, chartered by the company to # gable, would be cating up both itself and its em- 0} rhea a ee ens aie te The monopolists have still another object in thig legisiation. The existing telegraph company has & m ey he the business in Great Britain for spbeeled years, re pavaeie oF (ie tectprgcet i ald bi rh ‘wol up that unless the pen bill reviously passed. Tsenator Fessenden ie “Pioneer Com- pany” should be excepted from the law that he pro- Ld to enforce against all others. The people will apt to think otherwise. Senator Stockton greatly disturbed the Sumner- Chandier scheme by an amenament extending the proposed privileges to all cable corporations, ‘“‘with- out regard to race or color.” The only thing to be done to let well enough alone. A dozen cables could find abundant empldyment at remunerative prices. All corporations that desire to do so should retain their present rights to land as mi cables on our shores as they can find money to pay for, subject, of course, to the ordinary laws of the land. No legislation whatever is needed; least of all such nefarious schemes as that attempted by Senator Sumner on the 17th inst. It is worse than his Mas- sachusetts war claim job of 1812. New York Appointmentsfrom a New England Standpoint. {Washington (March 18), correspondence of the Bos- ton Post. Mr. peame the New York Sun, is urged by friends lector of the Port of New York, Itis said here for Cs that President Grant and Secret Boutwell hold Mr. Dana in high estimation, and there is reason W believe that the latter will su Mr. Smyth. Mr. Tracy, now District Attorney for the Kastern district of New York, is here seeking the position of Courtney, Attorney for the Southern dis- trict. W. A. Merriweather will be appomted United States Marshal of Kentucky, and Aubrey Smith, it ia sald, will be appointed District Attorney of the ern district of ben pd Mr. sy, Coll of the Seventh pistrict of New York, is named asa candidate for position of Deputy Commissioner ofiqnternal Revenue. The statement that Mr. allison, of Pennsylvania, has been recommended by Secre- tary Boutwell tor — of the has no foundation in fact. Deanunty ax tas aeracae has made no recommendation yet for Register or Third Auditor of the Treasury. THE FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS, First Session. SENATE. WASHINGTON, March 19, 1869. REMOVAL OF POLITICAL DISABILITIES. Mr. FessEnpen, \rep.) of Me., presented petitions for the removal of political disabilities. THE FREEDMBN’S BUREAU. Mr. WILSON, (rep.) of Masa., from the Committee on MUitary Affairs, reported a@ bill relating to the Freedmen’s Bureau, which was passed. It con- tinues the Educational and Collection departments of the bureau until January 1, 1870. ASSOCIATE JUDGE FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS. Mr. Ferry, (rep.) of Conn., introduced a@ Dill to establish the office of associate judge for the Eastern district of Texas. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. NEW ORLEANS MARINE HOSPITAL. Mr. KELLOGG, (fep.) of La., offered a resolution, which was to, directing the Secretary of the ‘Treasury to transmit any information in his posses. sion regarding the present condition of the ne Hospital at New ns. CONSIDERATION OF BUSINESS FROM CERTAIN COM- MITTRES. Mr. Hows, (rep.) of Wis., called the order offered by him yesterday, sevting asi Friday in each w for the consideration of business from certain committees, Mr. TRUMBULL, (rep.) of Til, that the order would not be adopted, because adoption would indicate an intention to prolong the present session. He thought the Senate ought either to to ad- journ on the day named in the resolution of the Hee or very soon afterwards. ir. HOWE said the object of the order was to avoid the necessity of struggling for the floor from day to diyne Senate refused to take up the order by a vote of 15 to 23, ADJOURNMENT RESOLUTION. Mr. WILSON moved to take up the House resolu- tion fixing the time ot it, but at the joint ion of several Senators withdrew the motion. DIVORCES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. bill ‘of Patrice of Columbia, were taken up and i ronmase OF ry LANDS re ir. POMEROY, (rep.) of Kan. ited on Pubite Ltn Feria, with Amendiatn yon’ resvlutions settlers to purchase m Cheroket and Osage Indian lands, and ox- jing the timé to construct the St. Croix and Lake Superior Railroad. RIGHTS OF SETTLERS ON PUBLIC LANDS, Mr. ae. (dem.) of pam the Reape ood on Public amendatory its of actual settiers on the act to protect the public lands approved July 27, 1868, The bill provides that tural College shall be received trom seeanl sonar in payment re-emption claims in the same manner as bounty fana A ay I that all locations of such seri thirty days after the of wai act, if otherwise in conformity with law, eball be deemed legal and vaiid. LAND GRANTS TO A NEBRASKA RAILROAD. Mr. Tirton, (rep.) of Neb., introduced # bill granting lands to aid in the construction of a rail- road from Lmcola, Neb., to Denver, Col. Referred to the Committee on Public Lands. AID TO WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA RAILROADS. Mr. RAMSEY, (rep.) of Minn., introduced @ bill graniing lands'to the States of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, to aid in the construction of railroads from Menomee river to St. Paul and from Green Bay Grosse, Referred to the Committee on Public a. ENCOURAGEMENT OF STRAMBHIP BUILDING, Mr. Fenton, (rep,) of N, introduced @ bill to encourage the building of steamships in the United States and to provide for the transportation of the United States mails to Europe by such vessels, Re- ferred to the Committee on Post Oilices and Post 8. Roads. It directa the Postmaster General to contract with the North American Steam Navigation Company for a weekly service from New York to Antwerp; with the Commercial Navigation Com; for a service in conformity witt! the act of July 27, 1868, between New Yo verpool, and between New York and Bremen; and with the American Steamship y fora “cnen ae service between Boston totaat ture ‘may be four departures per week ‘Uf ir ures: 0 mails to Europe. “yaihd va! REORGANIZING THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, Mr. DRAKE, (rep.) of Mo., submitted an amend- Orusnige ‘the judtctal systems lately: Feported ron o rm at ‘the committee, roroaae COMPENSATION FOR BRITISH VRSSRLS ILLEGALLY DURING THE RREBRLLION, .) of Mana., called up the bill to the decrees of United States courts carry into effe i : i e i Hy 4 i ial i i i bs t ee cB ze 5 ae rc E E fe i Britain during the war, He repeated that it would have been perfectly proper during the war fur the United Sate to retaiae-apon Grea: Brain by de- Waban Scat sev Sige te hen ve war, D it was, however, war between the had two conntries, but it had been all on one side, ‘The bill went over at the expiration of the morn- tng hour. THE TENURE OF OFFICE ACT 48 unfinished busin princi) vote for its be ig is I. SCHURZ, eclare niin in favor of repeal or without of ol discor | ereamepecrin hot nard simply upon its merits he might ave voted for repeal. He believed the law to be strictly constitutional, but the constitutional view was not always the only, nor sometimes even the most important view of a question, and in this case there were certain great practical grestions to be taken into Lem” uy Sal One the out the mn and inefficiency now existing there. The es ery te corruytion was not © be found in of arbitrary power of removal by c lei at ae ace ot oppjagnent pa Laie Coat eared continued it would be a question whether @ law like the Tenure of Office act would not do more harm of Mo., thought that a man against it, being open on the one hand to the charge x to to act promptly, a powertul emetic like the absolute power of removal from omce. Therefore he might be willing to vote for re- peal if he believed that the majority of the Senate ‘was in favor of keeping the law on the statute book in its present form. It seemed, however, to be gene- rally understood that if the law was not repealed it Gougress: For this reasons paradoxical as it might n, 0: as it it seem, he would now vote against re] |, because hoped that when the subject should come up Congress—having already atvempted reform in the wrong direction and failed—wouid go to the root of the evil and at least attempt a true reform by estab- Laer ca system h of \ipdtec d porn for me removals for ius giving Teapects: bility and permanence to the public ce a je did Seefakt os ane ake ope "tne aR at 5 but ope at ia least would be taken in he would vote to suspend the law, order to facilitate the action of President Grant in removing unworthy ppaniis officers, He had heard with regret rumors that the President felt sensitive on the subject, and would not send any nomina- tions to the Senate until the Tenure of Office act should repealed. These rumors, though doubt- Jess witMout foundation, had a tendency to make trouble between the ve and executive branches of the government, and were, t! fore, to be deprecated; because, although the struggle of Congress with ‘Mr. Johnson has suown that a ji- dent, even with the fullest official power and patronage, was in the end powerless agginst the ‘will of people and their representatives; yet it had also shown that he could Soper. and to some extent neutralize, the effect of best legislation. He (Mr. Schurz) could not himself believe any of these stories. He was not one of those who rae a session ‘one. step right themselves of every YS oo to fy ee of adulation of President Grant, but he too favorable an yn of his character and judgment w believe be would not avail himself With avidity of every aid to do what the country ex- pected him to do, whether that aid came in the cen or repeal of the Tenure of Oftice Mr. Neb rep.) . R. L, petty) with bok 4 sgument for repeal. jay or wo ago, he remar' the Senator Maine (Mr. Fessenden) had felt called uj ashe often did, to lecture the Senate, and had been especially severe upon those who advo- cated the of the Tenure of Oflice act, because of the high character of the President, but he (Mr. Sprague) believed vhat that was a legitimate and an excellent reason for repeal. He belicved that one such man, occupying @ responsible position like the Presidency, might more safely be trusted to act with reference to the interests and views of the whole nsibie, limited and non- therefore, incompetent to represent faithfully the diverse Interests and necessities of the great mass of the Of sixty-six members le. of the Senate forty-fve were lawyers, and of the twenty-one remaining five had re ceived a legal education, and most of the few remaining members were guided and governed by lawyers and their teachings. In the House the preponderance of members of this profession was ter than in the Senate. Some States had er representatives. This was a most unwhole- some state of affairs. He was not one of those who Line od the political system transmitted to us by our fathers or attributed to it our great material th. The mainsprings of our prosperity had slavery and foreign immigration; the former had stimuiated the growth of cotton and imade it an American monopely, and so had bulit up the manu- commercial interests of the North, and these bad in turn invited foreign immigration. iticlans had, of course, had something to do R but of two great powers for mutual destruction, ee tictans Pnever been willing to: let the failed to Them of the approach of the lass warn of approach of Soe it un The policy, but done Cea he let tne pone condition of country and The object of the majority in be rather to perpetuate the ex- of a party than to promote the weiiare of the ple, but no party could have his support which make Cg) airy! and contentment of the people ita chief object. A party which failed in this Tailed Se, ‘a for which alone it had a right to exist. conclusion, he said he was in the Tenure of Office act in any had to subject hunself 4 MP. Nvg, (rep.) of Nev., humorously defended the lawyers from the sledgehammer assauits of the Mi Coury, (rep.) of made an argument ir. for repeal. He to feave the President. un- officers to serve the public could the Senate. He reminded the Senate that the war of the govern: ment against the rebellion was a costly failure until one man was given supreme command, when it im- be successful. med! to (dem.) of also spoke in favor of tately Mr. Baya! ) " ling the law because he believed it to be uncon ional. The position of those who thought otherwise and yet favored its suspension was, in his judgment, untenable, because the Senate had no more right to divest itself of a constitutional power than it had to usurp @ power not granted by the constitution. EXECUTIVE SESSION. At twenty minuies to five o'clock the Senate went into executive session and soon therealter adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. WASHINGTON, March 19, 1869, EMPLOYMENT OF CLERKS TO COMMITTEES. Resolutions for the employment of clerks‘to the Committees on Naval Affairs, Invalid Pensions and of the District of Columbia were introduced and re- ferred to the Committee on Accounts. PAYMENT FOR IMPROVING MILWAUKEE HARBOR, Mr. PAIN, (rep.) of Wis., introduced a bill to re- fund to the city of Milwaukee $15,000 for moneys advanced for the improvement of the harbor. Re- ferred to the Committee on Commerce. 801 LANDS SOLD FOR Taxes, Mr. Juiay, (rep.) of Ind,, introduced a bill pro- viding that agricultural lands sold for the non-pay- ment of taxes in the lately revellious States be dis- posed of only in sub-divisions not exceeding forty ‘acres each, and that no greater portion shall be dis- posed of than is actually necessary to discharge the legal obligations, Referred to the Committee on Public Lands, ALASKA PUR TRADES Mr. Jonnson, (dem.) of Cal., introduced a substi- tute for the Senate bill to protect the fur and seal ————— trade in Alaska. eferred 10 the Commitsce o@ Commerce. - THE FALLS OF aT. ANTHONY. ait, SUILSON, (FeD.) of . a ee RY of St, Anthony. Referred to the Committes RELIEF OP DISTILLERS OF BRANDY. Mr. DockExy, (rep.) of N. C., introduced @ bill ta refund to distillers of brandy from apples, peaches or the special tax exacted under section ‘of the act of the 20th of July, 1968 Re- Sarees se She Somuntsinn of Ways a6 Ween. ment. whole question of the Indian of the TErnGIEAS Was OpEnSG Bp an offered yy Mr. Woop, (dem.) of N. Y., to reduce an pppro- priation to ee Arickare, Gros Ventres and were contracts made wit treaties pendent of and and oa public lands torough treaties with Indian tribes. ‘was in favor of leaving Indians to the new ad ‘Mr. JULIAN remarked that General Grant had inti- mated his bpm? “3 Saas, the Indians o! fl julian) expressly that he was cppoees form of taking the lands of the United giving them to corporations, ether through Indian treaties or any other way. Mr. LAWRENCE—Thank his policy. Treaties have been Senate when there were not six Every man who participated in a fraud is unfit to occupy @ seat in wish to God 1 couid reach the Senate of every man im the country until the be compelled to pay soule heed 1 le and to have some t for the interests of [tigen of squandering the people’s money. Mr. NEGLEY, .) of Pa., inquired of the Chair whether it wos pariamentary to apply such language to the Senate. The CHaTkMAN (Mr. Judd)—As the Chair under- ty A ea igg Se ro ee in to gen i erring to @ co-ordinate branch of the Legislature he should be a little more carefal and choice in his . LAWRENCE—Yes, I stall be none I a ee ier yet Keep within ‘te bounds Mr. Dawks suid he would have felt surprised 9s the remarks of his coiteague on the committee (Law- rence) only for the fact that that gentleman not: it consistent withais other public di committee, Se ae “a Es gk very foundation stone of this bill was to puta to those new treaties and came under any of ne’ waich bad property called down the = his colteague (Mr. Lawrence). If nis bad known what was in the bull House wi bave been saved his remarks until amendments of the Senate should come in, when such remarks would be im order. If the House were to resist those amendments at all 1t would have to do so by stand- ing by the bill as trom the jee on Appropriations. the bers were to depart from & or undertake either to introduce amendments or to abandon the law of the-land they would be all at sea. brought up the sAme general question for discussion. ate quarter-past four o'clock the committee rose and reported tue bill to the House, and it waa there- upon INVESTIGATION OF THE PARAGUAYAN DIFFICULTIES. Mr. Jupp, (rep.) of IIL, trom the Committee on Foreign Afis ed & resolution instructing that committee to inquire Into all tue circumstances relating to the all t Of Messrs. Blisa and Masterman in Paraguay and into the conduct of the late American Minister in and the officers comm: the South Atlantic squadron, with power to send persons and papers and to report at any time, RATIFICATION OF THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT BY MASSACHUSETTS. The SPEAKER presented a comm junication from the Governor of with the action o! the Massachusetts the fifteenth oat o’ciock, adjourned until Monday. A NEW PUBLIC BUILDIYG. ‘The New Edifice of the Department of Chari- ties and Correction. The Commissioners of Charities and Correction have recentiy erected a very fine new building in this city, at the corner of Third avenue and Eleventh street, at a cost of $50,000. The edifice has @ front of seventy-seven and a half feet on Third avenue, and 100 feet on Eleventh street, and the Commissioners will enter upon the occupancy of their new offices to-day. ‘The building is two stories and a French mansarad roof, with a clock tower on Third avenue. Entering from the avenue by a wide door the first room on the ht ia an anteroom, twelve by twelve, from which Po i I Aa stoners, na , bul ele Tarntshed. Over the mantel plece the Commisstoners have placed bag ee of Rev. John |, first chaplain of the Almshouse. A con- suitation room is attact to the Coimmissioi ving tions, &c. the Superintendent a by four steps leading from the hall Ofty by forty feet, weil light yy windows run- ning around the whole room and reaching ite end. it below that of the office floor, which is four steps. out-door clerks. In order to guard are placed in the floor and towers. by which a the foul ar ‘ jected, ‘while the ih alr is injec jueans of heaters, y ~ the upper ‘hoor are four rooms fitted up for oMces and the clock room, where the works of the clock are placed, the dial of which faces Third ave- nue, and is to be illuminated at night, In the basement ee are made for the a desk: im tha room fF the use of ‘ierkm ip order t inst the foul air ventilators Janitor’s Department, consisting room for the family, kitchen, bathroom, sleeping and arlor, while on the Eleventh street side the engine Fe'placed, by, which, the vaiding te Rented by means of Biake & ’ patent steain heater. The botler is 80 nat nee is entire! ble, as the water tained in tubes and opens the fire door and the ashpit.