IN SENATE.
MONDAY, January 28,1861.The Senate was not in session before noon.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The PRESIDENT laid before the Senate a communication from the President of the Bank Of the State of Indiana, in reference to a resolution of the Senate-[printed on page 80 of these Reports-] giving it as his opinion that an expansion of the Bank circulation was inexpedient, &c.
THE STATE BORROWING MONEY.
The PRESIDENT stated the special order to be the consideration of the bill, [H. R. 104,] to provide for a loan of $75,000 from the Sinking Fund. The question being on the adoption of Mr. Cobb's amendment, by way of instructions to the committee on recommittal of the bill.
Mr. WAGNER. I wish to correct a misapprehension that the State has never paid any interest on the loans heretofore made to the State. By the report of the Sinking Fund Commissioners, I see they had State bonds to the amount of $773,000, and that we have been paying ever since they were issued the interest thereon, in cash, semi-annually.
Mr. COBB. My understanding is that the interest is simply made into new bonds and handed over to the commissioners-and that the State has never paid any gold or silver directly into the Sinking Fund on account of interest-but have in other words been continually adding interest to the principal. I insist upon it that this fund ought not to be encroached upon in this way. Mr. C. continued, at length, in opposition to the passage of the bill.
Mr. WAGNER. As I understand it, the bill proposes to take $75,000 from the Sinking Fund, and make some five or six thousand dollars for it in the course of three months, certain. The present plan of disbursing that fund is a perfect waste gate, and now gentlemen object to making a perfectly safe loan with a sure gain in three months of about five thousand dollars.
[A message from the Governor announced his approval of Mr. Carnahan's bill [S. 14] described on page 25 of these reports.]
Mr. SHIELDS. I say if the money must be borrowed, let us take it from the banks and let the school money go to the several counties where it belongs. It looks to me singular that we should be borrowing money while we have near half a million of dollars in the county treasuries of the State.
Mr. JONES. By the llth section of the act of '59 to provide a treasury system, it is made the duty of county treasurers to send up any moneys belonging to the State on the demand of the State Treasurer, and no treasurer in the State can avoid complying with that demand.
Mr. HAMILTON did not believe such a demand would be responded to.
Mr. ANTHONY. The necessity is upon us to borrow money, and the only question is, where shall we borrow it? It seems to me the bill proposes nothing more than what is perfectly right and proper, if the State is without money by the delinquency of county officers, as has been intimated here.
Mr. LINE. It seems to me until some gentleman shall inform us that there has been a demand upon any county treasuaer, and the officer has refused to comply, the gentleman from Floyd should not cast such an imputation upon our county officers. Instead of legislating for a loan, we should instruct the Treasurer of State to issue orders to the different county treasurers, asking them immediately to transmit up to the capital whatever funds they have on hand.
Mr. CRAVENS, [Mr. Steele in the Chair] I am decidedly in favor of the bill under consideration. The treasurers of the different counties are acting under the law of 1852, which gives them till April to make their returns ; and having loaned these monies to their friends, it is almost an impossibility to get returns till then. I prefer to borrow from the Sinking Fund, for we have a money crisis upon us, and if the loan is made from the Bank of the State, we cripple her energies, and she cannot accommodate the people of the State to the extent required. If a heavier crisis comes, the bank will put our stocks in market, for it must have money; but if the state stocks are in the hands of the Sinking Fund Commissioners, they will hold on to them, and not allow them to be sacrificed.
Mr. RAY While the law of 1852 gives gives county treasurers till April to make their settlements, the law of 1859 requires then? to pay over what they may have on hand at the time it is called for. If we must borrow, let it be from the Bank.
Mr. TARKINGTON opposed the passage of the bill. If we borrow at all, I am in favor of borrowing from some other institution than the Sinking Fund, for it is a virtual frittering away of that fund. I move to lay the bill and amendments on the table for the purpose of page: 118[View Page 118] the introduction of a resolution directing the Treasurer of State to call upon county treasurers for whatever moneys may be in their hands belonging to the State.
Mr. WAGNER, demanded a division of the question:
Tho question being on laying the motion to recommit, with instructions by way of amendment on the table, it was rejected by yeas 16, nays 35.
The question then recurring on laying the bill on the table, it was agreed to by yeas 24, nays 17.
STATIONERY FOR MEMBERS.
The PRESIDENT laid before the Senate a communication from the State Librarian, made in compliance with an order of the Senate on the 15th inst., showing the amount of stationery drawn from him by Senators; which was referred to the Committee on Finance without reading.
REPLENISHMENT OF THE TREASURY.
Mr. JONES, by leave, introduced a joint resolution, [S. 9,] which was adopted by yeas 42, nays 0, directing the State Treasurer to call upon county treasurers for whatever amount they may have collected of the State revenue, and transmit the same to the State Treasurer, on or before the 10th of February prox.
PETITIONS, MEMORIALS, ETC.
Mr. FERGUSON. I desire to present to the Senate a paper I now hold in my hand, which I presume properly comes under the head of a petition, at any rate a request is therein made of this body. By the kindness of the members of this body, which I hope is properly appreciated on my part. I was excused from attendance in the Senate during the whole of last week. During my absence, I understand you enjoyed some pleasures that I would have been glad to have shared with you. I was not present when that beautiful flag was raised that floats over the dome of this capitol. I did not have the pleasure of hearing the patriotic speeches that were made on that occasion; I did not hear the music or see the military parade; but while you were enjoying these things I was mingling to some extent with the people of one of the counties that sent me here-a county like yours, Mr. President, situated upon the Ohio river, where the first greeting of the morning sun comes over the Kentucky hills. I found that people agitated, alarmed and depressed under the gloomy prospect of settling our national difficulties, much more so indeed than when I first came here, for then they had Anxious expectations that Congress might do something to afford relief. That hope has forsaken them now. Still they do not entirely despair. They are not yet ready to say "there is no balm in gilead, and no physician there." They think they see a ray of light piercing the darkness in another direction. On last Saturday, pursuant to previous notice, a large number of citizens of Clark county, in Charlestown, composed of both Republicans and Democrats, met. The President was a Democrat, to two vice-Presidents Republicans, and the committee that drafted the resolutions composed of both parties. The resolutions passed by that meeting I now present to the Senate, in obedience to the request of the meeting.
The resolutions presented contained, among other things, a request for the General Assembly to appoint commissioners to meet commisioners from other States at Washington the 4th of February next, pursuant to the suggestion of the Legislature of Virginia. They were, under the rule of the Senate, referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
Mr. LOMAX presented a petition from citizens of Orange and Lawrence counties, asking for an appropriation of $250 to A.H. Miller for returning a fugitive from justice; which was read and referred to the Committee on Claims.
Mr. COBB. I have in my possession some resolutions which I wish to send up and have read. So far as the people of my section of the State are concerned, they have taken a great interest in the affairs of our country. They have, it is true, not lost all hope. They still believe that something can be done to avert the pending evil. * * * My constituents are high-minded, honorable men, as the resolutions I hold in my hand indicate. I was going to say my constituents met in probably the largest convention that has ever been held in my county, without respect to party; and they passed the resolutions which I now send up to be read by way of petition.
They were referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
Mr. NEWCOMB presented the petition of John L. Stevenson, for allowance of old claims, which, without reading, was referred to tho Committee on Claims.
Mr. BEESON presented a memorial from the State Board of Agriculture, asking for an appropriation of $10,000, for the liquidation of indebtedness and the establishment of officers on a permanent basis; which was read and referred to the Committee on Agriculture.
REPORTS FROM THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
By Mr. MILLER: Returning Mr. Cobb's bill [S. 3]described on page 13 of these Reports recommending indefinite postponement.
By Mr. CLAYPOOL: Returning the petition asking for a law making commutation of fines of persons committed to prison by labor on roads, with a recommendation that it lie on the table.
By Mr. DeHART: Returning the resolution for a law to prohibit railroads from obstructing streets and highways, and reporting thai the existing law affords an adequate page: 119[View Page 119] remedy; also the resolution, for amendment of the Divorce act, so as to provide for adding to the causes of idiocy and hopeless insanity, and reported-inexpedient; also the resolution for a law authorizing county commissioners to discharge insolvent prisoners, and reported- inexpedient.
By Mr. CONNER: Returning Mr. Turner's bill [S.29]-see p. 45- with an amendment, recommending passage; also returning a petition against trespassers on lands, and reported the expression of opinion that Mr. Turner's bill embraces all the legislation on that subject that the Committee deem expedient; and that the petition lie on the table.
By Mr. COBB: Returning the petition for law authorizing county treasurers to retain the distributive shares to which the several counties may be entitled of the Common School Fund, with a recommendation that it be referred to the Committee on Education.
By Mr. CRAVEN: Returning Mr. Line's bill [S. 54]-see page 69-with an amendment recommending its passage:
By Mr. MARCH: Returning a resolution for requiring county treasurers to visit their townships for taxes about the 9th of January, and reported-inexpedient, and that the resolution lie on the table:
Which reports were severally concurred in.
STATE REVENUE.
Mr. SHIELDS submitted a resolution, which was adopted, directing the Finance Committee to report a bill compelling county treasurers to pay over the State revenue on the first days of January, February and March.
COMMISSIONERS TO WASHINGTON.
Mr. LANDERS offered a concurrent resolution, proposing a joint convention with the House next Wednesday, at 2 o'clock, for the purpose of choosing five citizens to represent this State in the Convention of Border States in the City of Washington, on the 4th of February.
It was referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
Mr. BEESON submitted a resolution, which was adopted, that the Treasurer of State report to the Senate whether the State revenue has been collected and disbursed according to sections 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 16 of the act which provides a Treasury system for the State of Indiana, passed March 1, 1859.
Mr. WOLF offered a joint resolution [S. 10] providing for the appointment of Commissioners to the Boader States Convention in Washington City, which meets on the 4th day of February, giving them plenary powers of action-subject to ratification or rejection by the State.
It was referred to the Committee on Federal Relations.
Mr. JONES moved to rescind the rule referring these propositions to this Committee; and pending its consideration-
The Senate adjourned.
