Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-01-01
ltrOra tis Ha;;eaat i.ssitigencerl
PROC EEDiNGS OF CONGRESS.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER eG, 1891.
THE SENATE
Did not sit to-day, having adjourned until
Thursday this day.
HOuSE OE REPRESENrATIYNs

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
MIR. RuSS, OF Connecticut, and Mr.. Udlker,
OF North Carolina, appeared, were qualified,
aud took their seats.
MIR. UiliiamS, Of n. c. from the committee
on Claims, reported unf;,vorably upon the
petition of certain sufferers ON the Niagara
frontier during the late war which report,
on motion of Mr.. Tracy, was committed 10
4 committee of the whole.
MIR. UilidmS also made an tinfavorablc re-
port upon the petition of George Winthrop
Fox which, on motion of Mr.. Tracy, was
ordered to lie on the table
Mr. Campbell, OF Ohio submitted the follow
Ing resolution:
Resotred, by Tie Senate and House ofRcpresentices
~ ne United States Of inericu, Congress oSseabtei,
hat the Secretary of State be directed cause to
be classified, and reduced to such form as he may
uecm most condrc. 10 the diffusion of information,
the accounts of the several manufacturing establish
mcnls ana their manufactures, taken IN pursuance of
Tue tenth secU. III the act, entitled " An act TO pIo-
VIDE Tor taking the fourth census enumeration of
the inhabitants OF the United States, and for other
purposes, approved the lltli oi Maj CHI, 1870 ; and
that he cause 200 copies OF the digest be made,
to be printed subject 10 the disposition of Congress
MIR. Sterling, OF New York, submitted the
following resolution, which was laid on the
table as of course:
ReS0ited, That the Secretary of War he directed
To lay before this house such information he may
possess in relation to the non-payment OF certain
mechanics laborcrs and contractors who aided i'm
building the Madison Barracks, and in other public
works or houses 1T Sackeu's Harbor during the
years l3l5 1916, and 1917 and state, it within
his knowledge, IL what extent they have not been
paid, and why they have not been paid, what evil
denCe they now hold and have exhibited to the War
Department oil their CLAIMS against the United States,
the name OF the deputy or assistant deputy quarter
master who dshurSed the money for the building of
said barracks, whether he gave bail and If so,
10 what Amount, aud when the said deputy assist
ant deputy quarter master was appointed, and when
removed.
On motion of MIR. CdmJreteng, it was
Ees0fred, That the commItce Commerce he in
structed TO inquire into the eXpedency of erecting
lighthouse at Thrugs Neck, on Long island Sound
Mr.. Patterson, of New York, submitted the
following resolution, which was laid on the
table as of course
Re,oired That the Standing Rules of this House he
tered 81 as To insert after the word " Legislature,
-. lith line OF the l3ih rule, the words 90 Ladies'
"a 'ducod by members of this house..
On motion of ldr. LoiOndes, it was
Res0ired, That the report ON weights and measures
na!e y The Secretary o. State the Odd of Febru;,-
~, 1871 be referred To Il select committee.
On molten of Mr.. ". Smith, of Virg. it was
ReSotred, That the committee the Judiciary he
instructed 10 inquire into the eXpetiency of altering
the terms OF the Court of the western district Of Nir
ginia
MIR. Rochester called for the consideration Of
the resolution introduced by him on Monday
requesting Information from the Treasury De-
partment relative to the sales public Lands
The house agreed to consider the same.
WhereupOn Mr.. Rochester observed, that
he had been induced 10 offer the resolution
from persuasion that the information which
it proposed TO obtain would have a material
bearing upon the bill lately reported TO the
house by the honorable the chairman of the
committee on public lands entitled a" a hill
for the relief of purchasers" &c. which had
been read twice, and was, together with an
amendment proposed by the member from
Illinois and another amendment from the gen
tlemen from kentucky, (Alr. Harding com
mitted some days since 10 n committee of
the whole house Mr.. X. said that he consd-
cred the proposed extension offi,rthcr indul-
Gence to such of the indebted purchasers as
had not ayailed themselves of the provisions
OF the act OF Congress, passed March Q, 1891,
as presenting ii question of no little impor-
tance, aud as one which all possible light
ought 10 be thrown, on which account he was
pleased TO find that the friends of the measure
had evinced 40 disposition to urge its consd-
Grafton hastily upnn the house. In drafting
the resolution, he Mr.. RI had recourse to the
terms OF the 9Th section of the act of Cd
March, 1921, by which it was made the duty
of the several Registers and Receivers to
make correct reports, sc. within three months
iron' 30th Sept. last. This clause, he thot,
had been evidently Incorporated in the act
with view to the securing and providing a
correct detailed statement of the practical
operation OF the act OF Cd March, 1921, for
the information OF the present Congress, and
the better TO enable them to decide upon
the proper Interior policy to be pursued in
relation to the subject in question. The tlme
he said, within which these reports were to
be made by the several Registers and Receiv-
ers had now nearly elapsed. and there was
every probability that the Treasury Depart
mrnt was now in possession Of the whole of
them, or would be before the expiration ofthe
present week, provided those officers had at
tended to heir respective duties and that
they had attended TO those duties, he (AIr. r.
had no reason whatever TO doubt.
MIR. X. continued, that OH a question of the
adoption OF resolution simply calling for in
formation, it would perhaps be somewhat out
of the usual order to dwell upon the merits of
a bill previously committed he would, how
ever, remind the house, that the receipts in
to the Treasury for the year 1921, arising from
the nett proceeds ofpubc land sales, had fall
en- short about 100000 dollars of what they
had been estimated at by the Secretary OIL
the Treasury ia his annual report made at the
second session of the last Congress that this
deficit might perhaps be ascrlbed in part TO
the general stagnation of business, the Failure
of some banks, and the consequent derange-
ment of the paper currency of the country Il
but he imagined that it was chiefly attrbu-
table to the operation of the law of AIarch
last
What he now desired was to have this OPP
Grafton spread before the house in detail, as
doubtless by "A minute attention to the prac-
tical effects of the past law, more correct es
innate might be made Of the probable future
results from continuing its provisions in force
That, for his part. he shnuld be glad To arrive