Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-12-20
O o N G e s s % N AL
THIRTY-EIGHTH oONsREss.
Second Session.
TUESDAY, December 90, 1864.
RI DID rL -st SENATE,

y t- SENATE.
Various petitions were presented.
Mr.. Sumner, ffom the Committee on Foreign
Relations, reported back the House JOIN It reso-
luton for giving the requisite notice TO Great
Britain fer the termination of the Can adian
Reciprocity Treaty, with q substitute thei 'efor,
as follows:
Resolved By 0s Senate and Rous Of Ra,rs.
ssntativss cfths United States Of America IN Con-
grsa assembled, That notiee be given of the
termination Of the Reciprocity Treaty, accord.
Ing TO the provisions therein contained for the
termination Of the same; and the President OF
the United States is hereby charged wi th the
communication Of such notice 10 the overn-
ment Of the United Kingdom OF Great Britain
and ireland.
Mr.. Sherman, from the Committee on I'll.
nance, reported back the House Joint rtso In
tion TO extend the time allowed for the with
drawal OF certain goods therein named, and II
was considered and passed.
Mr.. Dixon, from the District Columbia Cor o.
mittee, reported on the petition OF the Wasla
ington Gas Light Company, for the repeal t
the amendment OF their charter which restrict
the price OF gas, with q bill In accordance
with tho petition. The bill repesls the re-
strictiye sections Of the acts Of 1860 aud 1869,
and so amends the act of incorporation as to
prohibit the company from receiving from and
after the lat December, 1854, q greater price
for gas, for the benefit OF IL. stock holders than
the average paid for gas In the capitals Of
Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Now
York, and that . 8 per cent. deduction be made
on all gas furn shed TO the Government.
Mr.. Sherman thought there ought 10 he o
1xed price for the gas. The cost to the Gov
rnment here for gas was from hfty to ,9us
hundred thousand dollars per anpum. The
people should know definitely what the prl &c
OF gas is to be, but under this law how were
they 10 have such knowledgef
| Mr.. Wilson thought the bill should l6 over
until some iDfprmatlon could be- obtained on
the eubject. Some provision, he thought,
should be made In regard 70 the quality Of the
gas, as well as the price. The gas furnished
here was Of the most Inferior sort. Everybody
sees 1t, feels IL and smells it.
Mr.. DlxOh explained, through letter from
the president OF the company, that cargo OF
coal obtained from Nova Scotia had proved
very Inferior, making an offensive and inferior
| gas, but IL was soon discovered, and urged the
necessity oil the advance In the price on ac-
count Of the great advance In the price Of coal
and other material. The company had made
no dividends for IL months, and would be en-
| tlrely unable TO 90 on In their works unless
they had increased compensation.
Mr.. Dixon thought the bill had better go
over. The company had q monopoly, aud
they should be careful In leglslating upon the
subject. --. ~.
Mr.. Henderson said the object was to give
the average price for gas here that prevails In
| the four principal capitals named In the bill,
which made an advance sl.l5 per 1000 feet in
| Washington.
The bill was then postponed until to-mor-
| row.
The President pro tenn announced Mr.. Dixon
as Chairman Of the District OF Columbia Com
mittee, In place OF Mr.. Hale, resigned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
| On motion of Mr.. Rollins, of New Hamp'
shire, q resolution was passed, instructing the
Committee on Military Affairs to inquire into
the expediency Of providing by law for the
better treatment OF Union prisoners In rebel
prisons, and having In view retaliation on the
rebel prisoners In our hands, In case there
shall not be an improvement on that subject
On motion Of Mr.. HOlman, a resolution was
| adopted, instructing the Committee on Public
Lands 70 inquire into the expediency Of setting
apart public lands for the benefit of such
soldiers as have been or who may be permA
nently disabled In the service of their country
the proceeds Of the sale OF the lands 10 be ap'
proprlated by the state Legislatures In fur
theranee Of this object.
On motion u Mr, Eliot, the House uon'cou