Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-13
CONGRESSIONAL.
WAsHINGTOs, Dec. Il.

IeIotIoo w tAS SOllHlAbtoo Oh NafM al
fairs.
Private Petitions were presented b.
Messrs. Doohttle and johnson.
Mr.. johnson presented the memorial o
William Cornell Jewett praying for thu
favor Of Congress- to an International Tri
bunal to decide upon the points st issue il
the present war.
Mr.. Sumner moved that It lie on the t.
bic, and it WAS so ordered.
Mr. Sherman presented 8 petition from
members of the Western Associated Press
asking for reduction of the duty on i'm
ported paper. Referred to Committee on
FInance. r...... -.-
Mr.. Harlan presented q petition from
citizens OF Iowa asking TO be discharged
from service at the expiration of the term
of service Of the regiments in which they
enlisted. Referred to Military Commit
tee.
Mr.. Foote, from Committe on public
buildings, offered the House Joint resolu-
ton which was passed, authorizing the
Secretary of the Navy TO expend money
out of the contingent fund of the Army
Department to enlsrgs the Navy Depart
ment building.
Etr- Wilson presented the petition Of
AGjor Gorsrsi Wsitzsl and four hun
dred and seventy other officers of the 18th
Corps, praying Congress to increase the
pay of army officers twenty dollars per
month, and tbs Communication price OF
the ration at fifty cents instead of thirty
cents as at present, and allowing sixteen
dollars per month
Mr.. Wilson said the price of provisions
had more than doubled since the COM
mencement of the war, which made it
very hard for army officers especially for
inc officers. Captains and lieutenants
lare with difficulty enabled to support
themselves, owing TO the great increase in
the price of provisions and clothing. The
condition of the Treasury made it very
difficult to increase the pay Of these Off
GERS. He would commend the subject to
the serious consideration of the Military
Committee, to whom no moved reference
of the petition, and it was 50 referred.
Mr.. Wilson presented the petition Of
Colonel Higginson, praying for an amend
ment to the act Of last session limiting the
pay to those colored soldiers who we're
free on and before April 19, 1861.
The petition was referred to the Com
mittee on Military Affairs.
Mr.. DOolittle offered the following,
which on his motion, was referred to the
Finance Committee:
ResoLred, That tho Committee on Fl
nance be instructed to inquire into the
of the immediate passage Of an
act to increase the revenue.
First, By an additional tax Of one per
cent. upon all sales Of real and personal
property. Also, all bargains for the sale
Of merchandise, produce, gold and silver
coin, and stocks of every description.
Second, By an additional tax of twenty
FIVE per cent. on gross receipts, to be added
to the present rates of fare, including
ltrest railroads, steamboats,, and ferries, to
be collected by the companies or persons
the same, for the use of the Gov
ernment, and that SAID Committee be fur
ther instructed to inquire tothe prepriety
Of passing law to prevent the exhaustion
Of the currency by the organization of any
new banking associations, except where
they may take the place Of some existing
State banks; and that said committee be
further instructed 70 inquire into the pro-
priety of redeeming all the outstanding
legal-tender notes by is
suing, in their stead, other notes in dsnom-
insticns of not less than fifty dollars each,
bearing uniform interest from the frst
day Of January in each year, 65-I0O per
centum per annum, with coupons attached,
10 be paid out, and 10 bsmade legal tenders
for their face, with interest added.
Mr.. Ramsay introduced Q bill to extend
The time for completing certain Land
Grants TO Railroads in Miinnesota and
Iowa. Reported to Committee on Public
Lands.
Mr.. Farrell introduced the following
which was agreed to: Resolved,
That the Committee on Commerce be in
Etructed to inquire into the propriety of
by law that vessels engaged in
foreign trade, shall take on board AmeIi-
,sn boys, at least one for every Eve hun
lred tons measurement.
he also introduced the following which
was adopted:
ReSoE1sd, That the Committee on Com
nerce be instructed to inquire into the pro-
priety of consolidating the three great dis
tricts, and that licensed vessels may trade
to ports on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts,
without clearance and entry at the Custom
House.
Mr.. Davis according to previous notice
series of resolutions of peace,
Union, etc.
The resolutions propose Convention
Of al the States ss the agency by which
these ends are 20 be attained, and they
then propose to refer to the consideration
of such Convention, as basis of q settle
ment Of all the difficulties among the
States, tho numerous amendments to the
Constitution, arranged in eleven separate
paragraphs: ....
The first paragraph proposes to form the
States OF Maine, New Hampshire and Yer
mont into one State; the States Of Mssss-
chusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut
into one State; the States of Maryland,
Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Vir-
ginis into one State
The second provides that the President
and Vice President be chosen alternately
from the free and slave States, but both
never at the same time, either from the
free or slave States, for the term of four
yesrs, and that any person who may have
flled the Office Ct President Ehsll be for
ever Ineligible to it
The third provides that all the States,
in the month Of January next, before the
expiration of the Presidential term, shall
present candidates for the Presidency and
Vice Presidency-the free States for the
one Office and the slave States for the other,
Is they may be respectively entitled to one
or the other Office, and shall certify sever
ally TO the two houses of Congress and to
the Supreme Court, the names Of the per-
sons so chosen, and for which Office they
hsYe been chosen and on the frst Mon
day in February following, the Supreme
Court, in presence of the two houses of
Congress, shall select from the persons
whose names have been certified for the
Presidency, President; and then Vice
President from the names Of those who
have been certified for that ofice-the
T,,a4;oa. Of 4ba Surname Court IN Ia in ALI.