Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-02-04
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE. Saturday, January. 25th.
The Senate was not in session to-day.

I
SENATE Saturday, January. 25th. r
The Senate was not in session to; day.
| HOUSE. .-To-days session was devoted en-
tirely to spread eagle speeches.
SENATE. Monday, January, 9th, T.
Mr.. Wilson introduced a bill removing disa
billties from certain citizens of Virginia. -
| The Secretary of the Treasury was called or
| for IN elaborate report regarding captured anC
| abandoned property. -, ,f;,s ~. rr +
The bill relieving Governor Patton, of Ala
bama, from political disabilities was resumed. :
Messrs Howard (Repub.), of Michigan, and
| Drake (Repub.), of Missouri, wanted further
proofs of Patton's sincerity. Messrs Buckalew
tDem. J, of Pennsylvania, and johnson Dem.
of Maryland, opposed special legislation on the
subject The matter was postponed. = ,...1.. s.Is
The reconstruction bill was resumed.
Mr.. Wilson (Repub. ),3 of Massachusetts,,
favored the bill. In opening his remarks he
said that In the thirteen years he had been In
the Senate he had listened to great many
| speeches.. He had heard the domineering Da
Wis, the threatening ToolEbs, the plausible Ma
son and the willy Slidell, but he had never lis
tened to more wicked speech than that de-
Ivered by the Senator from Wisconsin MIR.
Dooittle on Thursday last
WI. coHHSOiI tbCul j. VI ldiiui lOiiOWCu
with powerful constitutional argument against
the bill -iaaa
The bill relieving Governor Patton was taken
up and passed-ayes, 26; nays, Is.
HOUSE. Under the call of States the follow
ing among other bills, were introduced: To
tax national bonds; removing Instructions from
Hell Gate in the harbor of New York forbid
ding assessors or collectors from being inter
ested directly or Indirectly in the forfetures un-
der revenue laws !; one by Stevens on the ques
ton of suffrage on national questions; to regu-
late the appointment of government agents !;
providing temporary government for Wyoming
Territory; to provide an uniform currency and
liquldate the national debt: amending the ma
tlonal currency act; supplying documents to
agricultural colleges relieving McLane Col
lege Tenn; for the removal of obstructions
from the Upper Missouri river; declaring COM
promises for violation of the revenue to be fe-
lonious; for the better organization of the Uni
ted States District courts Of La. for establish
ing branch mint for Santa Fe.
A resolution was passed repeating the act
creating Montana territory on the account OF
the exclusion of certain classes from suffrage.
Several communications from the Executive
were presented and also the resolutions of the
Georgia Convention urging the reorganization
OF the State Government, and the removal of
certain disabilities, and the modification of the
test oath; also petition from the members of
the Louisiana Convention praying the removal
OF General Hancock and the State and county
officers; also petition of the Mississippi Con-
vention relative to the Freedmen's Bureau.
bill prohibiting the payment of certain
claims arising from the rebellion, was resumed
and passed. Ayes sc, nays 63.
The Secretary of State was asked the ex-
pense of arresting and trying Surratt.
A resolution was adopted after considerable
tillbusterlng under suspension OF the rules In
structlng the reconstruction committee to en-
qulre whether combinations have been made or
attempted to be made to obstruct the due exc
cution of the laws, with power to send for per-
sons and papers.
SENATE, Tuesday, Jan. 2S- Several memo
rails from reconstruction conventions were pre-
sented.
A bill was introduced granting lands to the
Port Royal railroad in Georgia and South Car
olina
The Reconstruction bill was resumed.
The whisky meter bill was passed; and after
an executive session the Senate adjourned.
HoUsE.-The bill authorizing the taxation of
the shares in national banks was passed
The bill providing that national banks shall
not be selected for repositories of public money
at places where there is Treasureror or Assistant
Treasurer, and requiring them to be deposited
in sub-treasury, if there is one within fifty
miles, was passed.
The bill torfeiting grants of lands to South
ern railroads was resumed.
Mr.. Blaine, (Rep J, of Maine, opposed the
bill, as judgment that should not be made
when those States are not represented in Con
gress.
Mr. Julian, of Indiana, explained that the
forfeiture did not apply to the completed rail
roads. He added that when the States came
back into ehe Union, as they would be in few
weeks, he would favor renewing the grants.
Amendments were proposed excepting from
the operations of the bill the Nashville and
Decatur, and Alabama and Tennessee railroads.
Without coming to vote, the House ad-