Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-02-20
CONGRESSIONAL.

referred to the Committee on territories.
The Supplementary Reconstruction Dill
was taken up, and Mr.. Harlan OF Iowa
made speech thereon. Mr.. tTipton OF
| Nebraska followed A bill was intro
duced to make q new Territory, TO pe
called Novsjo. .r., .ls.g $500. n,
,HorJsE.-Among the resolutions and
bill introduced were these: To aid the
| Eastern Division of the Pacific Railroadi
to Investigate claims for Indian depreda-
tions to allow respondents in criminal
cases to testify in their own behalf; to
provide for the expectation of distilled
spirits in bond. Mr.. Garfield proposed
bill for gradual return to specie pay
ments. II is a sliding scale, the Treas
ury to exchange on the 1st of December
next 81 in gold for 81 80 currency, and
reduce the rate one cent month untii
he reaches par, and after July, 1871, gold
shall be paid for all legal-tender notes,
dollar for dollar. Another bill was Of
fered for retiring circulating notes of the
Government, and to favor free banking.
A bill to amend the Bankrupt law so as
to compel involuntary bankruptcy. Reso-
luton referred to print 10, 900 extra copies
Of the Johnson Grant correspondence.
A resolution to remove the seat or Gov
ernment was offered, but motion to
refer was rejected, II to 02. The mem
bers then went into new drawing for
seats. The House went into Committee
one the Legislative Appropriations bill,
and few amendments were made.
SENATE, Feb. little proceedings Of
the Senate were not of especial interest.
Garrett Davis occupied much of the ses-
sion In speech on the supplementary
Reconstruction bill; he also introduced
two bills, one amending Doolittle's
amendment to the Reconstruction bill,
and the other doing away with the act
of March 2, 1867, for the more efficient
government of the rebel States. Mr..
Wiley, of West Virginia, reported from
the Committee on Patents bill requir-
ing persons applying for patents to give
public notice of the same. Among the
Presidential nominations rejected by the
Senate, is that of Leslie Coombs as Uni
ted States Marshal for Kentucky.
HousE.-The principal feature of the
House proceedings was the reading of
the additional Johnson-Grant correspon-
dence. 1t consists Of q letter from the
President accusing Grant of insubordi-
nation In not obeying him, his military
superior, and letters from five members
of the Cabinet, giving their views rs to
! the nature of the recent conversations
between the President and the General.
| Another letter from Gen. Grant, in which
he disavows any disrespect to the orders
of the Executive, and briefly vindicates
| his course. closes the series. On motion
of Gen. Butler, the House struck out
| from the Appropriation bill the items for
compensation of the Assistant Secretary
clerk of petitions and three clerks of the
fourth class employed by the President.
h SENATE, Feb. 12-Mr. Yates, from the
| Committee on Territories, reported a bill
| A i1,, 49, L., n,.I
| notice that he would call II up at an early
day. A bill for the relief of the heirs of
Gen. Richardson was passed. The con-
sideration of the Reconstruction bill was
! postponed. The case of Mr.. Thomas,
! Senator elect from Maryland, was taken
up but postponed Mr.. Conness COM
plained Of the delay ofthe Committee on
Foreign Relations, in acting on the mat
ter of citizenship rights. Mr. Stevens
replied that the subject was receiving
careful and constant attention, both by
| the Committees and the State Department,
and that their action would be soon made
known, and would, he believed, be salts
factory to the Senate and the entire
country. Mr.. Sherman Introduced bill,
providing that the Representatives and
| Senators from Alabama shall be admitted
! to their seats in Congress n Convention
| having formed u Constitution. republican
| In form, and containing all the guaran-
| tees required by the Reconstruction acts
which had been ratified by n majority OF
the votes cast at an election held for that
purpose. The bill was referred to the
Judiciary Committee.
| HOUSE. Mr. Wilson, of Iowa, In tro
duced bill prepared by the Secretary o.
State, providing that no foreigner guilty
| of murder, piracy, assassination, arson
| robbery or forgery shall be allowed tt
enter the country. The bill alst author
! lzing the President to send back to tho
country from which he came, any person
I guilty of these crimes, upon satisfactory
proof of guilt. 1t was referred to the
judiciary Committee. A resolution was
introduced authorizing an inquiry rs tt
whether the Pension Bureau cannot bt
more efficiently and economically organ
ICED. The Citizenship bill came up. Mr.
Banks offered to accept two or three
amendments, and moved the previous
question, which the House refused I,
second. Amendments were then olferet
until the expiration ofthe morning hour
when the House went into Committee o
the Whole on the State of the Union
and resumed consideration of the Legis
lative, Executive and judicial Appro
priation bill. The regular annual dis
cussion over the appropriations for Agri
cultural Department, and particularly
over the item of$25, 900 for seeds, occupied
n large part of the time spent In Commit
tee, covering various questions as Il
economy, extravaganza, cabbage ant
turnip seeds, squashes, cucumbers, etc
Without disposing of the bill the Com
mittee rose and the House adjourned.