The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-02-25
Congressional.
Washington. Frb. 10,

MI Stewart, from tho Pacific Rail.
road Committee, submitted the ma
jority report on the Omnibus Rail-
road bill,
Mr.. Wilson introduced d bin to tc-
peal the act fixing tho headquarters
OF the General ct tho Army at Wash
ington, and requiring all orders of
tho President and Secretary of War
to be issued by him; or, in case of
disability, by tho next in rank, pro.
vided that he shall not DO released
from command or assigned to duty
elsewhere, except at his own request,
without the approval of the Senate
and all contrary orders to be null and
void.
A bill was introduced al olishing
forever and prohibiting peonage in
New Mexico.
The Army Appropriation bill was
taken up. All the amendments re-
ducing the ordinary appropriations
were agreed to.
Mr., Kelley made speech, express
sing faith in Gen'l Grant.
There was rapid and heated dis
cussion on the Rock Island item, by
Messrs. Blaine, Price, Scofield. Ben.
tor, Phelps, Farnsworth and others.
In the midst of the discussion Mr..
Butler, Of Mass, obtained the floor
and made an appeal in favor of his
amendment for reduction of the
army against the amendment offered
by Mr.. Blaine.
Blaine spoke earnestly against the
adoption of Buffers amendment. He
hoped the House would not vote to
deprive General Sherman of his
chance to attain the rank of General
OF the Army, or Sheridan or Thomas
OF the chance to attain the rank of
Lieutenant General; nor would not
render necessary the mastering out
OF Generals Meade or Hancock as
Major Generals, which would be the
effect of the amendment. His
(Blaine's) amendment Just tied up
the army so there should be no more
appointments or promotions until
Congress could take hold of the
whole question, and by this means
under the administration of General
Grant the army could be very rapid
~ reduced. In conclusion he asked
consent to modify his amendment.
Washington, Feb. 20.
SENATE.
The credentials of Eugens Casserly.
Senator elect from. California. were
presented.
| Corbett called up bill to issue an
American Register to the ship Agra,
of Boston, put under the protection
of the British flag during the war.
Quite discussion ensued and con-
tinued until the expiration Of the
morning hour, which brought up the
bill to repeal the tenure of office act.
Chandler made an unsuccessful
effort to have it set aside for the pur-
pose of taking up the business ofthe
Committee on Commerce, Tuesday
evening being set apart tor tho con
sideration Of that business.
Frelinghuysen moved to lay aside
the bill temporarily, that hc might
move to assign Wednesday for the
consideration Of his naturalization
bill.
Hendricks opposed it, because the
bill, if passed, would make naturaliza-
ton very expensive and almost i'm
possible. The motion was lost.
The Senate proceeded to the con-
sideration OF the bill to repeal the
tenure Of Office act.
| t,nkling spoke IN favor Of retain
in, he law in a modified form, in
VIII IA it will stand if the report of
the Judiciary Committee is apopted.
Doclittle argued in favor of the un-
conditional repeal of the tenure of
office act, which he said was wrong
in theory and incapable of execution.
Dixon said he had voted against
the passage of the tenure af office bill,
aid should vote for it's repeal. He
agreed with the Democracy of Conn,
in the idea expressed in the resola-
ton oftheir recent convention, that
they would not wage an indiscrimi~
nate warfare against the admilistra-
ton OF Ger. Grant, so far as he sup
ported and upheld tho Constitution,
they would support him.
Robertson was in favor OF repeal
of the act, which, while it was q
necessity when passed, was not SO
now. To refuse to repeal il wonld
show lack ofconfinence in General
Grant.
Howe opposed the repeal of the
bill. He had advocated it's passage
not on the ground that Andrew
johnson should not be trusted, but
because he thought that the oppor-
tune time to remove a great mistake
of the first Congress.
Sawyer had not the slightest want
of confidence in Grant, but thought
there was some danger of manifest
ing confidence in an unwise way by
repeating the tenure of Office act
ne believed that if the act had been
passed 20 years ago it would have
been better for the country, and he
was in favo. of continuing it for the
present at least.
Morton rose to address the Sen.
ate, but gave way for a motion to ad-
journ, which was carried and the
Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.