The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-28
CONGRESSIONAL VOTES.
THE WORK DRnonE CONGRESS.

CON4HfISSlON4dL NOTES..
THE WORK DEroRE CONGRESS.
Every day increases the work, and decreases
the duration OF the Eortieth Congress. The
amount OF Legislation Of last week is comprised
in two bills, each quite unimportant, the first
being to allow registrars in bankruptcy to
take testimony in the case Of contested cleo
ton; the other authorizing the appropriation
of condemned ordnance to be reconstructed
into o bronze monument Of the late Mr.. Lin
coin, to which complexion have the dollar sub
scriptions come at last. The Senate has
been debating the railroad question in three
phases, the Airline bill, the Anti-Mo-
nopoly bill, the bill giving subsidies to
the central branch Of the Union Paciti, Rail-
road. The mention of these bills tells too what
lies before the Senate for the present week. The
prospect of any OF them passing into law is les
sened when the special orders, the Currency
bill and the new suffrage amendment, for
Monday and Thursday respectively, ara taken
into consideration. The Senate, however, dis
plays very arbitrary temper, and has post.
poned special orders and unfinished business
in q most querulous manner during the week
past. Any certainty of considering any bill
ssannets ssaseonssS s$kssa
the session arc felied upon to heap up and
rush through q vast variety of bills.
PENSION TO MRS. LINCOLN.
The Committee on Pensions are understood
to be in favor OF the bill Of Senator Morton as
signing pension to Mrs. Mary Lincoln. widow
of the President. The amount has been fixed
at $4,000 year. The President pro tenn. Of the
Senate laid before that body ON Monday the
following petition from Mrs. Lincoln, written
upon note paper with heavy mourning bor-
der:
To the Honorable Wee President of the
Unated Sates-SIR: herewith most respect
fully present to the honorable Senate OF the
United States an application for pension.
am widow OF President of the United States,
whose t Life was s, sacrificed in his countrys SER
paired my health, and by the advice Of my
physicians have come over to Germany to try
the mineral waters. and du ring the winter to
go to Italy. But my financial means do not
permit me to take advantage Of the urgent
advice given me, nor can live in style becom-
ing the widow OF the Chief Magistrate Of great
nation. although l live as economically as
can. In consideration of the great services my
deeply lamented husband has rendered to the
United States, and of the fearful loss have
sustained by his untimely death-his martyr
dom, may, say respectfully submit to your
honorable body this petition. Hoping that
yearly pension paay be granted me, so that I
may have less pecuniary care, / remain most
respectfully, MRS. a. LINCOLN.
FRANKFORT Germany.
The petition was referred to the Committee
on Pensions.
THE DANISH WEST INDIA PURCHASE.
Secretary Seward has submitted to the Sem
ate the correspondence in the negotiations for
the purchase by the United States of the
Danish West India Islands. Mr.. Seward shows
that he made the proposition to purchase
Of Lnoo 'R4S5s 4Se s ana sun nsa
by the Danish Minister as an equivalent for
the islands was $25 900 900, but subsequently
his government receded considerably in their
demands and agreed to receive the amount
stipulated in the treaty.
"A NEW pOsTAL-TELE0RAPH sCHEA6R.
An entirely new scheme for uniting I he post
Office and telegraph has been introduced anfo
Congress. and referred to the proper conn
mlttee Of the House. The bill empowers o
company to cons.fuct and equip lines OF tele-
graph between the Cities Of Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. It
provides that the charges shall not exceed one
cent per word between given points on these
lines, no matter what the distance may be-:
that the government shall have the exclusive
purposes, and may, through the Postofiice
Department. purchase the lines after three
years OF successful operation. The Post
master General Is empowered to appoint tii-
rector whose duties are defined in the bill. The
company is authorized to make an additional
charge Of one-half cent per word for the trans
mission Of messages OF points one-half mile
that to each message three cent postage
stamp shall be affixed. 1t is further provided
that all general news sent over these lines by
authority Of the government shall ba imme-
diatey posted on bulletin boards for the bsne-
at OF the public. s1a8 5a