Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-03-17
CONGREssIoNAL pROCEEDINas.

SENATE, Feb. 25thvSeveral private bills
were passed also one exempting manufactures Of
government naval machinery from internal tax
The Joint resolution providing that on the 4th Of
March both houses shall meet ut p. m, instead OF
noon, was agreed to.-The army appropriation bill
was taken up. Two amendments we're adopted,
ono authorizing the Secretary of War to have pre-
pared and publisheda report OF the results of the
expedition TO explore and survey the line OF the
forteth parallel the expense TO be paid out of the
existing appropriations for the War Department;
and the other appropriatng 100000 for surveys
for military defenses. Pending the discussion Of
the bill the Senate took recess, and upon coming
together again the committee Of conference on the
bill to give deputy collectors and assessors tho pay
of their principals where they perform the princl-
pals duties reported that they had agreed upon
the bill as 1t originally passed tho Senate. The re-
port was concurred in. Adjourned
HoUsE.--A bill was passed for the coin
age of nickel and copper pieces of Ave cents and
under-The report of the conference committee
on the consular and diplomatic appropriation bill
was rejected and new committee ordered The
report OF the conference committee on the suffrage
constitutional amendment was adOpted-yeas l43,
nays 49, The report recommends the House to re-
cede from its amendment and agreo to the Senate
proposition which is as follows:
Be resolved, de-, tOO-thirdS Of both houses con-
CURING That the following amendment to the con.
stituton Of the United States he submitted to tho
Legislatures of the several states, and when rati-
fed by three.fourths thereof, 1t shall be part Of
said constitution:
ARTICLE Is. The right of the citizens of the
United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any state on
account OF race, color or previous condition of SER
vitude.
SEC. O. The Congress shall have power to en-.
force this article by appropriate legislation.
The legislative appropriation bill was taken up,
and several amendments adopted, among which
was one making the compensation of female clerks
in the Treasury department equal TO the pay Of
nf ha 6fylN AI,o
same compensation as male clerks of higher grades,
when called upon to do similar work. .--rhe annual
post route bill was passed. also resolution donat.
ing condemned cannon and muskets for the Nc.
Pherson Monument Associaton.-The deficiency
appropriation bill was considered in committee of
| the whole, and several amendments agreed to,
when the committee rose, and the House adjourned
SENATE Feb. 26th-The report of the
conference committee on the naval appropriation
bill was made and concllrred In. Several commit
| tee reports were presented and some time was
| spent in discussing the resolution to pay Senator's
| from the reconstructed states from the beginning
OF the fortieth Congress. The morning hour ex.
pired without vote on the resolution, and the re-
| port of the Conference Committee on the Suffrage
amendment to the constitution was taken up. A
long and spirited debate followed, several republi-
can Senators opposing the report because the COM
mitee had stricken ont of the amendment the
words "and hold Office" The report was, however,
finally adopted, yeas 30, nays 49, The President
announced that, .wotlirds of the Senators present
having voted In the Affirmative, the joint resolution
had passed. Davis raised the point of order that
the constitution requires for the passage of prop
ositon tn amend II two-thirds of tho Senate, and
not merelytwothit dis of the Senators present; and
there being thirty.four states in the Union, two.
thirds of the Senate had not voted for the rcsOu.
ton Just considered. The President decided that
as the amendment had been passed in the same way
as preceding amendments, Davis point of order
was not well takeD,-Some thirty private appropri
ltion bills were passed. The following bills were
rptprpnCp
al banks; TO prevent the certifying of checks by
national banks in certain cases. for the SALE of tho
Hot Springs Reservation in Arkansas; for the bet.
ter protection of the lives of passengers on steam
and other vessels. Adjourned
HoTSE-The deficiency bill was consider
ed in committee of the whole, and several amend.
ments adopted. The reports of the conference
committees on the naval appropriation BILL al on
the bill in reference to the pay of deputy collectors
and assistant assessors of internal revenue, We're
made and agreed to.-The Legislative and exGcu-
tive appropriation bill was taken up The follow
ing appropriations were agreed to- $4,000 for the
Commissioner of Education; for public buildings
at Madison, Wis, $25OOO Springfield, H., ,$25, 900
Philadclphia, appraisers store S37, 600; Cairo, Ill.,
post Office, $4,000; St Paul, Mimi, custom house.
$4,000; ogdensburg, N. Y, custom house, $l2. |
500; Chicago, marine hospital S25 000 S3624 for |
the compensation of the Register and Receiver of |
the land office in Boise City, Idaho. The appropri
alton for back pay to Minister Harvey was also |
agreed to- Several other amendments were agreed |
10, anu Dlll pdbseu. hlUcr some luftner DuSl
ness the House adjourned.
SENATE, Feb. 9th. The House bill to |
strengthen the public credit and legaizc coin con-
tpacta was taken up and debated most of the scs |
ssn but vote was not reachcd,--WisOn intro |
duced bill for the more equal distribution of tho |
national banking capital. 1t provides that there
shall be $IOO,0O0,0OO bank notes, and that $780,.
COO, 900 greenbacks shall be withdrawn 80 the |
amount of circulation shall not be increased. The
object of the bill ia to increase banking facilities.
n1tatfn
dent, whenever in his opinion Cuba shall have es |
tablished an independent government de iacto &C. |
cordlng TO the laws of nations to recognize her
Adjourned.
HoUsE-The Louisiana contested cleo
tion case came mp, and gave rise to long debate.
Fifteen minutes was awarded to each OF the con.
testants to advocate their claims Mr.. Menard, |
the colored man, made strong plea. Az length o
resolution declaring Caleb D. Hunt duly entitled
TO the vacant seat was rejected also one giving he
scat to Mr., Menard shared the same fate. The
whole subject was laid on the table. A resolution
apprOpriating $500 to each of the contestants, |
Hunt, Menard and Jones, was passed. During the |
debate, Chandler charged the Speaker with favor
itism toward the republicans in his rulings The |
Speaker briefly defended himself against the |
chargc-The report of the committee of investi- |
CATION on the Alaska matter was presented, with
supplement-, signed by portion of the committee, |
ocnsuring those who permitted themselves TO bo |
retained In the service of Russia, Adjourned.
SENATE, March lst.-Ihe credentials of |
Dayard, Of Delaware, Dorcman, of West Virginia |
and Brownlow, Senator elect from Tennessee, were
presented -Conness moved to strike ont the name
OF Ira Rogers, of West Virginia, as he was still |
arrant. number Of Senator's spoke for and |
against this motion, and at lCnpth II was with
drawn.-WilsOn offered an amendment to the army
appropriation bill, providing that disabled volun-
tGer oifceH shall bO retired on the same terms as
regular officers. Adopted Morton's amendment
to strike out the provisions limiting the number Of
brigader generals IN the army to eight was lost by
a vote of IL yeas to2l nays.-Sumner renewed hia
amendment TO provide for the paynent of tho
made to the United States In the war of 1872 Com
debate ensued upon this amendment.
AIessrs Grimes, Frelinghuyscn, Davis, Drake and
opposed II, and Messrs. Mortopand Pat.
terson, Of New Hampshire advocated II. Ad.
lourned.
HoUsE-Mr Judd introduced Joint
requiring tho Pacific Railroads and
branches 10 give bonds guaranteeing the proper
completion OF their roads before receiving aid
passed. Tho House went into q committee of the
whole on the miscellaneous appropriation bill. IL
was agreed to pay Miss Vcnnio Ream $4,000, the
amount due on her contract To furnish statue Of
the late President Lincoln. Mr. Brooks moved an
of 5000 900 for laying the foundation
and commencing the building Of postoHce In
New York cty-adOptcd On motion of Mr.. Logan,
an appropriation Of $500 was made for the purchase
Of portrait of Abraham Lincoln for thp Waite
House, to be selected by the incoming President
SENATE, March 2nd--A bill was passed
granting lands 10 Wisconsin in aid Of the Break
water at Sturgeon Bay.--The legislative and JUDI
cial appropriation bill came mp. Several amend
ments wore adopted. tho more important Of which
wore these! Giving female clerks, counters and
ropyists the same compensation as males doing the
Same work; that the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue shall not bo required TO give bonds as he
does not have to receive any public money; in
crcasing tho salaries and expenses Of collectors
assistant assnssors, Nc., from S6OOOOOO
10 sS,OOO,OO0; hppropriatng $4,000 N fpl9ll tho
contract with Winnie ltoam ipr q giaipo ofAbyaham
LINCOLN; abolishnH the OQco OF assistant ScOTetR-
ny OF tho Navy. striking out the salary and reduc-
ing ihe number of clerks; appropriaIing $4,000
FOR the expense of investigating the cauRo of the
ielas cattle disease, under tho supervision of the
Agricultural Department. An attempt was made
10 add II section repeating the tenure Of Office law,