The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-01-23
WASHINGTON.
SUE MURPHY.

was occupied from day to day with long speech.
% about the Sue Murphy claim. 1t seems that
Sac Murphy was loyal southern woman. whose
property at Decatur. Ala, in the course of the
war, was damaged to the amount of $4,000 nv
the government in the erection of fertilization.
Sue now asks Congress to reimburse her losses
The difficulty in the way is, that if this claim i.
allowed, there will be about 500. 900 600 NOR.
to pay ON Southern claims that stand ON exactly
the same footing. The misfortune of Sue Mur.
ply and all other southern claimants like b.r ia
that they are white folks. The gospel of batsn
has no bowels even for loyalists who once ,;ved
and thrived in land stained with the curse Of
slavery. On Saturday the Sue Murphy claim
was recommitted, which is equivalent to Il.
defeat
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
In the House on Saturday Mr.. Cook, from Ii.
committee ON elections, again reported in favor
of Switzler, democrat, from Mo-, as entitled n
the seat held by Andersen, radical. There never
was the least question in the case, but Anderson
having got the seat in the house by fraud. b.s
been kept there until now, when the tern, :.
about to expire, the seat may be reluctantly sur.
rendered TO its rightful occupant
PENSION TO MRS LINCOLN.
A bill was introduced in the senate on Friday
to give Mrs. Lincoln a pension. The senate
committee are said to favor pension of $1,000
NIAGARA SHIP CANAL.
The Niagara Ship Canal bill came up in the
house as the regular order ON the 18th. and wa,
ably advocated in speech by Mr.. Van Horn. Of
n. 7. The discussion was continued on Satu,.
day, when Mr.. Washburne got tho floor. and
after making speech against the project, moved
its reference to the committee of the wbols
which was carried, amounting to the defeat of
the bill
COPPER TARIFF.
The copper tariff bill, which passed the ho.se
about the second day of the session. finally
passed the senate on Tuesday 1t is a "littls
bill in the interest of the Lake Superior Copper
Mines
SUBSIDIES TO RAILROADS.
The house On Tuesday, by vote of 90 70 az
decided TO grant no more subsidies in the shape
OF government bonds, to Pacific or other railroad
companies. A motion to include Glands" in the
resolution, however, was voted down.
FINANCE.
In the senate, on Monday, the finance commit.
tee submitted their long looked for report ON the
resumption and currency question. They report
ed bill providing for legalising gold contracts,
the conversion of greenbacks into per cent.
bonds and aathorisng the national banks to
issue bills redeemable in specie. The bill omit,
all provision to fund the public debt 1t was
ordered to be printed but sesms TO be regarded
by senators, representatives and financial men
as quite impraeticabls.
AMNESTY PROCLAMATION
The President on Tuesday sent to the senate
his reply to the resolution Of that body asking
by what authority he issued his Christmas am.
nesty proclamation The President quotes a
his authority Sec. 2 Art Of the constitution:
also sundry decisions of the Supreme Court
directly in point as we'll as the presidents of
similar proclamations issued by Gen. Washing.
ton in the case of the Whisky Insurrection, of
Madison in 1915, of Lincoln in 1863, 1866, &c,
The President clearly "has EN-" on the authori-
ties and presidents.
ALABAMA CLAIMS, &C.
The President on Saturday sent to the senate
three highly important treaties Just negotiated
with Great Britain by Reverdy johnson, on the
subjects respectively Of the Alabans claims, tho
rights Of naturalizsd citizens, and the occupation
OF the island Of San Juan on our northwestern
frontier. The first named provides for Joint
commission to sit at Washington, which shall
adjust all claims between England and the Uni.
ted States that have arisen since 1868, with the
exception Of those preferred by British residents
in this country. In the naturalization treaty
Great Britain gives up her doctrine of "Once q
subject, always a subject and comedies to nat
nralized of the United States the same rights ~
are enjoyed BY native-born Americana. On the
San Juan boundary question England comedies
our claims, and withdraws from the Joint occu.
pancy. These treaties have all been approved
by President johnson. There is no reason in the
world why these treaties should not at once be
ratified BY the senate, except the single one that
they were negotiated by Rsvsrdy johnson. It
is said, however, that there are hopes that even
that reason will not be found insupersble.
CUBA.
1t 10 asserted by numerous Washington dis.
patches, more or less reliable, that the admins.
tratisn has received important piece of official
information from Minister Hale, at Madrid,
stating that overtures have been made to him.
- the American representative for the sale to