Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-02-03
Washington News.

cen done this session, and that the
members must quit talking or they
will find March here, with necessary
business unfinished.
The committee appointed by the
Board of Trustees to test the material
of which Howard University is con-
structed, have concluded one series of
experiments at the Navy Yard. The
patent brick sustained a pressure to
the square inch ranging from 50 to
2T3 pounds. Good red brick sustained
LIB pounds to the square inch, and
good paving brick 2 800 pounds. That
portion of the Freedmen's Hospital
which did not fall, has been taken
down, and the building recommended
with common brick.
Parties are il thecity with credentials
from President BaeZ, of st. Domingo,
proposing to transfer than Island to
the government of the United States.
They had an interview with Pres
ident johnson on the 26ult.
The bill chartering an air line rail-
road from Washington to New York
is now ready to be reported TO the
House. Several important amend
ments to it have been made, of
which prohibits the c%orpOratOrs from
selling their franchise to any COM
peting lines.
The Senate Committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia held q meeting on
the 27ult, and had before them the
woman's suffrage question for this
| District, and listened to arguments
from two women on the subject.
The committee will try hard to get
through the Financial bill reported
last week by Schenck, but are not
likely to accomplish anything else of
special Importance before the end of
the present Congress.
The Senate Indian Committee have
concluded by a unanimous vote, to
report against the bill in favor of re-
moving the Bureau from tie Interior
Department and erecting a seperate
department of Indian affairs, with a
seat in the Cabinet for its head. The
committee is also of the opinion that
there should be an entire reOrgan-
ization of the Indian service.
The records of the War Department
show that % BrigIdier Generals, 81
Colonies, 81 Lieutenant Colonies, u
| Majors and 8 Captains, are holding
brevet rank as Major General.
The President has nominated to
the Senate, this session, about three
hundred persons for confirmation,
three-fOurths of whom were for civil
appointments, of whom only eight
have been confirmed.
The Constitutional Amendment
making suffrage universal was taken
up on the 2sult, notice was given of
several substitutes. Mr.. Fowler
wants female suffrage, and the DEM
ocrats want whatever is passed sub
mitted directly to the people for adop-
ton or rejection.
Congress is getting a good deal
walked up about the manner in which
Georgia is violating the spirit Of the
reconstruction acts, and the eX-rebels
of that state may find themselves out
in the cold before the end of the
present session if they don't speedily
mend their ways.
Senator Morton introduced q little
bill proposing that common coupons
of gold bonds shall be receivedas gold
in payment of import duties, if they
shall fall due within six months after
they are presented for such use.
The proposed amendment to the
constitution, intended to make suff-
rage impartial, has finally been carried
through the House. 1t is in the
following language:
SECTION /. The right of any cit
iZen of the United States to vote shall
not be denied or abridged by the Uni
ted States or any state by reason Of
race, color or previous condition of
slavery of any citizen or class of cit
liens of the United States.
SEC. 2. The Congress shall have
power to enforce by appropriate legis-
iation the provisions of this article.
The foreign relation committee, so
far as can be ascertained, are all but
unanimous in disapproval of the Al
ALBANIA claims treaty, and 1t does not
seem to have any chance whatever
of being favorably reported. Some
members want to dispose of it by re-
lection at once, while Others think 1t
had better be carried over into the
next administration.
The agricultural report for 1861 is
Just now coming out of the govern
ment bindery, and will be in the
hands of Congressman for distribution
next week.
The Senate vas principally occu-
pied on the LIST inst., with G discuss
ion about the enlargement of the pat
ent office, in which nearly everybody
took part. Mr.. Stewart then tried to
get up the suffrage amendment, but
the majority was against him, and
the rest of the afternoon was Occu-
pied with the consular and diplomatic
appropriation bill.
On the LIST inst, the House occu-
pied the first hour in receiving and
referring new bills. The ten per cent.
increase on clerks salaries was re-
iected by five majority; Judge Orth's
scheme for annexation of San Do
mingo by forty-eight majority; the
consideration of the tariff bill by
twenty-five majority. Several amend
ments to the Indian appropriation bill
were introduced. Two or three senate
bills on the speakers table were passed
and it was agreed that on and after
the End inst, evening sessions shall
be held to consider the general in
teFnal revenue bills,
The annual pension appropriation
bill will be sent to the President on
the I'd, inst, for his signature. The
bill, as it went through the House,
appropriated twenty-three millions OF
dollars, which amount the Senate cut
down to nineteen millions. The
House took the commissioners es-
innate of what the increase for the
next year would be, and gave him
what he asked, and the Senate COM
mittee made their own estimate n
were thereby enabled 10 cut the aggre-
gate appropriation down to nineteen
million dollars, with which figure the
House agreed.
The supreme court on the LIST, inst,
made a pretty important decision.
The ease came up from California,
where it was held that an income tax
is q direct tax within the meaning OF
the constitution, and that the tax laid
by the internal revenue law is I'M
constitutional because it is upon prop
erty, and not divided pro ratra among
the states according to their represen-
tation in the lower house of Congress.
The court decided against this ru-
ling, and affirmed the constitution
atty OF the tax in its present form.
Shoppert, one of the BennehOff
robbers, was convicted on the 18th
inst. Geiger, on trial with Shoppert,
was acquitted. ItYill be remembered
that several hundred thousand dollars
In bonds and greenbacks were stolen