The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-12-23
Vol 81, No. SO
CONGRESSIONAL.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Is.
SENATE.


4 ais9 ~ @s SENATE
Mr.. Sumner presented memorial
OF the laboring men of the United
! States, in Convention assembled, ask
ing the interposition of Congress in
behalf Of the colored laborers in, th.
Southern States. After setting forth
the immediate necessity of the peo
pie, the paper asks division and dis
| tribution among them OF lands of the
United States, and the appointment
of ~ Commissioner to purchase lands
ii those Southern States where there
~ now no public lands. Referred
/ r. Anthony submitted a joint
rdblution for the distribution to mem
bfrs Of Congress, and other officer.
ho have not received u copy, ol
Nc Tribute Of Nations to the mem.
ory OF Abraham Lincoln" Passed.
Tho House resolution tor adjourn.
ment from the ED ot..December to
the 9Th Of January was coneurred in.
| HOUSE.
On motion of Mr.. Schofeld the
Secretary Of tho Treasury was asked
for information as to the disposition
made Of tho six million dollars re.
ceived by the United States as in.
demnity for aggrcssions on American
commerce, pursuant to the treaty
with Japan, of October 22d, 1864.
Mr.. Clark offered a resolution dc.
claring it as the Judgment Of the
House, that whenever public lands
are discncumbered OF Indian titles
they shall be Immediately open to
settlement under the preemption law
or under such regulations as Con.
gross may prescribe, and that the
House will refuse hereafter to make
appropriations to carry out the pro.
visions Of Idian treaties which do not
prohibitthe sale OF Indianlands to cor
porations or spectators. Referred to
committee.
Mr.. Dyer introduced bill to in.
crease the tax on the circulation, de.
posits and average amount invested
in q. 8. Bonds. Referred to Banking
Committee.
A resolution calling on the secre.
tary of the Interior for information
as to the public lands remaining un-
appropriated in the several Southern
and Southwestern States. Adopted.
Mr.. Myers offered resolution re-
quiring the Committee OH Ways and
Means to inquire into the cause ofthe
late horrible accident at Avondale,
and, if there be power under the
Constitution, report bill embodying
such provisions as will, so far as prac-
ticable, prevent Il recurrence of such
accidents; also report upon the pro-
priety of the appointment by the
House ofa Committee on Public Safe
ty, whose duty it shall be to investi.
gate the causes Of accidents whereby
human life is endangered or lost
! Adopted.
The House then went into Com
mittee of the Whole on the Census
bill.
The amendment presented yester-
day for the collection OF the statistics
Of the United States bonds held by
corporations and individuals, was re.
jected
Mr.. Gartield's amendment offered
yesterday in regard to railroad and
other statistics was adopted.
Mr.. Jencks moved to strike out the
agricultural schedule from the BILL
Rejected.
The House then proceeded TO vote
on the amendments that were agreed
to in Committee, the most Of them
merely verbal, and without disposing
Of all of them, the House adjourned
at four o'clock.
WASHINGTON. Dec. l6.
SENATE.
Mr.. Cragin introduced resolution
to close the accounts Of John w.
Forney, late Secretary of the Sem
ate.
Mr.. Cameron said that having OBJ
Jected some months ago to the ac-
counts of Col. Forncy, it was his du-
ty to now acknowledge that so far
from Forney having done wrong, he
had unfortunately boen the subject Of
others wrong doings. He explained
that the deficiency in Forncy's &C.
counts had been made up, and that
the accounts had been fairly adjust
ed.
The Senate took up the bill to per-
feet the reconstruction Of Georgia;
providing for the assembling of tho
Legislature, and permitting no dis
tin .tions OF race or color; said Lcgis-
Iature to be regarded as provisional
until the further action Of Congress.
Mr.. Wilson's amendment was read
requiring that tho Legislature shall
be provisional until after it has a.il
fed tho 14th and 18th Amendments,
and the State is represented in Con-
gress.
MIR. Carpenter thought the amend.
ment unnecessary and pernicious. 1t
| might give to the Southern people q
good reason to say that while in a
condition Of duress, the terms OF
their admission were dictated by Con-
gress. He did not want in the fu-
ture, Jefferson Davis to bring in q
bill OF exceptions, and move for a
new trial
Mr.. Drake said the rebels OF the
South should be made to feel, from
Congress, that the iniamy OF that
Georgia Legislature should bo wiped
| out by acts of reconstruction, and
that loyal men in that State should
be upheld and represented; it must
be understood that there is Il Con.
gress of the Nation, and whose pow.
er could not be strangled by the
Supreme Court, or any State author,
ity.
Mr.. Morton briefly defended his
amendment, and the morning hour
expiring, the unfinished business be-
ing the bill relative to the appellateju
risdiction of the Supreme Court, was
then taken up.
Mr.. Trnmbuil explained the object
OF the bill rs simply to define the
powers Of the judicial Department
Of the Government. The bill had
not been framed with any view OF in,
terfering with any question now
pending, but TO take from the Court