The Portland daily press., 1870-04-27
NEW s
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS.
XLIst OONGRESS---Second Session.

WASHINGTON, April ga memorial from
the Chicago citizens meeting, requesting that
the half million Chinese indemnity fund be
conveyed into the treasury or used to establish
University at Pekin, was, after Mr.. Sumner
stated that the Foreign Committee were con-
sidering the subject, referred to that commit
tee.
Mr.. Sherman, from the Finance Committee,
reported that the committee were unanimous
ly of the opinion that no change ought to be
made in the rate of taxation of distilled spirits.
MIR. Wilson reported substitute Tor the
House army bill. 1t reduces the army to 25,-.
600 enlisted men, and abolishes the grade of
General and Lieutenant General as soon as the
vacancy occurs. 1t fixes the pay of the former
at $12 900 and the latter at $4,000 per aunum.
1t reduces the number of Major Generals to
three and Brigadier Generals to six. 1t does
not provide for the mastering out of the su-
perfiuous officers, except upon their own APP
plcation, and then allows them years pay.
Mr.. Anthony reported a bill regulating the
public printing and disseminating the publica-
ton of books and official documents.
Mr.. Wiley offered a resolution, which was
adopted, directing the Committee on Educa-
ton and Labor to inquire into the expediency
OF dividing the net proceeds of the sales OF
public lands among the several States for edu-
cational purposes, and otherwise so providing
by law that all the people of the United States
may have an opportunity of acquiring COM
mon school education. In advocating his reso-
luton, Mr.. Wiley said the 18th amendment
had introduced dangerous element into the
body polite, as shown by the fact that there
are now in the United States half million of
voters unable to read or write.
the conduct of the Spanish Government in
the treatment of captured Cuban insurgents
was indefinitely postponed.
The bill for the survey of the Darien ship
canal and railroad was referred to the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations.
HOUSE.
A call of the roll showed that 40 members
were present.
Mr.. Niblack, of Indiana, from the Committee
on Appropriations, reported that the fortifica-
ton appropriation bill be made the special or
der for the 9Th of May next. The bill appro-
PIRATES 81 ,264,750 Among the appropriations
are the following For Fort Preble, Fort
Georges and Fort Scanned, Portland harbor,
Me-, $4,000; Fort Independence, Boston, $751;
600; Fort Warren, Boston, 500 900; Fort
Winthrop, Boston, $4,000. ~
The bill authorizing the Secretary of the
Treasury to appoint ffty-three special agents
for the purpose of examining the books, papers
and accounts of customs officers was passed.
;. The bill establishing Department of JUS
tlce was reported from the Committee on Re-
trenchment and laid over until Tomorrow
The bill provides that there shall be an execu-
tive department. OF government, of which the
Attorney General shall be the head, and to
which the Solicitor General and two assis-
tants, the Solicitors of the Treasury, Internal
Revenue and Navy, with their assistants and
the Examiner of Claims of the State Depart
ment shall be transferred. The salary of the
Attorney General is to be the same as the
present Solicitor General, $500; and the as
sistants to the Attorney General $780, No
fees are to be allowed for legal services re-
quired of officers in the Department of JUS
tice.
Messrs Schenck, Dawes and Voorhees, were
appointed conference committee GA the in
come tax bill.
In Committee of the Whole on the tariff
bill, the duty on iron bars, salIod hammered,
comprising fiat bars not less than one and
half nor more than four inches wide nor more
than two inches thick was fixed at 500 per
ton; the duty on rolled or hammered iron bars
more than two inches thick, and also on those
between one and half and four inches wide
and one half and three eighths of an inch
thick, was fixed at $22.40 per ton, equivalent to
one cent per pound, which is a reduction
amount reported by the committee.
An amendment to levy an additional duty
OF half cent per pound on iron made from
charcoal fuel was rejected-15 to GO; and
another making an additional duty on char
coal made iron of quarter of cent per
pound was rejected-61 to 62. we
The House here took recess.
y " EVENING SESSION.
At the evening session the duty on square
rod, ovals, half round iron and wire, less than
hve sixteenths of an inch in diameter, is Fl xed
at IL cents per pound and on similar formed
iron over five sixteenths of an inch in dame
ter IA cents per pound. The next paragraph.
on nat, hoop, tube, strap and scroll iron was
struck out, and pending motion to strike out
tes RsKt ga sks Roaaass9