New-York tribune., 1870-01-11
WASHINGTON.
THE SESSION OF CONGRESS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SION ON THE ADMISSION OF yIRGIEIA-THE
RESUMPTION OF SPECIE PAYMENTS - THE
REGULATION OF STAFF RANK IN THE NAVY
CONVENTION OF REVENUE OFFICERS.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRIBUERl

lBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRIBUERl
WASHINGTON, Monday, Jan. 10, 1870.
The debate In the Senate to-day Virginia inter
esng and spicy MI Stewart called up tho joint resou.
tion reported by the Judiciary Committee, before the
holidays, for the admission Of Virginia. This brought
out Mr.. Sumner, who appealed for delay. To this Mr..
Stewart would not listen. declaring his intention OF
forcing test vote. He said the fate Of the Fifteenth
Amendment, which Sumner had voted against, in
vOlyed in Congress keeping faith with Virginia. Mr..
Sumner stated that he had voted for the Fifteenth
Amendment, whereupon Hr Stewart produced the jour
nal, and proved that hr. Summers name was not
recorded on the passage OF that Amendment.
Mr. Howard criticised severely the opinion OF
Attorney General Hoar, that the test-oath should
not be required Of the Virginia Legislature and Mr Sum
ntmated that he thought the opinion OF Gen. Candy
Of far more weight than the AttorneyGeneral's. Mr.
Morton advocated immediate action on tho bill Mr..
Drake denounced Virginia the most perdious OF all
the Rebel States, but II the Fifteenth Amendment was
secured beyond peradyenure he did not she was
not admitted during the next decade OF the Southern
Mesrs Warner and Sawyer earnestly advocated
immediate admission both declaring hatthe time for the
administering Of test oaths and the rule Of the bayOnet
had gone by Mr. Wilson twItted Mr. Sawyer with not
having properly studied the meaning OF the
reconstruction acts and expressed hs desire to the
leaders OF the South this floor, and not petty po
cans hr Fowler pitched in also not that no was very
ANXIOUS for the immediate admission Of Virginia, but to
Tennessee He declared that Congress- nor bayonets,
nor anything else could again Repubcanizo Tennessee
that had been lost by the dirty ambition OF woudbe
leaders-hose who at the beginning OF the war the
most rampant Rebels. The Senate finally went into
Executive session, without reaching vote. The bin
will como up unfinished business tomorrow and Mr.
Stewart expresses great confidence in lts passage.
The House roasscmbled tn s morning, with a good
working majority present Under the call Of the States
and Territories for the introduction Of resolutions and
bills for reference to committee only small NUMBER
were 30 offered the time OF the monng hour being con-
sumed in a tough and exciting fight on aresoluon sprung
on the House, unexpectedly, by Mr Bingham, providing
for the immediate admission OF Virginia Tho resolution
much Of surprise that was only by an accident
that IL was not adopted Tho members of the Recon-
structiOn Committee were not at all pleased with MT
Binghams effort especially as they had agreed upon
DlA in committee which is only waiting tho return OF
Gen Butler the Chairman Of the Committee TO be offered
in the House. In the absence OF Gen Butler MT Paiue
acted as the representative of the Reconstruction Com
snttee. and opposed the adoption OF Bnghams resou-
tiOD On the preliminary motion TO second the demand
for the previous qUestCn Bingham trUmphedI but only
by small majority After some heavy diminishing be-
tween the two sdcs, during which appearances indicated
the final triumph OF the resolution, those opposed TO I'M
mediate admission to gain strength in numbers, offered
"A resolution 10 reconsider the vote whereby ;he main
question was ordered, which lost by tie vote, the
Speaker voting the negative with tho Bingham party
After the vote announced, however, IL was dscOV-
cred that tho roll clerk new man IN the position, had
blundercd IN taking tho vote making 1t tic when In
reality there was majority against Bingham Tho
error was corrected giving the advantage 20 the Recon-
strncton Committee. After further hiDusterng' sew
cral members who werc absent when the previous
votes were taken came into the hall aud finally on an
other effort OF Bingham 20 pass tho resolution, he was
defeated y vote OF &C TO IT. Il VIII row be Impossible
10 get a similar resolution before the House until next
Monday by reason OF It's requiring twohTds vote 10
suspend tho rules except Mondays From this 1t Will
that the Reconstruction Committee nave Che late
OF Virginia firmly IN their hands It's singular coin
cldcnce that Just years the tally clerk OF tho
House OF Representative the predecessor OF the clerk
who made tho bluuder the Virginia bill IN tho
House today made similar Dunder on his first attempt
to take a vote. eectiug tGrooU printer who held
position several daye before the error IN the vote was
| discovered.
Senator Sumner has prepared an elaborate bin provd-
ing for resumption Of specie payments, which he III
introduce and speak on in the Senate Thursday next
The bill to regulate STAFF rankin the Navy, presented
to-day IN the House BY Congressman Stevens OF tho
Naval Committee, IL carefully prepared and calculated
o settle this troubled question Although u does not
nUy satisfy those STAFF officers who clam that they
should receive for their war services similar promotion
10 that given 20 the line by tho acts OF 1872 ana 1866
which created admras coumodores. &C. u nevertheless
regulates the several staff oops according to the proposed
reduction in the Navy for peace oftaDlshocht lho
''A"NN"''
engineer inspectors with tho rank OF eaptap ana com
| mauder; surgeons paymastcrs, and chief engineers.
rank with commanders passed assistant surgeons
paymGstcrs and engineers Will rank with eueRanIs ana
and assistants with masters No increase OF pay is pro
posed In this measure Tho chiefs OF tho staff bureaus
are 10 have the rank OF commodore and their ttIes are
changed 70 paymastcr general &c Stan
officers of over thirty years service when retired,
will have the retired pay Of commodore The bu turher
provides that'sta officers shall have command out OF
! their own departments.
Commissioner Deano will advise the Assessors Of Inter
nal Revenue TO call at the earliest practicable moment
convention Of tho Assistant Assessors Of Their District
for the purpose of determining the efficient method
10 obtain the most thorough practical canvass OF their
districts in making the assessments OF incomes this year
He further recommends this meeting Of Assessors and
Assistant Assessors that by interchange OF opinions,
they may profit by the general experience OF the Revenue
officers different parts Of their respective districts
TwentysiY petitions from different parts OF tho cOun
try were presented TO Congress today asking for the
abolition Of the fraunng privilege.
Third Assistant Postmaster General Terrell has for
warded blank petitions for the abolition of:tho Franhng
Privilege every postmaster IN the United States asking
each postmaster 10 obtain signatures TO the petition and
forward his Senator Representative early us
the first day OF February. Ie has aso called conYen-
ton of the leading postmascrs to meet In this city on
the 10Th inst consider the same subject aud all post
masters are directed to weigh all free mail matter for
tho next six months that tho abolition, II IL Do not
carried this session. may receive is deathblow next
Winter.
Tie House Appropriation Committee, In considering
the Legislature. and Executive Appropriation bill, dis
covered an item the bill asking for an appropriation
OF 100000 for looking glasses for tho Treasury Depart
mcnt They called MI McCateo before them. who was
Superintendent OF Treasury at the mo the purchases
were made ascertain all the facts In the matter as
the appropriation regarded excessive He denied
all knowledge OF the matter, and referred them to MT