The New York herald., 1870-02-20

De called. quorum Of members having answered.
the COMMITTEES proceeded with the consideration OF
An amendment offered by Mr.. PITCH trep.) OF New.
ior an appropriation Of $9l, 600 for branch mint at
cussion, al the close Of which the amendment was
agreed to.
Mr. DAWES, rep.) Of Mass. remarked that he
would cali the yeas and nays on " in the House.
Mr.. ARNELL, trep.l Of Tenn, moved an appropria-
tion Of $4,000 for the Bureau OF Education.
Pendlng action on the amendment, the committee
rose ~ niteen minutes past three.
STAYING OF EXECUTIONS.
MI; McORARY trep) OF Iowa, introduced Dill TO
provl9e stay or execution IN certain cases. Re.
ierred. This bill Is intended to anord some relief
against the operation OF the recent legal tender
oecision. IL gives stay OF execution on oil judg-
mcns founded debts contracted prior 10 the llth
OF july ls62-thc date Of the passage OF she Hrst
legal tender actor from one TO four years. accord
my 10 lne amount Out 1t provides tnat the plain
III IN such judgment Will receive his pay In cur
rency there shall be no stay, and that whenever
specie payments are resumed ali stays under the
act snail terminate
PETITIONS PRESENTED.
By Mr. kELLEY rep Of fa.-Of 1000 citizens OF
Pennsylvauis praying Congress TO accord TO the
''iniant repuDic Cunah 6eligerent rights and Io
recognize lts independence.
BY Mr. WARD. Crep.) OF N. Y.-Of citizens OF Corn
ing New YORK, against continuance OF the income
By Messrs. WARD woop. STEVENSON ana ran.
EUM-io restore the tarn rates on imported cigars
by Mr. STEVENSON, trep.) OF Ohi0-Of citizens and
business non OF Cincinna for the repeal of Tile tax
BY Messrs. STEVENSON ana KELLoaC-Aga,nss an
increase OF the duty steel.
by Mr. MOORE. rep.l OF n. J.-For the protection
OF navigation Interests against State and municipal
cxactlonS.
BY Mr. WARD--sevcral petitions to abolish the
CONTESTED n.EcrIoN GASES.
Mr.. GARFIELD, trep.) OF OHIO, from the Committee
on Rules, reported the following rne:--
Tho Committee Elections for the Forty Congress
shall consist OF fifteen members and each contested
three members thereof for their exclusive and
such special committee sna report is decision in the
directly 70 the House.
He said that no election committee was now In an
exceptional situation Since this Congress began
there were thirtyve contested election cases, eleven
OF which had been decided, the remaining twenty
four being yet TO be adludicated. Only in eight
cases had the testimony been yet printed, ana In
those eight cases the testimony amounted to 1888
printed pages In the same proportion the testi-
mony IN all the cases would make ABOUT nine thou
sand printed pages. II was manlfesty impossible
for The committee TO get through the work, and the
COMMITTEE on Rules thought II best TO report this
rule. II was understood, although it could not be
nve members 70 represent the democratic party aud
ten members TO represent the majority, The sub
committee OF three, whicn, b. the understood
count, would consist OF TWO republicans and one
democrat would examine the case referred To 1t and
report directly TO the House without laying before
the whole committee In that way the vast
mass OF business before the election committee
could be worked on. The rule, as proposed pv
the chairman or thar committee Mr. pane) would be
too much matter OF chance and the Committee
on Rules was not willing 10 report it. He spoke
sentiments OF the Committee on Rules when he SAID
cases was one they must all deplore. 1t was sad
state OF affairs to have judicial question DECIDED
on strict party lines.
Mr.. Cox, (dem) OF N. Y, stated that as member
OF the Committee on Rules ne concurred in the re-
port just made although IL did not reach that point
Of perfection which all desired. The House should
adopt some such plan as tnat followed In the
English Parliament where contested elections are
referred to independent impartial judges, who
mold courts IN the various b0r0ugns ana counties.
Mr.. BROOKS, (dCm) OF N. Y, another member OF
the Committee on Rules said ne had assented to The
report, NOS because he approved It. but because he
could not get anything better, anu because the
method proposed was better tnan the existing sys-
TEN. lie would rather trust 10 chance, TO lottery
whether he were III minority or majority, for the
selection OF committee than any such party or
ganized committee this must necessarily be in q
division o ten TO ave. In point OF fact elecuOn qucs
t0ns should NOT be lett To members or the House i,
but to some Judicial body Tue present judicial sys-
tenn was 80 deplorabe tnat he .Oud rush 10 any
better one the majority might conccde There
was nothing SO bad ~ the present system. In the
revolutions OF Time the party now IN the majority
would inevitably become the party OF the minority.
He tremDled Tor the fatal precedent that had been
set by the majority. lie accepted this pro te1pOre
In the hope that The majority would devise some
better system, Uy which oil members could be free
from party oDligatons ana party prejudlces and by
which contested election cases could be decided u
dlclally.
Mr.. STEVENSON, as member OF the Election Com.
mttee, approved OF the proposed rule, ond rcjoiced
that II resulted FROM his action ~ having orgiua
proposition referred 10 the Committee on Rules
| The Committee on Elections had not during thl.
term, acted In any case without full Justification on
precedents made by ie party on the other side, and
| precedents that were believed TO be sound.
The rule was adopted and the House then wen
into Committee OF the Wnole Mr. BLAIR in the
chair, for general debate. speeches were made oil
were permitted to be prnted, by Messrs Stevenson
after which the Committee rose, and the House al
lorty-hve minutes past three adj ourned.