Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-12-20
FoRTY-FIRsT CONGRESS.
Third Session.

4
From the Baltimore Sun, we make up the
following Congressional news for the past
week T.
MONDAY.
In the Senate, large number of bills
and resolutions were introduced and re-
ferred, among them one By Mr.. Schurz, of
| Mo-, to remove all disabilities imposed by Con-
gress on persons engaged IN the late rebellion.
MIR. MuGreerJ offered resolutions in relation
| to the title to the Arlington estate, inauiring
! whether the same reposei in the late Gen.
/ Leo or lis wife, &c. Objection was made,
! under the rules to their introduction. and they
! went over. y bin introduced to incorporate
! the American and European Steatnship Com
| pany with capital OF $4,000, 900; likewise
| bill to aid the Mediterranean aud Oriental
4 Steam Navigation Company of New York in
| carrying the mails from New York, Norfolk,
and other Southern ports 10 Europe. The bin
to aid the proposed International Industrial
| Exhibition in Washington City was indeli-
| uitely postponed. Mr. Morton offered series
of resolutions proposing the appointment of
commissioners to proceed to SIN Domingo to
inquire into It's POLITICAL condition. and to as
certain the sentiments of the people in regard
to annexation to the United States. After
transacting other business the Senate went
into executive session, and subsequently adj
! journed-
In the House the coiorcd member from
South Carolina, j. Fl. Hainey, was sworn in.
! The bill to repeal all that is left of the old
! civil tenure, of-offce act was again passed, only
tweEty- FIVE members voting against it. This
is the same bill passed at the last session which
the Senate has never acted upon. A res
olution by Mr. Banks to purchase St Domingo
created some debate. Mr.. 1ogah's joint res
olutiou to abolish the offices of admiral and
1 vice admiral, after considerable debate, passed
the House almost unanimously, and now goes
to the Senate. a significant declaratory res
olution in favor of revenue reform offered by
Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, was adopted,
yeas 164, nays s. IF the declaration therein
finds favor with The Senate we may look for
important Legislation on the subject of taxa
ton.
TUESDAY.
The Senate was occupied almost wholly in
debate upon Mr. McCreery's resolutions look
ing to the restoration of the Arlington estates
to Mrs. Lee, widow Of the late General Robert
! +. Lee. Mr.. McCrccry delivered an eloquent
eulogy upon the life, Christiai, character and
sodierly qualities of Gen. Lee, and nearly all
the republican speakers denounced him as
traitor, and were unmeasured in their repro
baton Of the proposal to remove the bones of
the soldiers buried the estate. On this
latter point Mr.. Sumner said he was told by
| Nfr. Stanton who converted Arlington into
cemetery, that he did so to make the dead
perpetual guard against the return of any Of
the Lee. family. Mr. Sumner particularly
sought TO give the movement a political animus.
but Mr.. NcCreery defeated this by declaring
that the resolutions had been prepared and in
troduced upon his own responsibility, without
consultation with any of his democratic coll
| leagues. Mr.. Bayard rebuked Mr. Sumner
for his "disingenuons suggestion of political
motives" and said that the Senator from
Massachusetts ''wouId like to pcrpetuate a
| party founded upon hatred and injustice -
| The debate was one of the Interest that has
taken place in the Senate since the war OF
| course nothing came of the resolutions, leave
! being refused an Introduction oven for refer
encc by vote of 5 | NAYS to yeas. tho latter
| being Senators Fowler Of Tennessee Hamilton
of Maryland. McCrcery Of Kentucky. and
! Vickcrs Of Maryland. Three land subsidy
! bills to railroads were Introduced. The Sen.
ate spent the rest of the day in hcarin.
cnloeies upon the late Hon. Robert Ridgway,
of Virginia
The chief business in the House was the
passage Of the bill reor"anizing the Post flee
Department, by which the franking privilege
is abolished. except in the case Of persons to
whom it has been granted by name. The ex-
change of newspapers and their free circulation
to bona f1e subscribers within the county of
publication remains rs before and this meets
the objection raised to the previous House bill
on the same subject. now pending with the
Senate. Several railroad AMI steamship sub
sidy bills were introduced Thus far however
the majority of the House seems to be against
the land grab railroad schemes The bayfield,
ard St. Cro1 land grant bill was again posts
| poned by test vote, and objection was made
TO several other similar bills.
WEDNESDAY.
The Senate adopted the resolution previous.
ly passed by the House for holiday adjourn.
ment from December 22d to January 4th-
A resolution of Senator Fenton's was also
passed, to overhaul the custom houses of the
large ports for information as to fines seizures,
moietics, smuggling, costs of the service. &c.
When the report comes it will contain interes-
| ting matter There was debate on the bill
providing relief fund for department clerks,
! and incidentally the civil service subject was
touched. The bill was passed to promote the
efficiency of the navy. One of the provisions
looks to the enlistment of three hundred more
| boys annually as naval apprentices. and anoth.
er gives non commissioned officers and seamen
the same allowance for clothing as nom COM
missioned officers and privates in the army
and marine corps.
In the House the bill was reported for a
grand national celebration of the one hum
dredth anniversary of the declaration ofinde-
pendence in Philadelphia in 1876 Mr. But
Ter also reported his so called general amnesty
bill. which provoked protl acted debate, aud
IL, Al. Al.