Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-02-08
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
FORTY FIRST CONGRESS. SECOND SESSION.

FnRTY-FIRST CONGRESS. SECOND SESSION.
SENATE-Saturday, JAM 2eth. The Senate
was not in session to day. DE-
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,. The day was
devoted to general speech-InakiDg in Commit
tee OF the Whole. Several members addressed
the committee on the subjects of railroad mo-
nopolies, finances, &C., &c. The House then
adjourned
SENATE Monday, Jan. 3lst.-Several bills
and memorials OF no general interest were in
troduced and disposed of temporarily Resolu-
tons OF the Ohio Legislature, ratifying the
Fifteenth Amendment, were presented and or
dered to be printed. The Committee on POST
offices reported, with amendments, the bill to
incorporate the National Postal Telegraph
Company. A bill to admit the State of Misss-
slppl to representation was referred to the
Judiciary Committee. A bill abolishng the
Office of Surveyor of Customs was referred to
the Committee on Finance. A resolution was
adopted calling upon the Attorney General for
copies OF any opinions or instructions he may
have given to any of the military commanders
since the passage of the last act relative to
Georgia, and particularly any instructions rela-
tive to the eligibility of members of the Georgia
Legislature. The President was requested to
communicate to the Senate any information he
has relative to the recent election in Mississippi
and the action of the Legislature upon the
Fifteenth Amendment. The discussion of the
Currency bill was resumed, and an amendment
was agreed to providing that any bank located
in any State having more than It's proportion of
circulation shall have liberty to remove to any
State which has less than its proportion of cir
cuiatlon. 1t was decided that vote shall be
taken at o clock ?. NJ tomorrow on Mr..
Morton's amendment, making the additional
amount to bank circulation $50 ,000,0 The
House bill abolishiug the franking privilege
was reported to the Senate Without taking
any additional action on the Currency bill, the
Senate went into executive session. and at its
close adjourned
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES "A number
of bills for reference were introduced and re-
ferred to ,mmittees A resolution was offered
declaring that 1.-THE National debt should be
paid in strict compliance with the contract un-
der which it was made, whether in coin or
greenbacks, and that the fve-twenty bonds be
paid In greenbacks or their equivalent, and that
we condemn the policy OF the Administration,
which is expending millions of money in buy
ing bonds at premium, while the Government
has perfect right to redeem them at par. -
1t was laid on the table by vote of yeas 122
to nays IL. The Secretary of War was direct
ed to report for the use of the House the
amount of tax collected in the year 1869 upon
whisky and tobacco in each Cong essional dis
trct and also the amount of tax collected from
all sources in each district The President was
requested if not incom patible with the public
service, to transmit to the House all papers and
documents in the Yerger case. A bill for the
relief of the postmaster at Havre de-Grace,
Mary land, was referred to the Committee on
Postoffices. The House refused to allow the
introduction of a resolution TO repeal the tariff
on coal. Richard S. Aver and Lewis McKen-
zie, delegates elect from Virginia, were admit
ted to seats A number of Senate bills Of mi
nor Importance were taken up and disposed of.
One OF those which passed provides for the
settlement of the accounts of John w. Forney,
late Secretary Of the Senate. The Senate bill
appropriatlng thirty thousand dollars for the
relief of the District poor was referred to the
Committee on Appropriations The Senate
joint resolutions accepting General Greene
statue, donated by the State of Rhode Island,
we're taken up. Several eulogies upon General
Greene were delivered, after which the resou-
tions we're agreed to. The House then ad-
journed.
SENATE-Tuesday, Feb. lst.- A communi-
cation was received from the Attorney General,
in response to a Senate resolution, stating that
since the passage OF the last act relative to
Georgia he has given no official opinions on at
fairs in that State. a memorial was referred
to the judiciary Committee asking such legis-
ted States to white men, and setting forth the
opinions of the elder Adams Jefferson and Lin
coin on the subject. The Committee on AppIo
priatiops reported bill to authorize the Secre
tary of the Navy to make transfers of unexpend-
ed balances of other bureaus of that Depart
ment to the Bureaus of Constitution, Repairs
and Steam Engineering. Ajoint resolution de-
claring the State of Mississippi entitled to re-
presentation in Congress was referred to the
Judiciary Committee. A resolution was adopt
ed directing the Secretary of the Navy to furnish
names, rank and pay Of naval officers on duty
in Washington, resident there, &c. RESOLUTIONS
proposing meditation on the part OF the Uni
ted States in the difficulties between the Do
minion of Canada and the Red River settlement
were referred to the Committee on Foreign AT
fairs. Several District bills were introduced
and disposed Of The Currency bill was taken
up, and Mr. Morton's amendment, making the
additional amount Of bank circulation $52, 2,0OO,--
G00, was adopted by a vote OF 80 to q: Several
other amendments were agreed to, and the bill
as amended was ordered to be printed, and it is
out debate. The Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE Es. Mr. George
w. Booker. Representative elect from Virgin
ia. appeared, and after considerable discussion
was sworn ia and took his seat The amended
Tariff bill was reported from the Ways and
Means Committee, and Mr. Schenck made a
sneech in explanation of it, The bill was made
the pecial order for the 18th instant. The mi
nor;tv of the oommittee asked leave to submit
renort, but objection was made. The consld-
Grafton of the L. .gisiative Executive and ju-
djcial Appropriatioa bill was resUtAed in Com
mittee of the Whole. Several members MADE
speeches on the bill, am ong them Mr.: Wood,
of New York, who severely criticised the pres
eat Administration The committee then rose
aad the House soon after adjourned.
Congress has no Right to Impose Condi-
tiOns.
From the admirable speech of Hon. j. B.
Beck, Of KY, made in the debate In Congress
on the bill reported from the Reconstruction
Committee, we extract the following
''You all know that Congress has no right to
impose any such conditions. Virginia will,
when restored. have the same right to alter,
amend, and change her constitution as any 9TH
er State, and will be bound In all other changes
and alterations of it, and in all laws passed un-
der it, to conform to the Constitution of the
United States lust as all the other States are
bound, and Congress will possess just the same
power over her as it does over New York, and
will have the same right to exercise that au-
thority under the powers vested in it by the
Constitution of the United States, for it has no
other legitimate power, whether these so-caled
fundamental conditions retained in this bill
or not Congress cannot pass law declarat0ry
of the constitution. What is constitutional and
what is in conflict with it is for the courts to
determine. When Virginia does any act which
affects the rights OF any citizen the courts are
open, and the cOnsiltutlonaity of the act can