Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-01-25
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
FORTY FIRST CONGRESS. SECOND SESSION.

SENATE. " ednesday, an. l9sh.-Seyeral
memorials were presented and disposed of
| temporarily. Among them was one from the
Trustees OF the Corcoran Art Gallery, asking an
| act of incorporation. 1t was referred to the
Committee on the District of Columbia The
Virginia bill was taken up, and after long dis
cusslon an amendment was adopted imposing
the ''test-oath upon members Of the Legisla-
ture aad State officers by large majority
| Without taking any additional action on the
bill, the Senate adjourned.
! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The General
Of the Army was directed to inform the House
by what authority or under what act of Congress
certain officers Of the United States Army are
occupying seats as members of the Legislature
of Georgia. A resolution providing for the ad-
tournament OF this session of Congress at IL
clock ON the second Tuesday of April was re-
jected by vote of yeas IA to nays 81. The dis
cussion of the League Island bill was resumed,
and continued until the expiration of the morn
ing hour. A joint resolution was adopted de-
claring that all taxes on incomes accrung dur
ing the year 1870, and not paid on January l,
| 1871, must be paid during the year 1871. under
the existing laws The Pension Appropriation
bill was taken up and passed The appropria-
tons made In It amount to thirty millions of
dollars. The West Point Appropriation bill
was discussed in Committee of the Whole, but
no action was taken On it. It appropriates
$3l5, 1863. 90, an excess Of 81, 900 oyer the ap-
preparation last year, which is accounted for by
the increase In the number of cadets. Without
transacting any other business of interest, the
House, at 4:30 2. M, adjourned.
SENATE Thursday, JAN 2Oth.-Mr Anth-
ony presented communication from the Gov
ernor ofRhode Island, rendering statue of
General Nathaniel Greene, as a contribution
from that State to the Art Gallery in the old
Hall of the House Of Representatives. Mr. An
| thony made a speech reviewing General Greene's
life and services, and was followed by several
other members on the same subject. Appro-
pirate resolutions of thanks were adopted by the
| Senate, and the statue was assigned place in
the Hall The House Census bill was reported
| to the Senate, with amendment, by the Com
mittee on the Revision Of the Laws. A bill to
abolish the postal telegraph system and to in
corporate the United States Postal Telegraph
| Company, was introduced by Mr. Ramsey Me.
MORALS of citizens of Maryland asking that the
| franking privilege be abolished, were offered
and referred to the Committee on Postofhces
A bill was introduced by Mr.. Scott, extending
the time for the construction of lateral branch
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad It was
referred to the Committee on Post Routes
The discussion Of the Virginia bill was resumed,
and MIR. Wilson renewed his amendment pro-
viding that the Constitution Of that State shall
not be amended hereafter so as to change the
school system or to prohibit any person from
voting who is entitled to do so under the Con
| stitution as it has been adopted A long dis
cussion took place, and finally it was ordered
that vote shall be taken upon the bill at 4
o'clock p M. tomorrow. The Senate then ad-
journed.
| House OF REPRESENTATIVES, number
of new bills were introduced and disposed of
| LII l -
| States from resembling their ratification of Con-
stitutioual amendments, but was not allowed to
be introduced Resolutions denying the right
Of the Executive to conclude treaties for the
| acquisition OF territory by the United States,
without the consent of Congress, were referred
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A bill
to inquire into the expedency Of relieving farm
ers from the payment of brokers tax on their
own products was referred to the Ways and
Means Committee. The President was called
upon for all correspondence relating to the dip
lomatic difficulty between the United States and
Brazil A bill for the admission of Utah was
referred to the Committee on Territories. The
League Island bill was discussed until the ex-
piration of the morning hour. The Military
Academy Appropriation bill was taken up and
passed. The report Of Special Commissioner
| Wells on the Internal Revenue was ordered to
be printed. The House then adjourned
SENATE. Friday, Jan. 2lst-A memorial,
signed by fourteen hundred army officers, ask
ing an increase Of pay, was presented, and re-
ferred to the Committee on Military Affairs. A
number of memorials, asking abolition of the
ranking privilege, we're presented. Mr.. Bayard,
OF Delaware, in presenting memorials on this
subject, denounced the action ofthe Postmaster
| General in having blanks printed and sent to
his subordinatos throughout the country, with
instructions to procure signatures. The House
bill relating to The payment of the tax on in
comes was reported from the Committee on
Finance. A bill was introdu. ed to abolish the
Freedmen's Bureau and the Department IF Ed
ucation. A Sixteenth Amendment to the
Constitution, providing for female suffrage, was
introduced by Mr.. Pomeroy. and referred to
the Judiciary Committee. The discussion of
| the Virginia bill was resumed, and Mr. Trum-
| bull made speech, in which he declared the
statements made by Mr. Sumner in relation to
the state of affairs in Virginia were false, and
that the ''effrontery" Of that gentleman was IAN
impracticabe obstacle III the way of Legislation.
| Mr.. Sumner replied in his usual bombastic
style. Mr.. Drake amendment to the bill, pro-
viding that the Virginia Constitution shall new
er be altered so as to restrict the elective fran
chise, and Mr.. Wilson'S prohibiting any future
alteration in the school rights and privileges
OF that State, were adopted. An amendment
to the preamble was then thrown in by Mr.
Morton. The bill, with It's load OF amendments,
was finally passed by vote of yeas As to nays
10. Mr.. Sumner refused to vote. The Senate
soon after adjourned.
The bill, as passed by the Senate, will be
found in our editorial column
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Mr.. Schenck
stated that the Tariff bill will be reported to the
House early next week. number of private
bills we're passed Among them was one to al
low James L. Ridgeey, Collector Of Internal
Revenue for the Second Maryland District, in
the settlement of his accounts the value Of Ger
tain stamps stolen from him. During the dis
cussion of private bills, Mr.. Butler obtained the
floor and proceeded to make speech on the
finances, but was not allowed to proceed. After
wards he moved to go into Committee of the
w hole upon the President S Message, and again
attempted to get hearing, but no member
would yield his turn to allow the inflIction, and
after several speeches on general subjects the
House adjourned The session tomorrow will
be for debate only
Mr.. SUMNER VS.. GOVERNOR WALKER
The Chicago Tribune Republican, remarks
that the memorial submitted by Mr. Sumner
as representing the views of the loyal people
OF Virginia, rectes, among other things, that
Governor Walker was president OF a club in
Chicago organized to rescue rebel prisoners
from Camp Douglass - If the other state
uients in the memorial are as reckless and un-
truthful as this, the document is certainly not
worth having quarrel about. Mr. Walker
left this city several years before the Camp
Douglas conspiracy took place, and established
his residence in Norfolk, Virginia. During the
10