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

n ".
SENATE Monday. Jan. 17th Memorial
+ signed by number of citizens of Maryland asl
' ing the abolition of the franking privilege, wei
g presented by Mr.. Vickers, aud referred to tt
; Committee on Postof6ces A number of bill
, were reported from committees. A bill wa
passed providing that hereafter no retired oil
ficer shall be assigned to duty or receive pa
higher than the rank to which he belongs. Th
bill for the admission of Virginia was taken up
Mr. Morton moved to amend the bill so as t
make it crime, punishable by fine and i'm
prisonment, that any person shall hold office il
any State e, in violation Of the Fourteenth Amend
ment. This he intended specially to apply t,
Maryland and Kentucky The bill was thel
laid on the table, on motion of Mr.. Stewart, b.
a vote of 25 to %, and the House bill taken vi
for consideration. Mr.. Edmunds moved hi
amendment requiring all State officers to taks
the test oath. Considerable discussion ensued
Pending debate, the Senate went into executive
session, and at its close adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The Gus
tomary number of bills and resolutions were In
troduced and referred to committees. Among
them was one ordering the payment of a years
salary as Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court to the widow of the late Edwin NJ. Stan
ton. A joint resolution was introduced provid
ing for the adjournment of Congress on the
second Tuesday in April, but was subsequently
Withdrawn. A number of reports were demand
ed from various Executive officers, and several
| resolutions of no general interest were disposed
| OF. A resolution was adopted declaring that,
IN the opinion of the House, q strict regard to
! the economy required that there should be no
increase of salary to any public officers Con-
siderable discussion took place in relation to the
apportionment Of States to representation in
| Congress, but no action was taken. The House,
at A. 80 p. NJ, adjourned
SENATE.-Tuesday, Jan. 1Sth.-Several new
bills were introduced and referred to committees
The bill relating to the seizure of spirits In
California was taken up and discussed until the
expiration OF the morning hour. The Vice
President appointed Mr. Hamlin to fill the va
cancy in the Board Of Regents Of the Smith
sonian Institute, occasioned by the death of
Senator Fessenden The discussion of the Vir-
ginia bill was resumed. and several speeches
were made. During the debate despatch was
read stating that Rhode Island had ratified the
Fifteenth Amendment. A bill was passed ap-
propriating three thousand dollars to pay the
expenses of the New York gold panic Investi-
CATION Committee. The discussion of the Vir-
ginia bill was then continued.
The debate Gu Edmunds' amendment to
Binghams Virginia bill was resumed, Thayer
concluding his speech against the bill, interrupt
ed yesterday by the Senate going into executive
session He was followed by Nye, who advocat-
cd the passage Oft the pending BILL and sharply
criticised the preceding speaker. Drake then
took the floor. and was as ultra Radical and
bitter as ever, charging Radical Senators who
favored the unconditional admission of Virginia
with having gone over to the Democracy.
Quite number Of the members OF the House
were on the floor, and among them Butler, busy
lobbying against Virginia. 1t is said he boasts
that, If Virginia comes again before the House,
she will not get off SO easily, aud that, had he
been in his seat, Bingham bill would never
have passed.
Stewart rufied the Drakes feathers but was
so frequently interrupted by his neighbor that
his remarks assumed the form of dialogue. =
Stewart favored the admission of Virginia upon
the House bill. During MIR. Stewart s remarks
he was interrupted by series of coughs from
Sumner, which resembled the growl of wild
beast, and at first startled every one But on
discovering the source Of these demonstrations
everybody laughed. Mr. Sumner lady friends
should provide him with box of cough loz-
enges Another interruption from Drake. Mr..
Stewart, stating the vote by which Virginia had
adopted her new Constitution, Drake said it
was done under coercion" Mr.. Stewart denied
that there had been any coercion in the matter.
III LuSIG ltdu UStu CUStClUu IiiCi tuG dcllOu VI
Virginia and of her sister States would be of
no effect. Mr.. Stewart spoke at some length,
and was followed by Sumner and others, who
attacked Gov. Walker viciously.
Governor Walker, of Virginia, was on the
floor of the Senate during the debate.
Mr.. Stewart asked the Senate to fix an hour
when a vote should be taken on the bill, bat
the request was refused, and on motion of Mr..
Thayer the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, number of
executive communications were received and re-
ferred to committees. The bill for the removal
of the Philadelphia Naval Yard to League Is
land, was taken up, and Mr.. Dawes made tel
ling speech against the bill, in which he an
uounced the eXtraVagant estimates made for
Government expenses by the present Admins
tration, and said that after all the fine promises
of reform and retrenchment made to the peo
pie, the aggregate amount OF the approprla-
tions now asked for, exceeded that of the last
year of President Johnson's administration. -
He said that at the proper time he would move
to lay the League Island bill on the table, to
obtain test vote as to the desire of the Senate
to reduce the national expenditures. Pending
discussion the morning hour expired, and the
bill providing for the apportionment of the
several States 10 Congress, was taken up. At
ter some debate, vote was taken on motion
to lay on the table Mr. Judd's motion to re-
consider the vote by which the bill was referred
to committee, and the proposed reconsidera-
ton was tabled by vote of 104 to CO. The
House soon after adjourned