The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-02-14
XLIst OONaRESs---TEid Session
SENATE,

| AsHlNGroN, Feb. 13.-Mr Thurman pre.
sepled resolutions from the Ohio Legislature
| ieques..nS Cohgress to pass more land
grants for railroads or other corporations
| The House amendments to the bill for sa,oS
| of useless military reservations was concnrrsd
| in.
The Gulf Steamship and Australian subsidy
| bills were made the special business for to- dov
| after half past o'clock
Mr. POmerOy reported the House bill to en-
able honorably discharged soldiers and sailors,
! their widows and orphan children to ACQUIRE
homesteads on public lands of the United
States, with amendments striking out the pro-
| vision allowing assignment of homestead GER
| tificates, and by emitting the section allowing
| the entry OF land by an agent or attorney
| The committee also recommend that the Com
missioner of the General Land Office have au-
thoIity to make all needful regulations to carry
the act into effect, especially regarding declar-
ati0ns and proofs required.
The Senate then took up at II o'clock, as the
special ORDER the joint resolution prescribing a
form OF oath to be administered to H. B. Mil
Ter, Senator elect from Georgia, and was ad-
dressed at length by Messrs. Trumbull, Car
penter and Thurman in favor and by Messrs.
Edwards and Conkng against his admission,
Afser three hours and a half discussion Mr.
Kellogg moved to take up the Gulf steamship
subsidy bill. Reiected-25 to 81.
Mr. Morton held that the election of Mr..
Miller was void because he was ineligible at
the time of his election. 1t had been said dur.
ing the debate that the test oath had been re-
pealed, but was it repealed? The bill had
passed the Senate at the last session without
the knowledge of three members of the body,
and it could not get one third of the Senate to-
day. Us passage through the House had been
procured upon representations that it had re-
ceived the unanimous approval of the Senate
1t was not too much to say that the repeal of
the test oath was fraud upon the Senate. He
did not say it was so intended, but in effect it
was fraud.
Mr.. Trumbull, responding to what he termed
the singular charge Of fraud upon the Senate,
read from the Globe the report of the proceed
ings attending the passage of the test oath re-
peal in the Senate to show that the bill was
read in full upon his (rrumbull's) request. He
had also made remark in regard to it and it
had been passed regularly and properly. He
expressed his surprise to hear such a charge,
After further discussion and successive re-
lection of two motions to adjourn the resolu-
ton was ordered to a third reading-28 to 20.
The bill was accordingly read a third time and
passed.-AdjGurned.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Cox of New York presented a petition
from the citizens of New York against railroad
land grants and for an appropriation for an
American printing house for the blind.
Under call of the States the following bills
were introduced and referred: By Mr.. Hale of
Maine, to re-establish the Office of surveyor at
the port of Eastport, Maine; by Mr. Cobb of
citizens and provide for evidence of losses sus-
tanned in the rebellion; providing for the ap-
pOintment of a commissioner in each county
in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mis-
sissippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ten
nessee, Georgia, Texas, Virginia and Kentucky.
The bill was read on demand of Mr.. Niback.
Referred to the Reconstruction Committee.
Motions to take up the Air Line Railroad
bill, a resolution to prevent obstruction of nav
igation on the Ohio river, aud q bill creating
commission on the consolidation OF Charles
" negatived less than the required two-thirds
voting in the affirmative.
The bill authorizing the construction of
bridge over the Mississippi at Louisiana, Mo-,
and over the Missouri at Glasgow, No, passed
under suspension of the rules
Nj. Rogers of Arkansas, rising to question
of privilege, offered o resolution reciting that
a number of certain women (laughter) had
taken possession ten days since OF the room of
the Committee on Education and Labor, and
requesting the Speaker to remove those women.
The Speaker did not see that there was any
question involved in the resolution and did not
know that he had any authority in the matter.
If he had, be would cheerfully delegate it to
the gentleman from Arkansas. loud laugh
ter)
MI. Jones Of Kentucky moved to suspend
the rules and pass joint resolution repudiat-
ing the idea contained in the late message of
the President as to a supposed similarity be-
tween the political institutions of the Empire
of Germany and the United States. Negatived
Bill to amend act of May Sd, 1870 to enforce
the rights of citizens Of the United Ssates, was
made the special order for Wednesday, after
reading the journal; the vote to be taken at
o'clock, without dliatoty motions.
Adjourned.