The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-05-18
CONGRESSIONAL.

the Enforcement act by providing for the
appointment of Supervisors of Elections at
voting precincts was called up and Mr..
Kellogg took advantage of the occasion to
deliver violet speech in regard to the
Cincinnati movement, particularly attack
ing the Louisianians who had participated
in it. In the House of Representatives the
Fertilization Appropriation bill was pass
ed. Among its items is S34, 600 for the
vicinity of Baltimore. The Tariff bill was
resumed and it was discovered that by {.
clerical error the House had legislated to
reduce the duty on pig iron ten per cent.
below six dollars per ton, and there was
only majority of two in the vote to cor
rect the error. No other business OF i'm
portance was transacted.
In the Senate on Saturday, an unusual
interest attached to the session, as the ma
iority ard minority reports of the Commit
tee on the investigation of sales of arms to
the French were submitted and read. The
majority entirely exculpate our govern
mcnt and its officials from any wrongful
action, while the minority Senator Stew
enson) holds that the order of the War
Department to sell no arms to belligerents
was not faithfully executed, and that there
fore our obligations as a neutral were vio-
lated. Mr.. Sumner presented a protest
against the majority report, on the ground
that the Committee was principally made
up of those opposed to investigation, and
that consequently they were disqualified
Just rs Il juror would be who had express
ed an opinion on a case before trial. Mess
llamlin and Carpenter defended the fair.
ness of the Committee and rebuked Mr..
Summers assumptions. The matter was
then dropped, and the remainder of the day
was occupied with the bill amending the
Enforcement act by providing for the APP
pontmcnt of Supervisors of Elections at
the polling places in precincts throughout
the country. The bill was amended to
require that such appointment shall be
solicited by ten persons in each precinct,
and the Senate then adjourned. In the
House of Representatives there was mud
die over the Tariff bill, which ended with
the rejection of several motions to reduce
the duties on iron, copper and wool. No
business OF Importance was transacted.
Monday was 4 busy and exciting day
at both ends of the Capitol inWashington.
In the Senate Mr.. Schurz made a personal
explanation to defend himself from the
charge Of having killed amnesty last week
by his absence from the Senate. Tie bill
to amend the Enforcement act by author
izng the appointment of Supervisors at
Congressional elections was taken up, and
| Mr.. Trumbull moved the House Amnesty
bill as an amendment. Mr. Sumner came
forward with the inevitable Civil Rights bill,
and in the discussion nothing was accom-
plished. The correspondence between the
American and British Governments regard
ing the treaty was submitted, and the Sen
| ate spent an hour in Executive session
| upon it. In the House of Representatives
great sensation was created by the Hon.
| Dan Voorhees,, OF Indiana, making most
| tremendous attack upon Greeley, evidently
| with view Of soaring off the Democracy
from coming to the support of the Cincin-
natl nominee. The surrender Democrats in
| the House showed considerable anger about
| Mr.. Voorhees, speech, and made some accu-
sations which he sharply refuted Just on
| top of this the House took up the question
| of amnesty. Mr.. Butler reporting q bill
removing al political disabilities except
those upon Senators and Representatives,
military and navil officers, heads of Depart
ments and foreign Ministers who during
their service under this Government went
| over to the Confederacy, which was passed.
| and then Mr.. FranSworth offered a bill
| sweeping away all political disabilities,
which was also adopted, and, so far as the
| House can settle the question, amnesty is
now unexceptlonal. Mr. Ralney made an
appeal Tor the bringing up OF Civil Rights
bill, but without effect.
In the Senate, on Tuesday, the consider
alton of the bill to extend the Enforcement
act was resumed. The bothersome ques-
tions Of amnesty and civil rights We're i'm
mediately complicated with it, MIR. Trum-
bull moving the Amnesty bill as an amend
ment, with confessed view OF defeating
the original bill by lacking on provision
which it would require two-thirds vote
to pass. The amendment was rejected
and Mr.. Sumner then offered his Civil
Rights bill as another Amendment, but
finally withdrew it. The bill was then
passed. and rs it now stands authorizes
the appointment of Federal Supervisors at
every precinct in Congressional elections
when their appointment is requested by
ten voters of such precinct. The Senate
afterward discussed the question Of claims
upon the Treasury on account OF property
| in the South destroyed by soldiers during
the war, as involved in the amendments to
the Deficiency Appropriation bill, but
reached no final conclusion on the subject
| At the evening session the bill to preserve
| the navigation of harbors and rivers was
passed. In the House of Representatives
some amendments were made in the Tariff
bill. the most important of which was to
EXCEPT cotton machinery from the reduc-
ton of duties, and to include lumber and
sized paper in the reduction. Bills were
passed to repeal the tenure of Office act, and
to fix the date OF election of President and
Vice President by the Electoral College on
the first Monday in December.
In the Senate on "wednesday the Confer
ence Committee report on the Deficiency
Appropriation bill was concurred in and
the bill passed. After some contention as
to the order of business, Mr.. Cameron
brought up the bill giving a site in Wash
ington for the depot of the Baltimore and
| Potomac Railroad, which was discussed
until the close of the session. In the
House of Representatives it was decided in
considering the Consular and Diplomatic
Augmentation bill that the Minister to
! Nicaragua shall perform the same duties at
| all the other Central American seats of
t Government The Tariff bill was taken
up, and the duties on lumber reduced ten
per cent. from the present rates. The con.
ference report agreed to in the Senate was
also adopted by the House. The point of
difference was in regard to the cotton
OF cotton IN the confederate States whose
property was unla"i"iiy seized aiter the