Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-01-31
FORTY SECOND CONGRESS.
This Afternoons PROCEEDINGS.
WEDNESDAY, January 81.

SENATE.-Mr. Pomeroy presented a preau
bic and resolutions of the kansas legislature.
asking such action by Congress as will secure
cheaper means Of transit from the agricultural
states Of the west to the sesboard.
Mr.. Scott called up the bill declaratory OF the
act Of July Ii, 1870,
TO REDUCE INTERNAL TAXES.
The substitute proposed by him was adopted
and the bill then passed. As passed il declares
the true meaning of the said act was 20 EXEMPT
from the payment of the tax OF 2H per cent. per
annum all dividends of earnings, income or
gains, and undivided profits OF any bank, trust
company, savings institution, insurance COM
pany, canal-navigation company, and stock
water navigation; declared or made, or which
accrued or were earned and added TO any sur.
plus, contingent or other fund, during the
months OF August, September, October,
November and December, in 1S.O, in
all cases where snch corporations had
alr6 ady paid, or would thereafter paw upon the
dividends of earnings, income in gains, and un-
divided profits OF the previous months OF that
year, tax, equal to at least - per cent. per
cent. Per annum; and TO give erfegt 70 such in
tent The Commissioner OF Internal Revenae is
hereby authorized and directed 10 remit or re-
Iund, as the case may be, the tax assessed and
levied or paid upon all such dividends of earn
ihgs, income, gains or undivided profits for said
last i've months of 1870, to all such CORPORATIONS
as have paid, or shall pay a tax upon ali the
diSldends OF earnings, income, gains or undi-
vided profits of the years 1870 and ISL equal 10
at least ~ per cent. per annum.l
Mr.. Thurman called up the bill for the regula-
uon OF criminal practice in the federal courts.
The amnesty bill was then taken up and Mr.
Chandler proceeded TO address the Senate in on
position TO amnesty.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
House in the morning hour resumed the consid-
Grafton OF the bill reported from the Committee
on the Revision of the Laws regulating the ap-
United States.
Mr.. Poland offered an amendment as a substi-
tute for the amendment offered by Mr.. Merrick
providing that no writ Of error or appeal shall
be allowed from any territory or the District OF
Columbia, unless the value in dispute shall eN-
coed in value the sum OF g, 600.
MIR. Butler Mass said there were now before
the Supreme Court fourteen cases from the Dis
trict OF Columbia, more than from any state.
The law as IL now stands gave 70 the District
more privileges than TO any of the states and
made the Supreme Court a county court To
them.
Mr.. Merrick Md modified his resolution TO
limit appeals TO cases involving more than
5000 He said it was a great mistake TO sup
pose that the District court and the Supreme
Court stood in the same relation a. the county
courts OF the states. The states had provisions
for revision of decisions, but the District
court stood alone, and il was necessary that
there should be an appeal from its decisions
There were often cases involving large interests
TO the people of all the states. Some of the
most important cases affecting the interests of
all the people of the country, had been before
that court. He remembered a case involving
largest quicksilver mine in the known world
which came before il. Ii was not merely a
court for the District of Columbia, but a court
for all the citizens of the United States who
came under it's jurisdiction. The territories
should not be analogue TO the District, for the
situations we're not the same.
MIR. Poland's substitute for the amendment of
Mr.. Merrick was then rejected.
Mr.. Butler then called the previous question
on the bill and amendments, and proceeded TO
address the House, urging that the bin was in
tended relieve u-hs
had col cases before il, of which l. were from
the District courts, and one fourth OF the decis-
ions OF the court at this term Lad been District
CASES. There was no reason why the District
should be allowed more privileges than the ter
ritories. Ii had five judges, learned in the law
while the territories had, some OF them, but
three, and had no cases with other states or
with foreign states; and IL was also provided that
If one judge could he found out of the five that
would certify that an appeal should be taken,
they still had the right of appeal.
Mr.. Chapman ID. c. said that he did not nm
derstand that appeals from the District Court
had ever been burden TO the Supreme Court.
Some Of the most important cases TO the people
of the whole country had arisen i'm the District
Court, in which but small amounts were in
volved, but which were important, owing to
their presence here at the capital OF the nation.
Our courts were, he said, peculiar. IL was true
that there was the court in banc, but one or
more of the judges of that court had already
sat upon the cases which came before il, and
there was no court OF appeals, as in the states.
The bar OF the District was very much interest
ed in retaining the right of appeal
Mr.. Butler said he quite agreed with the last
remark that the bar OF the District felt much in
ierest in the matter. Ii he was a lawyer in the
District he would be quite as active as his friend
who had just spoken. He called attention again
TO the provision that if one judge said an appeal
should be taken il could be done. This was more
than was given TO anyone else.
Mr.. Merrick's amendment was then rejected.
and the bill was then passed.
Mr.. Swami Md presented the memorial of
X. +. X. Lewis, commander i'm the u. ). navy,
relative to his rank in the navy. Referred 10
the Committee on Naval A fairs.
BIZ. Dawes (Mass.) said he desired TO call up
the report of the Committee of WAYS AMI Means
i'm relation TO the negotiation Of the new loan by
the Secretary of the Treasury.
The House decided TO take up the report. and
Mr.. Kerr proceeded TO address the House in sup
port of the views of the minority.