New-York tribune., 1872-02-28
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CAPITAL.
PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUsE-THE COPYRIGHT
oUEsTION-AIDs TO COMMERCE-TIIE SOUTH
ERN MAIL CONTRACTS.


Proceedings IN THE HOUsE-THE COPYRIGHT
| ouEsTION-AIDs TO COMMERCE-TIIE SOUTH
| ERN NAIL CONTRACTS.
IBY TELEGRAPH 10 THE TRIBuN2l
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Feb. q, 1877?
The proceedings Of the House to-day did possess
| much interest The Banking and Currency Committee
occupied the morning hour Their bin TO require bank
officers stamp counterfeit altered, OF spurious, upon
such at their counters was opposed with
much by Messrs Cobun Randall and Potter
the ground that good notes might be thus stamped by
npxpeTt ofcerB They appeared TO think that the pro-
lection Of the public against the circulation OF counter
fpits would not compensate for the harm that might DC
done to a few individuals The bill was rec0mmtted to
save it from defeat The bin for reprint or Maonal iona
Mr. MerTams bll facilitate Clearinghouse exchanges
after exclamation by him went until te e-mOIrOw
Tnber Of senate bills we're taken the Speakers Ia
bic and passed, including the Dui 10 create he heo"
stone Park.
Some nroQress was made in the Deficiency bill before
the House adjourned. The bill apprOpriates over
90 which is the amount the several Departments
of the Government say they must have TO pay their ex
for the present year. in addition TO the amounts
appropriated by the last Congress- From the MAGNITUDE
OF these deficiencies, 1t appears that there has ether
been gross extravaganza Ill some quarters or nat le
Appropriation Conmlttees last year ana an not
Of the public service demanded The latter view appears
boWeveT that the knowledge that Congress will be in
session the last half of the fiscal year. ready
officers TO econOmze their appropriations during the trs
| half For example, the Quartcrmaster- General has
nD remit and repairs Of barracks and quarters and
| must have $75OOOO more TO get along until July
There is some TO think that the International
Copyrght question will get beyond the Joint Com
mittee on ue Library tins session, where il rests
There appears 10 be- in the minds OF the members of tile
Committee so many difficulties in the way OF adopting
legislation will satisfy the authors and at The same
time not njure the business Of the publishers or largely
increase the price books, that Of the members
disposed TO let the subject go Dy de1at neeun,s
of the Committee was called yesterday Out no quorum
sbT pTSrde e tt foreign works may be reprinted by
any American publisher and that the authors sall De
entitled TO small percentage on the sales The amount
! generally spoken Of is 10 per cent. This would
permit competition among publishers, and prevent any
one house securing from author monopoly OF the
publication OF his works. OF course any arrangement
Of the kind would be contingent upon We British GOV
Committee Is not able 10 agree upon TINS OF any
other Pan j. ought justice 70 the e an.s or 70 dsc
sion and action As long us the lnlerbaOnal COilsh
question has been discussed ia the newspapers IL has
never been before either House Of Congress in form in
| which it could be debated and voted upon
bill for the protection Of American commerce has
finally been agreed upon hy the House COmmittee Is
the bill Of Mr. sbellabarger, Of which summary was
| Given in today's TRIBUNE, with a few amendments.
line OF steamers between New-Oreans and Brazil Is pro
vded for addition 10 those in the original BILL ana the
Commissioners OF Commerce authorized 10 advance
90 per cent OF bounty 10 be paid 10 any
line at the OF the construction OF their
vessels prOXided that deposit OF United States bonds
be made with the Secretary OF the Treasury security
for the money advanced One feature OF the pi 10
misunderstood by sOme members OF the House The pay
meut S6 and 81 10 wooden vessels, hereafter 10
be constructed aud employed IN the foreign trade II
single payment aud not annual subsidy Tor i've years
ike s1O per provided for lines OF iron steamship
The Judiciary Committee Of the House agreed by a
unanimous vote to-day to report fayorably upon Mr..
" llard's Supplementary ApporuonmehL BILL which
gives an additional Representative In Congress I, the
States Of ew-Hainpshire, Vermont, Rew-York Penn
syIyania, Indiana Tennessee Louisiana, Alabama and
Florida The chief object OF this OIL Is TO permit me
State of Vermont 10 retain nil three OF her present able
Represenatives Under the ApportioDment law lately
Dassed sbe will have Oi them Thty All want
W say aud crafty btD great many mempeTt Dom