Litchfield enquirer., 1872-02-15
CONGRESSIONAL.

| Senator Garrett Davis was seriously il last week -. ..',,
 There is strong feeling in Congress that our navy must be improved. With Spanish difficulties always, and trouble threatening just now from England, the necessity of an efficient navy is conceded. Virginia tobacco raisers are urging an equalization of the taxes on fine cut and plug tobacco. They claim that the pres ent rates are oppressive to the latter spe- cies of manufacture.
 MT. Hur1burd has been renominated as Controller of the Currency by the presi- dent and confirmed by the Senate.
 Postmaster Gen. Cresswell was before the House Committee, last week to meet the accusation of improper conduct in let ting the Southern mails. His accuser, Gen. McKibbed, did not put in an ap- pearance.
 MT. Hale was also heard by the Senate committee on Foreign Relations with re- gard to his cQnduct,,while in Egypt He proved that he acted under the direct or ders of Secretary Seward.
 Ex-Congressman Stokea was tried last week for bounty frauds but the jury disa- graed, standing 9 for conviction and three for aeauital.
 Capt. Stevens, late commander of the steamship Guerriere, is to be courtmar- shalled. He stranded his vessel twice and another officer was sent out to supersede him.
 The House Committee on elections, re port in favor of Myers, sitting member, and against Cessna, the contestant in one of the Pennsylvania cases.
 An Ohio man who had couple of U, 5. bonds eaten by rats, had a bill passed through the House, last week, renewing them.
 Aefsdte.-On Tuesday of last week, Sen ator Fenton presented a petition in favo, of civil service reform, and made a speech Ill its favor. There was some discussion regarding the threatened repudiation oi the Alabama treaty by Great Britain, but the disposition to wait for more evidence 1 was very manifest. The Amnesty bill was then debated without action,
 On Wednesday, Amnesty was again de- bated. Pacific coast senators opposed Mr. Summers amendment because 1t would admit !Asiatics to, naturalization. Mir. Ferry made speech in opposition to the civil rights amendment which he consid- cred utterly opposed to the very principles 1t proposed to carry out, and fatal to the Amnesty bill itself.
 On Thursday, consideration of the Am anesty bill was resumed and the amend ment of the civil rights amend ment restricting it from applying to re- igious organizations was adopted. 4 res olution was introduced declaring the four million loan act passed by the territorial legislature of she District of Columbia null and void #ssits+
 On Friday the final votes were taken on the Amnesty bill. The anti-C Chinese amend ment to the civil rights amendment was lost and on vote on the latter the Sen ate was exactly evenly divided, standing 28 to 28. Vice Pres. Colfax then gave his casting vote in favor of the Civil rights amendment. The Amnesty hill,, as thus amended was defeated by . vote of B to 19; the requisite two-thirds not being ob- tained. Messrs. Foreman, Hill, Logan, Merrill, Scott, Tipton, Trumbull, and Wright were the Republicans voting against the bill MT. Ferry of this State did not vote at all. The Senate then ad- journed till Monday, F On Monday, the Chicago Relief bill was Ieeonsidered, and Mir. Sumner intro duced resolution of investigation into the conduct of the Government in selling arms to the French during their war,
 Honse.-On Tuesday of last week the Education bill was discussed by Messrs. Dawes, Garfield and other Republicans in favor, and Storm, Hereford and other Democrats in opposition. ,,
 On Wednesday the amendment to the Education bill providing that the distri- button of the public money should be in proportion to the population that could not read or write was adopted. Other amendments of lesser importance were added, but pending the final vote on the bill the House adjourned.
 On Thursday the final vote was taken on the Education bill which passed Il5 to 96, being saved by the help of a few Demo cratic votes. The House then proceeded to redistribution of seats. "
 On Friday the House unseated Edwards (the Clayton Representative from Arkan. sas) by an unanimous vote and seated D contestant, Boles, he having had o,-o. -a. 2O00 majority, Philadelphia printe, ofre, ed remanstrance against a ae0py1iiobt 1o,w A resolution was offered reouest;no, z Q repeal of the oankrupt law The bill giving William and Mary's Col. lege $65. GO to reimburse them for dam age suffered from Union soldiers was neTt considered, but no vote taken.
 On Monday resolution was offered al- lowing prominent woman saffragists to be heard at the bar of the House; rejected 96 to 86. The Ways and Means commit tee was instructed to report a bill abolish ing the duties on tea and coffee. A reso- lution of investigation into the condition of the North Pacific railEoad was adopt. ed.