Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-12-25
Washington Items.

Washington Items.
Congress, as pre-r,s1lved, adjourned on
Friday the 2Oth, until January 9th, having
transacted considerable routine business dur
ing he last few days previous to ADJOURN
ment We select and condensc from pub
lisLeI proceedings and correspondence the
most noteworthy items both OF Congressional
ard general news
\ conc trent resolution introduced in the
House by MIR Hale OF Maine IA INST remoy-
ing from the army resmenttl coIOrs the
names Of the battles Of the Rebellion, as
proposed by Senator Sumner, was adopted by
a vote OF lis to 50; u Democrats voJIns for
1t, namely: Messrs. Bell, HIbbard, and Par
ker OF New Hampshire, Getz, GIiihth,
McClelland, and opeer OF Pennsylvania, HoI-
man and Manson OF Indiana, Rogers and
ruthIll of New York, AID Slater OF Oregon.
The House voted Sl0O. 900 toward the ex-
penses o. the United States department at
the Vienna Exposition, which Col. Van Blu
rem, the Commissioner, hopes to have trebled
the Ser ate.
The D,n.!ency bill was also passed By the
House with the item OF one million Two hun
dret and tOrJy-one thousand dollars tor the
street improvements around the Government
property the District.
EXCHANGING REGISTERED FOR COUPON BOND
The House bill providing Tor the exchange
of registered bonds for coupon bJnIs was
taken up in the Senate during the morning
hour, and debated until l o'clock. The two
objections urged against It by Senator Nor
TIlI OF Vermont were: FIRST. that 1t would
increase the value OF al registered bombs
from One-q to One-haf Oi one per cent,
ard he dId not believe that Congress ought
u IegIsiate 10 change the market value o. ITS
securities; and, second, that tile biil pro
posed To give too much Responsibility u the
Registrar Vi the Treasury, an officer WHO
gave 10 bond Tor the honest performance OF
MS duty. The exchange Va, = bs made
through him, and he was 10 hay the cust0-
dy OF the bonds whHe the exchange was
making. Senator Sherman answered DJtu
Ol th-ee ObJec-Ious, the tcsc by Saying tuat
1t Was tie duty Vi Congress t0 lc5isiAJe %
make our UOud- mJie valuable, aud tIc
second by showing that tie danger oi loss %
the ~. eminent Was very small. AZ a DIE
position was eyInced To debate tue bill, IL
went over.
The thousands Of petitioners, REPRESENTING
almost every State, who have TINS session
flooded Congress with their requests that a
prohioltory law tor the District OF Columbia
flied by the favorable report of the Senate
Finance Committee OF what Is known the
= Ohio Law substitute LOT Mr.. Pome-
rOy's bill. The Senator from Kansas, T.
whom MIR. Sherman formally turned over the
natter, viii probably get 1t off the calendar
tins session, but Will have q difficult task TO
pass II.
The House Committee on Post Office ana
Post Roads have agreed 10 report bill dc
clarIng the true intent and meaning 81 $50
tlOus 81, Isl and lj2 OF the POST Office act
passed last session, and THAT where one lull
rate oil postage has been p4I1 On mail matter
1t shall be forwarded u Its destination
charged with the unpaid rate 10 be collected
On delivery, and that NO double rate oh post
age shall be Collected where such partial
prepayment has been made.
The whole amount o. National b tuk err
rency having now been issued the COuUrUl-
er Of the Currency viii hereafter decline To
organize banks IN the States winch are IN cx-
cess, thus giving the states wni-A are def
cient IN the distribution Oh currency tue
privilege OF returning the nojes OF the banks
wLioh have Closed business tor the purpose
OF organizing banks IN accordance wiki tie
spirit Uf the law.
DISTRIBUTIONS Oh THE GENEVA AWARD
The Tribune dispatch says IL IS obvious
that there will be an interesting Controversy
IN Congress this winter over the disposition
of the award by The Geneva Tribunal. Ii
appears to be generally ayr, ed that some Sid
0, count must be Instituted 10 hear AMI d.
termIne the claims upon this Iund. But wide
differences OF opinion will undoubtedly arise
upon proposed PROVISIONS IN the bill creating
the court, and limiting It's powers by defining
with considerable stTlngency the classes oi
cases which it may entertain. Attempts will
be made to rule out entrciy large mum
/ Der Oi claims, and these viii OF course tnd
advocates IN Congress 10 make a struggle III
their behalf. The chIet poiut at Issue VIII
doubtless be the claim OF the insurance cum
panies to participate IN the award. 1t is I'm
derstoOd that the companies which insured
the captured vessels do not admit that the
fact OF their having charged war RISKS 10
indemnify themselves for losses by capture
debars them IRON making demand Tor the
full value OF the vessels and their carsoes.
There is said to be a difference OF opinion
among lawyers on this point. Another uu-
settled question is, - Are the owners Ut the
captured ships and cargoes who got their ia
surance entitled to receive anything from
the award, and il 80, should IL be the lull
amount OF the loss, or only the amount of
the net loss over the SUN received from the
under writers and the cost OF the extra war
risks ," Still another question aud one OF
general interest to ship owners, Is this: Ii
neither the underwriters nor the owners of
the insured vessels which were captured can
recover, are not all who paid the war risks
entitled to some indemnify" Tue made
quacy OF the fund to meet such demands
upon it will unquestIonably prevent any
serious consideration being gwen To the latter
question. The whole subject OF the distrIbu-
tIon OF Tie award is now the hands of the
House JUDICIARY COMMITTEES, and Gen. But
Ter, who Is member of the Committee, mas
prepared vOlOminous bill providing Tor a
special tribunal OF a judicial Character To
examine and pass upon the claims. The bII.
Cal eiuIiy ,hues tue classes OF claims which
are ebtIued To share IN The award, and 1t is
understood excludes all insurance companies
which charged war risks. BuGler reported
his bill last Monday, and it vas ordered
to be printed and recommitted. He was 50
ANXIOUS to keep it's provisions secret that he
took it to the printing office himself and got
IL privately printed. His object IN this un-
usual proceeding was probably to avoid the
protests OF disappointed claimants until he
mad fully perfected the bill and completed
his report defending Its provisions. Ibis he
has begun to write and will finish during the
recess.