The Cecil Whig., 1872-06-08
CONGRESSIONAL.


CONGRESSIONAL.
In the Senate, on Friday, the Tax and
Tariff bill was adopted and sent back to
the House, which disagreed to all the
amendments except those relating to taxa
tion on whisky and tobacco. A committee
of conference was ordered-Messrs. Sher-
man and Morrill, on the part of the Senate,
and Messrs. Dawes Kelly and Kerr on the
part of the House. Mr.. Sumner introduced
a wordy preamble, reciting that peaceful
arbitration is better than war, and the
United States holds to this principle, with
a special intimation that Great Britain is
wrong in refuseing to enter into proceed
ings before the Geneva Tribunal. The
Massachusetts, Senator then went into the
delivery of his tremendous onslaught on the
Administration. 1t occupied him four
hours in its delivery, and the pretext was
the majority report on the sale of arms to
France Not two-thirds of the Senate
listened to the speech, and those who were
present paid Mr.. Sumner the poor compl-
nent of talking SO much that he was COM
PEELED to stop and call for order. Mr..
Schurz also ventilated his grievances, and
the Senate adjourned. In the House of
Representatives another attempt to bring
up the Amendatory Enforcement act failed.
No other business was transacted, except
the reference of the Tariff bill to the COM
mittee of conference.
Both Houses of Congress were largely
occupied on Saturday with the question of
the adjournment of the session, which was
finally settled by resembling the resolution
to adjourn on Monday and extending the
time until Monday next. In the Senate
politics cropped through all the discussion,
Mr.. Logan making an eloquent reply to
Mr.. Summers speech, and Mr.. Conkling
and Mr.. Blair getting into personal dis
putation regarding the motives of the for
mer's actions. In the House of Represen-
tatives Mr.. Eldridge and Speaker Blaine
had sharp tilt in relation to the rights of
the floor. A resolution was passed empower
ing the Committee on Indian Affairs to con-
tinue their investigation until January next.
The bill authorizing the First National
Bank Of Annapolis to remove to Baltimore
and to change its name to the Traders
National Bank was adopted, and having
already passed the Senate, it only needs the
Presidents signature to become law.
In the Senate on Monday, the political
discussion was resumed, Mr.. Carpenter
and Mr. Logan each replying to the attacks
of Messrs. Sumner and Schurz upon the
Administration. At the evening session
the report of the Conference Committee on
the Tariff and Tax bill was received, but
no action was taken upon it. With regard
to the allegations that the Kansas Senators
had been guilty of bribery and corruption
i'll procuring their election, the Committee
on Privileges reported that they acquitted
Mr.. Pomeroy and had not time to inquire
into the case of Mr.. Caldwell. The House
of Representatives having transacted all
its business, and only waiting upon the
Senate to end the session, did no more
important business than to grant amnesty
to number of ex-Confederates who were
not included in the general bill which was
passed last week.
In the Senate, on Tuesday, the report of
the Conference Committee on the Tariff
and Tax bill was called up and adopted
with very little dissent. The House also
concurred in it, and the entire question of
internal taxation and customs duties is now
finished for this session. The bill makes
reduction of about forty four million dol
lars annually in the entire list. The Inves-
tigatiOn Committee submitted the report of
their examinations into the affairs of the
New York Custom House, from which the
conclusion is deduced that the General
Order business has been commercially con-
Quoted, but that commission should be
appointed to revise the warehouse system,
that moieties should not be allowed to Gus
toms Officers, and that Appraisers and
Examiners should be appointed only upon
proof of their character and qualifications.
The minority of the Committee had no
report ready to submit. The Senate passed
the bill to prevent cruelty to animals while
in transit by railroad Or steamboat In the
House of Representatives no business of
Importance was transacted beyond the pas
sages Of the Tariff and Tax bill.
In the Senate on Wednesday the bills for
new public buildings in Philadelphia and
the appointment of deputies to the Clerks
of the United States Courts were passed.
The House amendment bill providing for
the redemption of lands sold for overdue
taxes were concured in and it was adopted.
The Sundry Civil Service Approximation
bill was taken up and a contest ensued on
the section providing for the payment of
mail contractors i'll the South at the out
break of the war. Nothing definite was
done, although the Senate continued in
session till a late hour at night. The House
held formal session in accordance with
previous agreement for the purpose of hav-
ing the Tariff bill signed, the law requiring
that it must be done in open session. At
eleven O'Clock the bill was not quite ready,
and recess was taken until twelve, when
the House was called to order and the
Speaker signed the bill, and announced the
House adjourned.
In the Senate, on Thursday, Mr.. Chand-
Ter contradicted and disproved Mr.. Sum-
ner's statements in regard to Secretary
etanton's poor opinion Of General Grant
The River and Harbor Appropriation bill
was passed with amendments providing for
the survey of a canal route between the
Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, and fer
the survey of Drum Point Harbor. At the
evening session the Conference Committees
report ON the Steamboat bill was taken up
but no action upon it was reached.