Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-12-26

| houses, SuppOrteu Dy reports Oi Com init
tees. Bills for the distribution Of the
Alabama award are also pending in
both houses, and that for carrying INTO
effect the fishery provisions of the
treaty of Washington stands the special
order for Tuesday, Jan. II.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. II, 1872.
Congress ''opened up right lively."-
committees were set in successful Oper-
ation-gut most of its committees at
work and settled down to real business.
Perhaps, in justice to the Senate, we
should say that, the House did this, for
this usually sedate and prosy branch of
our national legislature, did little more
than to meet and adjourn, TO allow
time for the reorganization of its COM
mittees, the result of which was not
unexpected. Everybody expected, the
Liberals, Trumbull, FentOn, Schurtz,
Rice, Upton and Sumner, to be assign
ed place in the Democratic camp
The Democrats have been quite liberal
with their Liberal al lies in their diyiS-
sion OF the spoils. Their names fill
blank spaces as follows: Mr.. Trumbull
on Privileges and Elections and Re
trenchment; MI. Fenton on Manufac-
lures and Territories; Mr.. Upton on
Public Lands; Mr.. Rice on Indian AT
fairs and Pacific Railroad; and Mr..
Schurz on the Judiciary. The changes
in chairmen are Judiciary, Mr.. Ed
munds succeeding Mr.. Trumbull; Pen
sions, Mr.. Pratt; MANUFACTURES, Mr..
Robertson; Mines and Mining, Mr..
Boreman; Contingent Expenses, Mr..
Carpenter; Earolled Bills, Mr.. Win
dom. Mr.. Wilson declines to serve
as chairman of the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs, and will, doubtless, be
succeeded by Gen. Logan. The Liberals
having been disposed with winged ex-
peditiOn. The Senate disposed of its
s'old" business, transmitted oy way OF
| legacy from last session. Manv impor-
| tant bills and resolutions aave been in
| trodueed in the House. Banks intro
duced bill providing tor an increase
of the Presidents salary to so, 900, an
nualIv, after March 18th, 1878. He also
introduced a proposition 10 amend the
Constitution SO as.to limit the President
| to one term Both propositions went
to the judiciary Committee. The
House refused to lay the civil rights
bill of last session upon. the table; we
may therefore expect something civil
from them. There seems to be no dis
position to eVade the issue fairly male
| this vexed question, will be perplexed.
Amnesty is not quite so popular. :
The House voted in favor of it, enough
of its mt mberS still remember the cru
telties to the Union soldiers in Libby
(and other Rebel "Hell-holes" inaugur-
ated and perpetrated by the Southern
leaders to prevent two-thlrds vote in
its favor thereby laying it over for the
present. Mr.. Dawes having an eye to
the peoples pocket, from the Com
mittee on Ways and Means, introduced
a bill, which passed, providing for re-
duction of the officers and expenses of
the Internal Revenue service by a
wholesale reduction of officers. The
estimated reduction in expense is
about 800, 900 yearly. 1t is also the pur-
pose of the Ways and Means. Commit
tee to strike out all that remains of the
Internal Revenue tax, except that on
LIQUORS and tobacco. This is good
news to all, except the ''last chance"
men and lovers of our native weed
The bill granting a land warrant to
each honorably discharged soldier has
been a subject of much debate in the
House. Much is usually said in Con-
gress, in praise and we might say
much has been done for the soldiers by
congress, but it has been done in very
j incomplete and unsatisfactory way
! THE present Homestead or Land-grant
Bill is very unsatisfactory, and each
entry costs the government nearly cne
! hundred dollars with but little or no
advantage to the soldier. It is being
urged that if the present bill should
pass, which it will not, the spectators
and sharpers would derive all the benz
Eefits. The. financial policy of Congress
is, as yet, undeveloped. Mr.. Boutwell,
opposes firmly all permanent increase
of the paper currency, but he also OPP
poses all contraction Of it. reliesOn
the increase of its value, and the de-
mand for it caused by the increase in
trade and population, especially at the
ESouth and on the Pacific coast to bring
| it up to the level of coin, and make a
return TO specie possible, view whfch
i / think, is favored pretty genrally
among members OF Congress. Mr..
Boutwell, also recommends persistence
in the policy of protection Tor native
industry, on the ground that ''for the
purpose of government, political econ
omy must be national, not cosInopoli-
tan" He also recommends that the
circulation of the national banks be fix
ed and limited, and that, for its own
protection, and for the supply of facili-
ties for '.movlng the crops" every fall,
the power to change the volume of the
circulation within limits fixed by law
be left with the TreasHry-aI issues for
the latter purpose to be Withdrawn as
soon as the object is attained. The
agitation for Spring session of the
Forty-third Congress is expected TO re-
ceive quietus by introducing into the
Legislative Appropriation hill a propo-
sition allowing all members holding
certificates OF election and being enter
ed upon the Clerks list, pay during
the interim prior to the assembling of
| Congress in November next, the same
as iisworn in. This will entail no ex-
ira expense upon the Treasury, yet
satisfy that influence, most active in
moving q Spring session. Both Houses
having passed a resolution to adjourn
from December Goth TO Monday, Jan.
9th, we will soon have to note their
departure. MED.