Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-20

CONGRESS- In the Senate OF the Z. 5. yes
terday, the deficiency Appropriation bill was
considered for some time but laid over without
definite action Mr. Morrill, of Vermont,
moved an amendment to limit the Jurisdiction
of the Court Of Claims. SO that it should not
extend to nor exclude claims for abandoned or
captured property received or,colected either
by the civil or military authority of the United
States under the act of March, 1863, unless ID
cases commenced within two years after the
close OF the war, and where the claimants have
proved 10 the satisfaction of the court that
they have never given aid or comfort to the
rebellion. Mr. Trumbull characterized this
as opening the Treasury to rebel claimants
and excluding loyal ones. a motion to lay the
amendment on the table vas lost BY vote OF
l6 to % The Postal Appropriation bill was
reported with an amendment doubling the
present mail service on the Pacific Mail Steam
ship line, providing for semi monthly trips,
and requiring that all steamships hereafter ac
cepted for the service be of not less than four
thousand tons register aud wholly of American
constructions, the compensation to be one NH
lion of dollars; also an amendment doubling
the present postal service between New ork
and Rio Janeiro, the trips to be seml-monthly
aud the compensation S3OO,0OO per year.
bill was introduced approprating slO0.Ou0 to
be expended, under the direction OF the presl
dent, in investigating the causes OF steam boil
er explosions, and in making such experiments
and collecting such information as may be use
full in guarding against the same. The bill to
break up straw bidding in the postal depart.
ment was reported ON from the committee OF
conference, and the report concurred 10. The
bill supplementary to the act TO incorporate the
Texas Pacific Railroad Company was discussed
until adjournment.
In the House of Representatives, bill was
reported approprating 100000 for the COM
pletion of the Washington Monument and re-
ferred. The Civil Service bill was considered.
ties on imports in this country were collected
at cost of three and eleven hundredths per
cent, while in Great Britain the cost is four
and seven enths per cent. MIR. Bling ham op
posed the bill, and Mr. GarfId spoke in favor
of it. A sharp colloquy took place between
Mr.. Garfield and Mr. Butler, in which the lat
ter cited the New York Tribune as his author
ity for saying that Mr.. Garfield had refused to
endorse the President. Mr. Garfield declared
that the friends of the President were the
friends of this BILL Mr.. g. was called to order
for detailing conversation he had had with
President Grant relating to the bill. 10 which
the President gave it his emphatic endorse.
ment. BY vote Of 81 yeas to 70 nays the bill
was recommittcd the friends. OF the bill voting
in the negative. The Speaker laid before the
House message from the President In answer
to resolution of the House in relation to the
sending of troops into South Carolina, 10 which
he states that, at his request, the then Attor-
uey General (AkermauJ visited the locality re-
ported in Instruction, and that he reported to
him that "in certain counties Of that State com.
biuations for free political action did exist, that
such combinations embraced two-thirds of the
active white population and had the sympathy
of the other third that they were organized
and armed, and had committed many murders
and other outrages, intimidating citizens and
controlling the jures in the local courts, and BY
their acts prevented local legislation. The
same information was obtained from other
sources, whose reports we're mostly oral. Bills
for the District of Columbia were passed as fol
lows 10 fix salaries of the board Of health to
extend the Point Lookout railroad into the
district; to cure titles formally defective to
extend the Metropolitan railroad into the Dis,
trict and to aid in the support of fire depart
ment. The House ad ourned until Monday.