The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-04-27
CONGRESSIONAL.

Al sho S0hhe0 VI VIC DcuCleuCy
| Appropriation bill was considered. Mr..
| Morrill, moved an amendment, limiting the
jurisdiction ofthe Court of Claims to such
claims for captured property as shall have
| been commenced within a year after the
close of the war, and also requiring claim
ants to prove their loyalty; a motion to Law
the amendment on the table was lost
| The bill went over. The Postal Appro-
| priation bill was reported with an ammend-
ment doubling the present mail service on
the Pacific Mail Steamship line, providing
for semi-monthly trips, and requiring that
| all steamships hereafter accepted for the
service be of not less than four thousand
tons register and wholly Of American con-
struction, the compensation to be one mill
ion OF dollars year; also an amendment
doubling the present postal service between
New York and Rio Janeiro, the trips to be
| semi monthly and the compensation $500.
600 per year. A bill was introduced by
Mr. Chandler appropriating 500, 900 to be
expended, under the direction of the Presi-
dent, in investigating the causes of steam
boiler explosions, and in making such ex-
periments and collecting such information
| as may be useful in guarding against the
same. The remainder of the session was
| consumed in the discussion of the Texas
Pacific Railroad bill. In the House of
Representatives the Cival Service bill was
| taken up. Mr.. Roberts, of New York,
although an advocate of the bill, shows,
that our duties on imports were colecte d
at a cost of three and eleven -hundreths per
cent, while in Great Britain the cost is
four and seven-tenths per cent. Mr. Bing-
| ham opposed the bill, and Mr.. Garfield
spoke in favor Of it. There occurred
telerably sharp colloquy between Mr. Gar
field and Mr.. Butler during the debate, in
which the latter gentleman cited the New
| \ ork Tribune as his authority for saving
that Mr.. Garfield had refused to endorse
the President. Mr.. Garfield answered
rather evasively, although he declared that
the friends of the President were the
friends of this bill. Mr.. Garfield was call
ed to order for detailing conversation he
had with President Grant relating to the
bill, in which he gave it his emphatic
endorsement. By a vote Of 81 yeas to 10
nays the bill was reeommitted, the friends
of the bill voting in the negative. A bill
| was reported appropriating 100000 for
| the completion of the Washington Monu-
ment. The Speaker laid before the House
message from the President in response
to resolution of inquiry as to the employ
ment of United States troops in the sup
preston of insurrection in South Carolina.
The House adjourned until Monday.
In the Senate on Saturday, Mr.. Scott
| called up the House bill to repeal the duty
| on tea and coffee, and demanded immediate
| action thereon. He said that he had re-
| ceived letters from the leading merchants
of New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore
engaged in the tea and coffee trade, COM
| planning of the injury that was being done
| to business by the uncertainty which pre-
vailed as to the final disposition of the bill.
Mr.. Trumbull, who of late has become the
champion of the Free Traders, tackled on
the usual amendment providing for the
repeal of the duty on iron and salt, the
effect of which is simply to delay vote
upon the bill. Mr.. Conkling and Mr.. Ram
sey each insisted on immediate action, but
the Free Traders managed to prevent
vote. The Texas Pacific Railroad bill was
taken up and passed. The House of Rep
| resentatiyeS was not in session.
| In the Senate on Monday, the Deficiency
Appropriation bill was discussed and laid
over. After an Intellectual attempt had
been made to bring up the bill repeating
! the tariff on tea and coffee, the North
| Carolina Senatorship question was resumed
! Mr.. Pool addressed the Senate in favor of
the claims of Mr.. Abbot to the seat, but
no action on the resolution was reached
| The Senate held a session last night, at
which the Postal Code bill was read. In
the House of Representatives among the
bills introduced was one by Mr.. Wood to
prevent fluctuations in the money market
by authorizing the United States Sub
Treasures in all large cities to loan money
at eight per cent. on deposits of Govern
ment bonds. Mr.. Kelley's minority Tariff
/ bill was also introduced, but it did not OBJ
tain even reference to committee. The
contested election case from the Fourth
District of Indiana was decided by the adj
mission of Mr.. Wilson, the Republican
candidate. A message was received from
| the President submitting the American
counter case before the Geneva Tribunal.
The Committee on Rules reported rule in
tended to prevent ex-members of Congress
from acting as lobbyists on the floor Of the
House, which was pending at the adjourn
ment.
In the Senate on Tuesday, the North
Carolina contested Senatorship case was
disposed of by the adoption of resolution
that Mr.. Abbott is not entitled to the seat.
The Deficiency Appropriation bill was
taken up, and the debate wandered off into
a discussion of the Cincinnati Conve ntien,
pending which the Senate adj burned. In
the House of Representatives an inquiry
was ordered to be made into the disappear
ance of certain records in the case of Gen
eral Buell. which are mysteriously missing
from the records of the War Department.
The new rule to prevent ex members of
Congress from using their privileges of the
floor in acting as lobbyists was discussed
and sent back to the Committee which
originated it. The Bill granting the use
of Yerba Buena Island in the harbor of
San Francisco to the Central Pacific Rail
road Company was again brought up and
a strong effort made by the railroad inter-
est to force it to passage. A vote was
not reached.
In the Senate on Wednesday, General
Ransom was admitted as Senator from
North Carolina, whereupon Mr.. Thurman
happily offered fitting congratulations upon
the fact that every seat in the Senate is
now occupied for the first time since 1861.
Petitions signed by $4,000 citizens against
any religious amendment to the Constitu-
ton were presented. The Committee on
Commerce reported favorably and with
amendments the bill for the appointment
of Shipping Commissioners. From the
Committee on Privileges and Elections a
report was made on the denial by the House
of the right of the Senate to pass the Rev.
enue bill which it sent to the House and
which was laid on the table by the latter
the Committee report in substance that
| The Senate exceeded the COnstitunal lmita-
lions of its power in addin G to the House
bill repeating the duties tea and coffee
tan entire Tariff and Tax bill. No action
was taken on the report. The Deficiency
Appropriation bill was then taken up, and
a contest ensued over the amendment lin
iting to loyal persons the right to sue the
Government in the Court of Claims for
property destroyed during the war, which
continued up to the adjournment. In the
House Of Representatives there was breeze
of discussion over resolution to print
extra copies Of the American case before
the Geneva Board of Arbitration, Mr. But
Ter giving his opinicn that it was ga gone
case" in any event. Mr.. Wheelcr's bill
giving the Central Pacific Railroad the use
of lerba Buena Island, San Francisco
harbo, was adopted after the rejection of
an amendment to charge the Company a
yearly rental of $50. 600. The bill has been