Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-13

British subjects of land in San Juan Island, or
other Islands acquired under the recent award,
and whether legislation on the subject is neces-
| sary.
In the Senate, on the 9th, among the
| bills introduced were-relating to navigable
streams; appropriating $2,000000 for the pro-
| motion of education in the Southern States. "A
| bill was reported from the Committee Com
| merce authorizing the Secretary of War, in the
name Of the United States, to receive from the
State of Michigan all the latters right and title to
the St Mary Falls Canal, the bill not
| penditures or liabilities incurred on account of
| said canal "A bill was passed to require the
| National Banks to restore their capital when inn
| paired and to amend the National Currency act.
| The Legislative Appropriation bin taken up,
and an amendment was adopted directing the
Secretary Of the Treasury to withhold all payments
| from any railroad company, or its assignees, on
| account of freight transportation of any
| kind over their respective roads to the amount
of the payments made by the United States of the
| interest upon the bonds of the United States is
sued to any such company, which shall not have
| been reimbursed, together with five per cent. of
| the net earnings due and unpaid, as provided by
law, and providing that such company may bring
suit, by which the right to recover shall be deter
| mined.
In the House, on the 27th, among the
| bills introduced were-authori zing the construc-
ton of railroad at La Crosse, Wis; for the en-
largement of the James River and kanawha Canal
|
! Commissioners to inquire into the general man
! agement of railroads engaged in transportation
hvns 1t, the several States Bills were were
passed-declaring the meaning of the
amendatory Bankrupt act of June to be to eX-
empt from judgment against bankrupts the
amount allowed by the Constitution of each State
respectively, as existing in the year 1871 grant
ing the right of way over the public lands and ter
ritories to railroads, except over military and In
| dian reservations: Senate amendments to the
| House bill abolishing the ranking privilege-133
| to As.
In the Senate, on the 2Sth, the Vice
President in few remarks relating to the Credit
Mobilier investigation, requested that commit
tee of Senators, majority of which should bel o-
itcally opposed to him, be appointed to make a
most thorough and exhaustive investigation into
the charges against the Nice-President, with au-
thoritv to send fo- persons and papers Mr.. Pratt,
of Indiana, moved the appointment OF such COM
mittee, in accordance with the wish Of the Vice
President, and took occasion to say that, having
| known the Vice President from his youth, he had
the most perfect confidence in his truth, his in
tegrity and his honor it would require great
deal more evidence than he had seen or heard to
| convince the people of the State of Indiana that
he the Vice PresidenD is dishonest or dishon-
CRADLE man. Mr.. Thurman argued against
the appointment of the committee on the
ground that the Nice-President not a
member of the Senate, and that body had no
power over him to expel or censure him. IF he
has been guilty of any thing that subjects him to
punishment 1t is bY impeachment, and that can
only originate in the House of Representatives. II
| evidence De produced That satlSneS the
| House of Representatives that he ought to be i'm
peached, it is the duty of the House to impeacI
him, and 1t is the duty of the Senate not to form
any opinion to his guilt or innocence until the
evidence is produced, and we called upon a.
judges to deliver our verdict. We cannot enter
into investigation of his conduct, and forestall
the Judgment The question as to the appoint;
menJ of the proposed committee was then put and
lost Mr. Pratt alone voting i'll the affirmative.
The amendments of the House to the Vienna Elk
position bin were concurred in. Bills were in.
trOdUced-rpnpalinp q 4
lating the construction of Bridges across the Mis-
sissippi River; amendatory of the act of April
l. 1872 authorizing the construction of bridge al
Clinton, Iowa, and other bridges across the Mis-
sissippi. The Legislative Appropriation bill was
taken up, and an amendment was agreed to re-
curing that no Judgment OF the Court OF Claim;
snail be paid, except to persons whose loyalty has
been proved Other amendments were disposed
of, one to raise the salaries Of Congressman tc
$1,000 being tabled
In the House, on the 2Sth the Senate
amendments to the Indian Appropriation bill were
disposed of, and Committee of Conference was
appointed disagreeing votes The bill for The
admission of Colorado was debated -. The death
of Julius S. Strong, late Representative from Con
nectcut, was formally announced, and euloges
were delivered
In the Senate, on the Goth, a bill was
reported to amend the fifth section of the Minine
act of May TO- 1872 so that the time of the first an
nual expenditure on claims located prior to the
passage of said act shall be extended to the list OF
December, 1873. The Secretary of War di
rected to inquire into the eXpedency of enlistinG
a company of Indian scouts to serve against the
Modocs. The Legislative Appropriation bull was
further considered, and several amendments were
disposed of, one tadOpted) further reducing the
clerical force in the Post Office Department.
In the House, on the Goth, the bill for
the admission of Colorado State was, after
an animated discussion, tabed--117 to O.. The
Committee on the Florida Contested Election Case
reported that NIblack, the contestant, was en-
titled TO seat, which report agreed to, and
Niblack was sworn in A report was made
by the Chairman of the Select Committee on the
Union Pacific Railroad and Credit-Mobilier In
vestigation. that a witness, who had been called
before the Committee, Joseph b. Stewart,
of Washington, had refused to. answer
certain ;, questions hi as to the disposition
bon1s, which had been given him in 1864 for an
arrangement of the pending difficulties with other
companies. The witness grounded his refusal on
the principle of communications between counsel
and client being privileged. A motion was adopt
ed to have Stewart brought before the House forth
with, to show cause why he should not be commit.
ted to answer for contempt.
In the Senate, on the Both, bill was
introduced-incorporatn the Mississippi & Ohio
Tunnel and Tube Company, with a capital OF
$10,000GO0, to construct tunnels under the Missis
sippi and Ohio Rivers, to be used for connecting
railways centering near their junction. The bill
eXempting mineral lands in Michigan, Wisconsin
and Minnesota from the operation of the general
act to promote the development of the mineral
resources of the United States, was passed. :.
motion was agreed to to reconsider the
amendment to the Legislative Appropriation bill
prohibiting the payment, unless by special act
of Congress, of judgments of the Court of Claims
to claimants whose loyalty during the rebellion
has not been proved, and the amendment was
again adopted-25 to 23-and the bill was passed.
In the House. on the Goth, bill was
passed. directing the restoration to the pension
rolls of the names Of such pensioners of the war
of 1912 as were struck from the rolls under the act
| OF February t. 1872 on account of having aided or
| encouraged the rebellion, the pensions to be paid
| from the passage of this act; also, emitting such
persons to the benefits of the act of the 14th of
February, 1871 granting pensions to the survivors
| OF the war of 1872 The FortliCatiOn BILL appro-
priating 81 ,999, COO, was considered and pass ed
| Mr.. Stewart, the recusant witness, was produced,
| and spoke in his own defense, denying that he was
| in contempt saying that matters were not his own
but his clients and that he not advised of any
| law which conferred even upon Congress the right
to question him upon them. Resolutions were then
agreed to declaring Stewart in contempt of the
| House, and remanding him to the custody of the
Sergeant-a alarms, to be detained until further
order of the House, unless he declared his willing
| ness to appear and answer before the Committee
Mr. Stewart still persisting in his refusal to an
| swer, was removed from the hall in the custody of
| the Sergeant-at-Arms.
In the Senate, on the 31st, message
was received from the President wetoing the bill
for the relief of the University of East Tennessee.
| "A Conference Committee appointed on the
| Indian Appropriation bill Bills were introduced
| authorizing the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
| pany to construct bridge across the St Louis
River; authorizing the Columbus, Fsv.
cite & Decatur Railroad Company to
enter public lands; joint resolution
| for Constitutional amendment electing Senators
by popular vote. The Webb Australian Steam
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