The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-02-01
Congress i'm Brief.
From the Courier-Journal.l

4SAAsI
MONDAY, Jan. 13.-The Senate called
on d Secretary of the Interior for in
formation as to unsuryeyed lakes and
ponds on the public lands, and discussed
agricultural colleges. The House Or
dered the Judiciary Committee to in
vestlgate the action of Judge Durell,
and if necessary to prepare articles of
impeachment against him. The Presi-
dents message on the subject of LOuisi-
ana was referred to the Judiciary Com
mittee, with instructions to report
whether any facts in the case require
action by Congress. EEldridge Dem,
Wis.), Voorhees,, (Dem., INDY, and
Potter, Dem, N. " are the minority
members of this committee, of which
Bingham (Repo Ohio is chairman.
TUESDAY, Jan. 14.-The Senate di-
rectcd the Judiciary Committee to in
quire into the powers of States over
their railroads. The bill for the fur
ther endowment of agricultural colleges
was passed. The House passed bills
to amend the act Of 1872, providing for
holding a United States Circuit Court
in the Western district of Missouri I;
extending the time for the completion
of the Portage and Superior ship canal.
The executive, legislative and judicial
appropriation bill was debated; and All
amendment was adopted in committee
of the whole repeating section 9 Of the
army appropriation bill of March, 1871,
which section forbade the withholding
of any of the money earned by Pacific
railways by Government Transportation,
and thereby relieved the companies
from the payment of interest on the
bonds issued to them 10y Government.
WEDNESDAY,, Jan. 15.-ThG Senate
passed bills for a CuStom-hOuSe at Mem
| phis, Tenn, and to settle a Wisconsin
land claim. A bill was reported from
the Finance Committee to require Ma
tiOnal banks to restore their diminished
capital, and %fOrbidding other banks or
institutions to Use the word "~national'
as part of their title or firm style. The
pOst-Office bill, apprOpriating $32, $780,
600, was reported in the House. Fur
Their instructions were given to the
Credit MObilier investigating committee
III reference to the hiring, bribing, or
election of Congressman. A bill passed
relieving State insurance companies
from the operations of the bankruptcy
acts, if proceedings are taken against
them in State courts. The conference
report on the. bill relieving Theodore
Adams was agreed to, giving him S112,-
TAO, for naval construction. The bill
for the establishment of the Qndian)
Territory Of Oklahama was discussed.
The Senate passed the bills regulat-
Ling the pay of Territorial officers and
Legislatures, and remitting the Terri
torial penitentiaries to Territorial con
troll, and increased the House a%ppropGia-
ton for the Vienna Exposition to $780,
nance Committee to provide for a re-
turn to specie payment. The House
bill to incorporate the LOOmis Aerial
Telegraph Company was passed. A
resolution passed instructing the Com
mittee on Elections to inquire whether
a legal State government exists in
Louisiana. The Secretary of the Treasu-
~ was called on for information as to
whether the Pacific railroads have COM
piled with the act of 1862, which re-
Quires five per cent. Of their net earn
ings to be paid on their bonds. A bill
passed fixing the second Monday in
October for the opening of the annual
session of the United States Supreme
Court. The House laid on the table the
bill creating the Territory of Oklahama
Qndian), and passed the bill amending
the Agricultural College act Extending
the time.) ...
The Senate passed bills appropriating
| EOUUSUuU luz llIC ' 1GllIIh LAuUSLGlOuS IT.
pealing the act for the relief of certain
and to revise and amend the laws re-
lating to the minis, assay offices and
coinage. Senator Morton delivered a
speech in favor Of the election of Presi-
dent and Vice President directly by the
people (abOlishing electoral cOlleges),
and of constituting the Supreme Court
a tribunal to determine contested cleo
tions. The House disposed of some
private bills.
SATURDAY, Jan. 18.-The Senate was
not in session. In the House, Mr..
Moore (Rep., H., from the Committee
on Pensions, reported a bill to revise
the pension laws in some particulars,
which was discussed and passed. The
House proceeded to vote, under the
operation of the previous question, on
the bill to quiet land titles in Iowa.
The bill passed-yeas, "a; nays, 70. 1t
provides that the title to lands in Iowa
heretofore approved and testified by
the Department of the Interior for rail-
road purposes, to aid in the cOnstT1C-
Iowa City to Council Bluffs, under the
grants made by Congress, according to
the adjustment thereof made at the
general land office, shall be confirmed
to the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad
Company and the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific Railroad Company and
their assigns, the corporations to whom
the lands were certified. This act is to
be construed as conveying only any re-
yersionary Or other interest which the
United States may have in the lands,
and all lands settled upon in good faith
and now occupied by homestead or
presumption settlers are to be excluded
from its operations. A large number
of bills of a private character were dis
posed of, and the House adjourned.