Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-03-14
Review of the Fo1ty-second Congress

The forty-second Congress- which closed It's
sessions on Tuesday last, commenced us career
on the 4th of March 1871. During the first
session the measure of leading interest ana
importance which was passed was the no'orl-
Gus enforcement act. This bill continues IN
force, with the exception of the fourth section,
authorizing the President to suspend the writ
of habeas corpus, which section expired by
Limitation al the close of the succeeding SEES
sion of Congress, in June, 1872.
In the Spring Of 1872 the treaty OF Wash
ington was ratified by the Senate The mea-
sure of greatest imporiace considered during
the second session by both houses was the
amnesty act, impeded long time by the per-
sistency of Mr.. Sumner in attempting TO en-
graf; upon it his famous civil rights bill. 1t
was finally passed without Mr.. Summers
amendment, but still not a complete amnesty
act. 1t removed the disabilities imposed un-
der the fourteenth amendment except those of
members of the thirty-sixth and thirty seventh
Congresses, officers of the judicial, military or
naval service, heads Of departments and foreign
ministers who afterwards took part with the
South. These exceptions it was estimated
embraced some three hundred persons many
of whom have since been relieved by special
acts
The next most important acts were those
repeating the duties on tea and coffee the re-
40 per cent, lead rs percent, on many other
articles 10 per cent, admitting hides free,
with many other additions 10 the free list,
principally drugs and chemicals. Most Of the
internal revenue duties, except those on malt
and spiritous liquors and a few stamp duties,
were also repealed. The total reduction was
about S53 900, 900. The reapporiionment bill
passed at the same session increasing the num-
her OF Representatives 10 292: various amend
81, ol. nd
also the abolishng the offices of assessors of
the internal revenue.
During the third session, which commenced
also in December, much time has been expend-
ed in the notorious corruption investigations,
the five in the whole flock resulting in the
bringing down to ccnsnre two members of the
House The act of most general importance
passed Mt this session WAS that ahOishng the
ranking privilege, which was followed by
The increase Of the salaries of the President to
$50, 900, Yice-President, Speaker and Justice
of the Supreme Court, and CABINET officers 10
$40, 900, Senators, Representatives and Dele
gates ST, 500, Assistant Secretaries Of the
Treasury, State and Interior Sc, 900 Bills
were also passed for the construction of eih hit
steam sloops of war. II must also be recorded
that Congress has directed the Secretary of the
Treasury to withhold the earning of the Pacif-
ic railways, and has ace orded to the companies
the right TO bring the question before The
courts whether the payments of those earnings
from the government is legally due while the
interest on the bonds loaned by the country
remains'unpaid. Congress has also ordered
suit 10 be begun against these companies to
recover the proceeds of loans and lands from
the United States misappropriated through
fraudulent contracts or other illegal practices.
This suit will embrace not only shareholders
in the companies. but all who have parlicipa-
ted in the unlawful profits.