Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-02-21
General News summary.
CONGRESS-.

Dassed-tO continue the southern Claims Com
mission; authorizing the Secretary of War to
have monument erected at Salisbury N. c., to
the Union soldiers who died there in prison;
granting right of way over public lands to the
Denver, Georgetown & Utah Railroad Company,
and to the Denver, South Park and Pacific Rail-
road Company, Colorado; to remit the excise tax
upon alcohol used by universities and colleges for
scientific purposes; amendatory of the act TO
promote the development of the mining resources
of the United States extending the
time when the first annual expenditur.e;
June 10, 1874. H0ase-A Among the bills passed were
authorizing the President to negotiate for the ces-
sion of portion of the Creek reservation to the
Seminole and Sac Indians; to pay the heirs of
George c. Bestar of Peoria, $125000, for losses in
constructing an iron-cad steamer; authorizing
the building of the Montana & Wyoming Railroad.
80. The River and Harbor bill, appropriating
were introduced and referred. The Army
bill, appropriating $31,311: :953, was con-
to the House The bill further amending the
postal laws making letter postage after July two
cents, was reported and an amendment was adopt
ed striking out the words actually and wholly
from the section rel iting to weekly newspapers,
so that it will not exclude thoee country weekly
papers having portion of theiredtions printed in
large cities Other amendments were made, and
the bill was passed as amended. It provides:
SEC. /. That on and after the 1st day of July
next on all mail matter which is wholly or partly
in writing, except book, magazine, and newspaper
authors and publishers, and excepting also c0rre-
spondence or postal cards, on all printed matter
which is so marked as to convey any other or FUR
ther information than is conveyed by original
print, except correction of mere Typographical err
rors on all matter which is sent in violation of
law or regulation of the Department re.
specting Enclosures and on all matter to which no
specific rate OF postage is assigned. postage shall
be charged at rate of two cents for each half
ounce or fraction thereof, and this provision shall
include all letters commonly known as drop, or
letters delivered thrOUOh their
carriers; and magazine manuscripts and news
paper manuscripts are hereby declared TO belong
to the third class of mailable matter.
SEC. O. That from and after the first day of JAN
uary next, under such regulations and in such
manner as the Postmaster General shall prescribe
postage provided by law to be paid upon printed
matter or mailable matter of the second class shall
in all be prepaid and collected at the offices
respectively where such matter shall be mailed
and the postage on daily newspapers not exceed
ing four ounces each copy in weight shall be char
ed and collected at the rate of fifteen cents per quar-
ter: P7O0ided that weekly newspapers within the
respective counties where the same are printed
and published, and none other, may pass through
the mails free of postage provided in the eighth
clause of section 1874 of the act to revise consOi
date and amend the statutes relating to the post
office department.
SEC. g. That any person who shall take any let
ter postal card or packet out of any post office or
branch post-ofce, or from any letter or mailcarrer
or which has been in any post-office or branch
postofce. or in the custody of any letter or mail
carrier before it shall have been delivered to the
person to whom it was directed, with the design
to obstruct correspondence or pry into the busi-
secrets of another, or shall secrete, embeZ
Zle or destroy the same, SHALL on conviction there
of, for every such offense, forfeit and pay PEN
atty not exceeding $500, or be imprisoned at hard
labor not exceeding year, or both, at the dis
Cretion OF the court.
FEBRUARY 12.-SenGte-A bill was
passed to amend the act providing for holding
United States Circuit Courts in the Western Dis
rio nf Tho 10
to the bill making provision for the Vienna Expo
sition were concurred in....A bill was passed
changing the time of holding United States Courts
in Minnesota.
THE ELECTORAL VOTE
The Senate and House met in joint convention
on the 18th for the purpose of counting the cleo
toral vote for President and Vice-President. The
VicePresident called the convention to order, and
the announcement of the votes of the Electoral
College was made Objections were made to the
counting of the votes of the States of Georgia.
Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. and
the votes of Georgia, Arkansas and Louisiana
were rejected, and those of Mississippi and Texas
counted. After the counting of the votes from
the different States the ViCe-President announced
the general result to be the election of Grant and
Wilson, they having received majority of the
whole number of Electoral votes.
FEBRUARY REHABILITATION were
presentation the passage of the Soldiers Home
stead bill; in favor of the Bounty land bill...
Several bills were reported from committees -. "A
pay the expenses of the Committee to investigate
the charges of bribery in the late Senatorial
election in Kansas "A bill was introduced pro-
hibiing the several Territories of the Union from
giving or loaning their credit to railroad compa-
MES. :. The Naval Appropriation bill was taken
up, and several amendments were agreed to.
HOuSe-BiIls were passed authorizing the con-
struction of railroad bridge over the Arkansas
River at Van Buren; Senatebill in relation to
mineral lands ;. .Messrs. Dawes and Beck were
appointed Committeet to notify the President
and Vice President-elect of their election. 49,.
Several bills were reported from committees.
FEBRUARY 14.-Sennte-A series of
resolutions congratulating Spain upon the estab-
lishment of arepublican form of government were
offered and laid over. Several bills intro
duced, among them one to declare Inauguration
Day legal holiday. The Vice-President ap-
pointed Messrs. Cragin, Logan and Bayard on the
tions for the Inauguration. The House bill to
consolidate and amend the pension laws
was amended to limit the .Sel1 compen-
and in several other particulars, and the bill as
amended was passed. >. The Naval Appropriation
bill was taken up and amendments were agreed to.
-. The Conference report Onthe Fortlfcatlon Ap-
preparation bill was concurred in. message
was received from the President calling the atten-
ton of Congress to the danger OF conflict be-
tween the Federal and the Territorial authorities
in Utah. H0uSe--Conference reports were
made and agreed to on the Fortifcation and on
the Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation bills.
"A TeSOlut1OD was OUGf6Q relaIlDS 10 Jno SpdIl-
ish Republic, utobjection being made, it was not
entertained. =. The Sundry Civil Appropriation
bill, appropriating $27,958, ,S29 was considered in
Committee of the Whole. The bin for the dis
tribution of the Geneva award was debated.
FEBRUARY 15.-Sendte-Mr. Sherman,
from the committee to notify the President and
Vice -President-elect of their election, made re-
port to the effect that the committee had perform
ed that duty, and had been charged by those gen.
tlemen to report to the two houses their accept
of the trusts confded to them, and their obli-
cations to the people for that mark of their conf
deaver to discharge faithfully the duties of their
respective offices. Several amendments were
reported to the Post Office Appropriation bill,
among which were the following: Prohibiting the
transmission of any free matter whatever, not ex-
ceptng newspaper exchanges; authorizing the
employment of an additional Special Agent to de-
tect persons sending obscene matter. :. A rule
was adopted limiting debate ON the Appropriation
bills to five minutes to each speaker. The Con.
ference report on the Consular and Diplomatic
Appropriation bill was agreed to. The Naval
Appropriation bill was considered. R0use---Mr
Dawes, from the committee to notify the Presi-
dent and Vice-President-elect of their election
made report similar to that of the committee OF
the Senate on the same subject. Bills were
passed-making unlawful any contract with
Indians relative to land claims, made prior to
May 21, 1872. unless in writing and approved by
distribution of the Geneva award-122 to 81
providing that the fund shall be
distributed: l. To such citizens and cor
porations were actual owners of property de-
stroyed at the time of its destruction who shall be
paid actual indemnity where not insured or insur
ance was not received 2. To indemnify officers
and crews captured. 8. Losses to the extent not
covered by insurance paid. 4. To the United
States for vessels lost, the same as for private
vessels lost. s. To repay extra premiums paid fol
war risks by yessel-owners and shippers. 6. TIC
insurance companies having paid losses whose wal
losses paid exceeded their war premiums.
FEBRUARY ,17.-Senats-A majority Of
the Caldwell Investigation COMMITTEES favored de
claring his election to the Senate from Kansas in
| valid, and Mr.. Morton reported the evidence il