Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-12-24
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS,
Senate.

! OoEsSNA0SIOluHA U nCVAkDtV0Va
Senate.
! WEDNESDAY, December 1.-THE
House bill increasing the number of seamen
/ in the Navy to 10000 men came up, but went
over. Mr. Davis introduced bill to rein-
burse West Virginia for losses caused by Fed
eral troops dvring the late war. Mr.. Sumner
introduced resolution instructing the Com
mlttee on Finance to inquire into the expe.
dlency of abollshing the Office of Commissioner
of Internal Revenue and other Offices I'M
der him, and that international taxation be
collected by stamps, unstamped articles to be
liable to seizure and cOnfscatiOn by any Uni.
ted States Court, the law to be enforced under
| the directiO OF the Secretary Of the Treasury.
Passed. A resolution was also adopted, di-
recting the Committee on Finance to report
| whether more efficient provisions of law are
not required to restrain national banks from
charging. receiving, and taking higher
rate ct interest than lB allowed by
law to be taken. The Committee on Pensions
were directed to inquire into the expediency
| OF amending the pension laws SO as to allow
| the same pension for tn loss OF an arm above
the elbow as for the loss of a leg above the
knee. Mr.. Fenton addressed the Senate on
| the resolution reported by the Committee on
Finance last week. The bill for the relief of
Of the Usage settlers was referred to the Judi
ciary Committee, The House resolution for
a recess during the holidays was indefinitely
/ postponed-yeas 81, nays II. The House bill
to repeal the bankrupt act was referred to the
judiciary Committee. The House bill MAX
ing a special appropriation of $4,000 tor
the navy was passed. after debate-yeas 46.
nays 7. Without transacting any further
business of Importance, the Senate adjourned
at 5 O'Clock.
The Judiciary Committee were au-
thorized to send for persons and papers in
the inquiry as to the official conduct of Judge
Bunsteed, of Alabama, and a resolution in
structng the same committee to inquire and
report whether Judge Durrell, OF Louisiana,
should be impeached for high crimes and mis-
demeanors, with power to send for persons
and papers. Resolutions were adopted in
structing the Committee on Expenditures on
Public Buildings to inquire into the manage
ment of moneys appropriated for public build
ings: also instructing the Committee on For
eign Affairs to inquire into the expediency OF
reviving and re-adjusting the compensation
of consular officers, The Senate amendments
to the bill for the redemption Of the
loan of 1853 were accepted and the bill passed.
The bill to allow distillery warehouses
| to be continued III use after changes In the
management was passed. The salary repeal
bill was taken up, and the House became a
theatre of excitement and confusion. Vari-
Gus amendments were offered and rejected,
. after debate Finally, Mr.. Hurlbut, of Hill
lois, offered a substitute for the original bill,
which passed by vote of 122 to "a. The sub
stituSe fixed the salaries of Senators and
members of the House at S. 600, and actual
individual expenses in going to and returning
from Washington once IN each session. The
salary of the Vice President and Speaker is
fixed at $4,000, with actual travelling expenses
as in the case of Senators and Representa-
tives. The salaries Of the President and
judges Of the =. S. Supreme Court remain
unchanged. The Secretary of the Treasury
IS also instructed to cover into the Treasury
all sums of money remaining undrawn, under
the bill passed last winter. The House adj
IjOurned at 8 P. M.
s. Senate.
TUESDAY, December 16.-The Chap
lain, in his prayer, alluded to the death Of
Col. Dent, and invoked the consolation of Di-
vine Providence upon the President and fami-
ly. Abiding to the death of Agassiz, he in
yoked the same blessing upon sages and
scholars among whom prince had Just
fallen. Mr.. Merrill, from the Committee on
Appropriations, reported back the House bill
making special appropriation of 50, 900, 900
for the navy without amendment. The Dill
auth orizing the payment OF a portion of the
duties on imports IN legal tenders was re-
ported upon urfav orably by the Finance Com
mittee. Bills We're introduced: Amendatory
of the enrolment and license laws TO estab-
of the Atlantic, and one in the Mississippi
/ Valley, to afford facilities to the Navy:
to facilitate the asserting and redeeming of
national bank-note currency, and 10 authorize
the issue OF circulating notes to the amount of
80 per cent. in leu of the 80 per cent now
authorized by law. It authorizes the Presi-
dent to designate some one national bank in
New York city. with capital of at least ST.
00O,000, to act as asserting or redeeming
agent for all mutilated or soiled and worn-out
~
an account herewith and such banks as keep
with this depository an average balance of
per cent. on their circulation shall be entitled
to receive from the Controller of the Cur
rency notes to the amount of 80 per cent. on
their United States bonds deposited in the
Treasury as security for their circulatlen The
Finance Committee reported adversely on the
bill to repeal section six of the act o. March
3, 1865, imposing a tax OF ten per cent. on cir
culating bank notes. The Committee ais o re-
ported an act amendatory OF the act to reduce
duties on imports. and to reduce internal
taxes which provides that foreign merchan-
disc which arrived at q port Of the United
States on or before the 31st day of July, 1872.
and upon which duties were not paid prior to
i August Of that year, though the same were
not entered or transferred in a public store or
bonded warehouse, shall be entitled to the
benefits of the eighth section of the act of
June 6th 1872, the same as such merchandise
/ would have been entitled to had it actually
been in a public store or bonded warehouse
on or prior to the LIST of July Of that year.
Passed. The resolution to admit Pnchback
to seat in the Senate was debated by Measrs
Morton and Stockton, after which the Senate
went into executive session. Upon reopening
the doors the House resolution to adjourn
over duling the holidays, and the House Dill
to repeal the bankrupt act, were read for the
first time. Adjourned.
House.
A resolution was adopted instructing
the Committee on Civil Service Reform to in
ouire whether a reduction can be made on the
part of the civil service, in the number of Off
GERS employed and compensation, without
impalring the efficiency OF the service and
also the expediency of providing that all Off
Gals in the civil service shall receive as COM
pensation only such salary as shall be fixed
and determined by law. The House
then took up the bill reported from
the Judiciary Committee, to repeal the
bankruptcy act. After debate an amendment
was adopted that all suits and proceedings
ROW pending IL courts of the United Ssates
wherein an adjudication Of bankruptcy has
been made shall be proceeded with in, and
governed by, the provisions of existing laws.
which are hereby continued In force only for
the purpose Of closing up suits and proceed
ings now pending !; provided, that from and
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