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

Treasury to cover into the Treasury all sums
that may remain undrawn, or that have b7en
received as increased compensation, which
shall or may have come into his pos
session by the return thereof. Mr.. kasson
offered an amendment making the reduction
of salaries take effect from the 4th of March,
| 1878. Mr.. Butler, Of Massachusetts,, offered
an amendment to Mr.. Kasson's amendment,
providing further that members of Congress
who were members of any Congress and who
received back pay under acts passed at that
| Congress, shall have the amount due them for
this Congress. General laughter and hand
clapping all over the house, Mr.. Buffers
amendment was rejected yeas 121, NAYS l29 !;
Mr.. kasson's amendment was then adopted,
yeas 172, nays II; and without any further
action the House adjourned.
Senate.
MONDAY, December 15.--Bills were
introduced to provide for the construction of
the Fort st. Phillip canal and it's maintenance
as national public highway; to repeal the
tax of 10 per cent. on the circulation Of bank
notes, to take effect Jan. l, 1874. The Com
! mi tee on Elections reported that they were
evenly divided on the Louisiana contested
election case Of Pinchback and Gen. McMll-
! Ian, and asked that the whole matter be re-
ferred to the Senate. Laid over. Mr. Conk-
ling presented petition of ship owners
touching the Geneva award: Mr.. Sherman,
back the House bill TO provide for
the redemption of the loan OF 1853.
It was passet /, with several unimpOr-
tant amendments. The resolution reported
by Mr.. Sherman, of the Finance Committee,
last week, was then taken up. Ferry, of
Michigan, offered as a substituteTo the reso-
luton recently introduced by him, directing
the Finance Committee TO report such meas
ures as would establish free banking, increase
the volume OF currency 500, 100000, and
make the whole currency Government ISSUE.
The resolution was laid over. The bill to au-
thorize the organization of national banks
without circulation was taken up, but with
out taking vote the Senate went into exeeu-
session and soon after adjourned.
House.
Bills were introduced to protect ship
ping on the Atlantic from destructive Eastern
gales also, for the better preservation OF
harbors, channels and lakes for the issue OF
convertible bonds, and reduction of interest
on the funded debt ; to put printing paper,
type, ETC., on the free list; to allow producers
to sell their tobacco without tax ; for reci-
procal free trade with Spanish American pos
sessions authorizing national banks to with
draw bonds in proportion to the reduction of
circulation granting pension to the widow
Of General Candy IN aid OF the execution OF
the laws O. Utah for survey for a
ship canal from Lake Michigan to
! the Wabash river; for survey OF
! the Tennessee and Hiawasse rivers /;
for the issue of National currency /;
! for canal over the Mussel Shoals ia the Ten
nessee River for a survey and report OF the
cost of double-track railroad from Omaha
| to New York city, for the transportation OF
heavy freight; for the improvement of the
Missouri River to prescribe the time for the
election OF Representatives in Congress to
make Sioux City port Of entry; to impose
a tax on incomes of $4,000 and over to reg.
ulate commerce between States, and to reg
ulate reasonable rates Ofrailroad charges for
freight for transcontinental railroad to
transfer to the War Department the manage
ment Of Indian affairs to establish ter
ritorial government in Pembina. The total
number OF bills introduced were over 300. A
memorial signed by over 5000 druggists and
chemists, was read, asking for repeal of the
stamp-tax on medicinal preparations, or a
modification of the law to cOnine the tax to
patent or proprietary medicines. Mr.. Hoar
offered a resolution instructing the Judici-
airy Committee to inquire and report wheth-
er action of the House is required con-
corning the official conduct Of the Judge of
the United States Court for the I istrict of
Alabama. Mr.. Tremain, from the Committee
on Judiciary, reported bill to repeal the
| bankruptcy law, aud moved to suspend the
rules to bring the bill before the House. Mr..
Garfield offered resolution for revision of
the estimates Of expenditures for the next
fiscal year, which was, after considerable dis
CuSSIOn, dQODC0Q. "A resolution was adopted
to adjourn over from December 10 to January
6. Adjourned.
House.
FRIDAY, December 12.-The Senate
bill removing the political disabilities from
Thomas S. Boeock, E. J. Harvey, and Daniel
Trigg, Of Virginia, and John R. Egan, Of Tex
as, was passed. The Speaker laid before the
| House communication from the Secretary of
| War "a limo tO 6nfa II in, bo
accounts Of Gen. O. O. Howard, Of the Freed
mems Bureau, and at the request of Mr.
| Wood, the letter, with accompanying dccu
ments. was referred to the.committee on mil
itary affairs. The consideration of the back
pay repeal bill was then resumed, and after
debate it was re-committed.
Senate.
THURSDAY, December Ex-senator
Carpenter was elected President pro tenn of the
Senate, the Democrats voting for Senator
/ Thurman. On taking the chair, Mr.. Carpen-
| ter simply said !" Senators, please accept nv
thanks' Mr.. Sumner called up the bill in
trodueed by him on the first day of the ses-
sion for the substitution of compound-interest
for legal-tender notes, ETC., and addressed the
Senate in favor thereof. He said he was for
specie payment at the earliest day, and would
| support any measure to secure that end
| He said initiation was death to business.
/ Contraction was the proposed remedy. bill
removing The political disabilities of Thomas
Babcock (of Virginia), John Fl. Logan (of
Kentucky, and others, passed. Mr.. Gordon
| introduced a bill to repeal the section of the
bill of March g. 1878, forbidding the free
transmission Of periodicals, magazines, and
newspapers through the United States mails,
] and restoring that privilege The Senate
/ Committee on Transportation Routes were
authorized to hold sessions during the holt
day recess at such places as they choose to
select. Mr.. Ramsey int oduced bill extend
ing the time for the completion Of the
ST. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Mr.. Cor
don offered resolution requesting the
Postmaster General to state what amount
of expense has been saved to the
government by the abolition of the
! ranking privilege, and how much less postal
appropriation viii be required for the postal
service by the abolition Of said ranking privi-
! lege. Mr. Howe introduced bill relative to
the liqr Or traffic. 1t provides for the appoint
ment by the President, with the consent OF
| the Senate, OF five commissioners to inyesti-
gate the alcoholic liquor traffic IL its econo.
mic, criminal, moral and scientific aspects, in
connection with pauperism, crime, social vice.
public health, and the general welfare OF the
people, and who shall also inquire
and take testimony as to the prac-
tcable results Of license, restrict
i've and prohibitory legislation for
the prevention of intemperance in the sew
ara1 states of the Union The commissioners