Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-12-12
WHAT THEY DO AT WASHINGTON.

WHAT THEY Do AT WASHINGTON.
BILLS INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS- RE
SUMPTION OF SPECIAL PAYMENT-GEN-
ERAL AMNEsTY-THE VIRGINIA MEM
BERs-THE JAMES RIVER & KANAwHA
CANAL.
&c., &C., &c.
Congress has not been very interesting
this week. Except resolution to accord
belligerent rights to the Cubans which at
tracted very little attention, no notice has
been taken of the Cuban imbroglio. The
resolution was laid on the table. Many
resolutions were introduced for the repeal
of the back pay grab, and several bills to
modify the bankrupt law out Of exis-
tence. We give below the noticeable pro-
ceedings of the week:
| BILLS OFFERED IN THE HOUSE.
Mr.. Harris, of Virginia, introduced a
| bill authorizing the Washington, Cincin-
natl and Saint Louis Railroad Company to
extend their road into the District of Co
| lumbia which was read a first and second
time, referred to the Committee on Com
MERGE when appointed, and ordered to be
printed also bill for the relief Of Perry
Broyles; which was read a first and second
time, referred to the Committee Of Claims
| when appointed, and ordered to be printed;
| also bill for the relief of G.. w. Taylor,
| late Postmaster at Winchester, Virginia !.
which was read first and second time, re-
| ferred to the committee Of Claims when
appointed, and ordered to be printed also
| introduced bill for the relief Of William
| T. Simms which was read first and Sec
| ond time, referred to the Committee of
| Claims when appointed, and ordered to be
printed also bill for the relief of
| Thomas Burke; which was read first and
second time, referred to the Committee on
| War Claims when appointed, and ordered
| to be printed also bill to authorize the
extension of the patent of James III. Lilley
for an improved instrument for surveying
and calculating areas which was read a
| first and second time, referred to the Com
mittee on Patents when appointed, and Or
| dered to be printed also bill to restore
| to the pension roll the name of Nancy
| Cloud, widow of William Cloud, a revolu-
tionary pensioner which was read a first
and second time, referred to the COMMITTEES
on War Claims when appointed, and or
dered to be printed also a bill for the re-
lief of Burke and Kunkel; which was read
a first and second time, referred to the
| Committee on War Claims when appoint
ed, and ordered to be printed also a bill
| to pay for quartermasters' and commissary
stores, when purchased and receipted for,
| without requiring an oath of past loyalty 4;
which was read a first and second time, re-
ferred to the Committee on War Claims
when appointed, and ordered to be printed;
also bill to authorize the Postmaster
General to credit the poStmasterS in States
lately in rebellion with all stamps and
stamped envelopes taken from them by par
amount force or lost or destroyed without
the fault of said postmasterS, and to refund
any money since paid for the same SO
taken, lost, or destroyed which was read
first and second time, referred to the
Committee on War Claims when appoin.
ted, and ordered to be printed also a bill
tween the United States and the several
States, out of moneys expended by said
States in the war Of 1912 (; which was read
first and second time, referred to the
Committee ON War Claims when appoint.
ed, and ordered to be printed also bill
to repeal so much of the act of March 8,
1873, as prohibits the free exchange OF
newspapers and periodicals and the free
circulation of weekly newspapers within
the counties where published ; which was
read first and second time, referred to
the Committee and Post Roads when ap-
pointed, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. Whitehead introduced bill for the
relief Of the sheirs Of VIM. A.. Graham
which was read first and second time,
referred to the Committee ON Patents
when appointed, and ordered to be print
ed.
THEJAMES RIVER AND KANAWHA CANAL.
Senator Boreman's bill to complete a
water highway from tide-water to the
Ohio river directs the Secretary of War to
lay, construct, enlarge, and improve a
waterway from tide-water on James riv-
er, at Richmond to the Ohio river at the
mouth of the Kanawha. in West Virginia,
by way of the James River and Kanawha
canal, the James, Jackson, Greenbrier.
New and Kanawha rivers by canal, slack
water, OF open river navigation not less
than 70 feet wide, feet deep, with locks
not less than 120 feet long and 20 feet
wide, and with capacity for vessels Of at
least 2S0 tons burden. The States of Vir-
ginia and West Virginia are to convey to
the United States their interest in the
property or finances Of the corporation
! having claim to the continued line of
water communication projected and in
| part completed by the State of Virginia.
| The cost Of the work is then to be betrayed
| by the issuance and sale of United States
| ten-ffty four-and-a-half per cent. bonds to
the amount of eight million dollars Pro-
vision is also made for the purchase by the
| Secretary of War of the private stock in
1 the James River and Kanawha Canal Com
pany at a price not exceeding $25 per share,
and also for the appointment of commits
sioners to equip, maintain, and manage
said waterway when completed-one each
/ to be appointed from the States of Penn
| sylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana. Ohio,
| Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia.
| ,4. EDUCATION.
| Mr.. Sener, of Virginia, introduced in the
| House of Representatives bill to estab-
| lish an educational fund, and to apply the
proceeds of the public lands to the educa-
tion Of the people. The bill sets apart the
net proceeds of the public lands forever for
| the education of the people, and is identi-
! cal with the bill reported by Mr.. Perez, of
| Mississippi, from the Committee on Edu-
| cation and Labor of the last Congress, and
| passed by the House on the 9Th of Febru-
airy, 1872, but which did not pass the SEN
ate.
GENERAL AMNESTY.
Mr.. Maynard, of Tennessee, from the
House committee on rules, reported bill
removing all political disabilities and de-
claring genercl amnesty. Also repeating
what is known as the test or iron-clad
oath of 1862, and prescribing the modified
oath as the one to be taken by all officials.
]