Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-12-25


the use of the franking privilege, pald 10
Senators, Representatives, and delegates IN Inc
Forty-frst Congress; and report Dill determlh-
ing the compensation Of Senators, Representatives
and delegates ihCongress hereafter, at the amount
as near as practicable thus ascertaineo, wi IN ne,
cessary individual expenses. and restoring All
other salaries as they were before the passage OF
that act. The bill appropriating Si,u0otoo Tor
the extraordinary expenses of The naval service
was debated III Committee of the Whole, reported
to the House and passed. Adjourned to the
18th.
In the Senate, on the 10Th, bills were
introduced to provide for the construction of Fort
ST. Philip Canal and its maintenance rs national
public highway: to repeal the tax of ten per cent.
the circulation of bank notes, to take effect
July /, 1874 A report was made from the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections that the COM
mittee had considered the contested election
OF +. b. s. Pinchback and General Mcmillan,
claiming seats as Senators from LOUISIANA, ana
were evenly divided. The whole matter was
ordered referred TO the Senate, and a resolution
introduced that the credentials OF t. Il. >.
Pinchback are formal, and he Is entitled to seat
in the Senate, having prima facie case. The
House bill to provide for the redemption OF the
loan of 1858 passed with several unlmportant
amendments. Resolutions concerning financial
affairs were debated at considerable length.
Adjourned.
In the House, on the 10Th, large num-
Der of bills were introduced and referred, among
which were-for the better preservation of the
harbors and channels of the lakes; for the issue
of convertible bonds, and a reduction of the in
terest on the funded debt to put printing paper,
type, etc on the free list; authorizing National
banks TO withdraw their bonds In proportion to
the reduction of their circulation; in aid of the
execution of the laws in Utah; for the survey Of a
ship canal from Lake Michigan to the Wabash
River; for the survey of the Tennessee and Hia-
vase Rivers for canal over the Muscle Shoals
in the Tennessee River; for survey and report of
the cost of double track railway from Omaha to
New York City for the transportation OF heavy
freight; for the Improvement Of the Missouri River
to make Sioux City port Of entry; to impose a tax
on incomes of $1,000 and over; TO regulate com
merce between the States, and to regulate reason
able rates of railway charges for freight; for a
and read to repeal the Bankruptcy law. "A pre-
amble and resolution was reported from
the Committee on Appropriations, and
financial embarrassment makes it the duty of Con-
gress to reduce expenditures to the lowest point
consister. with the necessities of the Government;
and that, the Secretary of the Treasury had rec
commended, in an official letter to the Committee
of Ways and Means, an increase in certain duties
and internal taxation. therefore it is resolved that
the President be requested to a revision Of
the estimates of the appropriations required for the
service of the Government for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1875, to be made by the
to be made to the House, if possible, as early as
the 9th of January next, setting forth in detail
what public expenditures for the current fiscal
year, and what estimates, for the next fiscal year.
without serious detrlment to the public service.
4 joint resolution adopted to adjourn from
December 10 to January g.. Adjourned.
In the Senate, on the 10Th, bills were
introduced amendatory of the enrolment and
license laws; to establish an iron ship building
yard on the waters of the Atlantic and in the Mis-
sissippi Valley, to afford facilities to the
navy; to facilitate the asserting and re-
deeming of National Bank note currency, and to
authorize an issue Of circulating notes to the
amount OF nlncty-two per cent. in lieu of the
ninety per cent. now authorized by law. Several
bills were reported from committees "A bill was
passed amendatory of the act TO reduce duties on
imports and to reduce internal taxes. The
luton for the admission Of Mr.. Pinchback "a Sen
ator from Louisiana was taken up, and MIR. Morton
addressed the Senate in behalf of the resolution
-..Adjourned.
In the House, on the 18th, the bill
repeating the Bankruptcy law was debated at con-
siderable length and passed-220 to a. 1t pro-
vdes that ''all suits and proceedings now pending
in the courts of the United States, wherein an adj
publication of bankruptcy has been made, shall be
proceeded with and governed by the provisions of
the existing laws, which are hereby continued in
force only for the purpose of closing up suits and
proceedings now pending: pro0ided that, from and
after the passage or this act the fees. commissions
and charges of officers and agents of courts in
bankruptcy cases shall be reduced to one half of
the fees, commissions and charges heretofore al
lowed. The Select Committee Salaries re-
ported 4 Oil All the prONHlDHS OF the act
of March 3, 1873, which increases the salary or
compensation of Senator'S Representatives and
delegates in Congress, or of any officer employe
of the Government except so far az relates to
Judges of the Supreme Court and to the President
OF The United States during his present term of
office, and providing that hereafter the compensa-
ton of Senators Representatives, and delegates
in Congress shall be at the rate of $500
per annum, and this shall be in lieu of all
allowances except actual and necessary in
dividual travelling expenses coming to and re-
session, and requiring The Secretary of the Trea-
sury 10 cover into The Treasury all sums that may
remain undrawn or that have been received as in
creased compensation, which shall may have
come into his possession by the return thereof
After considerable discussion, an amendment to
this bill was agreed to-172 to 77-making the re-
duction of members salaries take effect from the
4th of March, 1873. Adjourned.
In the Senate, On the 18th, several
resolution of instructions to committees were
passed. "A bill was introduced to reimburse West
Virginia for losses caused by the Federal troops
during the late of the rebellion. :. The House
resolution fixing the time of adjournment for the
holidays was taken up, and after de-
bate, a motion to indefinitely postpone
its further consideration was adopted-37 to q w
The House bill TO repeal the Bankrupt act was
referred to the Judiciary Committee The
House bill making special appropriation of ST.,
000,0O0 for the navy taken up and, after CON
siderable discussion, was passed-46 to Z. Ad-
journed
In the House, on the 18th, the Senate
amendments to the bill for the redemption OF the
loan - 1859 were concurred in. Several resolu-
tons of instruction were passed to allow diStillery
warehouses to be continued in their management
The Salary question then came up, and ex-
citing debate ensued. and amid much confusion the
following substitute for the bill reported from the
committee was finally adopted 122 to 74-and
motion to reconsider was made and laid on the
table: That from and after the passage of this
act the compensation of Senators, Representatives
and delegates shall be at the rate Of Sc 600 per
num- payable monthly, and, in addition thereto
actual individual expenses of each Senator
Representative. and delegate in going to and re-
turning from the seat Of Government once in
each session, to be certified in writing by each
That the compensation of the Speaker of the
House of Representatives shall be $1,000 in ad-
diiion 10 his pay as Representative, amounting in
all to 600; and that of the Vice President shall
be the amount, with the same allowance
FOR travelling expenses as hereinbefore provid-
ed. That all laws and parts of laws incon-
sistent with the provisions of the hereby re-
pealed. That the Secretary of the Treasury is re-
qured to into the Treasury all sums that NAV
remain undrawn, or which have been received as
increased compensation under the provisions of
said act approved March 3, 1873, which shall have
or may come into his possession by the return
thereof. Adjourned
In the Senate, on the 18th petition
was presented and referred from citizens of Kan
sas, asking for the passage of law allowing SOL
diers of The late bounty of 100 acres of land
1.-THE House bin to establish the compensation
of Senators, Representative, and Delegates was
taken up, read twice, and referred to the Commit
tee on the Civil Service and RetrenchmentA
lengthy debate was had Oh the question of finances
and after short debate on the House resolution
for adjournment over the holidays, the Senate ad-
journed.
In the House, on the 18th, a lengthy
personal discussion occurred between Messrs.
Hale, Wilson, Eldridge and Butler, concerning the