Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1874-12-22
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

In the Senate, on the 18th instant, pros
test in behalf of $4,000 colored voters Of In
diana was presented denouncing the recent
decision of the Supreme Court of that State
against mixed schools and asking that the At
torney General be directed to appeal the case
to the United States Supreme Court A bill
was introduced making an appropriation to
continue the Improvement of the Great Ka-
nawha river West Virginia A bill was
passed for the relief of those settlers on public
lands Who were ravaged by grasshoppers last
summer. In the House many bills were in
troduced and appropriately referred, among
them bill to repeal the stamp tax on checks
and drafts; to kill the ''press gag law" by al
lowing parties indicted for libel to be tried in
a court of the district where the libel may be
print. to reduce letter postage tn one cent
for the relief of the Southern States by
comp romise in settlement of their debts; to
repeal the law requiring prepayment on news
papers and periodicals /; to relieve all savings
banks of taxation; to authorize payment of
one>half of duties on imports in legal.tender
notes. The Secretary of War was directed to
furnish statement of the number of United
States troops in Alabama last election day the
places where they were stationed, and wheth
er they acted as posse for United States
marshals also how government rations were
distributed to sufferers by the overflow of the
Tombigbee river An Intellectual effort was
made to put on its passage the bill to repeal
the "gag law" and the bill was referred to
the judiciary committee
In the Senate, on the. 18th, a resolution
was introduced providing for the election of
the President and Yice>President by direct
popular vote In the House bill was in,
tro1uced for the relief of trustees of the
Episcopal Theological Seminary of Virginia;
aIso. by Mr.. Poland, bill to regulate the gag
law in the District of Columbia
In the Senate, on the 10th, motion to
make special order for Monday the House
bull to restore to the pension rolls the names
of those persons stricken therefrom in con-
sequence of disloyalty was rejected by vote
of 20 to II. In the House. on the discussion
of m ton to strike out the appropriation of
500, 900 for the purchase of official postage
stamps for the Treasury Department, which
was rejected by vote of II yeas to II nays
Mr. Garfield stated that the abolition of the
franking privilege had not met the economi>
cal expectations of its advocates but had in
creased the deficit of the PostOfice Depart
ment Mr. Kelley. of Pennsylvania, said
that the repeal of the franking privilege was
obtained by fraud. baskets full and barrels
full of memorials, printed at the public ex
pense and issued at the edct of Postmaster
General Creswell, having been sent to Con
gress, with the allegation that the repeal would
save the government $4,000, 900, whereas it
has actually entailed greater expense Sew
eral members urged the restoration of the
ranking system.
In the Senate, on rhe 18th. the bill pro-
viding new form of government for the Dis
rrct of Columbia was discussed In the
House the legislative appropriation bill was
considered in committee of the whole
o. the 18th. both Houses of Congress par-
'icipared IN formal reception of the King ~
the Sandwich Islands. and but little business
was transacted.