National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1874-02-27
xLIIId CONGRESS.
SENATE.

SENATE.
Tho Senate discussed Mr.. Bayards resolution
calling upon the President TO inform the Senate
whether any officer Of the United States Army
on duty In South Carolina had been instru-
mental In procuring compensation from tho
State for his services. Tho resolution went
over.
Mr.. Boutwell,, Of Mass, introduced bill TO
provide for tho survey and disposal of timber
lands. Il requires such lands In tho mining
districts to DO surveyed In tracts Of 100 acres
each aud allows any person engaged In the
stumpage upon any such tract and remove
all the timber except one treo to the acre within
three years, paying therefor at the rate Of g. so
per acre. The Secretary Of tho Interior IL also
required to make surveys Of the timber lands
suitable for agricultural purposes, and any
homestead or presumption settler may enter not
exceeding forty acres Of said timber lands Ut
tho rate Of %. 80 per acre.
The Chair laid before the Senate resolutions
Of the Wisconsin Legislature, instructing the
delegation In Congress from that State to vote
for the passage OF the law reducing the pay OF
all civil and military employees Of the Govern
ment to scale commensurate with tho duties
performed BY them Referred to the Commit
tee on Civil Service and Retrenchment.
Mr.. Sargent presented memorial from Cali
fornia for the prevention Of the evils arising
from Chinese emigration.
Mr. Kelly Of orsgS presented scented petition Of
against his colleague, Mr. Mitchell, and asking
that tho same DO investigated by the Senate.
Refused.
Mr.. Wright, Of Iowa, presented . joint resolu-
ton Of the Iowa Legislature recommending the
adoption Of an amendment to tho Constitution
Of the United States providing that any increase
in the compensation Of members Of Congress
shall apply to future Congresses, and not to
the one making the law. Referred to the
Committee ON Privileges and Elections.
HOUSE. 4f
Mr.. Lowe, Of Kan, from the Committee on
Indian Affairs, reported bill extending to the
LIST Of January, 1876, the time within which
settlers ON the Cherokee strip in Kansas may
make proof Of settlement and payment de-
ferred, payments to bear five per cent. interest,".
Passed.
The committee reported the Army Appro-
priation bill, and the House proceeded to vote
on the amendments. The first vote was on the
amendment offered by Mr.. Young, of Georgia,
extending the time for the presentation of
claims to Nov. l. 1875. The amendment WAS
agreed to-Yeas, 1871 nays, 104. All the other
amendments were agreed to In bulk, and the
bill was passed.
The House in committee Of the whole on the
Fertilization bill took the following action /:
The items Of $40, 060 each for Forts Foote and
Washington on the Potomac were stricken out,
and the items for Forts Moultrie, Sumter, and
Pulaski were retained. The appropriations for
Fort McHenry, Md, and Fort Jefferson, Fla,
were refused. The committee then rose and
reported the bill to the House, and it was
passed.
A bill for ascertaining the losses sustained
by citizens of southern Oregon and nothern
California by reason Of the Indian depredations
in 1872 and 1873 provoked quite an excited dis
cussion. Mr.. shanks (Rep., Ind.) defended
the memory of Capt Jack and his Modocs and
said it was fact that when Gen. Candy was
holding his conference with Capt. Jack the
military lines were being closed around the
Modocs Mr.. Nesmith Dem, Orcgon) and Mr..
Luttrell (Dem., Cal.) defended the frontiers
men and the denunciators Of the Indians.
Hoar, (of Mass, as establishing the dangerous
precedent that the Government is responsible
for the reimbursement Of citizens damaged by
war. The same ground was taken by Mr.. Gar
field, (of Ohio,) who argued that these losses
resulted either from private murderers or from
public enemies, and that in neither event
could citizens look to the Government for
restitution. II this bill were passed it would
open the sluices of the Treasury to claims
from Ohio and Indiana arising out of the Nor
gan raids, and from Pennsylvania arising out Of
Lees invasion, and there would not be cent
was defended by Mr.. Averill, Of Mimi, who
had reported it from the Committee on
Claims, Mr.. Lowe, (of Kansas, and Others
At length ON motion Of Mr.. Garfield, the enact
ing clause was stricken out in Committee of
the Whole bv vuto Of 20 To so Than tho
committee rose and reported that action to the
House, and it was concurred in--yeas, 1O5 ;
nays IS. So the bill was defeated.
Bills introduced:
By Mr.. Whitthorne, of Tenn, to abolish
the navy yards at Kittery, Me-; Charlestown,
Mass; New London, Conn. and Washington
D. c.; to abolish pension agents, and provide
for paying pensions by Postmasters and Col
lectors Of Internal Revenue, thus effecting an
annual saving of a half million of dollars to
increase the taxation on whisky.
Mr.. Kelly, Of Pa, said that conspiracy of
New York lawyers had been formed to procure
refunding of duties, they to have one-half of
all the sums recovered and that an enrolled
bill in the State Department had been tempered
with by the change Of comma in order to
enable that conspiracy Of lawyers to secure
reversal of the decision, and this had cost the
Government So, 900 000
A resolution for the reassembling of the two
Houses Of Congress in Carpenters Hail. Phila-
delphia on Sept. 8. 1874, the Tooth anniversary
of the meeting of the First American Congress,
was referred to the Centennial Committee.
A bill relating to the refunding of Customs
duties in certain cases was reported and passed.