Connecticut western news., 1874-05-01
XLIIId CONGRESS-.
SENATE.


 amended. Placed on the calendar.
 MT. Windom, of Minn., called up the bill to
 enable the Mennonites of Russia to effect a
 permanent settlement on the public lands ot
 the United States. MT. Ferry, of Conn.,. said
 nonites desired to leave Russia on account oi
 the Russian Government requiring them tc
 perform military duty, and that in this country
 they expected to be exempted from such ser E vice.szsHe was not willing that any such body { of people should come here under the protec-
 tion of laws, settle within our territory
 and be exempted from contributing their share
 to the common defense. In his belief if ar amendment be inserted in the bill requiring
 them to become citizens of the United States
 not one of them would settle here.
 The House bill amendatory of the acts tc
 provide & national currency, and to establish
 free banking, was referred to the Committee
 on Finance
 Carpenter, of Wis, introduced resolutions
 setting forth that the people of Cuba have de-
 clared themselves free and independent o1
 Spain; have established 8 government fol
 themselves and abolished negro slavery, and
 for more than five years have successfully
 resisted all the efforts of Spain to reduce them
 to submission and re-estabish the condition ot
 negro slavery in that island, and that the wal
 between Spain and Cuba has been and is now
 being conducted with degree of barbarity
 shocking to all Christendom, and there is nc
 reasonable prospect that Spain will ever be
 able to re-establish dominion over the people
 of Cuba, and that it has become the duty of
 the United States to recognize Cuba as one of
 the independent nations of the earth, and that
 the United States will observe strict neutrality
 between the contending parties during the
 further prosecution of the war, and will accord
 to each of them belligerent rights and equal
 privileges and advantages in all ports and
 places within the Uuited States. p.'
 | Mr. Edmunds, of Vt, from the Judiciary
 Committee, reported unfavorably on the bill
 for the relief of purchasers of lands sold for
 " in fIlni ir,o1r onkS< H4@
 MT. Clayton, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported 8 bill to equalize the bounties of soldiers, who served in the late war. Placed on the calendar. The bill provides that there shall be paid to every honorably discharged non-commissioned officer, private soldier, musician, artifcer, and wagoner, including those borne on the rolls as slaves, who served the United States in the war of the rebellion,
 the sum of eight and one-third dollars DOT
 month for all his time of service between
 April 12, 1861, and May 9, 1865; or in case of volunteers. up to the time of the muster out of
 the volunteer organization to which he be-
 longed. In case of the death of any such per
 son the payment is to be made to his widow
 and children. Any bounties heretofore re- ceived from the United States .or- any State. are to be deducted from the allowance hereby authorized. No bounties shall be paid to sub stitutes, or to persons discharged as minors No attorney shall be allowed, on pain. of fine and imprisonment, to receive more than $10 for prosecuting any claim under the foregoing provisions. r-s -s-s.s-3 #~ @-
 The Senate proceeded to the consideration of the bill to authorize the issue of a supply of arms to the authorities of the State of Me- braska Mr. Buckingham, of Conn.,. submitted an amendment providing that supply of arms should also be issued to the Indians to protect themselves from the raids of settlers. The amendment was finally withdrawn, and another | offered, providing that the State of Nebraska l should furnish the Federal Government with good and sufficient bonds that the arms should not be used for any other purpose than that named in the bill, protection against Indian | hostilities"
 The Senate currency bill wa taken up in the House and after discussion the bill passed by & vote of 40 to 102. The bill goes to the Presi- dent for his signature, and if signed fixes the maximum amount of United States notes in circulation at $400, COG, ,000.
 MT: Woodford, of N. Y. from the Committee on CIVIL Service Reform, reported bill to pro- vide for 8 commission to reorganize the customs service. Referred to the Committee of the Whole. Bills for the reorganization of the Treasury Department were presented.
 The bill known. as the House Currency bill was taken up and passed by vote of 12S to 1l6. Several amendments to the bill were offered but rejected, and the bill passed as originally presented. The status of the finance question now is that while the House bill has to await the action of the Senate, which may or may not be favorable, or may be delayed in- definitely, the Senate bill, which has passed the House, goes directly to the President for his signature. a x&
 MT. Bundy, of Ohio, from the Committee on Mileage, reported bill to abolish mileage to members of Congress, and providing that they shall be paid their actual travelling expenses to ana from Washington once each session. He demanded the previous question, which was not seconded, 69 to Fl. Mir. Maynard, of Tenn. moved to recommit MT. Young, of Ga, moved moved to table: Rejected.e4 to 169. MT: it was seconded. The motlon to recommit was rejected, and the bill was then passed-yeas, 186; nays, 49.
 MT. Hale, of N. Y. moved to make the Con- gressional printer an officer of the United States, instead of, as now, an officer of the Senate Adopted. - MT. Holman, of Ind, moved to reduce the item of the Presidents salary, in the appropria- ton pill, from $5O, 900 to $25, 900. He argued that the increase of salaries last session. in cluding the Presidents salary, was unconsti- tutionaL Hale, of Me, Butler, of Mass, and others opposed the amendment. The discus slon resulted in 8 personal encounter in which | Cox, of N. r., and Butler and Dawes, of Mass,
 MT. Purman, of Fla, moved to strike out the proviso which forbids the publication of | the laws in newspapers after March, 1875 He | advocated his amendment as preventing the | abolition of subsidy of 5000 to newspapers. | He believed in party newspapers; but he had no respect for so-called independent. papers, which were 'neither fish, flesh nor fowl. nor even good red herring" He also protested against the repeal of the franking privilege, which had been one of the greatest acts of in justice ever perpetrated on the people living outside, of large cities Dunnell, of Minn. advocated the measure, and other members took part in it, and tbe motion to strike out the provision, which appropriates $60, 900 for the publication of the laws, was rejected.
 MT. Morey, of La. introduced a joint resolu- tion for the furnishing of rations, forage, and clothing to the people suffering from the inun- and it's tributaries. He sent to the clerks desk and had read extracts from correspondence detailing the frightful condition of things along the T Mississippi and Arkansas rivers. He said Inae tne present lnundation was greater than any that had happened since 1847, and the people never were more destitute. In reply to MT. G. F. Hoar, he gave the number of peonle needing aid at from 10, 900 to 15,OOO MT. Cox. of N. r., remarked that the proposition was IS well be called upon to furnish aid to the 4O = )OO starving people in New York city. After tome further discussion the joint resolution vas referred to the Committee on Military Analrs with leave to report at any time An item appropriating $50, ,O0O for postage : tamps for the State Department reopened the ubject of franking. MT. Butler, of Mass. proposed to appropriate only $1 000 for furnish ng postage stamps, atthe cost of manufacture , while MT. Garfield appealed to the committee { ither to restore the franking privilege openly , nd squarely or else take the exactly opposite purse, and let the Post Office Department sen ( ts stamps to all corners at their face value. MT: Coeurn. of Indiana, from the Committee f n Military Affairs, reported bill emr owering . ne President to direct the issue of food and d lsused army clothing for the relief of the utferers by the overflow of the Lower Missis ippi River. :. sE L MT. Averil1 reported resolution increasing ae scope of the investigation previously OF cred into Indian contracts for 1878 and i874, Q nd directing thorough investigation of ali | 1e frauds or irregularities connected with the s administration of Indian affairs for those years 1 dopted. '1'' MT. Cox, of New York, introduced the follow t lg resolution, which was thereupon, with a t. tter from MT. Thurlow Weed, referred to the tl on Foreign Affairs PoeoI.od 1 q