Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-02-12
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

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the bayonet.
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.
In the Senate, on the 3rd, Mr.. Flanagan,
of Texas, presented resolutions from colored
persons in Georgia, denying the assertion of
Mr.. Stephens that the colored people of that
State are opposed to the civil rights bill. The
committee on military affairs reported ad-
versely on the bill for arming and equipping
the whole body of the militia of the United
ted States, and the bill was indefinitely post
poned. The bankrupt bill was then discussed
until adjournment. The House proceedings
were unimportant-the army appropriation
bill being the principle subject under discus.
sion.
In the Senate, on the 4th, the bankrupt
bill, and the bill to equalize the national bank
note circulation were discussed without ac-
ton. In the House, the army appropriation
bill was discussed-no other question Of gen.
eral Importance being presented
In the Senate, on the 9Th, the House joint
resolution providing for an investigation into
the affairs of the District of Columbia, was
adopted. A bill to facilitate the improvement
of the mouth ofthe Mississippi river was passed.
The bankrupt bill was discussed, and prop
osition to limit the operations of the bill to
persons owing over $4,000 was rejected. In the
House bill to encourage the growth of tim
Der on western prairies was passed. The ar
my appropriation bill was discussed until adj
iournment.
In the Senate, on the 9Th, the bankruptcy
bill was resumed, and the following proceed
ings had:
The amendment of Sherman, to fix the limit of
time at ninety days in which party dishonorlng
his commercial paper can be adjudgcda bankrupt,
after discussion, was referred. An amendment
requiring third of the creditors to force debtor
to bankruptcy was rejected. Thurman SAID tne
clause now proposed TO be amended had been SUBJ
ieccd to the severest criticism in the committee,
and after careful consideration, one-fourth OF the
number Of creditors and onethird of the amount
of the debts had been agreed to. Carpenter said
he came here at the opening of the session, fully
prepared to vote for repeal OF the bankrupt law,
but after thorough examination OF the question,
he had come to the conclusion that to repeal the
law would he detrimental to debtors rs class.
lie would, therefore, vote for continuing the law,
and would support the amendment of the Judi
ciary Committee, with such others offered in the
Senate as he might deem advantageous.
| Other amendments, reported with view to YER
bal changes, were adopted as reported by the Ju-
dietary Committee. The committee amendments,
passed by the Senate, fix the timo at forty days
within which any banker, broker, merchant, ira,
der, manufacturer or miner, who has stopped or
suspended and not resumed payment of his COM
mcrcial paper shall not be deemed bankrupt,
and prescribe that fees, commissions charges and
allowances, excepting actual and necessary dis
bursements Of and to be made by the officers,
agents, marshals, messengers, assgnees and regis
ters, in cases of bankruptcy, shall be reduced TO
onehaf of the allowances heretofore provided for.
The Justices Of the Supreme Court, who are to
make new rules and regulations in respect to this
law, are empowered to consolidate the duties of
register, assignee, marshal and clerk, and to re-
duce the cost Of charges to the end that delay and
; unnecessary expense may be avoided. Edmunds
offered a new amendment, conterrlng Jurlsdlctlon
in bankrupt cases upon any Circuit or District
Court of the United States, which was agreed to.
He also Offered an amendment dispensing with
personal service of notice in all cases OF claims
not exceeding $780, and providing, in cases where
the amount should be under that sum, that notice
could be given by publication in newspapers /;
agreed to. Ho also offered an additional section
to the bill, providing that it should be the du-
ty of the marshal of each district in tho month OF
July in each year. to report to the Clerk of the
District Court, in tabular form, to be prescribed
by the Justices of the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States, first, the number OF cases in bankrupt
CIV in which warrants have come to his hands !;
second, how many of such warrants were return
ed, with the fees, costs, expenses and emoIuments
thereof third, total amonnt ofa other fees, costs,
expenses and emoluments earned and received
by him during the year, from or in respect to any
matter in bankruptcy; fourth, summarized
statement of such fees costs and emeluments, eX-
elusive of actual disbursements in bankruptcy,
received or earned during the year; fifth, sum
married. statement Of all actual disbursements in
such cases; also, requiring every register to re-
port, in like manner, the number of voluntary
and compulsory cases in bankruptcy coming be-
fore him during the year, the amount of assets
and liabilities Of the bankrupt, the amount and
rate per cent. of all dividends declared, and dis
position of all such cases.
Every assignee is required to make similar re-
turn to the clerk of such court in the month OF
August in each year, and is required to transmit
to the Acknowledgement and report all pend
ing and disposed of, dividends declared, DISPOSE
ton of cases, whether any officer has failed to
make his report, &c. Any violation of this Sec
ton is to be punished by dismissal from Office,
E and the party offending to be deemed guilty of a
miStlcmeanor, and, upon conviction to be fined
not moro than $500 or imprisoned not exceeding
, one year. The section was adopted.
Thurman offered an amendment aboliShing the
: Office of Register in Bankruptcy, and authorizing
the several District Courts to make such orders,
and to take such stops may be necessary, to adj
Indicate and dispose of all such matters or pro-
ccedngs in bankruptcy now pcnding before such
register; also, giving the District Courts power,
where it may appear to be necessary or advisable,
, to appoint special Master Commissioners, to per-
form any ofthe duties heretofore performed by
, registers; such power to be also exercised by a
Judge in chambers; no fees or compensation shall
be paid to any such commissioner except such as
, shall he allowed by the court.
Thurman, in advocating the adoption of his
: amendment, sad in three-fourths of the districts
ofthe United States, the Judges had ample time to
discharge all tho duties which would devolve upon
them if tho office of Register in Bankruptcy
should bo abolished; and in consideration of the
received bv these officers as fees, he thought it
move in the right direction to abolish the office
Edmunds said his friend Thurman might have
3 some prejudices on this subject that he was not
n ro of himself and had therefore got little OIL