The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-12-10
Rortj Third Congressional Session.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Dec. ..
Mr. Scott of Pa. presented Il mousrance
of the type founders Of Philadelphia. Boston,
San Francisco, Chicago and other ctles.a 1aiDst
the ratification of the Canadian reciprocity
treaty as far as it relates to type and type ma
terial also memorial of the Texas Pacific
and the Atlantic & Pacific railroads, praying
Congress to all these companies in the con-
struction of their roads.
Other memorials were presented, including
the following:
A memorial of the National Association of
Lumbermen against the reciprocity treaty. The
memorial shows the total lumber products OF
the United States, the standing pine and hem
lock timber, the losses by forest fires and the
cost of making lumber, the number of men
employed. etc.. also criticism of the memo
randum signed by the p enipotentaries and
the resolutions of the national association
against the reciprocity treaty, claiming it is
unconstitutional and violates the treaties with
other nations.
On motion of Mr.. Anthony, the standing
committees were elected, being the same as last
year. The committees on rules, transportation
routes, and on Mississippi levees were added to
the regular committees.
Mr.. Scott of Pa introduced bill amenda-
tory of and supplementary to the act to incor--
porate the Texas & Pacific Railroad Co., and
to aid in the construction OF the road, approx
ed March Sd, 1871, the act supplementary
thereto, approved Murch ID, 1872 and an act
railroad from Missouri and Arkansas to the
Pacific Ocean, approved July 9th, 1869. Re-
ferred to the Committee Oh Railroads The
provisions of the bill are the same as that in
PRODUCED in the House on Monday by Mr..
Stoughton.
MI. Boutwell, introduced bill to extend the
patent of Luther l. all and s. Hemenway
for machine for shaping boots and shoes.
Referred to the Committee on Patents.
HOUSE
MIR, Wood Of New York, offered resolution
of inquiry as to whether the duties ON all arti-
cles have been properly collected. Referred to
the Committee on Ways and Means.
A resolution was adopted authorizing the
binding of the revised statutes ofslast session.
The House then took up the bill under con-
sideration yesterday iD reference to the railroad
bridge at Omaha, but as Mr.. Houghton said he
had since learned that the matter was before
the courts, its consideration was postponed un-
til the second Tuesday in February.
The House then went into committee OF the
whole and referred the various parts OF the
Presidents message 10 the appropriate COM
mittees. The portion of the message referring
to affairs in Arkansas was referred to the Sc
lect committee on that subject appointed at the
last session, and that portion referring to the
troubles in Louisiana and other southern states
to select committee of seven members, to be
appointed by the Speaker
The committee then rose and its action was
ratified by the House.
Bills were introduced and referred as follows:
To regulate the issue of artificial limbs to per-
sons injured in the military or naval service; to
protect persons of foreign birth against forclble
constraint or involuntary servitude; for the re-
lief of sufferers from grasshOppers in Nebraska
by allowing homestead settlers to absent them
selves from their lands till May, 1875; by Nc
Crary of Iowa, making the same provisions
general in scope; by Mr.. Hale of Maine, for re-
lief for Rear Admiral Worden and the officers
and crew of the Monitor, who participated in
the action with the rebel ironclad Merrimac
on the 9Th of March, 1872; by Mr.. Thomas Of
North Carolina, removing the political disabili-
ties of Edwin Bowker of Maine. Passed..
The House then took up the bill to continue
the board of audit to examine and audit the
floating debt of the District of Columbia.
Mr.. Beck offered an amendment limiting the
continuation Of the board to the 10Th of Febru-
airy next and requiring full report Of the
action of the board before that date.
Mr.. Wilson of Indiana, offered an amend
ment requiring the board Of audit to proceed
forwith to audit and examine the accounts of
the treasurer and auditor of the late board of
public works and to report whether such ac-
counts are so kept from day to day as to show
payments in currency or bonds and on what au-
thority they were made, and whether money or
other assets received by the Treasurer have
been properly accounted for, &c.
Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvania, arragned the
statement of the President as to the debt Of the
district. He asserted that instead of its being
$14, 900, 900 1t was actually over $2,0O0,0O0.
Mr.. Chapman, delegate from the District, in
sisted that the figures IN the Presidents m es-
sage were correct.
Mr. Randall wanted to give immediate
contradiction to the statement of the President
that the debt of the District was only $14, 000,-
900.
Mr. Chapman-Yes, undoubtedly; the whole
attack is on the President.
Mr. Randall do not care who it is upon.
Mr. Chapman-All through this controversy
the District has been nothing. 1t has been
trodden under foot, but the President stands by
the Capitol and hence the attack upon him.
Mr.. Hale of Maine, defended the Presidents
land said that the debt of the Dis
trict was much less than he had anticipated
After further discussion the pending amend
ment was agreed to and the bill passed.
The House then at $50 o'clock adjourned.