The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-12
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
WASHINGTON, Feb. IL, 1874.

BILLS PASSED OR REFEkRED.
Mr.. LOWE, Tep.l of Kansas from the Committee
on Indian Affair, reported bill extending to the
lst of january, 1885, the time within which settlers
on the Cherokee strip in Kansas may make proof
OF settlement and payment, deferred payments to
bear five per cent interest. Passed.
Mr.. GIDDINGs, (dem.) OF Texas, from the Com
mittee Indian Affairs. reported bill auth0riz-
ing the Secretary OF War to construct and operate
+ o line OF telegraph connecting the military posts
on the line Of the Rio Grande. Referred to the
Committee OF she Whole. .
Also q bill for the removal of. the Alabama, Qua
chita and Muscatine Indians from Texas and
Louisiana to the Creek Nation in the Indian Terri
Etory. Referred TO the Committee OF the Whole.
INDIAN CONTRACTS.
Mr.. SUANKs, rep) Of Ind, from the same CON-
mittee, reported pill relative to private contracts
or agreements made with Indians prior to the 21st
oil May. 1872. The bin makes very stringent prOvi-
| slons as TO the examination and endorsement OF
all such contracts by the Secretary OF the Interior
and the Commissioner OF Indian Affairs before
any payment be allowed to be made under them.
that a statute passed in ls47 forbade the making
OF eXecutOry contracts with Indians; but that
nevertheless, contracts were made and were recog-
nized, and very large amounts of money had been
collected under them. Another prohibltOry law was
prior to 1872 and required that they should be SUBJ
ected to the scrutiny OF an Official examination and
should be endorsed either as not being exOrbltant
or fraudulent or as being exOrbltant or fraudulent
and until contracts are endorsed by the Secretary
| Of the Interior and the Commissioner OF Indian
Affairs their legality must not be recognized by
any government Official After this explanation
! the DILL was passed.
RRFORM IN THE INDIAN ADMINISTRATION.
| Mr.. COMINGO, dern.) of Mo-. from the same COM
| mittec. reported blu to secure more efficient
administration Of Indian affairs.
The bill makes detailed provisions in the direc.
ton OF prohibiting the preparation OF frauds upon
The bill was passed.
Mr.. AvERILL, rep.l OF MIMI, from the same COM
mttee, reported q bin to secure to the Episcopal
dian Reservation, in Minnesota, on which stu
ated its church and other buildings. Passed.
man,cation from Mr.. L. H. Roberts, Of New YORK,
stating that his time was 80 engrossed by his
duties az member of the Committee OF Ways and
Means that he could not serve on the Joint Select
Committee on the Affairs Of the District Of Column
bia. He was therefore excused and his colleague,
Mr.. Bass, was app0tnted IN his stead.
THE HOWARD RESOLUTIONS CONQUERED IN.
The senate amendments to the joint resolution
General q. 6. Howard were taken up and conquered
In. They were merely verbal
THE sANB0RN CONTRACTS.
Mr.. FOSTER, (rep.) OF Ohio, from the Committee
on Appropriations asked leave to report back y
substitute for the resolution offered by Mr.. Ran
contracts directing the Secretary OF the Treasury
to furnish full copies Of them, and Of all schedules
iatnv to them. and statement Of the '' amount
paid under them, by whom &c.
+; MI. BUTLER, (rep} Of Mass, objected, and the
res0'0'lG III IA ~ 1fSa5fs1loss .s1
TT, The House then went into Committee OF the
on the Army appropriation blu '' - WV 'A'
The amendment offered yesterday by Mr.. COBB,
trep.l, OF Kansas, looking to the transfer OF the
| Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad to the Kansas Pa
clnc Railroad, was lost after Q brief debate: In
! which Mr.. HOLMAN, tdem), OF Ind, claimed that,
under the terms OF the original grant to the former
road 1t was bound to transfer the troops and
munitions OF the government absolutely free OF
charge.
| Mr.. BRoMDERG, Gib) Of Ala, moved ON amend
| ment that the two additional commissioners pro-
| vided for III the bill shall be selected from the
Southern States. Rejected.
| Mr.. BROMBERG also offered an amendment pro-
hibting the payment OF money to secure agents or
| iniOrmers in the service of the Southern Claims
| Commission.
| Mr. COX, tdem.l OF N. y, offered an additional
section that no money shall be paid except for The
purposes for which it Is specifically appropriated.
Mi. WHEELER, rep.) OF N. w. stated that that Is
| the law at present.
| Mr. COx-But 1t is not enforced.
Mr. WHEELER-I know 1t ID not.
Mr. COXs amendment was rejected.
| Mr. TODD, rcp) Of Pa, moved an amendment
prohibiting the payment OF money to civilians for
| examining and inspecting work done in and about
the national cemeteries, and recurring that the
work shall be done by the quartermasters Of the
Mr.. O:BRIEN, (lem) of Md, moved an amend
the " Of the army IN
nation or the President that has any tendency to
interfere with the rights OF the State to regulate
!
| Excluded on point OF order as new legislation.
THE EMPLOYMENT OF TROOPS IN LOUISIANA.
Mr. Cox, Of New York, offered an amendment
that the army shall not be used in aid OF the pre-
/ tended State government known as the Kellogg
government in Louisiana, or so as to interfere III
| the election Of that State Or any other State.
| Mr. WHEELER made the point OF order that the
amendment proposed new legislation and was not
| in order.
Mr. SYrHER, Of Louisiana, hoped the amend
ment would be admitted, as the Kellogg govern
ment had troops enough TO wash out the rebel de-
| mOcracy.
Mr.. RANDALL, idem) Of Pat has rascals
enough
The point OF order was sustained and the amend
ment was excluded
Mr.. CRUToHFIELD. rep.) Of Tenn offered an
ported by the Quartermaster General or the Com
mssary General shall be affected by the provisions
EXTENSION OF TINE FOR CLAIMS.
The committee then rose and reported the bill,
and the House proceeded to vote on the amend
ments. The first vote was on the amendment OF.
| fered by Mr.. Young (dem.l OF Ca, extending the
time for the presentation OF claims to November
1878. The amendment was agreed to-Yeas, 13l; ;
| All the other amendments were agreed to in
| bulk, and the bill was passed.
| The House then went to the business on the
Speakers table. and referred the eleven bills
thereon to their appropriate committees.
THE FORTIFICATION BILL.
| The House then went into Committee of the
whoe-Mr. Cox, of New YORK, in the clarion the
The discussion OF the bill ranged through the
whole question OF the necessity TOR forts IN the
concrete and IN detail The testimony OF General
| Sherman, taken before the Military Committee,
was quoted on both sides OF the argument which
prompted Mr. Butler, Of Massachusetts, to say that
while he had very high respect for General Sher-
man as general, he thought him the worst wit
ness he had ever met
The item OF $4,000 for the fort at wiett's Point,
| N. Y, was the point OF attack by Mr. HOLMAN OF
| Indiana, who moved TO reduce the amount 10
| $5,0O0 resting on the statement OF General Sher
! man that that fort would be important In the
event OF the widening Of the channel at He'll Gate ;
| but until then he would not spend a cent on 1t.
I Thn rahn ion yyn hu
! weather and Kellogg, OF Connecticut, and by
| Messrs. WOodfOrd, Mellish, Potter, WhtehOuse and
| William r. Roberts, OF New York. The amendment
was rejected, and the full amount $780, OOO) apprO
| priated.
Alter progressing through about one-haf of the
| BILL including the harbOrs In Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Della
ware and New Jersey, the committee rose, ana the
House, at twenty minutes 70 five O'Clock p. NJ,
took recess till half-past seven, the evening ses
sion to be for the consideration of the bill revising
and consolidating the statues.
L. Il