The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-12-16
b z TIE Es4RAPH.
Latest News from Washington.

III ~
Latest News from Washington.
KING IKalakaua'a Reesptaon-Ehe,
Gisis.laights Bfll. do. L.
Especial telegram tothe Dispatchl s. 3
VAsHIaaros December 10. The recer
i ton Of skalakaua to. day was carried out il
proper form. The President welcomed Id
eolored King at the door OF the Executiy
mansion, and was assisted in paying tb
honors OF the occasion blythe entire Cabi
net, 10 full dress. Secretary Fish introduced
| the gentlemen to each other,
There is not now much talk over The OF
ganization Of The Democratic House Of Repre-
sentatives. II seems to be conceded on oil
sides, however, that Kerr will be the Speaker
There is a hitch in the ciyilsrights bill
The Republicans can't harmonizeron The
mixed-school question, and It now, seems
impossible that any bill can be presented
that win pass the House. !,
The important witness in the Pacific mail
subsidy was too sick to appear to-day, and
ADMINISTRATION has been further postponed
until tomorrow. TMoN.
xLIII.. CONGREss-second Session.
~ WASHINGTON, Decembers15, 1874, 4
~ ~ 4: SENATE. 100
Mr.. ALcoRN introduced bill in relation
to the compensation Of persons acting as
commissioners under special acts of Con.
gress. Referred to the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs. fgz1s ~ "a
Mr.. CoNKL1NG presented memorial of N.
A. Cowdrey, Of New York, recting that the
District Of Columbia is indebted to him, and
that be is unable to obtain anything from the
District but bond upon which he cannot
realize seventy per cent. MIR. CoNKLING said
the memorial was accompanied by a. bill
which he had not examined, but he present.
ed it at the request Of a citizen of his State.
He therefore asked leave, without previous
notice, to introduce bin to consolidate the
debt of the District of Columbia and to issue
bonds of the United States in exchange for
bonds of the District. The bill and memo
rial were referred to the joint select commit
tee to frame new government for the Dis
trict.
MIR. PRATT, Of Indiana, introduced bill
limiting the time in which applications for
bounty land shall be received, and disposing
of suspended cases after a certain date. Re.
ferred to Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. SPENCER, of Alabama, introduced a
bill to provide for the appointment Of spe-
eial agents and superintendent Of railway
postal service and other officers Of the Post
Office Department. Referred to Post Office
and Post Roads Committee.
Mr. DAVIS, of West Virginia, gave notice
that after the expiration Of the morning
hour tomorrow he would call up his reso-
| luton of last week relating to defaulters.
mir. WRIGHT, of Iowa, submitted joint
resolution proposing certain amendments to
| the Constitution of the United States. 1t
proposes that the President and Vice.Presi-
| dent of the United States shall be elected
by direct vote of. the people, and
each hold Office for the term of
six years thai the President shall be ineli-
gible to reelection. Every male citizen
who has reached the age Of tWenty-one years
and who has not been convicted Of infa.
nous crime, shall have the right to vote. 1t
| further provides that the election for Presi-
| dent and Vice. President shall be held at the
| same time, and requires a majority of all the
votes cast to elect; but if no one receives q
! majority, another election shall be ordered,
at which only the TWO receiving the largest
| number of votes at the previous voting shall
| be voted for; and further, that the election
return shall be canyassed by the Supreme
Court of the United States, and certificates
issued by that tribunal. Referred to the
Committee on Civil Service and Reform.
MIR. Boutwell, of Massachusetts, present.
| ed the petition of Frank Fraley, Of the Ma.
tiona Board of Trade, asking for the organ.
| ization of an additional Executive Depart
ment to be called the Department of Com.
| merce. Referred TO Committee on Com
merce.
Mr. MORTON, of Indiana, presented reso.
luton instructing the Committee on Rules
| to inquire into the expediency of amending
the rules so as to abolish the useless formal.
| ty of Senators asking permission to intro
| duce bills without giving previous notice, by
| which much time was consumed and the
Journal encountered.
Mr.. EpMUNDs said he objected to the words
"useless formality." He knew of one occa
sion when it bad been anything but use.
less formality, and that was when the sena
tor from Kentucky (Mr. MCCREERY) asked
leave to introduce bill providing for the
removal of the bones Of our soldiers from
Arlington, but failed to obtain such leave.
| MIR. MORTON said be did not wish 10 alter
1 the rule, but merely to ooTlate unnecessary
repetitions in the journal.
The word "useless" was struck out, and
the resolution then adopted.
Mr. GORDON, of Georgia, introduced bill
providing for survey of Railroads proposed
| inland route Of water communication be-
tween the Mississippi river and the harbors
of the Atlantic. Referred to Commerce
| Committee.
| MIR, WAsHBURNE, of Massachusetts,, pre-
scented petition of William Giles Dix, OF
Peabody, Mass, setting forth his belief that
the time had come when the people once for
all should decide whether or not they
desire and mean to be one sovereign
nation, claiming the direct allegiance OF
all, and directly guarding the rights
of all, and asking that Congress appoint a
time as early in the coming year as may oe
deemed best for delegates chosen-one from
each congressional district-to meet in Phil
adelphia to consider and form national con-
stitutiop, which, if approved by the people,
voting as one people, without the interVen-
ition Of the States, shall be declared by the
Executive to be the organic national law, su'
| perseding the Federal Constitution OF the
| United States, as that Constitution super
seeded the Articles of the Confederation.
Referred to Committee on Revision OF
Laws.
The Senate then resumed the consdera..
ton of the bill to frame new Government
| for the District of Columbia.