Connecticut western news., 1874-04-17
XLIIId CONGRESS.
SENATE.


 the Legislature of that State asking Congress
 to require railroad companies which received grants of land for the construction of railroads
 from the Mississippi river west to the Pacific Ocean, under the act of 1862, to report to the Secretary of the Interior the quantity and de-
 scription of the land sold and disposed of, and
 that all not disposed of be open to settlement and preemption.
 Mir. Sherman of Ohio, said upon the basis of the currency given to Maine the additional
 circulation would be about $263, ,0OO 900 upon the basis of that given to New York, $110, ,000,- | GOO; and upon the basis of Pennsylvania it
 would be over $110,000,000. Mir. Morton, of Ind, said the people wanted moro money, and
 when it could. There was no use to talk about
 specie payment now. He had noticed in a
 leading New York paper that imitation meant
 war; that imitation would be resisted by force of arms. Such statements were not more un- reasonable than similar ones made on the floor
 of the Senate. MT. Jones, of New, said the rebellion would have been put down for $1 ,500,-
 100000 less than it did cost if it had not been | for paper money, which, instead of being the | spade of the husbandman, was the dice box of gamblers. The amendment of Mir. Merrill fix | ing the volume of fractional currency at $40,- | 100000 was rejected-yeas, 19; nays, 30. Mir. Davis, of W. Va, offered substitute to
 the inancs bill providing that $50,000,000 in | national bank circulation shall be withdrawn from the States in excess and issued to the States having less than their proportion. Re-
 iected-Yeas 20, nays 31. MT. Merrimon, of N. C., offered, as 8 substitute for the third
 section of the bill as reported by the committee,
 the following That SAG, 100000 in notes for circulation, in addition to such circulation now
 allowed by law shall be issued to national banking associations now organized and which may be organized hereafter; and such increased circulation shall be distributed among the several States as provided in section l of the act of July 12, 1870. This was adopted by vote of 33 to 19.
 MT. Ramsey, of Minn., from the Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads, reported bill to provide for the transmission of correspond ence by telegraph. Placed on the calendar
 The bill is the Hubbard Postal Telegraph bill, unchanged except in minor matters of detail. It proposes to incorporate Gardner c. Hubbard and his associates as the Postal Telegraph Company on condition that it shall contract with the Postmaster General for the trans mission of correspondence by telegraph and at rates and in accordance with provisions elabo- rately prescribed in the bill, and heretofore in all essential features fully published.
 Mir. Cragiu, of N. H., presented memorial, signed by the survivors of the Polaris expedi- ton, setting forth the privations which they suffered on the ice foe during period of 196 days, and that they are still suffering physically and pecuniarily that they were promised 8 handsome reward by Capt. Hall when they shipped; and that the German Government gave the members of it's expedition $1,000 each. They ask such relief as may be proper in the premises, and that the Esquimaux Hannah and Joe be included in any measure for relief. Referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.
 Mir. Sherman presented the petition of Mrs. Mercy Hall, widow of Capt. Hall, of the late Arctic expedition, for pension. Referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. In presenting the petition MT. Sherman said he knew of no case which appealed to the sympathy of the Congress of the United States as much as this. Capt Hall died in the service of his country, leaving his wife and children in destitute cir cumstances The petition is indorsed by Prof. Henry, General Sherman, and other prominent persons.
 Mir. Johnson, of Virginia, introduced bill giving Jurisdiction to the Court of Claims to hear the claim of G. W. Custis Lee. son of the late Gen. Lee, to the Arlington estate, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. A petition accompanied the bill, in which the petitioner says the property was devised to him by his grandfather, and that the title of the Government to the property is defective. He, however, recognizes the sacred use to which the property has been put, and has no desire to disturb it, but thinks he should be compensated for his right therein.
 The bill to provide for the payment of the bonds of the Louisville and Portland Canal Company was taken up the pending question being on referring it to the Committee on the Judiciary. Messrs. Conklin and Freling- | huysen advocated such reference. Messrs. Thurman and McCreery opposed it, and favored | a committal of the subject to the Committee on Finance which was adopted after some discus sion.
 Mir. Conkling's amendment to the currency | bill is as follows: "That nothing in this act | shall be construed to authorize an increase of the principal of the public debt of the United States, was rejected by vote of "A to 27. MT. Scott, of Pennsylvania, moved as an amend ment to the section authorizing the increase of $46, ,O00, 900 national bank currency, the follow ing: And each national banking association | now organized, or hereafter to be organized, shall keep and maintain as part of its reserve required by law one-fourth part of the coin re- ceived by it as interest on the bonds of the | United States deposited as security for clrcula- ting notes on Government deposits and that | only one-fourth of the reserve now | prescribed by law for national banking associa- | tons shall consist of balances due to an associa- tion available for the redemption of it's circula- ting notes from associations in cities of redemp- ton, and upon which balances no interest shall | be paid. Adopted by vote of 29 to 24.
 The bill was then read third time, and | passed, by yeas go to nays 24.
 The bill, as passed, reads as follows: That the maximum amount of United States notes is hereby fixed at $4O0, 100000.
 SECTION ?. That $46, ,000,0 900 in notes flor circulation, in addition to such circulation now allowed by law, shall be issued to national banking associations now organized, and which may be organized hereafter and such increased circulation shall be distributed among tue several States as provided in section 1 of the aOC OltLliou All hct lO pTOVluo IOF tue T6u6Lnp- tlon of the three percentum temporary loan certificates, and for increase of national bank notes, approved July 12, 1870, and each national banking association now organized or hereafter to be organized shall keep and main- tain as part of it's reserve required by law | one-fourth part of the coin reserved by it as interest on bonds of the United States, de- posted as security for circulating notes on Government deposits, and that hereafter only one-fourth of the reserve now prescribed by | oho1 sist of balances due to an association available for the redemption of it's circulating notes from associations in cities of redemption, and upon which balances no interest shall be paid.
 HOUSE.
 Mir. Clymer, of Penn, from the Committee on Public Lands, reported bill to enable the Mennonites of Russia to effect permanent settlements on the public lands of the United States. The bill was made special order. It authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to sell to them such quantity of public lands not mineral in character and not otherwise appro- priated or reserved, as they may require, at the minimum price payable in five annual install ments.
 MT. Hawley, of Conn.,. discussing the cur rency question, said he was not satisfied with any bill which did not bear in mind the great | primary duty of returning to the true standard 0 value. The practical redemption proposed | in this bill he had on the line of the Pacific Railroad, but there they termed it ' three card | monte." He would vote every dollar of mere paper money out of his town and out of his State before he would consent to ten cents of imitation and he would stay at home from Con- gress all the rest of his life rather than do it. ez Mr. Conger, of NIich., from the Committee on Commerce, reported bill authorizing the | appointment of competent person to obtain and report authentic information regarding the seal fisheries and fur trade of Alaska, the con diti6n af the natives, &c., with salary of $S day and actual travelling expenses. Mir, Schu- | macker, of N. Y., in discussing the resolution related how Henry Haven and A. s. Willets of New York had long ago formed a fur seal con- pany, and sold their interest for four millions of dollars, and how the monopoly was now ownen by foreigners in Hamburg, Frankfort,