Connecticut western news., 1874-04-10
xLIIId CONGRESS-.
HENATE.

l the New Orleans Grange for an increase of the | duty on sugars, and said that the present to impose upon the Government to the preju- dice of the home producer.
 MT. Morton of Ind., presented petition of the citizens of Texas, alleging that the late his office four months before the expiration of his term, and that the election there in Novetn- ber last was in violation Of law.
 Mir. Sherman said from the beginning of the session the new Finance Committee had been hard at work to perfect bill. Over sixty diff ferent propositions in the shape of bills and petitions were before them, and it was & diff cult matter to agree upon general plan con- corning all the propositions.
 The amendment to the currency bill of MT. Wright fixing the amount of the currency at $400, ,000, 900, was adopted by vote of 31 yeas to 26 nays.
 Mir. Johnson, of Virginia, presented petition of Fitzhugh Lee for a removal of his political disabilities. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
 Mir. Ingalls,, of Kansas, introduced bill to enable the people of New Mexico to form a constitution and State Government and pro- viding for the admission of the State into the Union.
 The Currency bill was before the senate the question being on the amendment of Mir. Schurz to strike out " eighty-two" and insert C tifty-six," 80 that the maximum limit of United States notes should be $356,OOO, 900 instead of $3S2, 000,000 as reported by the committee it wes lost by IS yeas to 40 nays Mir. Wright, of Iowa, moved to strike out the whole of the first section of the bill after the enacting clause, and insert that the amount of United States notes for circulation is hereby fixed at $4O0, ,0OO 900. Mr. Wright's B amendment was adopted by vote of 31 to 26.
 Mir. Fenton, of N. r., introduced bill to provide for settlement with the Six Nations of New York Indians of the questions growing out of the treaty stipulations with them. Referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
 The amendment to strike out from the cur- rency bill the 1st of January 1876, as the time for return to specie payment, was adopted by 6 vote of 25 yeas to 23 nays. Mir. Scott, of Pa., moved an amendment for an increase in the national bank circulation to the extent of | $46, ,000, 900, an additional section providing that on Jan. 1, 1s77 the Secretary of the Treasury shall pay on demand at the offices of the Treasurer of the United States and the Assistant Treasurer, to any holders of United States notes to the amount of $100 or over, in coupon or registered bonds of the United ! States, in such form as he may prescribe Rejected. yeas, 6; nays 37.
 : MT. Sargent, of California, presented me- morials, signed by 7,276 citizens of that State setting forth the evils arising from the use of intoxicating liquors, and asking for Legislation to prohibit the sale and manufacture of such liquors. Referred to the Committee on Finance.
 MT. Fenton, of N. Y, presented the memorial of the recent Convention of Taxpayers of South Carolina for relief against misrule and corruption. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
 MT. Ferry, of Mich, from the Finance Com mittee, reported favorably on the bill of MT. Jones, of Nevada, authorizing the coinage of 6 twenty-five cent piece of silver at the hints of the United States. Placed on the calendar.
 Mr. Morrill,, of Vt, moved to strike out, in the fourth section of the Currency bill, 70 per centum as the amount of United States notes to be retired as additional national bank note currency is issued, and insert 90 per centum. Rejected-yeas, 20; nays, 37. The question recurring on the motion of MT. Morton to strike out the fourth section, it was agreed to-yeas, 28; nays, 27. MT. Gordon, of Ga., offered an amendment providing for free banking, and to give to each State the same amount of circula tion in proportion ito wealth and population as l the State of Maine now has, A number of amendments were presented and rejected. @
 After three hours discussion of tho Georgia contested election case, the minority resolution that Rawls, the sitting member, was entitled to the seat was rejected, " to 133, and the majority resolutions declaring Sloan, the con- testant, entitled to the seat were adopted 135 to "A It was purely party vote s.r. Mir: W. R. Roberts, of N. Y.-I am re- quested by the Workingmen's Committee of | New York to present memorial to the House of Representatives in favor of the Eight-Hour | law and for the removal of the Supervising | Architect of the Treasury. The memorial is signed by 20. 900 persons, representing the Typographical Union and the various trades and laboring societies in New York city. In pre- senting it desire to express my entire and full approval of the objects of the memorialists Ordered printed.
 The House proceeded to the discussion of the bill to regulate interstate railroad com merce, and MT. Willard, of Vt, made an argu- ment against the bill. He declared that every impulse of his nature was on the side of the people in any controversy with the railroad companies, and if he could be shown q safe, wise, and Q constitutional means to put restric- tions upon them, he would be in favor of adopt ing 1t. The powers, rights, and duties of those corporations were wholly created by State laws, and it was just as much an impairment of vested rights for Congress to say that any railroad shall carry freights at any particular price, as it would bo to pass 8 law that they should carry freight for nothing. -
 MT: Thornburgh, of Tenn. introduced bill to reduce the army. It proposes to leave the cavalry and artillery at their present force, but to reduce the infantry to five regiments. The House proceeded to vote on the bill to regulate the commerce by railroad among the | several States and the bill was passed by yeas 121, nays He. The bill enacts that all railroad lines carrying freight and passengers between different States, whether owned by one or various corporations, shall be regarded as en- ployed in commerce among the several States, and shall be liable for any violation of this act. They are forbidden to charge more than fair and reasonable rate for the transportation of freight or passengers such rate to be ascertain ed and fixed by Board of Railroad Commits | sioners to be appointed by the President, with residents of each of the nine judicial districts of the United States. They are to be dis interested persons, and not to have any interest in the stock or property of any railroad or any transportation company This Board of Rail- road Commissioners is to institute Q thorough investigation and inquiry into the rates and toll and compensation charged for transporting freights and passengers over each of such lines of railroad, and into the reasonableness there of; and is as soon as practicable after such investigation and inquiry, to prepare for the. owners and operators of each of such lines a separate schedule of reasonable maximum rates of charges for the transportation of pas | sengers and freight and cars on and over said lines respectively. The schedule is to be duly | authenticated by the Board of Commissioners, and to be printed and kept posted up in each of the offices and depots of such railroad com pany, corporation, or person. They may from time to time, and so often as circumstances may | require, change and revise schedules, and shall l give notice of such changes or revisions in the same manner.
 Mir. Poland, of Vt., indicated an amendment | which he desired to offer, making it the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to retire and cancel as fast as practicable United States notes till their amount is reduced to 3SS S000, ,000, and then to allow to the national banks circu- iaVlIlB notes Wltnout any 1lnlL to tnelr clrcula- tion. MT. Mitchell of Wis, member of the Banking Committee, took the ground that the recent financial troubles were not caused by an insufficiency of currency, but on the contrary, that they would not have occurred if the cur rency had been on a specie basis The fact that the currency was not at par with gold | showed that the currency was not only not too small, but was excessive. He gave it as his conviction that instead of increasing the issues of legal tender notes, the true remedy was to be found in the adoption by Congress of a fixed policy for the gradual withdrawal of those notes by funding them into bonds or by other wise paying and canceling them.
 | Rills Ware introducad and referra5 includin r