New-York tribune., 1875-03-05
WASHINGTON.
THE sENATEs LAST MOMENTS.

THE Observation-Disclosures IN THE CLOSING
soRMALITIEs.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO rUE TRrBUNEl
WASHINGTON, March 4-The Senate remained in
weston all last night and continued tn noon to-day;
transactng very considerable amoant of business.
The River and Harbor bill occupied large share Of
time and was amended and Te&mended. During
this process all rules appeared TO be suspended and
Senators seemed to revel in disorder. Amendments
were added to the bill only to DO taken of imme-
diately, and to be again restored. IL any Senator
was dissatisfied with the result of O vote on his
amendment, it seemed only necessary for him to
repeat The call for another vote until ms
wishes were suited. Large samss were
granted with utter recklessness; concessions being
made by New-England to the South, and by the
West to the East with an easy good nature and
disregard of the condition of the Treasury, which
were in striking contrast with the tone of the recent
discussion on the Tariff bill. After the River and
Harbor bill had been loaded down with amend
msnts, it was sent TO the House. 1t was returned
early this morning, beTeft of its sudden growth OF
sxcrescences.
The reading of the Deficiency Appropriation bill
was listened to very patiently and the measure was
considered without delay. As soon as it had been
disposed Of the Southern Claims were brought for
ward in spite of the opposition Of Mr.. Conkling.
who endeavored to carry the Senate with him IN
this morning the doors opened for the passage
of all sorts of private bills They were rushed
through without any attempt to question their char
soter. Many pension bills reported from the
Committee and passed. aud even when the Senate
was-so to speak-in its last agony, desperate at
tempts were made to obtain action on this class of
bills
Early in the day the galleries began to be
crowded, and by II o'clock they were completely
packed. The Senate Chamber was crowded with
visitors. among whom some of the new Sena-
tors. Mr. Herman Of New-York was warmly vel
coined, as well as Mr. CapentOn from West Virginia.
Messrs Burnside and Cameron. who have been in
this city for some days, present. As Il
o'clock approached. the bills from the House
came thick and fast, and the Vice-Pres1dent
was busily engaged III afxing his signature to them
in order that they might be signed by the President,
who was in his room. The last one had not been
read when Gen. BabcOck appeared, announcing that
the President had directed him to present mes
sage in writing. Mr.. Ednunds Immediately called
for the reading of the message. 1t was then dis
covered that no message had been sent. The situa-
ton was ridiculous and only relieved by with
drawal of the call for the reading. Then MesSTs.
Conkling and Thurman, who had previously been
appointed TO wait upon the President. walked dswn
the middle aisle and, facing the Wednesday,.
announced that they had informed the PresdeA
that the Senate had finished its business and was
ready to adjourn, and that he had replied that he
had no further communication TO make to them.
Wbereupon the gavel fell. and the Vice-President
announced the Senate OF the ALllld Congress
adjourned sine die.
THE HOUSE PRECEDING ADJOURNMENT.
yuIs SEEMINGLY sIRANDED-THEoRIEs ABOUT TIE
COLORADO AND NEW-MEXICO BILIs-sPECTAToRs
IN THE GALLERIEs-DIsCoNsOI-ATEo OWNERS OF
CLAIMS NOT REACHED-A SLEEPY HoUsE-RECEss
FOR BREAKFAST
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNB1
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The legislative MIL ran
In the House during the last twelve hours of the ex
pirng Congress with rapidity and effectiveness
unequaled in the past five years. Before the Rob-
ers rule was adopted providing that no bill on the
Speakers table 10 which objection was made should
be passed without twothirds vote, the great bulk
of the work of the Senate aside from the appropra
ton bills was untouched in the House. Now and
then a bill of undisputed merit. chal-
lengng no opposition, had been picked
out and passed by unanimous consent
A few others had been referred to committees
where they generally slept the sleep that knows no
waking. and a few more had been agreed to by
two-thirds vote under suspension of the rules on
Mondays OF during the past week. The remainder
Law untouched, as they came from the Senate The
Civil Rights bill stood between the greater part OF
them and the usual reference or more summary
action. At first every bill most care
fully examined and those of a doubtful char
acter were defeated or passed over.
Among these was the notorious lron-clad contract
org bill proposing to send the ronclad contractors,
who have so long been begging Congress for relief,
to the Court of Claims This bill, only week or
two ago. received almost a two thirds vote of the
House. The bill TO extend the time for
the completion of the Bayfield, and ST. Croix Rail-
road in Wisconsin was also of the early ones
on the list of Senate bills and seemed to have
very few earnest friends, although two years ago it
was pressed by one Of the most mportunate lobbies
that ever came to Washington.
The action of the House on the Colorado and New
Mexico enabling act, which had been defeated dur
ing Wednesday afternoon took place early under
the CALL and reported in last nights dispatches
The passage of the Colorado bill while the New
Mexico one was defeated only be explained by
two hypothesis. One of these is that Colorado has
become much better known to Eastern people than
New Mexico since the Union and the Kansas
Pacific Railroads have made it so easily accessible
to Summer tourists; the other theory bases the dis
elimination on the personal popularity OF Delegate
Chafee who will, it is believed be returned TO the
Senate from the State.
The work of the House on bills on the Speak
ers table was frequently interrupted during
the night by the appearance of members of the
Appropriations Committee with the important
money bills which they brought in for action upon
f;enate amendments or for concurrence in the re-
sorts of the Conference Committees These. of
course, for the time displaced everything else as
.tksy alone were considered Indispensable After