The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-03-11
Congressional
CLOSING SCENES OF CONGRESS.
BILLS SIGNED BY THE PREsIDENr-woRK
noNv ANN Iprr TNDoNE.

room, at the SenaCe, ~ oNi'o
morning, and remained until the adjourn
ment, examining large mass OF pills De-
fore them previous to approval Inc
President signed the General Approprla-
ton bills. none of which failed. Three
or four private bills were lost for want OF
time to examine them.
The bill to equalize the bcunties OF
soldiers who served in the late war, failed
to become law, the President with
holding his signature. If time had al
lowed he would have sent in veto mes
sage. The President and Cabinet did
not think this the proper time to make
80 large an appropriation on account of
bounties, some calculation placing the
amount from one hundred and fifty mil
lion to two hundred millions Members
ofCongress were flying in all directions
with bills in their hands hurrying to
have them signed by the respective Off
CO. of the two Houses, and then sent
into the Presidents room for his ap-
proval. Claimants in the lobbies showed
much anxiety, and there were hundreds
of mournful faces when Congress ad-
iourned, for some Of the disappointed
ones had been here previous sessions as
well as the one just closed, endeavoring
to attain their end.
The River and Harbor Appropriation
bill, now law, contains all the proyls-
ions as passed by the House, except the
following items, which have been in
creased: For improving the Great Ka-
nawha River, 100000; the appropriation
for the Tennessee River was fixed at
$4OO OOO0 the appropriation for improving
Cane Fear River was fixed at $l5O,OOO.
The House receded from its disagreement
to the Senate amendment of S2O,OOO for
st. Joseph, Michigan. Several Senate
amendments, except one proving for i'm
provement by Mr.. Eads' project, were
abandoned by the Senate conferences
and stricken out of the bill.
The Committee of Con erence on the
Deficiency bill agreed to the Senate
amendments providing for the Apache
Indians during the remainder of the
present fiscal year, with an amendment
reducing the amount from $4,000 to
S125,O00 The Senate provision Of Sl62,-
600 for the Sioux was cut down to Sl2O,-
600. The Senate amendment relating to
the Choctaws was wholly stricken out
No provision is made by either House for
liabilities incurred in behalf OF the
Apaches during the previous fiscal year.
The final report of the House Commit
tee on Expenditures in the Department
of Justice recommends the discontinue
ance of many Assistant District Attor-
news. and the consolidation of the two
districts of No .th Carolina, two OF Vir-
ginia, two of Michigan, and two of Wis
COnsin.
The President signed the bill granting
to railroads rightof way through the pub
lie lands, and the bill admitting Colorado
Among the measures which were left
pending in Congress are the Steamboat
bill; the bill proposing an amendment to
<he Constitution changing the manner of
eIecting President and Vice President of
the United States, Colonel Scott's Texas
Pacific Railroad bill, and several other
railroad relief bills.
The proceedings of the Senate show
that the bill for equalizing bounties was
not in proper shape for the signatures OF
the Speaker and f the Vice President,
it being held by old and experienced
Senators that the motion to lay the re-
port on the table, which was agreed to
by vote of 80 to "a, was undeniably
refusal on the part of the Senate to ac-
cept the report. Much surprise was ex-
pressed that the bill, though not finally
agreed to by the Senate, should find its
way to the President, signed by the pre-
siding officer of each house. The Presi-
r dent was informed of these facts, and he
withheld lis signature; but even if the
hill had come before him in an unques-
tionabIe manner he would have returned
II for the reasons: first, the bill appro-
priated from the Treasury large sum OF
money at time when the revenue is in
sufficient for current wants; second, he
did not believe that any considerable
portion of ex-soldiers who it was sup
posed would be benefciaries of this ap-
propriation were applicants for it, but
rather that it would result more In a
measure for the relief of certain agents
or middle men who intervene or would
intervene to collect or discount the boun-
ties granted by it.
The Committee of Conference on the
Sundry Civil Appropriation bill made the
following settlement of points in dispute
between the House and Senate, and the
hill became law in exact accordance
with theirrecomme The House
concurred in the Senate amendments re-
garding the United States bank note
printing controversy; the House receded
from its disagreement to the Senate
amendment making single rate of post
age on fourth mail one ounce in
stead of two ounces; the House agreedto
Senate amendments inserting $4,000 for
the Government Building at Grand Rap
ids. Mich: the Senate receded from Its
amendments which proposed to strike
from the bill S19l. 900 for surveying In
dian reservations, and all items for pay
mo the expenses of sundry contestants
for seats in Congress. The Committee OF
Conference dropped from the bill the
Senate amendment approprlating SloO,-
600 for tne eAtenSlOu VI Il0 NON0lhhiSi'S
Insane Asylum. The Senate also receded
from its disagreement to the House pro-
VISIONS for the reorganization OF the
Treasury Department contained in the
Kellogg measure, which was made part
of this bill. The two Houses compro-
missed on $4,000 as the amount to be ap-
propriated for the surveys of Lieutenant
Wheeler west of the Tooth meridian, and
$4,000 for continuing the Custom House
at New Orleans They also compromise
on the so-called McGarrahan clause Of
the House by striking out the provision
for bringing suit for the recovery Of the
New India mines, and inserting a direc-
tion that the Secretary of the Interior
shall reportto the next Congress whether
the company in possession occupies more
land than it is entitled to claim under the