The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-02-11
CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION.
Important Bills Introduced i'm the Senate
and House.

h1ChoOOl ililSllNOSh u
bill in the Senate, and Mr.. Kidder, ef
Dakota, similar one in the House, pro-
viding for the formation ef the Territory
of Pembina out of the northern part of
Dakota.
Mr.. Sherman has introduced in the
Senate resolution proposing q com
mon unit of money and accounts for the
United States and Great Britain. 1t re-
quests the President to propose treaty
convention between the two countries to
establish a dollar as the money of ac-
count in both of them. 1t is to he rep
resented by coin formed of the standard
of gold $40 pure metal and Ito copper
or copper and silver alloy. Five of these
new dollars are to be the equivalent of
one pound sterling. Gold coin of the
various denominations conforming to
this standard are TO be issued and be le-
! gal tender within each country.
Senator Booth has introduced q bill in
relation to lands heretofore granted to
railroad companies. 1t provides that all
such lands on either side of any portion
of the road accepted by the Government
as completed shall be subject to local
! taxation. and requires the Commissioner
! w Vic NItlltlul NlllCt w DItDllt
and deliver, without delay, patents for
all lands thus earned, if free from con-
| flicting claims, and clearly within the
limits of the grant. If the costs of sur
vey, ETC., are not paid by the railroad
company, they may be paid by any pur-
chaser at tax sale of such lands, and
constitute n lien upon the patent. which
shall then be issued to the company.
The bill also requires the Pacific Rail
road Companies to sell any land not dis
posed of within three years after the
completion Of any road 10 the first set
tier, upon compliance with the terms oE
the Presumption laws.
Representative O'Brien proposes the
following amendment to the Constitution
of the United States
SECTION l. No State snail make any law re-
specting an establishment of religion or pro-
hbiting free exercise thereof. ana no minister
or preacher Of the Gospel Of any religious creed
or denomination shall hold any Office Of trust
or emoiument under the United States, or
under any State, nor shall any religious test be
required ~ a qualification for any Office of
public trust in any State or under the United
States.
SEC. 2. No money received by taxation in any
State for the support of public schools or de-
TlNcu from ally DuDllc 1uIu lllcItlOT. nDI dllN
public lands devoted thereto, shall ever be un-
der tie control Of any religious sect. nor shall
any money raised nor lands so devoted be
divided between religious sCcts or denomina-
tiOns, nor shall any minister or preacher of the
GOSPEL Of any religious creed or denomination
hold Office in connection with the public schools
in the State, nor be eligible TO any position OF
trust or emolument in connection with any in
stituiion, public or private. in any State, or in
the United States which shall be supported in
whole or i'll part from any public fund.
Representative Hopkins, of New
York, proposes to enact that "any citi-
zen of the United States who shall orig
mate or discover any new plant or fruit,
or variety of fruit, grain, vegetable, vine,
herb, root, tree, wood, plant, shrub or
flower, or seed, cion, bulb, tuber, eye or
cutting thereof, shall, upon compliance
with the conditions Of the bill, have the
sole right and liberty of growing. propa-
eating and selling the same for a period
of seventeen years.
The stealing covered up and carried
through Congress in bills for the relief
of claimants, and in other forms of
special legislation, has grown from year
to year until it's proportions have become
mOnstrous. Naturally despairing OF any
cure for the evils short Of process of
utter ex,irpation, Mr.. Springer, of ILL
nOis, proposes an amendment of the
Constitution of the United States pro-
hibiting special Legislation by Congress
upon any Of the following subjects
Granting pensions, bounties, lands or prize
money to any person or persons for correcting
the records OF any department OF the Govern
ment in reference thereto granting relief or
autlOriZlnn the naNulpnt of claim AGAINST
the United States, OK any officer thereof, eX-
cept appropriations in general laws TO pay the
Judgments Of courts or commissioners author
lied by law, remitting fines, penalties or for
fixtures; creating, increasing, or decreasing
the fees. percentages, or allowances of public
officers during the term for wncn sa'd officers
are elected {; granting to any corporation, asso-
citation or individual the right TO lay down rail-
road tracks, amending existing charters for
such purpose by comforting any special or ex-
elusive privilege upon such corporation or 1850
citation which 1t does not alre1dy have +: grant
ing TO any corporation, association. or individual
any special u exclusive privilege, subsidy inn
munitv, or franchise whs.ever. and regulating
the practice of the courts of the United States,
or commissioners for the auditing of clams
against the same, and in all other cases where
n general law can be made applicable no special
law shall be enacted.
Mr.. Springer's proposition is in the
iliiN VI az ltlOlIu
adopted by several of the States.
One of the most important bills intro
! 'duced during the session is that of Hon.
George w. McCrary, of Iowa, providing
for the relief of the United States Su-
preme Court. The business is now from
three to five years behind, and steadily
drifting farther and farther back. Prac-
tically it has become Court of obstruc
ton and denial of justice. 1t is, as now
constituted, utterly incapable of hearing
the cases which overwhelm its docket.
\ thousand suits now hopelessly await
hearing. The Circuit Courts are SINH
larly, though not quite so badly, over
loaded and behindhand. Mr.. McCrary's
plan contemrlates an intermediate Court
of Appeals in each circuit, consisting of
the assigned Justice of the Supreme
Court, Circuit and District Judges, whose
decisions shall be final on all questions
of fact, and on all questions of law in
cases involving not more than $4,000.
Appeals are to lie to this Court from both
the Circuit and District Courts; the Cir
cult Court is also to be empowered, after
next September, to send any case on its