Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-02-12

10.
The amendment. proposed by the Senate
committee on finance on the tWenty-hrst Of
January we're also concurTed in, and the bill
was passed as smended-yeas, 81 nays, 20. /
Messrs. Booth [Iudl, OF California, and .
withers, Dem ], Of Virginia, voting with the t
in favor OF the bill
The bill TO confirm presumption and home |
stead entries Of public lands within the limits !
of railroad grants YVES passed by vote OF
forty-fOur to nine Several amendments were |
attempted, hut all failed, and the bill passed |
as originally presented. The bill provides
that all presumption and homestead entries,
or entries in compliance with any law OF the
United Slater, OF the public lands, made in
good faith by sctnal settlers upon tracts OF
land Of not more than 100 acres each, within
the limits OF any land grant prior TO the time
Wl3en notice of withdrawal OF the lands en-
braced in such grant was received at the local
land Office of the district in which such lands
are situated or after their restoration to mar
ket by order of the general land Office, and
where the presumption and homestead laws
have been complied with and proper proofs
thereof have been made by the parties hold
ing such tracts or parcels, they shall be con-
irmed and patents for the same shall Issue to
the parties entitled thereto.
HOUSE.
The proposition TO vote the sum of 81 $780,
900 for the Centennial, attracted much atten-
ton in the House. Speeches were made in
favor of and against the bill by large number
of members. Mr.. Lawrence (Rep.), of Ohio,
said that the appropriation would be worth
many times over 81 500 600; and would be
good investment and bring back more than it
cost. The government might save 1,500, 900
by refusing the appropriation, but it might
lose S1Q0, 000 900 by doing 3d. Mr.. Randall
(Dem }, OF Pennsylvania, gave an indignant
contradiction to the statement in letter rela-
tive to the character Of the Centennial officers,
and said that purer set of men than the
members of the Centennial board never man.
aged any enterprise. Mr.. Kelley (Rep.) of
Pennsvlvania.-And say amen to every word
my colleague has said.
Mr. Hopkins Dem, of Pennsylvania, had
the closing hour of the debate, but surrendered
a part Of his time, and speeches were delivered
by Messrs. Young (Dem. }, Of Tennessee, and
Randall Dem.) Of Pennsylvania.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Springer
dem. }, of Illinois, requiring the payment in
full to the United States treasury of any bal
ance that may be left in the hands of the
finance committee before any dividend or per-
centage OF the profits shall be paid to the
stockholders, was agreed to.
The vote was then taken, and the bill passed
yeas, 146 nays, 100. The announcement
was greeted with applause.
Bills were introduced to provide for the sus-
pension Of the sinking fund until 1880 also
to amend the act authorizing the funding
of the national debt to . fund the
legal tender debt of the United States fol
funding legal tender notes into forty-year foul
per cent. gold bonds to the amount Of $4OO,
000, 900, at rate not to exceed SO, 000 900 d
month fixing the first Monday of January fol
tue time of the meeting of Congress also,
constitutional amendment proposing to change
the beginning Of the Presidential term ff6n
March to May /; to protect life On steam
ships, steamboats, and sailing vessels to pro-
| vide mems of cheap transportation in interior
waters to abolish the stamp duty on pro
prietary medicines to reduce the tax on to
bacco and whisky, and to abolish the stamp tai
on bank checks granting bounties TO heirs o
soldiers in the late war who enlisted for les
than one year, and who were killed or died b,
reason of service.
BY Mr. A. S. Williams Rep.), of Michigan
a constitutional amendment prohibiting Sena
tors aud Representatives from soliciting APP
pontments to or removals from Office, and pro
viding civil service commission.
By Mr. Wilson Rep.), of Iowa, constitu
tional amendment, providing that the term o
Office of Representatives shall begin on tn
fret of January, instead of the fourth o
March. -
i. BY Mr.. Crounse [Rep.l, of Nebraska, de
claring lands heretofore granted to certai
railroad companies subject to State taxation.
By Mr.. Jacobs, of Washington Territory, fo
, restoring to the public domain land in Wast
ingtoh Territory granted to the Northern Pa
ciic railroad.
By Mr.. Stone Dem. !, of Missouri, resolu
7 ton instructing the poSt-offce committee
} investigate the straw bid eystem. Adopted.
, Mr. Rusk rep, OF Wisconsin, reported tn
bill to Increase pensions in certain cases.
provides that persons who in the military
naval SnFVipA h4Up IOat hoDj ut,d
or even been totally or permanently disabled
shall be entitled to pension for each of thof
g disabilities
n MI. Clark Dem. }, of Missouri, from til
. post-office committee, called up the bill regul
ting postage on third-class mail matter.
a provides that all maiable matter of the thir,
a class, referred to in sections 1879 and 8, Oil
+ the revised statutes, may weigh not exccedir
= four pounds for each package and that IL
Q postage thereon shall be one cent for eve
i two ounces or fraction thereof After son
"A little discussion the bill was passed without
division of the House.
10 Mr.. Cannon (Rep.), Of Illinois from I'll
q committee on pOat-ofices and post-roads, r
n ported bill to amend section g. 1893 and g. SO
- roviding penalties for the sending of obscel
> matter through the mails. The bill was cri
o cised severely by the House, several membe
20 claiming that injustice to innocent perso
Ia would result from the carrying out of its pr
visions. The bill was recommitted to the COZ
Ls mittee.
If MIR. Douglass (Dem.), of Virginia, from t
I'd committe on patents, reported bill to ame
section 100 of the revs d statutes prohibiti
10 officers, clerks, of employees of any of t
Is officers Of the government acting as couns
ID attorney, or agent, or being interested in a
II; firm for prosecuting either claims or paten
- application for which was pending while tn
Ia were such clerks, or employees. Also, I'll
III any government officer recognizing such p,
son in any such application shall be, ipse fac
discharged from the service. Passed.
b.