Wilmington journal., 1876-07-21
NO. s29s'
WASHINGTON.

LOulsv1lle. passed, and will now go tc
the President. [s-iaihH I ssii 80
The bin extending the duration ol
| the Alabama Claims Commission was
passed and amendments to authorize
the following surveys were agreed tc:
Dan river s. o., Clarksville, Va. via
Dauvinesto @Danbury, N. c.; for 6
survey of the Roanoke river from Vel
DON, N. c., TO Clarksvills, va. -,
i Mr.. Edmunds. of Vermont, said as
this bill came from the House Oh
Representatives it appropriated 1s5,.
872, $40. The committee On apprepri-
/ atiOns reduced that amount by striking
out certain provisions TO the extent OF
about 5000, 900, and then added various
| amendments, increasing the bill to, the
extent of about $685.. 900, making an in
crease of about $50, 600 as, compared
with the House bill. Tie Senate had
deserted the committee on appropria-
| tions by reinasating all che provisions
| of the House bill. which the committee
I recommend, to strike out and had
! added other amendments which made
the sum total of the bill as Iit nowst6od
| about seven million dollars, and that
! was done in vieW; Of the revised esti-
mates of the engineers; The question
With him was whether Congress, as
guardians Of the pn'5'int treasury, IN
| spite Of the paramount necessity of
| having the smallest appropriations
POSSIBLE this year. should appropriate
SO much money by this line. He subs
rnltte d the folloging as substitute for
the bill: a4.A pjae4 I.a54l s4i-~ --.-
7 Be it enacted, SC, that the sum of
50, 600. 900 is hereby appropriated for
I the fiscal year ending June Both, 1877,
! to be expended for the repair, exten-
sion, preservation and completion Of
works fer the improvement of rivers
and narbors under the direction of the
Secretary of War; provided, that the
Secretary of War is hereby authorized
to cause such expenditures 10 be made
soaas best to subserve the interests of
commerce, and he is required to re-
port to Congress ct the opening Of its
December session all expenditures
| made under the provision of this act
up to that time in detail. "a -.
Mr.. Gordon of Georgia, said he
desired to economize and yet improve
the rivers and preserve works which
have been begun. He! hoped nis
friend from Michigan (Mr. Terry
would withdraw his motion to instruct
the committee to report the House
bill, aud let the House bill be
Accepted now, by noa-coneur~
ring in ali amendments proposed by
the committee on appropriations, or
in committee of the whole.
Mr.. Ferry accepted the suggestion
bf the -Setutor from Georgia, and
with his motinn!. No action II
The Judiciary committee reported
favorably ON the bin to remove the
disabilities of Reuben Davis of Mis-
sissippi. "
Adjourned. -!
HOUSE. of Michigan intro
duced bill granting a pension, of $50
per month to Mrs. Elizabeth Custer,
widow of the late General Custer.
Mr.. Terry of Virginia eulogized the
career of General Custer in the late
war and hoped that his side of the
House would be unanimous in paying
| this tribute to brave man. The bill
| was then passed without division.
Mr.. Williams of Michigan also asked
| leave to introduce bill granting a
| pension of eighty dollars a month to
Emanuel and Maria Custer, father and
| mother of General Custer a~>
Mr.. Rusk of Wisconsin thought that
| the bill came before the House in a
very irregular manner aud that the
| bill should go to the committee on
| invalid pensions.
Mr.. Cox of New York thought that
the whole matter partook of a sad ir-
regularity. General Clusters death
was irregular in many sad ways, but
whatever might be thought of the war
debt on the commanders over him. he
asked the House not to hesitate mo-
ment in giving relief to the stricken
family of brave officer that would be
better than a monument. Kinder,
gentler, more becoming the American
Congress and more consonant to the
feelings Of the American people. He
was glad to- see the. gentleman from
Virginia (Terry), who fought in the
civil war against Custer, urging the
House to pay a jusstribute to brave
soldier. He hoped the gentleman
from Wisconsin (Rusk} would make
no objection to tho bill.
The department of agriculture re-
ports officially as follows: Cotton in
the first week of July is in condition
of healthy growth, less forward than in
July of last year, well cultivated aud,
reasonably clear of grass. During the
last half of June its growth was rapid
and blooms were freely reported in the
more southern belt. No complaints of
drouth are received; rains have been
frequent and in. large area in excess
of the requirements for the highest
condition in the rainy districts. The
uplands and sandy lands give better
promise at present than the bottoms.
In South Carolina and in Florida
storms we're especially severe between
June 11th and 18th, and in some local
tiles there were seven days of con-
tinuous rain.l In comparison with last
year North Carolina, Georgia and
Texas report higher conditions; all
the other States lower figures thnn in
J July of 1875. The general average in
1875 slightly exceeded 100; the present
average of condition 976.1O, the unit
OF comparison being a normal growth
and urimpalred vitality. In compar-
ison with the report of June, the
States that have made improvement
are North Carolina. >, Florida Alabama.
nessee.. Georgia has held the high
condition Of last month; South Caro-
lima has declined from 98 to 80, in con.
elusive measure. The figures for con,
dition are. as follows: North Crrolina
so. Georgia 103, Florida SO, Alabama
100, Mississippi o. Louisiana 80,
Texas 90 Arkansas 81, Tennessee 1O3.
Representative Thomas l.. Jones of
Kentucky has received the following
letter, dated Louisville, July 9th;
DEAR SIR-As this is the Centennial
Year Of American Independence, and I
desire to let the world see that we who
were once soldiers of the "lost cause"
are not deficient in patriotism, will
you be kind enough to intimate to the
Presfdeh. that T offer him the services
of a EYuft regiment, composed exclu-
sively of x-Confaderates, to .axenge
Clusters death, 7, haze crossed swords
frequently wlth his c01amand in the
past, You know me and know my