The Portland daily press., 1876-01-21

West introduced bill to amend the acts Il
and in the construction of a railroad and tele
graph from the Missouri river to the Pacif
ocean, and with view to protect the interes
of the government. Referred to the judiciar!
committee. Mr. West also introduced a bill t,
recover from the Central s. Union Pacific Rail
road Companies tonds and coupons issued il
excess Of the amount presented. Mr.. Boutwel
presented a petition Of citizens of Massachu
setts asking the passage of a law making
every member of Congress responsible to hi'
constituents, the majority of whom, it he does
not meet their expectations, may at any TINT
recall him and appoint a successor The ques
tion of amending the 22d joint rule came up OF
a resolution of Mr. Edmun. This rule relates
to the method of counting the votes for Presi-
dent and Vice President and provides that
majority in joint convention may have the
power to throw out the vote of any state. Al
the two houses are now constituted the Demo
Gratis have a majority in joint convention and
the 22d rule would give them the power to rev
olutionize the government and defeat candi
date elected by the people. The question was
discussed at some length, but went over with
out action.
H0uSe.-Bills were introduced and referred
as follows; to repeal stamp duties ON medi.
cines; to prevent traffic in intoxicating liquors
at the Centennial; for removal of all political
disabilities; prescribing form of oath fol
members of Congress; to reduce the salaries Of
all executive and legislative officers of the gov.
eminent except of the army and navy, under
$1500, 20 per cent. and to fix the salary of the
President at $4,000; directing discontinuance
of work on the streets in Washington; to re-
peal the act prohibiting payment of debts due
by the United States before the war, except on
proof of loyalty; to amend the act granting
pensions to soldiers of the war of 1872
MIR. OBrien of Maryland submitted the fol-
lowing amendment to the constitution:
Section mo state shall make any law re-
specting an establishment of religion or prohib-
itlng the free exercise thereof, and no minister
or preacher of the gospel of any religious creed
or denomination shall hold any office of trust or
emolument under the United States or under
any state;uor shall any religious test be requir-
ed as qualification for any office or public
trust in any state or under the United States
Section 2-No money received by taxation
from any state for the support of public schools
or derived from any public fund therefor, nor
under control of any religious sect, nor shall
any money SO raised, nor lands so devoted be
divided between religious sects or denomina-
tions, nor shall any minister or preacher of the
gospel or any religious creed or denomination
hold any Office in connection with the public
schools in any state, nor be eligible to any posi-
tion of trust or emolument in connection with
any institution, public or private, in any state
under the United States which shall be sup
ported in whole or in part from any public
fund.
Mr.. Whyte of New York moved to suspend
the rules and bring the House to a vote on the
amnesty bill introduced by him from the ben
eft of which JEFF. Davis is excluded, and also
to vote on the amendment striking out that
section. The motion to suspend the rules was
lost-yeas ITO, nays $50.
Mr.. Holman moved to suspend the rules and
adopt resolution declaring it unwise and in
expedient at this time that specific and arb-
trary periods should be prescribed by law at
which legal tender notes of the United States
shall be paid in coin by the Secretary of the
Treasury, and that therefore the acs entitled an
act to provide for the resumption of specie pay
ment approved Jan. IA, 1872, ought to be re-
pealed, and instructing the committee on bank
ing and currency to report bill for that pur-
pose.
The rules were not suspended-yeas 112, nays
15S, as follows:
81. Bagley, Blackburn, Bland, Blount, Boone, Brad
ford. Bright, Brown of Kentucky, Buckner, Cabell,
Caldwell of Alabama, Caldwell ofTennessee. Camp.
Missouri, Clymer. Cochrane Collins, Cook, Cowan,
Davis, De Bolt Dibbell ,Dobbins, Douglass Durham,
Eden Egbert Evans, Faulkner, Feton, Forney,
Gunter, Hamilton of Indiana, Harris OF Georgia
Harris of Virginia, Harrison, Hardridge, Hartzell,
HILL Holman, Hopkins, House, Hunton, jerks,
Jones of New York, Kelley, Knott, Landers of In
dianna, Lewis, Mackey,- MacFarland, Mcmahon,
Of Missouri, Philips of Kansas, Piper, Poppleton,
Rea, John Reilly, Rice Riddle, Robbins Of N. c.,
Roberts, Robinson Savage, Sayler, Scales Sheakley,
SlemoDs, Smith of Geor gia, Southland, Sparks
Springer, Stenger. Stevenson, Stone, Terry, Tucker
Turner, Vance of Ohio, Vance of N. c., WaddeT,
Of Indiana, Williams Of Alabama, Wilson W. Va,
Yates and Young.
Nays-Adams, Bagby, Bagley, Baker of Indiana,
Baker Baker 9f a n Y Baoq Banks Bass Beebe Bell
of Illinois, Burchard Of Wisconsin, Burleigh, Cand-
Ter, Cannon, Caswen, Caulfed. Chapin, Chittenden,
rail-, Davy, Dennison, Dunnel, Durand, Eames,
Ellis, Ely. Farwell, Fort, Foster, Freeman, Frost,
Frye, Garfield, Gibson, Hale, Hamilton of New Jer-
Mass, Hathorn, Hendee, Henderson, Hewitt of New
York. Hoar, Hoge, Hooker, Hoskins, Hubbell, Hun
ter, Hurd, Hyman, Jones of N. H., Joyce, Kasson,
Kehr, Ketchum King, Lamar, Landers of Conn.
Lane, Lapham, Lawrence, Leayenworth, Levy, Lut-
trell, Lynch, Magoon, Marsh, McDougail, McCrary.
roe. Morrison, Mutchler, Norton, O'Brien, O'DelI.
ONeill Packer, Page Parsons, Payne, Pierce, Plais-
ted, Platt, Potter, Powell Pratt, Rainey, Randall,
Rusk, Sampson, Schleicher, Seele, Singleton, Sim
nckson, Smalls. Smith of Pa, Starkweather Strait,
Stowell, Tarbox, Thompson. Thomas, Thornburgh:
m nf Tour NJ
Walsh, Ward, Warren, Wells of Missouri, Welies Of
WgRo wss Wd e. McsaD @ams
Michigan, Williams of Wisconsin, Williams of
Delaware W. B. Williams of Michigan, Wilson of
Woodburn-15S.
House went into committee of the whole on
the Centennial bill but rose without action.
Senote-Tuesday- Credentials of James B.
Eustis claiming seat from Louisiana were
presented. Mr.. Conkling objected on the
ground that they were not certified to by the
governor, but Mr.. Thurman claimed that this
was not necessary, and after brief debate the
matter was laid over. Of course this opens the
fight on the question of the right of Pinch
back to seat. After the submission of several
petitions, one praying that insurance compa-
AiSo h1oJ oO oHo"Co w SualO AZ tu0 aldUdlld
award Senate resumed the consideration of
Mr. Davs's resolution for an investigation into
the accounts of the Treasury, and Mr. Bout
well spoke in explanation of some of the alleged
discrepancies, though he did not object to the
investigation.
buSe.-Mr. Knott from the judiciary COM
mittee proposed constitutional amendment
providing that no person who has held or may
hereafter hold, the Office of President shall ever
again be eligible to said office. Bills were re-
ported to amend the Revised Statutes with re-
gard to naturalization; also to authorize the
court of claims to take jurisdiction of claims OF
all persons non conapos mentis or beyond the
Seas at the time of the seizure of any aban.
doned property; to extend for three months the
time for claimants before the Alabama courts
to prove their claims (passed); providing q
ponalty for mailing ohscena literature, and pro-
hibiting lottery circulars passing through the
mails; to provide an elective government for
the District of Columbia; to reduce the interes.
bearing public debt, provide for uniform cur
rency, limit the amount thereof and make il
equal in value to specie; in favor of a joint
convention of all civilized nations to establish
uniform system of weights and measures.
House went into committee of the whole on the
Centennial appropriation, bill and was ad.
dressed by Mr.. Hopkins in support of the hill