Litchfield enquirer., 1876-02-17
cohcREssloMAL,

ISSfaQtS.-On Tuesday or IHSb week tno Southern public land bill was debated. Mir. Alcorn said that two million acres Of land had been sold for taxes in Misslssip- pi and that nobody wanted wild land at any price. On motion of Mr.. Morton 3 passed instructing the District of Columbia committee to consider the question of giving the people of that Dis- trict an elective government.-Mr.E Eng fish presented the petition of the New ha- ven ninflationists.-Eulogies on the late MT. Ferry were pronounced by various Sena- tors. ~ t. ....
 On Wednesday more Pennsy ylvania pc tltions in favor of Texas Pacific railroad were presented,-A bill passed approprl- ating $25, 900 for improvement Of the cap itol grounds.-The committee on pubic buildings were instructed to inquire into the expediency of completing the Wash inoton monument. The bill passed reim- bursting the St. Alban's bank for $28. .0O0 taken in the raid during the war.-The Centennial bill came up Messrs. Merrill, Sergeant, Wallace and others speaking ln favor of it.
 On Thursday petition of Chicago mer- chants was presented praying that the re- peal of the bankrupt law should not take effect till July next.-The bill for exten- sion of time for completion of the North ern Pacific railroad was passed, 35 to IS. ---The Centennial bill then came up, Mir. Norwood, of Ga.. opposing and MT. Mitch ell, of Oregon, fayoring it's passage.
 On Friday 8 large number of petitions were presented from New York praying for a repeal of the Bankrupt law.-The question of counting the Presidential vote was then discussed. The Centennial bill then came up; Mir. Randolph of N. J., Carpenter of West Va., Conover of Fla, and Ransom of N. C., spoke in favor o1 the bill and Messrs. Jones of Fla and Alcorn of Miss, against it. The bill wal then passed; Yeas, Al, Nays, 15. MT. Ea' | ton of Conn.,, was among the opponents of the measure Adjourned till Monday, Cn Monday. Mir. Morton made a speech 1! favoring the submission of Pinchback. |.
 .Honse On Tuesday of last week tho
 bill repeating the Bankrupt act was pass
 ed, 188 to 57 The House then went into Committee of the Whole on the Consn I lar appropriation bill. MT. Hewitt, of N
 Y. opposed the ediscontinuance of mission' i in South American states and the reduc
 tion of the number of consuls. Wood
 of N. r., also opposed the bill, as propos 1 | inc iffq smaIl saving and neglecting grea
 ced on Senator Ferry n i;s11r ;1re e prononn E
 of his own, Mir. Garfield read a speeci
 that had been prepared for the occasion b,
 the late Mir. Starkweather.
 sular bill went on. Mir Springer of III
 supported the bill and made much fun o
 a dispatch of J. Meredith Read, Minlstel
 to Greece, giving an account of his at
 tending g party and dancing with tn, 1 OuAon Mr. Hov nf M V f,>ll.>-oa AL
 same strain. Mir. Kelly, of Pa, replied
 opposing the bill, predicting his speecl 1 with the remark that Springer and Co, had made the house as funny as a circu. with two clowns. On Thursday the Consular bill wal again discussed, Mir. Haskins. of N. Y
 opposing it.-Mr. Lynch, of Miss. replied to MT. Singleton's statement that the South was was overtaxed. He said that the tax in Mississippi was only nine mills on the dollar, and he asserted that nine tenths of the officials of that State were natives and not carpet-baggers. MT. Blaine followed with speech on Finance MT. Tarbox. of Mass, replied. MT. Ran. dall advocated the reductions of the Con- sular bill He said former Minister to Greece had confessed that the position was useles. MT. Chittendon, of N. Y, opposed the bill. An amendment, restor- ing the salaries of the principal missions to $l7. 900 failed, and they were left at $14.000:: '+ .'.
 On Friday the Consular bill was again discussed A motion prevailed, consoli. dating the missions to Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The Hawaiian mission was struck out, and various other amendments were made. The bill was then reported to the House, and passed. It appropriates $914.OOO. a reduction of $470, 900 from last years appropriation.
 On Monday, MT. Hale offered series of hard money resolutions on which the House refused action: Yeas. s6: Nays, ,137. Several calls for investigation. were made. v