Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-02-12
FORTY.FOURTH CONGRESS-.

FORTY.FOURTH CONGRESS-.
RI. Business Of GsssraI Interest Trans.
! acted.
| SENATE.
Mr.. Morrill, Crop J, OF Maine, from the COM
mittee on appropriations, reported without
amendment the House bill relating to the Gem
tennial celebration Of American independence
and recommended is pssssgs. Plsced On tho
MI. wright (Rop,), Of lows, submitted a
joint resolution proposing an amendment to
the Constitution so M to elect tho President
and Vico-President by direct vote Of the
people. Also joint resolution proposing an
amendment to the Constitution 90 ~ 70 elect
people. Ietsrsd to he'con,mittse on priv.
Mr. Logan (Rep) }, Of Illinois, reported from
the committee on military affairs the Senate
bill to reduce the number and increase tho
efficiency Of the medical corps Of the United
States army. Placed on tho calendar.
Mr.. Sherman (Rep.), Of Ohio, from the CON-
mittee on finance, reported adversely on the bill
introduced by Mr.. Bogy early In the session,
authorizing the payment OF duties on imports
in legal tenders and national bank notes.
Placed on the calendar with the adverse re-
port.
Mr.. Hamilton (Rep. }, of Texas, from the COM
various petitions and the joint resolution OF
the Michigan Legislature, asking the passage
Of q law to give soldiers in the late war 1900 In
money in lieu Of bounties, and the committee
was discharged from their further consider
ton. The papers wero referred to the com.
mittee on finance.
Mr.. Sherman, from the committee on finance,
reported back the concurrent resolution, pro-
posing common mint of money and accounts
between the United States and Great Britain,
with reasons why it should be passed, and ask
cd that the whole subject be printed and re-
committed to the committee on finance. It
WAS so ordered.
Mr.. Sherman (Rep), Of Ohio, presented
various petitions from citizens Of Cleveland,
Ohio, asking, the repeal OF 10 much OF the aot
OF Congress Of Jan. II. 1876, III provides for
the payment Of Unitul States legal tender
notes Ia coin upon the first day OF January,
1877; and so much of the said act Is authorizes
the secretary Of the treasury to sell or disp use
of the bonds Of the United States for the pur-
pose of enabling him to redeem such legal
tender notes. And further representing that,
in their Judgment, the enforcement Of the re-
sumption clause Of said act would be exceed
ingly disastrous to the business interests Of
MI. IClayton (Rep.) J, Of Arkansas, called up
the Senate bill to repeal section 2,303 of the
revised statutes Of the United States, making
restrictions in the disposition of public lands
in the States Of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisi-
ana, Arkansas and Florida. He said the public
lands In the States named were restricted to
the provisions of the Homestead law, aud the
object Of this bill was to restore the lands to
the same condition as public lands in other
portions Of the country.
HOUSE. r..,,ltl
A personal encounter took place between
Mr.. Cox Oem.), Of New York. and Mr.. Hale
(Rep.) Of Maine, during discussion on the
West Point appropriation bill, during which
Mr.. Cox was called to order and apologized for
an offensive expression used. Mr.. Hamilton's
amendment to the bill, making the pay of
cadets $40. witht ut additional rations, was
agreed to. All other amendments, either in re-
gard to cadets or professors, were voted down.
Mr.. Singleton (Dem.), Of Mississippi, from
the Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation bill.
1t appropriates 1922, 847. 1t fixes the pay Of
the ministers to Great Britain, France, Ger
many, and Russia OF $14, 1000 to Spain, Aus
tri Brazil, Mexico, Japan, aud China at $10,-
,O00; to Italy at 1000; to Portugal, Switzo.-
land, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden
fn M0fTs ,nd. Turkey ysnezut c snd tns
Bolivia Zone miesion) ut $500; to Peru,
Ecuador, and Colombia Gone mission) at &c.
500; to the Argentine Republic, Paraguay and
Uruguay Zone mission) ut 81, 500 to Guste-
mala, Costa RIGA. Honduras, Salvador and
Nicaragua Zone mission) at $4,000 and to
Liberia at $4,000.
wise and simplify existing laws imposing duties
on imports, and to reduce taxation. The bill
redu es the duty on wool about half, and
wooden manufactures proportionally. Tea and
coffee are put back at duties Of four and ten
cents. This, if adopted, will give revenue OF
about $1S, 00O, 900. In some Of the most i'm
portant articles put on the free list in the bill
are soda ash and the salts Of soda. These
articles are essential to the manufacture of
soap and glass, and to the processes of bleach
ing dyeng and oil refining.
Duties on most irons are reduced to an aver
age Of about thirty per cent; pig iron falling
from ~ to Us per ton, and scrap from Sc to a.
Copper is reduced from five to two cents per
pound Bar and block tin, nov free a duty OF
three cents pound.
Mr.. Wiltshire Dem. of Arkansas, a bill for
the free transmission through the mails of all
documents printed by authority OF Congress.
In the Military Appropriation bill the pay of
the cadets at West Point was fixed at 500 per
annum without rations.
Mr. Pierce (Rep.), of Massachusetts, from
the committee on commerce, reported the bill
granting au American register to the Hawaiian
bark Arctic. Opposition to the bill as adverse
to public policy was expressed, but the bill
passed. ~. d ..7| S's'
The House took up the proposed amendment
to the constitution reported from the judiciary
committee, which is, that ''no person who has
held, or may hereafter hold, the Office Of
President, shall ever again be eligible to said
Office.
10 this proposition Mr.. Frye (Rep.), of
Maine, offered the following as substitute:
From and after the fourth day of March, in
the year 1885, the term Of Office of President
and Vice-President of the United States shall
be six years, and any person having been
elected to and held the office of President,
or who for two years has held such office, shall
BIO ineligible to a reelection.
The bill was discussed by Messrs. Knott of
Kohtucky, New, Of Indiana, Frye, Of Maine,
cCrary, of Iowa, Caulfeld, of Illinois, Law
ence, Of Ohio and Harrison of Illinois,
The House took up and passed the bill re-
ported from the committee on public lands,
providing for the sale Of Kansas Indian lands
in Kansas to actual settlers. It authorizes
payment by settlers and purchasers under the
appraisement already made of the appraised
value Of their farms in six equal annual install
ments. 1t also provides for q new appraise-
ment.
The Honse resumed the consideration Of the
proposed constitutional amendment limiting
the Presidential term and after considerable
discussion vote was taken on the passage Of
the bill, which was lost by LA yeas to LOG nays.
Mr.. McCrary CRep.), Of Iowa, from the judi
ciary committee, reported the bill to eorganize
the judiciary Of tho United States. The bill
provides for circuit court in each judicial dis
trict, and establishes in each circuit court Of
appeals, which is to have appellate jurisdiction
OF cases arising in the courts within such cir
cult The terms of the courts of appeals are
to be held in Boston, Albany, PHILADELPHIA
Richmond, New Orleans, Louisville, Chicago,
st. Louis and : IN Francisco. The decisions
Of these courts Of appeals are to be final and
conclusive, but review upon the law may be
had OH writ Of error or appeal to the United
Sites supreme court, where the matter in
controversy exceeds the sum Or value of |