Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-03-16
THE WEEK IN CONGRESS.

1
ascartain what amendments should b
made to the revenue laws to secur
economy in collection. Mr.. Freling
huyseO called up the insect bill for the
protection Of agriculture against de
StrOying insects. Some other bills of n,
general Importance we're then called VI
and discussed, after which the Senat
went into executive session.
In the House, Mr.. Lawrence intro
duced bill regulating post traderShips
and also bill protecting witnesses il
Impeachment cases, bill to repeal tn,
specie resumption act Was referred. I
lengthy discussion then enSued upoI
the impeachment business, Mr.. Clyme
and several others of the committe,
asking TO be excused from testifying il
the Belknap case before the Gand Jury
believing that it would have the efiec
of closing the mouths of many wit
neSSeS.
On Wednesday in the Senate, tn,
petition OF 5000 persons, residents o
the various States and Territories, wa
presented, asking for law making i
unlawful to appoint to Office any person
who is member of 4 secret organiZa
| ton.
a resolution to adjourn sine die or
the lst OF May Was referred.
a resolution declaring that p. B. 5
Pinchback be not admitted as a Sena
tor from Louisiana was adopted by /
vote OF 81 yeas to 20 nays, five Repub
lican Senators-Messrs. Christiancy o
Michigan, Edmunds of Vermont, Nor
rill of Maine, Morrill, of Vermont, anC
Paddock of Nebraska-voting with the
Democrats in the affirmative.
In the House, the legislature and eX
cutive appropriation bill was reported
and made the special order for the 10th
inst. 1t appropriates Sl2,769 $50, which
is stated to be reduction of about $S,
900, 900 on the estimates, and reduc
tion of about sc, 100000 on the bill o
last year.
The Judiciary com mittee reported
that they hal prepared articles of in'
peachment against Beiknap, for high
crimes and misdemeanOr5 while in
Office, but as the witness Marsh had
gone to Canada, beyond thejurisdictior
of the United States Government, they
recommended the recOmmitment oi
the instructions to prepare articles,
with power to take further proofs
They also reported a bill, which was
passed, providing that witness requir
ed 10 testify against his protest, before
either House of Congress, or any com.
fnittee thereof, or before the Senate sit.
ting as court of mpeachment, shall
not thereafter be held to answer crimi
nally, or be subject to penalty, on ac.
count of any act concerning which he
shall be required to testify.
On Thursday in the Senate, several
petitions and resolutions were referred.
The bill authorizing payment OF
prize money to the officers of the Far
ragut fleet, for the destruction of the
enemy'5 vessels in 1862, was referred to
the committee on Appropriations.
The resolution instructing the Finan.
ce committee to ascertain the amend.
ents to law necessary to secure economy
and certainty in the collection of the
revenue, gave rise to a political debate;
there was no action.
In the House bills were passed
Authorizing the sender of third class
mail matter 10 write on the outside
wrapper his name and address, with
closed; substitute for Senate bill fixing
the terms of United States courts in
West Virginia.; regulating the remove
al of suits from State courts to United
States courts; to provide tor holding
United States District and Circuit
courts at Fort Wayne.
A resolution to inquire into the man.
agement of the Soldiers Home and
National Home for Disabled Volun-
teers, was adopted.
A set of resolutions to settle the
limits of jurisdiction over high crimes
and misdemeanors in civil offices, was
referred to the Judiciary committee.
On Friday in the Senate bills were
passed: Fixing times and places for
holding United States district courts in
Iowa; to enable the people of New
Mexico to form d Constitution and
State Government, aud for the admis-
sion of said State into the Union on an
equal footing with the original States.
The bill to reduce the Presidents
salary to $25, 900 per annum was consid-
cred, but not acted on.
In the House, resolution was Offer
ed, and referred, in5tructing the COM
mittee on Ways and Means to examine
the books Of the Treasury Department,
if necessary, and the officers, to ascer-
tain whether legal tender notes receiv-
ed for redemption of National bank
notes are kept as a special fund or held
in common with other money.
Mr.. Bass, a member of the commit
tee on Expenditures in the War De-
made an explanation, in
which he declared the Chairman of the
committee Mr.. Clymer) had discharg-
ed the witness Marsh aga nst hist Bass's)
strenuous opposition.
Mr.. Clymer, chairman of the COM
mittee, replied to Mr.. Bass, prefacing
his remarks with the statement that he
would not have said a word on the sub
iect were it not that the recollection of
his colleague (Bass) differed, and
from the recollection of
every other gentleman on the commit
tee; so that his colleague stood in the
attitude that one witness dill against
four. He proceeded to read extracts
from the statement of Ddnford, Black
burn and himself, and from records of
the committee. in order to refute Mr.
Bass's statements, but he was inter-
rupted by Mr.. Danford, who asserted
hat there was not the slightest diScre-
pancy between his (Danford's) and
BnsS's statements.
Mr. Clymer said he would leave the
House and the country to judge Of that.
Mr.. Blackburn also made personal
explanation, claiming that the Repub-
lean members Of the committee had
notice of all meetings, but failed to at
end, and that Mr.. Bass made no OBJ
ections to the discharge of tie witness.
Mr. Bass insisted that the records of
he committee bore out his original
Mr.. Blackburn replied and the House
adjourned.
On Saturday in the House, the bill
lpprOpriating 100000 to supply the
deficiency in the appropriation for
Sioux Indians, was passed.
A bill to equalize bountieS of soldiers
If the late war was made the special