South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1876-05-19
Forty-Fourth Congress

In the Senate. on the 18th. petition
was presented from citisens Of Calf0r'
mia complaining OF mislnanagemeut. in
the Central Pacific railroad. and asking,
for an investigation OF its condition.
The Senate. at an early hour. adjourned
until Monday.
In the House. Mr.. Cox, OF New York.
was elected Speaker pro tenn. in the alb
sencc of Speaker Keer. The postofIlcc
appropriation bill was further consider.
cd. The committee on printing made u
partial report In regard to the manage.
ment OF the government printing Office.
The report charges unparalleled extrav-
agances In every department OF the OF.
fee. the forcing Of balances and the
falsiflcasion or accounts. The commit
tec rcc J.nmcnd that the proposition OF
Francis Rives OF May 2, 1879. for the
printing and binding of the debates OF
Congress. be accepted. to take effect Mt
the beginning or tho next session, and
that the department printing be execut-
cd by contract. The Speaker was di.
rected to certify the testimony to the
District authorities, in order that the
congressional printer may be indicted
and prosecuted.
In the House. on the 18th, a resolu
ton was presented, and after debate
referred to the committee on rules. dc.
claring It to DO the sense OF the House
that l.. II. Eitxhugh is not proper
person to hold the position OF doorkeep.
er Of the House Of Representatives, and
that no be dismissed forthwith FROM that
tt~k
charges OF arson. burglary, perjury, &c
have been preferred. but whose crime,
and the one upon which action was taken
was tho writing foolish letter in which
he said he is "a bigger man than old
Grant" and brags about his Social and
political Importance. The postoffice
appropriation bill was further discussed.
In the Senate, on the 18th. the argu-
ments in the secret session OF the Bel.
KNAPP case. were permitted to extend be-
yond the limit Of fifteen minutes. Sen.
aters Morton and Frclinghnysen smoke
against Jurisdiction while Senator Thur.
man made n powerful argument in favor
of jurisdiction. Speeches were also
made by Senator Sherman and others.
Senator Edmunds hasthe floor for to.,nor.
row, and it is understood he will claim
Jurisdiction.
In the House. n resolution was adopt.
cd calling on the Secretary Of The Treas
ury FOR copies Of all letters, &C., relat.
ing to the whisky ring prosecutions in
ST Louis and elsewhere. A motion to
suspend the rules aud pass bill author.
izing the Secretary of the Treasury to
exchange $l0.0O0,oOO lcgal.tenders for
q like amont of silver, to he afterwards
replaced with fraction al currency, which
is to be destroyed. was defeated, two.
thirds not voting in the Affirmative
The bill to allow Mrs. Minnie Sherman
Fitch to receive her diamond present
from the Khedive Of Egypt without pay.
ment of customs dnty was passed. The
opposition to the bill came principally
from Mr.. Faulkner. OF West Virginia,
who few days ago called the attention
Of the foreign affairs committee to the
subject. and urged them to resist the
passage Of the sbiltsS on tho ground that
1t was diseraceful for any American la.
dy to accept such costly present from
an impoverished monarch. The bill
now only requires the signature Of the
President to become law.
The Senate. on the l6tl. went into
secret session for the consideration OF
the question Of jurisdiction in the i'm
pcachmcnt case of w. w. Belknap, but
without rendering decision the doors
were opened and the Senate adjourned.
In tho House, Che report OF tho com.
mittee on the government printing Of.
flee was called up. Mr.. Ballou present.
cd majority report indorsing the man
agement Of the Office by Mr. Clapp.-
This led to debate in which there was
q sharp passage Of words between Messrs
Singleton and Garfield. Finally that
portion Of the majority report was ed ,pt-
ed which directs the Speaker to certify
TO the District authorities the testimony
taken relating to A. NJ. Clapp. as con-
gressional printer. to the end that he
may be indicted and prosecuted, and
instructing the Judiciary committee to
inquire whether the congressional print
er is an officer WHO may be impeached.
INSTINCT OR REAsoN.-As q farmer
in ncighborhood town was getting in
u