Connecticut western news., 1876-02-11
FORTY.FOURTH CONGRESS.
The Business of General Interest Trans. acted.
 SENATE.

acted.
 SENATE.
 MT. Sargent [Rep.], of California, presented petition signed by large number of ladies, asking that government be established in the District of Columbia which would confer upon women the right to vote. ..s
 MT. Christiancy [Rep.]. of Michigan, sub mitted an amendment to the liquor bill de- clarlng that the commission shall be appointed for the purpose of obtaining information which may serve as guide to the system of legislation best fitted in reference to the ques- tlon of revenue from the manufacture and sale Of alcoholic and fermented liquors, and the effect of the use of such liquors upon the morals and the welfare of the people. Agreed to.
 The amendments proposed by the Senate committee on finance on the twenty first of January were also concurred in, and the bill was passed as amended-yeas, 37 nays, 20. Messrs Booth [Trd.L of California, and Withers. [Dem.], of Virginia, voting with the Republicans in favor of the bill.
 The bill to confirm exemption and home stead entries of public lands within the limits of railroad grants was passed by vote of forty -four to nine. Several amendments were attempted, but all failed, and the bill passed as originally presented. The bill provides that all pre-emption and homestead entries, or entries in compliance with any law of the United States, of the public lands, made in good faith by actual settlers upon tracts of land of not more than 160 acres each, within the limits of any land grant prior to the time when notice of withdrawal of the lands en- braced ill such grant was received at the local land office of the district in which such lands are situated, or after their restoration to mar ket by order of the general land office, and where the pre-emption and homestead laws have been complied with and proper proofs thereof have been made by the parties hold ing such tracts or parcels, they shall be con- hrmed and patents for the same shall issue to the parties entitled thereto.
 Mir. Merrill CRep.) of Maine from the com mittee on appropriations, reported without amendment the House bill relating to the Gen. tennial celebrati on of American independence, and recommended it's passage Placed on the calendar.
 MT. Wright (Rep,), of Iowa, submitted 8 joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to elect the President and Vice-President by direct vote of the people, Also 8 joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as Lo elect United States Senators by direct vote of the people, Referred to the committee on privi- leges and elections.
 MT. Logan (Rep.), of Illinois, reported from the committee on military affairs the Senate bill to reduce the number and increase the efficiency of the medical corps of the United States army. Placed on the calendar. HOUSE.
 MT. Rusk [Rep.l, of Wisconsin, reported the
  provides that persons who in the military or naval service have lost one hand and one foot, or even been totally or permanently disabled, shall be entitled to pension for each of those disabilities.
 MT. Clark Dem.) of Missouri, from the post-office committee, called up the bill regula- | ting postage on third-class mail matter It provides that all mailable matter of the third class, referred to in sections 3,879 and 8, 911 of the revised statutes, may weigh not exceeding 4-,-- .I1 o.. ol. l1.1 postage thereon shall be one cent for every two ounces or fraction thereof After some | little discussion the bill was passed without a division of the House.
 | MT. Cannon (Rep.), of Illinois, from the committee on post-ofices and post-roads, re- ported & bill to amend section 2, ,893 and 3,894, | providing penalties for the sending of obscene | matter through the mails The bill was criti- l cised severely by the House, several members claiming that injustice to innocent persons | would result from the carrying out of it's pro | visions. The bill was recommitted to Lthe committee.
 Mir. Douglass (Dem. ), of Virginia, from the | committee on patents, reported a bill to amend | section 190 of the revised statutes prohibiting | offices, clerks, of employees of any of the | officers of the government acting as counsel, l attorney, or agent, or being interested in any | firm for prosecuting either claims or patents, application for which was pending while they were such clerks, or employees. Also, that l son in any such application shall be, ipse fdcto discharged from the service Passed. A personal encounter took place between Mir. Cox Oem.) j. of New York, and Mir. Hale | (Rep.), of Maine during 8 discussion on the l West Point appropriation bill, during which Mr. Cox was called to order and apologized fol an offensive expression used. MT. Hamilton's amendment to the bill, making the pay o1 cadets $540, withi ut additional rations, was agreed to. All other amendments, either in re- | gard to cadets or professors, were voted down
 Mir. Singleton (Dem.) ). of Mississippi, from | the committee on appropriations, reported | the Consular and Diplomati Appropriation bill It appropriates $922 SAY. It fixes the pay o1 | the ministers to Great Britain, France, Ger many, and Russia at $14, 900; to Spain, Aus | tri, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and China at $10, 0Oe; to Italy at 5000; to Portugal, Switzer | land, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, SwedeI and Norway, Turkey, Venezuela, and the Hawaiian islands at $6,500; to Chili anc Bolivia Gone mission) at $6, 800; to Peru Ecuador, and Colombia Gone mission) at $6, 800; to the Argentine Republic, Paraguay and Uruguay Gone mission) at $6, 500; to Guate mala, Costa Rica. Honduras, Salvador, an6 Nicaragua Gone mission) at $10,000 and tc | Liberia at $4, GOO.
 MT. Morrison (Dem) ), of Illinois, bill to re wise and simplify existing laws imposing duties l on imports, and to reduce taxation. The bil reduces the duty on wool about half, anG | woolen manufactures proportionally. Tea anC coffee are put back at duties of four and ter cents. This, if adopted, will give revenue o about $18,000, 900. In some of the meet i'm portant articles put on the free list in the bil are soda ash and the salts of soda. Thes, articles are essential to the manufacture c soap and glass, and to the processes of bleach ing, dyeing and oil refining.
 l Duties on most irons are reduced to an aver age of about thirty per cent. pig iron falling | from $7 to $5 per ton, and scrap from $6 to $4 Copper is reduced from five to two cents pc pound. Bar and block tin, now free, duty O | three cents pound.
 MT. Wiltshire CDena. ), of Arkansas, bill fo 1 the free transmission through the mails of al documents printed by authority of Congress.
 In the Military Appropriation bill the pay O the cadets at West Point was fixed at $540 pc | annum without rations.
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