The Lake County star., 1876-05-25

House, Mr.. Dunham of Kentucky. rose TO a
personal explanation concerning his former
connection with l.. III. Fitzhugh, ofTexas, the
Doorkeeper Of the House. ltseems that Fitz-
hugh had been indicted and tried in Ken.
tucky on the charges of arson, conspiracy,
and perjury, and Mr.. Durham had beef his
counsel. Fitzhugh was nominated in caucus
for his present position before Mr.. Dun
hams arrival in Washington, hence the lat
ter did not inform Congress Of his knowl-
edge OF the formers precedents. Fitzhugh's
letter to a Texas friend, in which he out
ragged both the English language and de-
cency, was then read, and resolution dis
missing him from Office was offered and re.
ferred TO the Committee on Rules. The
House then went into the Committee of the
Whole, but quorum not being present, the
committee rose and the House adjourned.
In the Senate, May 10, IA number of reports,
oil an unimportant character, were made
from various committees. The House bill
to encourage the growth of timber on West |
ern prairies was called up and passed. The
Senate went into secret session to deliberate
on the question of jurisdiction IN to Bel. |
knap's impeachment When the doors
were, opened, and the Senate sitting as "a |
Court OF Impeachment, it adjourned until |
to.m0rrow......In the House a bill TO re.es.
tablish the boundary line between the States
OF Missouri and Kansas was introduced |
and referred. Several resolutions were
adopted calling for reports and correspond
ence as to the whisky ring prosecutions and
lhe dismissal OF John B. Henderson as
special counsel for the government; on the
propriety OF turning over the duties of the
Internal Revenue Bureau to the Commits
sioner OF Customs, and for u list of govern
ment defaulters since March, 1865. The bill
to authorize the issue of silver coin to the
amount of ten million dollars in exchange
for legal tenders, which was designed to in-
crease the volume of silver change, was de-
feated. Without division, the Senate bill to
allow Mrs. Minnie Sherman Fitch to receive
the Khedives diamonds, free of duties, was
passed. The House then adjourned.
In the Senate, May 16, Mr.. Mitchell, of
Oregon, spoke against t. e evils of Chinese
immigration. Mr.. Sherman, from the
Finance Committee, reported adversely on
the Senate bill to reduce the interest on the
public debt, etc, and the committee was
discharged from the further consideration
of the bill. The consideration of the articles
OF impeachment was resumed, and on mo-
ton the galleries were cleared and the doors
closed. Before decision was reached
the doors were reopencd, and the
Senate adjourned.......I the House,
the minority report Of the Committee
on Printing was read. IL denied that Con-
gress had any right to investigate the Con.
gressional Printer, as he was an officer of
been any frauds in his office, and maintained
that he was honest and capable. The House
proceeded to vote on the resolutions reported
by the Committee on Printing. The first
vote was on the resolution directing the
Speaker to certify to the proper authorities
of the District of Columbia the testimony
taken relating to the conduct Of A. Clapp,
Congressional Printer, to the end that he may
be indicted and prosecuted. The resolution
was adOpted-yeas, 1877; nays, "a Ia party
vote). The next vote was on the resolution
instructiug the Judiciary Committee to in.
quire whether the Congressional Piinter is
an officer who can be impeached. 1t was
adopted without division. The House then
went into Committee of the Whole on the
Postoilice Appropriation bill, and several of
its provisions were passed. The committee
then rose and the House adjOurned.
In the Senate, May II, bill directing
the building of u CustOm.house, POstoffice,
etc, in Memphis, Tennessee, was passed.
The Senate then went into secret session
on the impeachment question OF the jurisdic-
tiOn, and upon reassembling adjourned. |
.........In the House, the Committee on
Ways and Means reported bill abolishing |
the taxation of receipts to savings banks, |
which was agreed to. The House agreed to |
the Senate's amendments to the bill to ex.
tend the time to the pre-emptors on public |
lands. The House went into Committee of
the Whole on the postal appropriation bill,
and the following motion and amendments |
were agreed to: The sum to be paid to any
railroad for the transportation OF mails was
limited to five hundred dollars per mile
per annum that no stamped en-
velopes or newspaper wrappers shall be
sold by the Postofice Department for less, in
addition to legal postage, than the cost, in
cluding salaries, clerk hire, etc; allowing
third.class mail matter to be sent in packages
pxpppIipU i'm nd
making the postage one cent for every two
ounces; that the annual reports and
catalogues of universities, colleges, and other
institutions shall be deemed third-class
matter; the appropriation for letter carriers
was increased from 81 $4,000 to 81, 100000;
the item to meet the deficiencies in the rev.
enue of the POstonice Department was in
creased from $2,6S0,000 to $1,230,000. The
committee then rose and reported back the
bill to the House. Tie various amendments
made in the committee were agreed to, and
the bill passed The House then adjourned.