The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-02-04
CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION.
pprsEnyArIoN OF TIMBER.

of timber within the United States is r,p-
idly diminishing, and that great public
injury must result from its continued
waste unless adequate means are taken
for its preservation and production.
REORGANIZATION OF THE JUDICIARY.
Mr.. Knott, Chairman of the House
Judiciary Committee has reported bill
for the reorganization of the Judiciary
of the United States. 1t provides for
the establishment and defines the juris-
diction of the Circuit Courts i'll every dis
trict where no such courts now exist
and creates n Court of Appeals for each
Circuit, to be composed of the Supreme
Judge assigned to that Circuit, the Cir
cult Judge, and the several District
Judges in the Circuit, with appellate
jurisdiction of cases arising III Circuit
and District Courts.
INFRINGEMENT IN THE ARMY.
Mr. Banning, Chairman of the Hou
Military Committee, offers n bill pro-
viding that the pay of all general officers
Of the army shall be limited to pay
proper. 1t fixes the salary of Gen.
Sherman at $l3, 800, Sheridan at 81 900,
Major Generals at 81, 500, and Brigadier-
Generals at $500. No change il pro-
posed in the pay OF field officers, except
the reduction of communication Of quar-
ters from S18 to 50 month. Among
the line officers the Second-Lieutenant
are to have their pay reduced $500 per
annum. The pay of officers on special
duty is to be limited TO the pay of their
rank, while no officer below the rank of
Brigadier General can receive longevity
rations or communication in excess of
$4,000 year. The forage account also
is reduced, making altogether Il total of
$500, 600.
THE POSTAL BLUNDER RECTIFIED.
One of the blunders of the closing
hours of the Forty-third Congress-the
failure to detect the real meaning and
effect of the smuggled-in amendment in
creaslng to one cent per ounce the rate
on third-c class mail materials been
rectifed so far as the House is concerned.
The bill restoring the old rate of one
cent for every two ounces or fractional
part thereof of third-class mail matter,
has passed that body without division,
aud if, as may be confidently expected,
the Senate hastens to undo the mischief
which it originated last winter, the ex-
press companies will loose bonanza,
and the people who want to send tran
silent newspapers to their friends will be
no longer compelled to pay outrageous
postage.
10, THE POOR INDIAN.
Representative Seelye, of Massachu-
sets, has matured plan for gradually
changing the status of the Indian from
that of ward of the nation to citizen
of the State in which he resides, with all
the powers, privileges, and responsible
ties of citizenship. 1t is proposed to
commence with the wholly or partially
civilized tribes occupying reservations
in New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, and
North Carolina, and to transfer their
control TO these States, provided the
States will accept the trust 1t is not
intended to apply this policy to the saw
age Indians within the boundaries of
Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas, as they
are in no condition to exercise the rights
of citizenship. The plan meets with
much favor i'll Congress-, and will prob
ably be adopted.
THE PROPOSED MONEY UNIT.
Senator Sherman, of Ohio, has pro-
ject for assimilating the gold coin and
the money account of Great Britain and
the United States, and has introduced in
the Senate a resolution looking to that
end. The chief features embraced in
the plan are as follows The standard
for gold coin isto be nine parts pure
metal and one part alloy, and the mon
etary unit of the two countries is to be
the gold dollar. The United States is TO
reduce the value of the present gold
dollar about 2 per cent, which will make
five dollars the exact equivalent OF the
present sovereign or pound sterling.
The gold coins of the two countries are
to be legal tender in both countries, and
the decimal system of notation is to be
adopted in Great Britain. The adop-
ton by the two countries of the pro-
posed system will obviate the necessity
for the frequent recoinage of each
others coins.
TINKERING THE CURRENCY.
Several currency bills have been IL
troduced in Congress within week or
two. Mr.. Morrison, Chairman of the
WAYS and Means Committee, has offered
a bill which, briefly stated, provides that
the Treasury of the United States shall
hold and retain certain amount of gold
annually until it shall accumulate in
sum equal TO 30 per cent of the out
standing greenback circulation; that the
national banks shall hoard the gold in
terest received on the bonds deposited
as security for their circulation until the
gold equals 30 per cent. of the bank cir
culation; when the Government and the
banks ellall have accumulated this amount
of gold, they shall thereafter redeem
their currency in coin, and greenbacks
shall cease to be legal tender. Mr..
Burchard, of Illinois, has proposed a
bill requiring the national banks to pre-
pare for resuming specie payments by
boarding their gold receipts on their
bonds until they have accumulated 20
per cent. of their circulation. Mr.. Chit
tenden, of New York, comes forward
with q financial panacea in the shape of
a measure providing th1t the Secretary
of the Treasury shall sell A. per cent.
forty-year gold bonds for greenbacks to
the highest bidders, TO the amount of
81. 900, 900 per month for eight months
in each year, beginning with February
and including September, and that the
4 Il L. L. Ill