The Osceola times., 1876-01-22
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.


that Utah be admitted ny State of the Union.
A petition from the citizens Of Ohio asking
the repeal OF the resumption act, etc, was
read and referred. Mr.. Hamilton introduced
bill to secure the speedy completion OF the
Texas Pacific railroad from point at or near
Marshal, Texas, to the southeastern bound
ary Of California, and to authorize the South
ern Pacific railroad To all in building the
same, and also to build branch of its road
to Fan Diego, California Referred: Mr.
Dorsey presented n memorial OF the Arkansas
legislature, asking the appointment OF com
retent corps Of engineers to make topo-
graphical survey OF upper Arkansas river
Referred. Several other bills and resolutions
were read, ordered printed, and laid over
for further action. Adjourned
In the Senate on the llth, Mr. An
thony, from the Committee on Naval Afairs,
reported favorably on bill to provide for
the completion aud location of naval mon
ument in Washington. Passed. The fol
lowing bills were introduced and referred
TO enable the people Of New Mexico to form
Constitution aud State government, and
for the admission of said State into the I'm
ion on an equal footing with the original
States. To establish branch mint at st.
Louis. To authorize the construction of 4
bridge across the Mississippi river nj Mem
phis. After the expiration OF the morning
hour, Mr.. Cooper announced the death OF
his late colleague, Andrew johnson, and de
livered a eulogy. Euogies were also deiiv'
cred by senators McCreery, Merrimon, Pad
dock, Bogy, Bayard and Key. At the con
clusion Of the eulogies, the usual resolutions
Of respect requiring Senators to wear the
badge of mourning thirty days were adopted,
and the Senate adjourned.
In the Senate, on the 18th, after the
morning hour, the Senate resumed the dis
cussion Of the resolutions reported ny the
Committee on Privileges and Elections, on
Monday, the pending question being the mo-
ton to indefinitely postpone the resolution
| regarding the election of president pro ten.
of the Senate, resulting in the passage OF the
resolution as reported bv the Committee, the
following being the resolutions reported: /:
Resolved, That the tenure of president pro
| tempolc OF the Senate elected at one session
does not expire after the first recess, the Vice
President not having survived to take the
chair. Resolved, That the death ot the VICE
President does not have the effect to yacate
the office Of president pro te"porc oi the SEN
ate. Resolved, That the office OF president
pro tmpore of the Senate is held at the plea
sure of the Senate. Resolved, That Hon.
Thos. W. Ferry, senator from Michigan, who
was elected president pro tempore oi the Sen
ate at the last session, is now president pro
icn,porc by virtue of said election. Adjourned.
In the Senate, on the 18th, after some
other business, Senator Davis West Va.
moved that committee be appointed to in.
vestgate the afiiirs of the treasury depart
ment, charging that he had discovered dis
crepancies involving large amounts causing
them TO differ widely from each other As
TO lhe transactions of the treasury depart
ment in the same year, he quoted extensively
from the annual reports Of the navy, war,
pension and Indian affairs departments,
making comparisons as to the receipts and
expenditures for several years, and claimed
that the figures in some years show an in
crease in the expenditures and public debt
in an aggregate of many millions of dollars
and n large decrease in the revenue collec-
tons The amounts were increased or de-
creased rs occasion might require, by an adj
dtion or subtraction from the loans of the
treasury books. and IL there were errors or
frauds an opportunity was given to cover
them up. Under that head he also quoted
from the public debt statement for several
years, aud claimed that there were gross dis
crepancies between the figures of the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury and the Register Of the
Treasury, and also that the figures had been
changed. The matter was discussed at length
h,tNftn NtnAtnfS ldNis anu boutwell,, up 10
the hov' of adjournment.
In the Senate, on the lith, after several
unimportant public and private bills had been
disposed OF and referred, including one allow
ing military pre-emrton of lands in the Fort
kearney reservation, Mr.. Knott reported
back the amnesty bill, which reads rs fol-
lows: That all disabilities imposed and re-
naming on any persen by virtue of the third
section of the fourteenth article Of the amend
usnts to the Constitution Of the United States,
he and are hereby removed, and each and
every person is and shall he forever relieved
therefrom on his appearing before Judge Of
any court of the United States, or of any
court of record in the State of which he is "a
resident, and taking and subscribing TO the
following oath to he duly attested and re-
corded: al, A. b., do solemnly swear or af-
firm that will support and defend the Con-
sttution of the United States against all enc
mics, foreign and domestic; that will bear
true faith and allegiance to the same; and
obey all laws made in pursuance thereof,
and that | take this obligation freely and
without any mental reservation or purpose
of evasion whatever" Mr.. Knott moved the
previous question on the passage of the bill.
Blaine and others asked Knott 10 yield the
floor, but he refused, and the vote, after some
skirmshing, was taken On call Of the yeas
and nays, il appeared that there were one
hundred and eighty-two yeas and ninety
seven nays. The requisite two-thirds not
voting, the bill was rejected On the result
being announced, Blaine took the floor, and
by motion to reconsider, obtained the right
to speak. He said that the only object on
his side of the house was not to be obstruct-
i've but he did obstruct, and besides rehasb-
ing his venom, announced as an additional
reason for his opposition 10 amnesty, that
Holden, of North Carolina, had been i'm
peached and disqualified by Democrats, and
Ames, of Mississippi was about to be. He
harangued the house in this way at great
length, and refusing TO yield the floor save
for an amendment excluding Jefferson Da-
Wis. The matter was brought TO a conclusion
for the day, when the house on molten OF
Mr.. Randall, went into Committee of the
Whole, and entered on the consideration OF
the pension appropriation bill. After some
time the committee rose and reported the
bill, when.a proposition for unanimous con.
| sent to have q session tomorrow for debate
only, was objected TO by Mr. Page. The
house then, at five o'clock, adjourned till
Monday. -
In the House on the 10th bills were
introduced and referred as follows: BY Mr.
Wood, Of New York; to repeal in part the
act of January 49, 1917, providing for re
sumption Of specie payment, and to facilitate
resumption OF specie payment, without con
traction of the currency. by Mr.. Cox; FOL
payment of same bounty 10 drafted soldier
as volunteers. BY Mr.. Cutler; declaring tn,
Department Of Agriculture one of the Tx
ecutive departments The rules were sus
pended and the amnesty bill taken mp fol-
consideration, and the entire session con
sumed in its discussion. The bill was dis