Connecticut western news., 1876-01-21
FORTY.FOURTH CONGRESS.
The Business of General Interest Trans- YEEeT F r~rTg., Tg,si J. fs s-

Nk Etf SENATE.
 MT. Conkling, Of New York, presented pe- tition of citizens of New York city, asking the passage of an amendment to the constitution of the United States, prohibiting the appropria- tion Of money for any religious sect. Referred to the judiciary committed. 2 MT. Merrill, of Vermont, presented bill to provide for the redemption of legal tender United States notes in accordance with the existing law. A section of the bill provides that ali contracts entered into or made after the first day of January, 1878, shall be payable in accordance with the legal tender standard of gold and silver, unless otherwise provided at the time of the contract. That all national banking associations shall be and hereby are required to hold in coin as part of their lawful money reserve, on and after the first day of January, 1877, one-fourth; after the first day of January. 1878, one-half, and after the first day of October, 1878, three-fourths.
 Five hundred and ninety six petitions, signed by 29, ,896 persons, praying for the abo- lition of the bank check stamp tax, were pre- scented and referred.
 MT. Sargent, of California, submitted reso- lution that the committee on the judiciary are instructed to inquire what leglslation, if any, ie necessary to secure indemnity to the United States for advances of interest paid aud to be paid by the government on account Of subsidy bonds issued to the several Pacific railroad companies. --
 After some discussion the bill for the re- demption of legal tenders, presented by MT. Morrill,, of Vermont, was referred to the com- mittee on finance.
 Mr Sargent lRep. }; of California; 4; presented the repeal of the anti-poygamy law of 1862 and the Poland bill, and that Utah be admitted as State in the Union, etc.
 Mir. Thurman (Rep.), of Ohio, presented several petitions of citizens of Ohio, asking the repeal of the Resumption act, passed st the last session.
 Mir. Dorsey (Rep.) ), of Arkansas, introduced 8 bill to organize the Territory of Oklahoma, and for the protection of the Indian tribes therein, and for other purposes. Referred.
 resolution relative to the revolution in Cuba, and one relating to State rights, were also presented.
 Resolutions were adopted referring to the committee on banking and currency and giving to that committee control Of the sub ject of banks, banking and currency, and the resumption of specie payments by national banks. --3sI -.sr
 The following bills were introduced and referred: .E.. -.
 By Mir. Frye, of Maine-To provide for the payment of the judgments of the Alabama commission as soon as possible after the twenty-second of January next.
 By Mir. Joyce, of New Hampshire.- commission on the subject of the alcoholic liquor traffic.
 By Mir. Starkweather, of Connecticut.-For the improvement of Stonington harbor, Conn.
 By Mr. Welles of New York.-To repeal the bankruptcy act
 By Mir. Davy. of New York-To allow all persons on trial in United States courts to be competent witnesses.
 By Mir Douglas, of Virginia-A resolution for the appointment of select committee to investigate the affairs of the Freedmen's Saw ings and Trust company, and it's several branches, the cause of it's failure, the parties responsible therefor etc, with the names and residences of all the debtors of the company. Adopted.
 By Mir. Harris, of Virginia-To restore to the pension rolls the names of persons stricken therefrom for disloyalty.
 By Mir. Caldwell, of Alabama-A resolution calling on the secretary of war for information as to the number of United States troops sta- tioped in the States of Alabama Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, on the sixth of De- cember, 1875. Adopted.
 By Mir. Cutler, of New Jersey-Constitutin Jersey City as port of entry.
 By Mir. White, of Kentucky-That all pen sions on account of death, or wounds, or dis ease, contracted in the service since March, 1 1861, shall commence from the date of death | or discharge; also to economize in the colec- tion of the whisky tax in remote and out of the way places also to insure the success of the | international exhibition. at Philadelphia, and 1 to maintain the honor of the nation also to pay the soldiers and sailors who are entitled to l bounty lands dollar per acre for those lands
 Mir. Randall of Pennsylvania, reported re- solution, which was agreed to, instructing tue | committee on military affairs to take into i'm
 mediate consideration the pay and allowances | of all the officers Of the army, and to report whether in any, and if so in what cases, such pay and allowances should be reduced. MT. Hopkins of Pennsylvania, reported 3 a bill appropriatiDg $1 800, 900 to complete the Cen
 tennial buildings and other preparations fol | the celebration. Referred. | By Mir. Req, of Missouri.-A resolution de
 claring it to be the opinion of the House tha
 the contraction of the currency ill the manner
 and to the extent that it has been done hal
 been detrimental to the business of tht
 country, and that in the present financial con
 dition of the country no further contraction ot
 the currency ought to had. Referred.
 By MT. Schlecker, of Texas.-A resolution
 for the appointment of 8 select committee t
 inquire into the inroads, robbe1ies, all,
 murders along the Mexican border ill Texa
 was adopted.
 By Mr. Oliver, of Iowa.-Bill proposing al
 amendment to the constitution to elect tn
 President, Vice-President, and senators b
 direct vote of the people Referred.
 By MT. Kidder, of Dakota.-A resolution in
 structing the committee on Indian affairs t
 inquire into the expediency of opening th
 Back Hills to settlement by purchase from tn
 Indians. Adopted.
 Mir. Blaine then said he had 8 substitu t offer to MT. Randsl1s Amnesty bill, which b
 asked to nave read and ordered printed. Tn
 substitute was read as follows:
 | That all persons now under the disabilisle imposed by the Fourteenth amendment of th Constitution of the United States, with tn
 exception of Jefferson Davis, late President c
 the so-called Confederate States, shsll be re lieved of such disabilities upon their appearin before any judge Of United States court. an
 taking and subscribing ill open court the 10
 lowing oath, to be duly attested and recorded
 viz.: "I, -, do solemnly swear Cor affirm that will support and defend the Constitl | tion of the United States against all ene.nie: f foreign and domestic. That will bear trti
 faith and allegiance to the same. That talk this obligation freely, without any mental re! ervation or purpose of evasion; and that, l the best of my knowledge and ability, wi a faithfully discharge the duties of citizen ( the United States"
 The first political battle of the session Of tn House WAS when Mr. Randall (Dem.), ( | Pennsylvania, moved to suspend the rules
 order to proceed to the consideration of th Amnesty bill Mir. Blaine (Rep.), of Ma n - at once came to the front. MT. Randall G' f sired discussion on the bill, but would rot at z nit of amendments to it. MT. Blaine desire the bill left open for amendments. The que !, ton being taken the bill was rejected by = vote of 172 yeas and 97 nays, not the requlsi . two-thirds in the majority. Mir. Blaine the :, moved to reconsider the vote taken, and a' q dressed the House on the subject. If 8 Baine in his speech desired the exemption 5 Jefferson Davis from its provisions, and Vi f willing the bill should pass, granting amnes - to all others. In his remarks he detailed @ length the story of AndersonvilIe, and laid u @ blame of the sufferings there to Davis. F v said: I do not arrAign the Southern people f : the Andersonville crime. God forbid that l. should charge any people with s! mpathizir s with such crIer. There were many eN IT dences of great uneasiness among the Sout ern people about it, and one of the gre 4te crimes of MT. Davis was that he concealed l. from the Southern people,