Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-02-19
FORTY.FOURTH CONGRESS-.
The business OF General Interest Trans
acted.

]
Centennial celebration OF American indepen-
dence and recommended its passage. Placed
on the calendar.
Mr. Wright CRep.), Of Iowa, submitted a
joint resolution propOsing an amendment to
the Constitution so rs to elect the President
and Yice-President by q direct vote Of the
people. Also joint resolution proposing an
amendment to the Constitution so as to elect
United States Senators by direct vote OF the
people. Referred to the committee on priyi-
leges and elections.
Mr.. 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.
Mr.. Sherman (Rep.), OF Ohio, from the m
mittee on finance. reported adversely on the bill |
introduced by Mr.. Bogy early in the session, |
authorizing the payment of duties on imports |
in legal tenders and national bank notes. |
Placed ON the calendar with the adverse re-
port.
Mr.. Hamilton (Rep.), of Texas, from the |
committee on public lands reported adversely |
on various petitions and the joint resolution Of
the Michigan Legislature, asking the passage
Of law to give soldiers in the late war 1900 in
money in lieu of bounties, and the committee
was discharged from their further considera-
ton. The papers were referred to the COM
mittee on finance.
Mr. Sherman, from the committee on finance,
reported back the concurrent resolution, pro-
posing common mint of money and accounts
between the United States and Great Britain,
with reasons why it should bs passed, and ask
ed that the whole subject be printed and re-
committed to the committee on finance. 1t
was 80 ordered.
Mr.. Sherman (Rep.), of Ohio, presented
various petitions from citizens of Cleveland,
Ohio, asking the repeal of 80 much Of the act
OF Congress OF Jan. A. 1875, as provides for
the payment of United States legal tender
notes in coin upon the first day of January
1877 ; and 80 much of the said act as authorizes
the secretary Of the treasury to sell or dispose
of the bonds of the United States for the pur-
pose of enabling him to redeem such legal
tender notes. And further representing that,
in their judgment, the enforcement of the re-
sumption clause of said act would be exceed
! ingly disastrous to the business interests of
tue country
Mr. Clayton (Rep), Of Arkansas, called up
! the Senate bill to repeal section 2,303 of the
revised statutes OF the United States, making
restrictions in the disposition of public lands
in the States of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisi-
ana, Arkansas and Florida. He said the public
| lands in the States named were restricted to
the provisions of the Homestead law, and the
object of this bill was to restore the lands to
the same condition as public lands in other
! portions of the country.
Mr.. Hitchcock (Rep.), of Nebraska, sub
mitted resolution instructirg the committee
on the District of Columbia to inquire into the
expediency of providing proper form of gov
eminent for the District Of Columbia, and re-
port by bill or otherwise. Agreed to.
Mr. Watkins o. Virginia, from the commit
tee on pensions, reported a substitutekfor
Senate bill to amend the act of Feb. H. 1871,
granting pensions to certain soldiers and sail
ors of the war of 1912, aud the widows of de-
ceased soldiers, and to restore to the pension
| rolls those persons whose names were stricken
therefrom in consequence of disloyalty. Placed
on the calendar.
On motion of Mr.. Morton (Rep.) of Indiana
| the resolution for the admission of MIR. Pinch
back as Senator from Louisiana was taken up.
The Chair laid before the Senate the joint
resolution directing the commissioners of the
District Of Columbia to pay the interest Oh the
3.65 bonds. After considerable discussion the
resolution, with amendments, was passed.
Mr.. Atkins (Dem), Of Tennessee, from the
committee on appropriations, reported reso-
luton requesting the President to appoint q
competent, experienced military officer to go
to the Red Cloud agency aud to other Sioux
agencies to inquire into the cause of the de-
hciency in the appropriation for the Sioux
Indians. Adopted.
The bill regulating the practice in the United
States circuit and district courts was passed.
HOUSE.
a personal encounter took place between
Mr.. Cox Dem.), of New York, and Mr. Hale
(Rep), of Maine, during q discussion on the
West Point appropriation bill. during which
Mr. Cox was called to order and epooglzed for
an offensive expression used Gir Hamilton E
amendment to the bill making the pay of
cadets $540. without additional rations, was
agreed to. Ali other amendments, either in
regard to cadets or professors were voted
down.
Mr.. Singeto (Dem.) }, CT Mississippi, from
the committee on appropriations, reported the
Consular and Diplomatic appropriation bill.
1t appropriates 1922 SAT. 1t fixes the pay Of
the ministers to Great Britain, France Ger
! many, and Russia at 3d. 900 to Spain, Aus
tria, Brazil, Mexico, Japa", and China at $40,
900 to Italy at 80 900; to Portugal, Switzer-
land, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden
and Norway, Turkey, Venezuela, and the
Hawaiian islands at $6,500 to Chilli and
Bolivia Gone mission) at $1,000; to Peru
Ecuador, and Colombia Gone miseion) at Sc,
: 800 to the Argentine republic, Paraguay and
Uruguay Gone mssion) at $6,500 to Guate.
mala, Costa RIGA, Honduras, Salvador, and
Nicaragua Zone mission) at 100000 and to
> Liberia at $4,000.
Mr. Morrison Dem. }, OF Illinois, a bill to re-
wise and simplify existing laws imposing duties
on imports and to reduce taxation. The bill
-. reduces the duty on wool about half, arc
WOODEN manufactures proportionally. Tea ant
coffee are put back at duties of four and ter
cents. This il adopted will give a revenue O
about $18 000 900. In some of the most i'm
portant articles put on the free list in the bill
8 are soda ash and the salts Of soda Thest
/ articles are essential to the manufacture O.
soap and glass, aud to the processes of bleach
ing, dyeing and oil refining.
: Duties on most irons are reduced to an aver
age of about thirty per cent; pig iron falling
from 81 TO $5 per ton, and scrap from Sc to "a
Copper is reduced from five to two cents pc
0 pound. Bar and block tin, now free, duty O
Q three cents pound.
y Mr.. Wiltshire Dem }, of Arkansas, bill TO
the free transmission through the mails OF al
documents printed by authority of Congress.
q In the Military Appropriation bill the pay o
r the cadets &C West Point was fixed at 500 pc
annum without rations.
u Mr.. Pierce (Rep.), of Massachusetts, from
q the committee on commerce, reported the bill
a granting an American register to the Hawaiian
q bark Arctic. Opposition to the bill as advers
: to public policy was expressed, but the bill
q passed.
The House took up the proposed amendmon
r to the constitution reported from the judiciar.
:. committee, which is that "no person who ha
y hold, or may hereafter hold the Office o
n President, shall ever again be eligible to SAT-
II Office.
: To this proposition Mr.. Frye (Rep.), o
, MAine, offered the following as q substitute:
b From and after the fourth day OF March, il
II the year 1855, the term of office OF Preslden
and Vice-President OF the United States sha
: be six years, and any person having bee
T. elected to find held the Office of President, o
If who for two years has held such Office, sha
II be ineligible to reelection.
The bill was discussed by Messrs. Knott, O
J. Kentucky, New, of Indiana, Frye, of Maine
McCrary, Of Iowa. Caul6ed of Illinois, Law
renee, of Ohio, and Harrison, of Illinois.
The House r, sumed the consideration OF th
a. proposed constitutional amendment limitin
:, the Presidential term and after considerab
ID discussion vote was taken on the passage {