Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-12-15
FORTT-FOURTH CONGRESS.
FRIDAY, December Is.

and referred
BY Mr.. Chafee-Bill to authorize the citi-
zens OF Colorado and Nevada To fell AMI re-
move timber ON the public reservations for
mining purposes. To committee on public
Mr.. Thurman asked and obtained leave to
, have Senate bill Ssl, TO amend the Pacific
( railroad act. SET down for consideration on
the third Tuesday OF January, 1871.
! Mr. WINDOW, from committee on appro-
! priations, reported House bill i,I97.
TO PAY ELECTORAL MESSENGERS.
1t provides for payment OF Is cents per mile
| Mr. Boutwell, moved TO amend by making
ii 70 cents per mile for each way.
Mr.. Alcorn said the system of paying by
| the miie IN these days ofrailroads was a very
/ unequal way of compensating persons en-
! ployed by the government. messenger
! from the Pacific coast would make about
! S2,No net for his two weeks work in coming
! here, while those from Virginia and Mary
land would hardly receive enough 10 pay
| their hotel bills.
! Mr. Boutwell, said he had offered the
! amendments ~ make the bill conform 10 ex-
/ isting law which was now on the statute
! books
Mr. Acorn thought this was not the way
! TO it. To pass an appropriation bill chang
| ing the law in SINGLE instance. and leave
/ the law still on the statute books.
! Mr. Edmunds said he should stick to what
he had avowed, as good principle at every
| session of Congress. He did not approve of
! tinkering the law every time am appropria-
ton bill came i'm here, and would oppose the
/ amendment. This was a good time to do IL,
for the messengers were 80 equally divided
] in politics that there was no politics in il.
Mr.. Hamlin defended the amendment, and
! said the original law read % cents per mile
for each way, and the committee 10 revise
the statutes changed il surreptitiOusly, and
the amendment only proposed to restore the
| lag TO its original language.
| Mr.. COnkling said he sat with some impa-
! thence and heard every little while some crit
! icism upon the action of the committee 10
| revise the laws. He spoke of the disadvan-
! tages and labor under which that com mite
performed their duty. The phrase, "and
| return" Were unintentionally omitted in the
| revision, in regard To this particular law.
Mr.. Thurman said that Governor Chase
once revised the laws of Ohio when he was a
! young man, and after forty-five years of use
not an error had been discovered. Mr.. Swan
did the same thing at later day, and now +,
after thirty years use, they were found with
| ont error.
| Mr.. Conkling said he now understood why
the President went to Ohio for his Chief JUS
| tees, having appointed two from that state.
1t was because all The citizens We're so well
qualified for that service, and the other states
I were left out.
Mr.. Thurman said he would not undertake
for a moment TO say that every republican
appointed by the President to office was not
qualified for any duty.
The question was then taken on the amend
ment, by yeas and nays, and it was lost
Mr.. Window said the bill as reported con-
formed 10 the law the committee under
stood ii and as the Treasury officials under
Mr.. Edmunds moved to strike out every
thing in the bill changing existing law;
which motion was lost.
The bill as reported, providing for paying
twenty-five cents per mile one way was then
passed
The morning hour having expired, the
Chair announced the regular order Mr..
Mitchell's resolution in regard TO the oregon
electors.
Mr.. Dawes asked that it be laid aside tenn
porarily 10 take up the resolution providing
Tor The pay of witnesses attending mvestiga-
lions.
Mr. Edmunds said he had givenn that
he should call up yesterday the resolution
offered 10y Mr.. Morton last March TO provide
for and regulate the counting OF the electoral
vote. He did not call il up yesterday, but
thought il ought to be taken up al once.
BY consent, the witness fees bill was taken
up, and Mr.. Mitchell moved to amend by
adding ri the end OF the resolution, .'provi-
ded that witnesses residing west of the 1o5tf
meridian be allowed cents per mile each
way, instead of 5cents per mile each way
The amendment was adopted and the bill
Mr.. Mitchell took the floor. but yielded to
Mr.. Anthony, TO offer the following resolu-
| lion:
Resolved, That the committee on public
| buildings ard grounds be authorized to place
proper planks upon the west steps to the Cap
| itol.
He said that the present covering to those
steps was an old tumble down rickety set OF
steps that had been put up there each winter
ior four or hve years, and were really indie
Rhode Island would put up to COW crib oil
! a barn,
Mr.. Hamlin wanted 10 amend by adding
! That the steps themselves should be kept IN
proper order and free from ice.
Mr. Anthony said it seemed to be q con-
flict OF authority between the Sergeant-at.
! Arms, the Architect OF the Capitol. and the
Commissioner of Public Buildings, as &c
/ whose duty IL was TO do this work. He, him
self, lad once found a COW grazing on the
! terrace. and no one attended 10 having hel
| driven OFF, On the principle of the Royal
! House when hey froze- because it.was the
duty of one man 10 lay the wood and another
himself went and drove her off.
/ The resolution was adopted.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Swami, from committee on foreign affairs
submitted a resolution acknowledging the
receipt from the republic Pretoria, in South
Africa, Of letter congratulatory OF the
United States on its Centennial. and direct
ing the Secretary Of State TO tender the ac-
knowledgment Of United States. Adopted. A
ike resolution was also reported acknowl-
edging similar compliment froIh the Ar
gentine republic, ard ID was also adopted
Mr.. Roberts introduced a bill for relief oi
William Bowen. of the District of Columbia
Refelred To the District committee.
Mr.. Buckner introduced bill to amend the
charter OF the Mutual Fire Insurance COM
pany of the District of Columbia Referred
10 the District committee.
Bills were passed for the removal of politi-
cal disabilities III William Sharp. Lloyd j.
Beall and Francis sheppard all OF Virginia.
Mr.. Holman. from the committee on an
Preparations, reported back Senate amend
ments TO the bill making appropriation 10
pay the expenses of special committees APP
pointed to Investigate the recent elections
The House bill originally appropriated S2I 900
Tor the expenses of the House committees
The Senate amended it by putting on $4,000
to meet the expenses of the Senate inyestfca-
ting committees Since then the House has
authorized another committee to visit New
I York and Brooklyn. The appropriation for
the House Is therefore increased To $50. 600
and the committee recommend that the Sem
ate appropriation be reduced TO SO. OoO which
: the committee deem sufficient.
Mr.. Hale opposed the proposed reductions
OF the Senate appropriation. The Senate, as
/ IL had an undoubted right to do, has ordered
. Investigations, and IL best knows its needs
| The Senate has already summoned Witness
es nom Oregon and other distant places and
they will require large amount OF money
! There We're some things that the American
| people desired more than raising SO. 00o and
! that was the ascerta inment OF the facts con
! nected with the late elections There was A
condition of affairs in the state of Louisiana
and In South Carolina which should be in
| vestigated. In order that all the facts might
| be known he would be willing to double the
a fort eoI