The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-11-03
From Washington.
CONGRESS

while the house, after spending all Oh Mondays
session IN reading the titles OF new bills adj
iourned over to Wednesday, holding but short
sessions on that and the following days and
trapsactng no important business. The extra
session promises to continue right along until
the regular meeting in December
COMMITTEES.
The excuse up to Monday for doing nothing
was that the committees had not been appoint
ed. On Monday, however, Speaker Randall
announced his committees and they appear to
have produced decided commotion. While
the speaker was expected to remember his
friends, he was hardly expected to be quite so
sweeping in the punishment OF his enemies.
Morrison and Cox, for opposing Randalls
election as speaker, are not only punished by
removal from the important chairmanships
they held IN the preceding congress, but are
nut on no other important committees. Nor
rison is made chairman OF the unlmportant
committee of public lands, and Cox is placed
at the head of the Library, or "nosegay' COM
mittee, as it is called--the place Hayes held
while member of the house. Ben Wood is
made leader of the house by beng placed at
the head of the Ways and Means committee l.;
Knott is chairman of the Judiciary; Buckner
of Banking and Currency; Potter Of Pacific
Railroads. &c There is Il great deal Of disap-
pointment dissatisfaction and disgust among
members, many declining to serve where they
have been placed and others showing strong
disposition to be troublesome. Randall has
not only punished his enemies in the contest
for the speakership numerically, but has fail
ed to reward his best friends
SILVER AND RESUMPTION.
The only committee that has yet shown
signs in the house of active work is that on
currency and banking. On Wednesday the
committee, through Ewing, of Ohio, reported
a bill in the house for the repeal of all those
portions of the act of 1875 that relate to resump-
ton in 1879 Mr.. Fort, as "a republican mem
Der of the committee, made a minority report,
proposing to except from the repeal the free
banking clause authorizing the issue 800 in
national bank bills for every $50 of greenbacks
retired Mr. Fort has leave to offer his pro-
position in the house as an amendment. On
a test vote there were found to be 13S for to
l1G against the bill Mr. Ewing indicated a
purpose TO force the bill through without de
bate under the pressure of the previous
Question,
The same committee is also said to be ready
to report bill for the free coinage Of the old
dollar of 4l215 grains of standard silver
RUSH OF BILLS.
The biggest day the house ever saw in the
way of the introduction of new business was
Monday. The avalanche of bills inclu led
S41, among which were about 300 private bills,
80 to repeal the resumption law, 30 to remone-
tie silver, > to repeal the tax on banks, &c.
Kelly offered y curious bill to give home
steaders on public lands not only 100 acres of
land but also to lend them $500 from the pub
lie treasury, to be paid back in installments OF
800 year. And Eames proposed bill to
reduce letter postage to cents.
SHOWER BATH.
On Thursday Goode, of Virginia injected
into the house the resolution the republicans
so much dreaded of approval of Hayes south
ern policy. 1t came Unexpectedly, and the
Times correspondent says, "it gallon of water
had been poured down the small OF the back
of every republican member there could not
have been greater start among them" After
the first effect of the shock had passed, howev-
err a Kansas member plucked up courage to
object and then general cry of object
and regular order" went up from the repub
ilican side and the resolution had to 20 over
under the rules.
APPOINTMENTS
The senate has thus far shown tolerable
complacency in confirming Hayes appoint
ments. except those of the New York custom
| house. which Conkling had referred to his
own committee and stubbornly retains in his
pocke;. He is determined that not one OF
those appointments made under the famous
order No / shall be confirmed. Among the
Appointments confirmed without opposition
are Edw. w. Stoughton, as minister to Russia
lie rot the appointment as Il reward for re-
Iplying to Jerry Blacks magazine article on
| the electoral trauu.) Also Noyt> ~ minister
To France, Kasson to Hungary, j. Russell 10
well to Spain, Comfy to Hawaii, Frank Gil
bert as t. ). assistant treasurer at Chicago
with several hundred minor officers, post-maS
tiers, &c.
| But the biggest sensation the senate has had
in long time was on Tuesday when the Pres
| ilont sen, in the name ofIohn Welsh, OF Phila
delphia for minister to England. If Il box OF
dynamite had exploded in the midst of the
members il i said the surprise would have
been no greater Had the president really
lpluckcd NJ courage enough to defy the Gamer
on,g Don i said To be- furious, and the whole
! Pa delegation feel a. if they had been Snub-
bed \, 10 Welsh. he i no politician what
ever lie ha, grown rich as a sugar importer,
AMI OF late has principally figured as an