Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-12-13
Congressional Summary.
HOESE

/ IeSeu .CHdISe IIldl lHe 1Jtn JOINT rule
which prohibits the sale of intoxi
eating liquors in the capitol building
was being violated, and instructing the
officers of the house to enforce the Joint
rule.
The speaker said that, as he believed
the joint rules were still in force. ne had
endeayored to have the sale Of liquol
stopped, and that the keeper of the
house restaurant had been notified that
he was violating his contract. He was
entirely in accord with the resolution,
though the officers of the house were in
no wise to blame for the violation of the
resolution. 1t was adopted.
Mr.. Reagan, chairman of the com
mlttee on commerce, reported back
the joint resolution, directing the secre-
tary of war to make such preliminary
examination of the head waters of the
st. Croix, Chippewa and Wisconsin
rivers as NAV determine the extent
and practicability of the reservation of
the same; passed.
Mr.. Frye, from the judiciary COM
mittee, reported back the bill, prescrib-
ing an oath of office, which eliminates
from the statutes, the law which pre-
scribes the taking of the iron clad oath !;
passed. Also the bill repeating section
1920 of the revised statutes, which
provides for the disqualification of any
juror who has without duresS or cOer-
cion, taken up arms in defense of any
insurrection or rebellion against the
United States. or who has given aid or
comfort thereto; passed.
A few bills were introduced, the most
important being that to levy a tax upon
incomes Of over $4,000 Adjourned.
HOUSE.
December 5.-Mr. Williams offered
resolution for an adjournment
from the 10th of Dec. until the 10th of
January; referred.
The question whether business re-
ferring to internal imprOyem ents should
be considered by the committee on
commerce or by the committee on rail
roads and canals, after further discus
sion was referred to the committee
on rules.
Mr.. Townshend, Qll.), from the COM
mittee on patents, reported a bill to
repeal the existing statutes for renewals
of patents and declaring it unlawful
hereafter for the commissioners of
patents to renew or extend any patent
for any design whatever He stated
the object of the bill was to take away
from the statute book law which was
dead and imperative, the commission
ers Of patents not haying now the right
to make renewals After some discus
sion the bill passed. Adjourned.
SENATE.
Dec G.-During the morning hour
4 number of petitions were presented.
Mr.. Burnside submitted a resolution
calling upon the president to transmit
to the senate, if not incompatible with
the public interest, the correspondence
had with our late minister to France in
regard to the Franco-Prussian war;
also, the correspondence on the same
subject with our ministers to England
and Germany. Agreed to.
Mr.. Ferry presented petition of cit
liens of Michigan in favor of the pas
sage of the bill to authorize the coinage
of the standard silver dollar
A few unimportant bills were intro
duced and referred to committees.
Mr. Allison, who has charge of the
house bill to authorize the free coinage
of 4 standard silver dollar, and to re-
store it to its legal tender character,
moved to make it the special order for
Monday, after the expiration of the
morning hour, and be continued from
day to day till disposed of.
After a long discussion, Mr.. Allison
changed his motion so as to take the
bill up on Tuesday instead of Monday
Mr. Morrill, moved to amend 50 as to
make it the special order for January
II. Rejected-yeas Is; nays 40.
The motion of Mr.. Allison was then
agreed to. Yeas Il nays IS.
Mr.. Matthews submitted the follow
ing concurrent resolution in regard to
the payment of bonds in silver and at
his request it was ordered to lie on the
table and be printed.
WHEREAS, By the act entitled IAN act
to strengthen the public credit" approx
ed March 18th 1869, it was provided
and declared that the faith of the U. S.
was thereby sOlemnly pledged to the
payment in coin or lis equivalent, of
all interest-bearing obligations Of the
United States except in cases where the
law authorizing the issue of such Obli-
cations had expressly provided that
the same be paid in lawful money or
other currency than gold and silver.
WHEREAS All L. S. bonds authorized
to be issued by the act entitled, an act
to authorize the refunding of the ma
tional debt" approved July 14th, 1870,
by the terms of said act, were declared
to be redeemable in coin of the then
present standard value, bearing inter
est payable semi-annually in such
coin, and
WHEREAS, All bonds of the United
States authorized to be issued under
the act entitled IAN act to provide for
the resumption of specie payments" !"
approved january 14th, 1875, are re-
quired to be descriptive of bonds of
the United States described in said act of
congress, approved July IA, 1870, enti-
tied ''an act supplementary to the act
entitled an act establishing a mint and
regulating the coins of the United
States" to be legal tender of payment
according to their nominal value for
any sums whatever; therefore, be it
ResouIed by the Senate, the House of Rep
reselddtiues cOnclu7ing therein, That all
bonds of the United States, issued or au-
thorized to be issued under said acts of
congress hereintofore recited, are paya-
BILE, principal and interest at the option
of the government of the United States,
in silver dollars of the coinage of the
United States, containing 4123 grains
each, of standard silver, and that to re-
store to its coinage such silver coin as
legal tender in payment of said bonds,
principaland interest, isnot IN violation
of the public faith, nor derogative to the
rights of the public creditor.
HOUSE