The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-11-05

SITUATION IN FRANCE-nAMAGING TEs--
TIMONY AGAINST EX-TREAsURER CAR
DOZO, OF SOUTH CARoEINA-A MARY
LANDER CONVICTED Oh NUMBERING HIS
wIFE-PREPARATIoN FOR SENATOR
MoRTON'S FUNERAL, &a., &C.
Washington.
NR. STEPHENS TAKES PART IN THE DEBATE IN
THE MISREPRESENTATION ACT--A
PLAN TO ELECT PRESIDENT AND vICE-PRE-
slDEST BY THE PEoPLE-NAIL CONTRAc--
TORS AND THEIR PAY-EIE FRENCH EXHI-
BlTIoy, &C.
From Our Regular Correspondent -
WAsHISGToN, November 3.-The Senate
was not in session to-day, and the House
adjourned without doing anything OF i'm
portance. The venerable Alexander Ste
pheas took part in the debates to-day for
the first time this session. He asked that a.
bill which had been introduced to remone-
tie the old silver dollar be referred to the
Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Mea-
sures, of which he (StephenS is chairman,
instead OF to the. Committee on Banking
and Currency, to which such bills are Gus
tomariy referred.
Mr.. Stephens supported his motion with
little speech, which he delivered sitting in
his inyalid-chair iE the open space In front
of the Speakers desk. Nearly all the men,
bers in the House rose and crowded for
ward to hear him. He spoke with good
deal Of energy, and was easily head at the
rear of the hall.
The House, by large majority, acceded
to Dir. Stephens's request, and referred the
bill to his committee.
This action will not change the purpose
OF the Banking and Currency Committee.
They have fifty bills Of the same sort re-
ferred to them already, and, what is more to
the point, have already prepared bill
HEHoSETIzING TIE OLD SILVER DOLLAR
OF 1887 Ci124 grains weight), which they
purpose to report Monday, when they will
try to get it passed under a suspension OF
the rules. The friends OF the GO dollar OF
the daddies'' are confident that this effort
will be successful, as they say they are sure
of more than two thirds OF the House.
|
act remains in statu quo. The anti-repeal-
ers have developed their ability to postpone
action indefinitely. .....
ELECTION OF PRESIDENT AID TICE-PRESIDHNT.
Congressman Finley, OF Ohio, introduced
a Joint resolution to-day proposing to so
amend the Constitution rs to have the Presi-
dent and ce-President elected directly by
the people. The resolution provides that
the persons securing the greatest number OF
votes for President and Fice-President shall
be President and Vice-President: that il
two or more persons shall receive equal
number OF votes for President, the House
! of Representatives shall Immediately choose
President from the persons who have re-
ceived an equal vote; that the Senate shall
in like manner solve like difficulty in the
election OF Vice-President; that the election
shall be holden at the time now provided for
the choosing Of electors, provided that Con-
gress may change the time; and provided,
further, that the time shall be the same in
all the States; that Congress shall provide
the manner OF holding and conducting such
elections and making returns thereof; but
on failure to do so, the duty shall deyolre
in the order named upon-first the Presi-
dent of the United States; second, the
Legislature OF each State within that State !;
third, upon the chief executive OF each
State within that State; that the returns
shall be canyassed at the time and in the
manner now provided by the joint rules,
or BY law, by and in the presence OF both
houses OF Congress, who shall be the judges
leach house voting scparatelv)of the returns
and elections finally; that in case OF dis
agreement between the two houses the mat
ter OF disa@I cement shall be referred to the
Supreme Court OF the United States for its
decision, which shall be final.
LATE MAIL-CoNTRAcToRs AND THEIR PAY.
The House Committee On Post-Offices
and Post-Roads has adopted the following
resolution, which it will report to the House
Monday if opportunity offers:
"Be It resolved de-, That the Secretary
OF the Treasury shall begin at once to pay
| in full to the late mai-contractors OF the
States OF Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, kentucky, LOulslafla, DllsSlsslppl'
Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Texas. Tennessee, Virginia, and West Vir-
ginia, their heirs or legal representatives,
| The accounts due under their respective
contracts for the years 1859, 1860, and 1861,
and the appropriation OF $4,000 made by
the act approved March 5, 1877, shall be i'm
| mcdiately available for said payments :
| Provided, That no payments shall be made
for services rendered after May 81, 1861.
where discontinuance thereof was ordered
by the Postmastcr-G General, or for any SER
vice for which payment has been made by
the Confederate States. And the nroVl-
sions OF section $3.50 OF the Revised Statutes
OF the United States shall not be applicable
to the payment herein authorized. All acts
and parts OF acts inconsistent herewith are
hereby repealed"
Congressman Reagan, Of Texas, is the
author OF this resolution which has been
made necessary by Secretary Sherman's re-
fusal to pay out the money which Congress
appropriated for this purpose.
The House Committee on Foreign AZ
fairs has taken up the consideration OF SO
much OF the Presidents message as recon-