Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-01-25
CURRENT NEWS.
GENERAL.

A Washington dlspatcn Oh Inc LIN says
The House Committee on the privileges,
powers and duties OF the House OF Repre-
sentatives in counting the Electoral votes
have finished their report on that subject-
The majority report, sighed by allthe DEM
ocrats of the committee, is as follows, the
Republicans dissenting: 8ti
I. That the Constitution of the United States
does not confer on the President OF me senate
mower 20 examine and ascertain the votes to be
counted q Electoral yotes for fresiderf and
Q. That the only power which the Constitution
confers on the President of the Senate in regard
to the Electoral votes for Presidenthand Vice
President is to receive sealed lists transmitted to
MN MN 9 ~ t nee se' si ce g,idcStes ertthhs those e. p Hurpp
to be such in the presence of the Senate and
House of Representatives.
5. That the Constitution does confer ON we
Senate and House of Representatives the pasteH
to examine and ascertain the votes to be counted
as Electoral votes. .tatt ~
spect to the counting of Eectoralvotes the House
has at least equal power with the Senate 80
s. That in the counting of the Electoral votes
no vote can be counted against the Judgment ara
determination of the House OF RepresentatlVeD.
The committees of the two houses of Con-
gress on counting the Electoral vote held
their first joint meeting on the 18th, when
the Senate committee presented its plan Of
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS hC 1AOuSS SO4Ah w
sired time for consideration and further ac-
ton was deferred. The sessions OF the com
mittees are strictly private and the members
bound to secrecy.
Serious charges having been preferred
against Mr.. Murtagh, President Of the Po-
lice Board of the District Of Columbia, to
the effect that he had conspired to cause
the arrest and disgrace of Mr.. Whitthorne,
of the House Naval investigating
Committee in order to insure his personal
character and thereby impair the force Of
his report, a Committee OF the House has
been appointed to investigate the charges.
Major Richards, Police Superintendent,
swears to the truth of the charges.
A resolution was offered in the Minnesota
Senate, on the 18th, by Senator Wilkinson,
Democrat, instructing the Committee on
Judiciary to inquire into the eligibility OF
the Presidential Electors appointed in that
State. 1t is alleged that A. X. Finzth, n
of the Electors, is an alien.
Another advance of 5 cents on fourth
class railroad freight from Chicago to East
ern points was announced on the 14th.
The Senate committee which has been in
vestigating..the Florida election returned to
Washington on the 14th.
1t is currently reported at Washington that
both Democrats and Republicans have
copies of kilograms sent South and to Ore
gon by the controlling politicians pending
the canvass of votes of the disputed States.
These copies were obtained from sources
other than the regular channels, and are
being used as the basis Of interrogation by
the investigating committees.
A call for a meeting of the National Ex-
ecutive Committee Of the Independent
Greenback party was issued on the 10Th by
Hon. Moses w. Field, of Detroit, Chair
man, to convene at Springfield, ILL.,, Tues
day, January %. The object Of the meet
ing is stated to be the consideration Of means
required to extend and strengthen the or
ganization Of the party and to ieffect a more
active propagation Of it's principles.
The United States Supreme Court has de-
cided that Immigrant railroads are not
bound to transport troops and property Of
the United States free of charge by reason
OF that fact; hat they are only to allow the
Government the free use of their
tracks in return for grants, and that
they are each entitled to compensation
for all such transportation they have per-
4 1OIIucu, tAtCpI IL % Ii W A1alLc, sun
! ject to a fair deduction for use of their sew
eral roads. This decision is in the cases of
the Lake Superior and Mississippi, and At
Gibson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Com
panies, which have been some time under
advisement, and reverses the judgment of
the Court Of Claims. ''
Gen. Terry telegraphed from st. Paul, on
the 10th, that dispatches received from Col.
Miles, via BOZernan, state that on the Sth
of December three companies of the Fifth
Infantry, under Lieut.. Frank D. Baldwin,
struck sitting-Bull's camp on Red Water
and defeated him with the loss OF all the
property in the camp and sixty mules and
ponies. The Indians escaped with little be-
sides what they had On their persons.
Additional new from Miles's command, 1
via Tongue River, says that on December
IT five prominent Sioux chiefs approached
the post about noon with a flag of truce.
When within a few hundred yards of the
post, and before their approach was known
to a single officer or soldier of the garrison,
they were bounced upon and killed by
Crow scouts who belong to the post. Col.
Miles was indignant beyond measure at the
bloody tragedy, both on account of its
and by reason OF the possible I'M
portance of their mission. Il
Hon. VIM. A. Wheeler occupied his seat
in the House of representatives, on the
10Th, for the firsttime this session. He left
for his home on the following
day.
United States Senator Window, Of Min
nesota, has been reelected. ~
Hon. James G. Blaine, of Maine, has
been elected United States Senator, both
for the long and short term. t... II
Hon. A. X. Garland has been elected
United States Senator from Arkansas.
United States Senator Ferry, of Michi-
gan, has been reelected. 81
1t was authoritatively announced, on the
18th, that the Senate and House committees
on counting the Electoral vote had agreed
upon a report, which would be signed by
the members of both committees, ex-
cept Senator Morton, and possibly one