Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-02-15
CONGRESS-,

providing for the punishment of persons making
or having in their possession dies, molds, ETC.,
for manufacturing counterfeit coins; also q bill
declaring all claims against the United States
shall be barred unless presented within six years
from the time they accrued. .....Ihe House con-
sidered the Legislative Appropriation bill in
Sl4, 1865, 1856. so. A long discussion ensued on
the provision to reduce the salaries of members
of Congress, which was finally adopted in COM
mittee.
In the Senate, on the Sd, a number ot'res-
olutions and bills of a miscellaneous character
were introduced and referred, when after a
short executive session the Senate adjourned till
Monday. The House was again engagedin con-
sidering the Legislative Appropriation bill in
mmit of the Whole.
In the Senate, on the 9th, Mr.. West rose
o a personal explanation regarding the letter adj
dressed to him by Gov. Wells and read on Satur-
day before the House Committee, which expla-
nation he was not permitted to make. he said.
before the committee. He could have availed
himself OF his privileges as a Senator and refused
to divulge the contents of the letter, but he de-
sired that all the facts in regard to the Louisiana
SeHI' nor or0u did he ne in heOIt to hold de- cla nnd nDs
correspondence with any one ia regard 10 the
counting the Electoral votes. About the time
that the letter should have been delivered to him
he was informed by the Secretary Of War that a
man by the name of Maddox was here attempt
ing to trade off the vote of Louisiana. He
(~est) Immediately denied that he had any such
authority, and telegraphed to New Orleans to a
friend IN substance a. follows: TELL Governor
Wells that a man by the name of Maddox
is here protesting to be authoriZ d to
speak for him and the Returning Board of Lou
isiana. What does this mean:' The answer
came back as soon as the wire could bring it:
MI Maddox has no such authority" Mr..
West, in answer to a question of Mr.. BOgy as ~
what explanation he could make of the letter.
said that he (West) was ambitious to be his own
successor IL the Senate, and the letter referred
to that. AS to speaking of million" Gov.
Wells used the expression in the same manner
there was a ''barrel OF money" there to be used
against the Republicans, and aid YVES needed:
that is, If money was to be spent on one side it
must be spent on the other. He (Nes) would
not rest for a moment under any suspicion that
he was traficking in the Electoral votes......The
Legislative, Judicial and Executive Appropri-
alton bill was passed. by the House. The amend.
ment fixing the salary of Senators and Represent
atives at $4,000 was agreed to; the amendment
increasing the compensation OF the President to
$1,000 was strlken out.
In the Senate, or the 9th, Mr.. Paddock,
from the Committee on Public Lands, reported
favorably on the Senate bill for the relief of set
tiers upon public lands under pre- emption laws.
Passed. The bill abolishing the Il ard of Met
rOpOitan Police Commissioners of the District,
which passed both houses unanimously and was
vetoed by the President, was then taken from
the table, the question ~being-Shallt the bill pass
Notwithstanding the objections of the PRESIDENT:
Ii was decided in he negative-yeas, 33; nays,
1.-TWO thirds not voting in the affirmative....
The House had under consideration the Defici-
ency bill. The two largest appropriations are
one of 5 800 TOO for a deficiency in the Navy De
| p%artment. and one of $2l7 900 for pensions TO
solG4ers who have lost limbs.
In the Senate, on The 9TH, the Eads ap-
preparation bill was discussed and laid over.
The House bill authorizing the commissioners
of the Freedrnen's Savings and Trust Company
to dispose of certain property was concurred in.
The House amendment TO the Printing Deficiency
bill, prohibiting the Government Printer from
paying a higher rate of wages than is paid In
New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, was
non-cOncurred in. Mr.. Bogy presented a re.
monstrance Of business men and others Of st.
Louis against the passage Of House bill to build
a bridge over the Missouri River at Glasgow.
Refer red. The House adopted an amendment
to the Senate bill providing for q deficiency of
SS 0,000 in the appropriation for Government
printing, which prohibits the Government Print
er, after the close of the present congress, from
paying higher prices for labor than are paid in
New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. The
Deficiency Appropriation: bill was again consiG-
ereu in of the Whole.
In the Senate, on the Sth, the credentials
of Senator eject Garland, of Arkansas, were
filed. The Indian Appropriation bill was passed.
......In the House, Mr.. Hale rose to a privileged
question and read a letter addressed to him from
j. Madison Wells and Thomas G.. Anderson.
stating that they were confined to a damp, dark
dungeon of the cellar of the capitol; that yester-
day, by order of the Speaker, they had beer
transferred to a much better room and that they
has been brought back to cells by order of the
Arms, and that on account of the
DaU air IN Inc cell one OF llcln (TOV. clIS) was
now on his sick bed. Mr.. Hale said it was in
human to keep them in such a room, and he
therefore offered a resolution directing the Ser
geant- alarms to remove the prisoners to a well
lighted and we'll ventilated room, where their
health may not be endangered. Mr.. Cox said it
was in this same cell that a Republican Congress
had incarcerated stewart and Irwin. The
prisoners confined and in the close
custody of the Sergeant at -Arms, but
they could release themselves by simply purg-
ing themsels es of cOntemptof the House and an
swering the qut stiOns which they had refused to
answer. The witnesses had simply been treated
as other witnesses had been. MIR. Clymer, on
behalf of the Sergeant at Arms, said Jnat that
officer had done all in his power for the purpose
of rendering che prisoners comfortable. The
room they occupied was well heated, well light
ed and well ventilated. l was the room which
had been used for the same purpose by proceed
ing Congresses. They were allowed to
have conversations with their friends. Mr.. Cox
moved to refer tho resolution to the Special Com
mittee on Elections in Louisiana, with instruc
tions to report speedily to the House whether
such a state of affairs does exist as is stated in
the communication from j. Madison Wells and
ThOs G. Anderson. The motion was carried
yeas. 14S; nays, 40. The Deficiency Appropria-
ton bill was completed in Committee of the
Whole and reported to the House,
THE ETEcTORA At, COMMISSION