The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-11-22
CONGRESS-EXTRA SESSION

Army ApprOpTlaGlOn BILL was passed
after considerable discussion, with an
amendment by Mr.. Schleicher, striking out
the clause prohibiting recruiting of the
army beyond the number of enlisted men
on the rolls on the list of November. The
amendment of Mr.. Culbertson providing
that tour cavalry regiments be recruited to
one hundred men to each company, to be
employed in the defense of the Mexican
and Indian frontiers of Texas, provided
that nothing herein shall authorize re-
crulting beyond twenty thousand men,
was concurred in-yeas, 133; nays, 1877;
also large number of bills were then in
troduced and referred, including a bill to
amend the laws in relation to mailable
matter of the third class; existing banking
laws; designating the time for the meeting
of Congress on the first Monday in January;
to reduce the number of military cadets
for payment for all the cotton seized after
the 10th of May, 1865; also to refund the
tax oR the raw cotton collected from 1863 to
1858; to prohibit by constitutional
arising out of the late rebellion:
for an examination of the claims
of Missouri against the United States; also,
to prohibit the sale of policy or lottery
ticket in the District of Columbia. For the
payment of import duties in legal-tender
notes as soon as they are quoted at par
with the legal-tender coin of the United
States. Many bills were also sointroduced and
referred for the improvement of harbor's,
rivers, etc. Mr.. Springer offered a reso1u-
ton calling on the Secretary of State for
information as to the indemnity paid by the
Spanish Government on account of the ex-
ecution of General Ryan and others in
Cuba, in November, 1875. Adopted.
In the Senate, November 13, the House
bill making appropriations for the support
of the army for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1878, was read by Mr.. Little and referred.
eign Relations, reported Senate resolution
authorizing the appointment of Commits
sion to ascertain upon what terms a recip-
rocal treaty of commerce with Mexico can
be arranged, and moved it's reference to
the Committee on Finance. So ordered.
At the expiration of the morning hour, Mr..
Chatfee called up the resolution submitted
by him last week in regard to the manage
ment of the Pacific Railroad, and spoke at
length in regard to the subject Mr. Saun-
ders sent to the Clerks desk and had read a
telegram from A. j. Poppleton, attorney for
the Union Pacific Railroad, stating that the
question whether the Kansas Pacific, the
Denver Pacific, and the Burlington and
Missouri River roads were branches of the
Union Pacific, and what their rights were,
was now pending before Judge Dillon, and
decision might be expected in
few days, and expressing hope
that there would be no legislation
| Il,
Saunders saidhe desired to address the SEN
ate in regard to this resolution, but was not
| prepared to-day. Mr.. Chaffee then Welded
| and the resolution was laid over for the
| present........In the House, after the intro
duction and reference of several bills the
House went into Committee of the Whole,
Mr.. Blackburn, of Kentucky, in the Chair,
on the Deficiency Bill. The total amount
| appropriated by the bill is $2,24O,665, of
which s., ,446,66S is for the navy; $311 ,953
| for the amount due Seligman Bros, of Lon
don; $4,000 for the marine corps. The
bill also provides for the payment of United
States Judges, etc. The bill was passed with
out division. The House then proceeded to
| the consideration of the Resumption Act.
Mr.. Eden offered a substitute simply repeal-
ing the third section of Resumption Act,
and providing there shall be no further
issue of Netional Bank notes except to re-
place such as are mutilated, worn out, or
| destroyed. The bill was held under dis.
cussion for some time, and was closed
| without coming to any decision.
In the Senate, the Army Bill as reported
November IA, from the Committee
on Appropriations, is amended
by the entire omission of the
clause inserted by the House, which pro-
vided that four cavalry regiments should be
recruited to the full force of twelve hun
dred men each, and kept in service on the
Texas frontier, but that the total number of
men on the army rolls should be limited to
twenty thousand. The Senate Committee
recommend the insertion in place
of the troops mandatory provision
concerning the use of troops in Texas,
the following clause: "Cavalry regiments
may be recruited to 100 men in each
company, and kept as near as practicable to
that number, and sufficient force of
cavalry shall be employed in defense of the
| Mexican and Indian frontier of Texas. The
/ IL
in the amounts voted by the House, but on
the contrary propose a reduction of $4,000
in the item for the conversion of smooth
bores to rifled cannon, $4,000 in the amount
for hospital, and $500 in the appropriation
for the Office of the Commanding General.
Butler offered resolution reciting that
Mr.. Smalls, member of the House from
South Carolina, had been arrested
while en- route to Washington, and
directing =. the Judiciary Commit
tee to inquire whether his right as men,
Der has been interfered with, and to send
for persons and papers. The resolution was
unanimous consent. The resumption act
was taken up. Several amendments were
offered, and debate of some length followed.
No action was taken.
In the Senate, November 15 Mr.. Dawes
presented a remonstrance of forty-ive
| NatlOnaI bankS OIL DoSGon, against the pas
sage of the bill for the reconciliation of
silver. The petitioners set forth that they
are required by law to hold many millions
of United States bonds, and are apprehen-
sive that the passage of the bill viii greatly
depreciate their value, and have bad in
fuence on the business of the country Re-
ferred. Mr.. Sargent reported without amend
ment the bill providing for certain defcien-
cies in the pay of the navy and marine
corps, and for other purposes, and it passed
without discussion. 1t now goes to the
President for signature. AT the expiration
of the morning hour the Senate proceeded
with the consideration of the army appro-
priation bill. 1t was finally passed with the
amendments reported by the Committee
on Appropriations, and also the amend.
ments providing that the army shall not
be recruited beyond twenty-five thousand
men, instead of twenty thousand as au.
thorized by the House. Mr.. Bruce pre-
scented a petition OF colored residents Of
Mississippi, asking the appropriation oi
one hundred thousand dollars to aid them
in emigrating to Liberia. Referred. In
presenting the petition he said the number
and character of the petitioners entitled
their petition to consideration, though he
was not prepared to indorse their plan now
Mr.. Eaton demanded separate vote on the
amendment limiting the army to twenty-fv,
thousand men instead of twenty thousand
He said, in his opinion, twenty Thousand
men were enough to take care of our inter
ests on the frontier. If soldiers had no
been stationed where they should not hav,
been six months ago there would hav,
: been no need of that carnage on our from
tier which we have seen. The amendmen
p made in the committee was agreed to
yeas 80, nays 19......In the House, tn
resumption bill was again taken up
| When the debate ended, the number o
\ speakers had reached forty. Messrs
| nd oil hot for 4
Island in anti-repeal speeches. Mr.. Ewin
hoped to reach a vote on Saturday evening
but the army appropriation bill, receive
= from the Senate to-day and sent to tn
a committee, may take Ewing off the foo
= = for day, in which case the vote must 6
over to next week. The opponents of tn
= bill intend to have a yea and nay vote o
It each amendment, and there are betwee
!, forty aud fifty in number. This may POI
i sibly throw the vote over to the regula
, session, though it is thought by member
), that the House Democrats will not allo'
an adjournment until the vote is reache