The Portland daily press., 1877-01-19
From the Maine State Press of Jan. IS, 1877.
History Of Seven Days.
The News for the week ending Wednesday
Might, Jan, ~.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

ford as u 8 Attorney of the Southern Dis
trict of New York, and John d. Hopkins col
lector of Customs at Frenchman's Bay, Me.
The President sent message to the House
of Representatives in reply to the resolution
respecting the expenditures of certain moneys
appropriated last session in the river and har-
Dor bill, and enclosing the report from the
Secretary of War on the subject. The Secre-
tary says: The act was signed on the 14ih of
August, and on the same day the President
sent special message to the House stating he
did not consider it obligatory upon him to ex-
pend all the money appropriated in the bill;
that during his Office no money. should be ex-
pended on works not clearly national, and ow-
ing to a contemplated loss of revenue it might
be inadvisable. The principles enumerated in
this message have governed the Secretary's ac-
tion on this subject in every case presented to
him. The Secretary suggests that the Presi-
dent had authority for his action under the law
and the authority found in the river and harbor
bill itself. The bill was in no way mandatory on
the President to expend the full amount of the
appropriation, nearly $50O0,0OO. The exer-
else of his discretion was influenced by the
condition of the treasury and the nature of the
appropriations for other public works of quite
as much importance as the river and harbor
improvements
The House committee on appropriations have
completed the legislative appropriation bill
The bill as reported for passage provides for a
reduction of about 10 per cent. in the salaries
of nearly all the civil officers throughout the
country and also for reducing the clerical
force to about the number proposed by the
House last year.
The District Police investigation shows that
Murtagh, President of the Board has attempted
to employ government detectives to further his
own ends and punish his personal enemies
CONGRESS.
In the Senate Thursday the House substitute
for the Senate bill granting ponsion of $37
month to soldiers who lost both an arm and
leg was referred. Mr.. Conkling presented a
petition of the citizens of New York asking 2
per cent additional interest o0 the sums award
ed them by the commissioners of Alabama
claims Mr.. Hamlin presented a petition of
the business men of Maine asking the passage
of the House bill for the distribution of the
unexpended balance of the Geneva award
Runyou, the nausant witness, was discharged.
he having answered the questions of the Ore
gon committee. A committee of conference
was appointed on fast mail trains The re-
mainder of the day was spent on the House bill
to perfect the revision of the statutes In the
House the consular and diplomatic appropria-
tion bill was passed.
In the Senate Friday Mr.. Gordon introduced
a bill to create sinking fund for the louida-
tion of the government bonds loaned to the
Pacific railroad Mr.. Booth spoke at length in
favor of his plan for counting the electoral vote
and the Senate passed the House bill for the
revision of the Statutes. In the House Mr..
Knott from the Judiciary committee reported
that the House had power to compel the pro-
duction of telegraph dispatches and E. N.
Barnes, Superintendent of the Western Union
Telegraph Company at New Orleans, was re-
manded to the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms
for contempt. Mr.. Knott from the committee
to ascertain the privileges of the House in
counting the electoral vote reported number
of resolutions setting forth that the power to
count the vote is not conferred upon the Presi-
dent of the Senate, that be only has the power
to receive and open the vote, that the power TO
examine and ascertain the vote is conferred
upon the Senate and House, that the House
has equal power with the Senate, that no vote
can be counted against the Judgment and de- |
termination of the House. A message was
received from the President stating how the |
river and harbor appropriation had been ex.
pended.
Neither branch was in session Saturday. Il
Monday in the Senate resolution was passed
to print 5000 extra copies of the testimony
taken by the committee on elections in regard
to the election in Louisiana, Florida and South
Carolina and the casting of the electoral vote
In Oregon. Mr.. Morrill, of Vermont presented
resolutions of the legislature of that State IN
relation to the fisheries partly within the
United States and partly in the British Posses
sions and asking measures for their protection.
Mr.. Window made personal explanation and
asked an investigation into the charge that he
had secured the appointment of a Surveyor
General of Washington Territory for pay. The |
Senate refused to appoint a committee, the |
members both Democratic and Republican con-
curing in expressing their belief that there
was no truth whatever in the charge.
In the House President Otton of the Western
Union Telegraph Company made answer to the /
charge OF contempt, saying the kilograms called |
for had never been in his control except in his /
capacity of agent for the company. He was
to the Sergeant-at Arms A motion |
to suspend the rules and adopt resolution
the judiciary committee to inquire |
as to the propriety of Withdrawing any conces.
sion and privileges held by the Western Union |
Company under the acts of Congress
in consequence of the contumacy of the COM
pany was lost. A resolution deprecatng any
attempt to excite the public mind on the Presi- |
Dental question was adopted. A bill provid- |
ing sit shall be unlawful for more than one |
regm snt or battalion of infantry OF not more
than 500 men, one company of cavalry and one |
battery OF artillery, not exceeding six guns, TO
be stationed at or kept for any purpose what, |
ever, during the sessions of Congress, within |
the limits of the District of Columbia, and |
troops 30 stationed shall be disposed as only to
guard and protect the public property; that no
more thau one company shall be stationed at
one point. nor shall they be drilled or reviewed
in greater numbers than one company at a
time, and no part thereof shall be brought for |