The Portland daily press., 1877-11-01
WASHINGTON.
The Banking Committee Vote TO Repeal
the Resumption Act

Tne Banking Committee Vote 10 Repeal
the ResumptionA Act.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31.-The House Commit.
tee on Banking have decided to report at the
earliest possible opportunity, with recommen.
dation, Ewing's bill to repeal the third section
OF the specie resumption act Of January a.
1875. The committee were divided as follows
In favor of the bill-Messrs. Buckner, Ew-
ing, Yates, Hartzell, Bell, Fort and Phillips.
Total z.
Opposed to it-Hardenburgh, Chittenden,
Hart and Eames. Total 4.
The minority urged that time should be al
lowed for investigation and discussion of the
measure by the committee before taking the
final vote upon it, and Mr.. Ford, though in "a
vor of the bill, voted against reporting it today
The friends of the bill insisted, however, that
the subject has been fully discussed heretofore,
and that the country demands action upon it
during this session. They therefore pushed the
matter to vote with the result above stated.
The Letter Carriers.
The letter carriers committee will confer
with the Post Office Committee of the Senate
and House, and urge that the salaries be re-
placed at $1,000 for the highest grade, and $500
for the lowest, year, and that the carriers in
all cities, large and small, he paid the same.
MIR. Burnside's ssColor'' Bill.
The bill introduced by Mr.. Burnside in the
Senate today provides that hereafter the word
''color" shall not be used to designate any SOL
der of the United States army; that the color
ed citizens shall be entitled to all the privileges
and rights of any citizens, to enlist in any arm
of the United States army, and no distinction
shall hereafter be made in the assignment of
the soldier. on account of color or previous de-
scent; that all arms of the service, engineers,
artillery, cavalry, infantry and signal corps, ir-
respective of color, shall be open to him.
Reports of House Committees.
The House Post Office Committee will hear
the carriers committee next week.
The Naval Committee of the House today
agreed to report in favor of Immediately paying
the arrears due naval officers.
The Army Appropriation Bill.
The House Committee on Appropriations was
in session several hours today on the army ap-
preparation bill. Gen. Sherman, Adjutant G en-
eral Townsend, Gene. Meigs and Benet and
other officers were consulted. 1t is said that
the bill will be reported tomorrow, but the COM
mittee decline to communicate details.
Appointments Confirmed by the Senate.
The Senate confirmed the following postmas-
tiers in Maine:
Henry M. Bearce at Norway, Abner @.
Spauldng at Richmond.
Potter Declines the Chairmanship of the
Pacific Railroad Committee,
Clarkson N. Potter has declined the chair.
manship of the House Committee on Pacific
Railroads because of his large interest in rail-
A. Scott is President. His letter of declnation
will be submitted to the House, which alone
can excuse him.
The Post Office Committee.
The House Committee on Post Offices and
Post Roads held their first meeting today and
had under consideration the bill recently intro
duced by Representative Reagan of Texas,
amendatory of the law of last winter for the
payment of Southern mail contractors for trans
portation of United States mails previous to the
war of the rebellion. The committee will re-
port favorably on the bill, which remedies GER
tain defects in the act referred to, and thereby
provides for immediate settlement in payment
of the claims.
The Debt Statement.
During October there were four calls for the
redemption OF 500 bonds matured, amounting
to $40,000,000. The amount redeemed and paid
for by gold checks was $33,000,OO0. This in
cluded the scattering bonds of other calls that
had not previously come in. This amount, to-
gether with the coin deposited in the treasury
by the syndicate, will enable the Secretary to
place $45 100000 CT the per cent. bonds in the
public debt statement which will be issued to-
morrow. 1t is expected that the debt statement
will show reduction of about $30,000,000.
Important Law Suit.
A case has just been argued and submitted
in the Supreme Court Of the United States in
volvng the validity of $4,O0O,OOO of township
bonds of Missouri.