Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-23
FORTY-EIFTH CONGRESS.
THURSDAY. Nav %,

THURSDAY. May >.
SENATE.-The Chair laid before the Senate
communication from the Secretary of the
Treasury, transmitting. in obedience to a res
olution of the Senate of April %. statement
OF the appropriations for the District of Co
lumbia from 1870 to 1870, together with the re-
payments to the public funds from the sale of
lots, &c. Referred to committee on District of
Columbia.
On motion of MI Davis, UL), the Senate
took up the bill to provide for the service of
process in eases of interference in courts of
the united States, and it was amended and
passed.
On molten of Mr.. Dawes, the resolution con-
tln9lng the committee toinveStigate the books
and accounts of the Treasury Department
dullng the recess. was taken up and agreed
Secretary of War to erect headstones over the
graves of soldiers inferred at Mound CITY,
Kansas. The bill was amended and passed.
Mr. Johnston introduced bin for the pro
lection OF dalfymen in the District of Colum-
bla. Referred to committee on the District.
THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT BILL.
g. AT the expiration of the morning hour the
Senate resumed the consideration of bill for
a form OF government for the District of Co
lumbla, the pending question being upon the
amendment proposed by Mr.. Bayard yester-
ed from civil life to give bonds in the sum of
duties.
Mr.. Edmunds said according to the terms of
the bill, 100000 could be borrowed in each
year and the permanent debt increased at the
rate OF 10000 year.
MIR. salisbury said the intention was that
the loan should be paid out of the revenues of
the year for which it was borrowed, and NOV
ed an amendment to that effect.
MIR. MerrimOn said that was the intention of
the bill, and he thought discretion in this mat
ter could be entrusted to the Commissioners
II the District could not have officers of this
hleh character that could be trusted, it were
better that they had no officers
MI. Rollins suggested that the loan be au-
thOrlzed for the present year to meet present
embarrashments, and prohibited after this
year.
Mr.. Merrimon preferred the amendment
Similar eAigencies might arise in any succeed
Mr. Rollins amendment authorizing the
loan for the first fiscal year after this act takes
effect, and requiring it TO be repaid out of the
revenue OF that year, was agreed to, and on
motion of Mr.. Eaton, the rate of interest was
reduced from TO 5 per cent.
Mr. Bayard objected to the high rate of tax
on personal property, as tending to prevent
Immigration, and moved to amend by making
the tax In Washington and Georgetown $l.5O
on real estate, and in the county 81 on each
hundred dollars of real and personal property,
MSs, and on personal property of residents in
washington and Georgetown.
lIhlS was under discussion when our report
closedl
HOUSE-Mr. Garfield called up the report
made by the committee on rules some days
ago to SO amend rule ll2 as to require that all
bills originating in the Senate appropriating
money, land or property of the United States,
and all amendments made to House bills not
germane to the same, shall first be considered
in committee of the whole.
The amendment was opposed by MeSSrs
Mills, Phillips, COnger and others, on the
ground that lt was an attempt to amend the
rules at the close of the session, and for some
particular purpose. They believed it was in
Tended ten Led to affect adversely the river and har
While 1t was intended to help reports from the
committee of ways and means.
On the other hand, it was argued that the
laid on the table.
Mr.. Singleton, from committee on printing,
reported back the bill to reduce the expenses
of the public printing and binding. Referred
to committee OF the whole.
GENERAL SHERMANS LETTER.
mr. robertson rose TO a question of persona
privilege and said he found in the Washing
ton Post OF May 20, 4 publication which
charges gross frauds upon the citizens of East
and West Feliciana, and if these charges were
true, the right to his seat on the floor was
affected.
MI. Baker, Qnd,) made the point that this
was not question of personal privilege.
latter considerable debate the Speaker said
the gentleman had sent up and had read a pa
per charging that two parishes of his district
Were carried by fraud. He could not claim
question of privilege unless he connected him
sell In some way with frauds.
Mr. Robertson said he was connected be.
cause ne was charged, and he denied the
publicanS who absented themselves from the
polls for a purpose just as republicans week
ago re1rained from voting although they were
present.
The Speaker ruled that the gentleman was
out of order.
The House then went into committee of the
whole on the army BILL Mr.. Springer in the
The pending proposition was upon the mo-
ton of Mr.. ThrOckmOrton to limit the a rmy to
250O0 men.
The amendment was adopted.