Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-04-11
Congressional Summary.

IHe report anu introduced another bill
Referred to committee on railroads
Mr.. Ingalls, introduced a bill to levy {
tax on spirituous and malt LIQUORS il
the district Of Columbia by the intro
duction Of the Mofat bell-punch. The
bill to regulate the advertising of mai
lettings and for other purposes. was
taken up and after the adoption of sun
dry arrangements, passed At the ex
piratiOn Of the morning hour, Mr.
Beck took the floor III advocacy of the
Judiciary committee and the Pacific
railroad funding bill. Without coming
to vote the senate adjourned
MONDAY, April 1.-H0use-In the
house bills were introduced for tn?
financial relief of the country, and to
facilitate return to specie payment
without injuriously affecting the com
mercial business of the people. 1t di-
reefs the secretary of the treasury
when the amount of coin and bullion
IN the treasury shall exceed 100 mil
lions to redeem the present outstanding
United States legal tender notes when
! presented IN sums of $1,000 and up
ward with coin of full standard value;
to prevent the reduction Of the national
currency by fraudulently withdrawing
legal tender notes from circu-
lation; declaring the waters of
the Hot Springs of Arkansas forever
free to the people; granting jurisdiction
to the court of claims upon the claims
Of officers and soldiers of the late war;
to establish and maintain speedy com
munication with neighborhood repub-
/ iSlo 70 l. 6
4 more efficient civil service in the
United States; continuing until Febru-
ary 1st, 1879. the term of office of the
Hot Springs commission; providing for
the deficiency i'll the appropriation for
public printing and binding for the
present fiscal year. Mr. Durham, re-
ported back from the committee on ap-
preparations, a bill providing for tempo
rary clerks in the treasury department,
and for detecting trespasSers on public
lands; recommending concurrence IN
senate amendment, which provides no
money appropriated by the bill shall be
issued to collect any charge for wood or
timber cut on public lands of territories
for the use of actual settlers and not ex-
| ported from the territories; and non
J
ments with the exception of the amend
ment approprlatlng twelve thousand
dollars for additional clerks in the sur
geOn generals office, which was con-
CURED in; yeas lS4, nays Al, potwith-
stondlng the negative recommendation
Of the committee Mr. Cumming
moved to suspend the rules and
pass the bill providing all pen
sloDs on account of death or wounds
received or wounds contracted in the
service of the United States during the
late war which have been granted or
may hereafter be granted shall COM
mence from date of death or discharge
from service of the United States. for
| payment of arrears of pension, and re-
| pealing section 4,717 revised statutes,
which provides that no claim for pen
siOns not prosecuted to successful issue
within five years from date of fling, the
same shall be admitted without record
evidence from the war or navy depart
ment. Defeated; ayes, 145; nays, 76,
not two-thirds voting in the affirmative.
TUESDAY, April 2.-SeRate. The senate
discussed the railway sinking fund bill
for a time, and then after an executive
session 2dJOurned.
TUESDAY, April 2.-House- The house
gave the session to discussion Of the
case of door-keeper Polk and without
coming to any decision adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, April 5.-Stnate.- The
senate spent the whole session in dis
cussing the two bills in relation to the
debt of the Pacific railways. and owing
to the sickness of Senator Booth of
California vote was postponed again
and the senate ADJOURNED.
WEDNESDAY, April 3.-House.- In the
house of representative a long and
somewhat partisan debate occurred up
on the report of the committee to de-
clare the Office of door keeper of the
| house vacant. No action was taken
and the house without transacting any
other business adjourned.
! THURSDAY, April 4-Senate- the
senate Mr.. Anthony, from the commit
tee on printing, reported a resolution
to print $4,000 copies of the report of
| the commissioner of agriculture on
forestry. Agreed to. Mr.. Morrill,
offered a resolution providing for Sc
propriety of taking the tenth census.
| He said an arrangement had to be made
during the present congress for taking
! the tenth census, and as the next ses-
sion was short one, preliminary
steps should now be taken
/ The resolution was agreed to.
At the expiration of the morning
hour consideration was resumed Of I'm
/ finished business, the Pacific railroad
/ funding bill, and Mr.. Matthews replied
to the argument against the railroad
committees bill. At the conclusion of
/ his remarks Mr.. Matthews said he
would withdraw the bill of the railroad
/ committee which he had offered as a
/ substitute, in order that there might be
a direct vote on the Judiciary commit
/ tee bill. AftOr further discussion on the
Judiciary bill the senate adjourned with
out action.
THURSDAY, April 4.-House.-In the
house of representative Mr.. Butler in
troduced bill to supply convenient
currency with which minor business
transactions of the people may be done.
1t provides for issuing twenty-five to
fifty cents IN fractional currency, and
that any persons paying into the treas
ury legal tender notes or coin should
receive such amount of fractional cur
rency as he may desire; and the secre-
tary of the treasury shall pay out one
sixth of all payments made from the
treasury in redemptional bank notes by
the United States, legal tenders of de
nominations of one, two, three and five
dollars. Consideration was resumed OF
tlLn Dcll- O.. I