The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-07-10
THE WORK OF CONGRESS-.
Summary OF the Provisions of tho Principal
Actn of the Lust Sesston.

The adjournment of Congress after a
session of very exciting debate, makes
! Of interest a review of the most impor-
tant of it's work. AT the extra session,
called October Is, 1877, but one or two
bills OF any consequence were passed,
the principal one ,being'that making ap-
preparations for the support of the army
for the year ending June 80, 1878, which
failed in the Fourty.fourth Congress on
account OF the Senate's refusal to accept
the section prohibiting the use Of the
army in the Southern States. The bill,
which was ultimately approved No7em.
Der 81, 1877, omitted that section, but
included a provision that cavalry regi-
ments might be recruited to one hun
dred mel in each company, and that q
sufficient force should be employed for
the defense of the Texan frontier, pro
vided that the army's strength should
not exceed 25, 900 men. The army ap-
preparation bill for 1889 leaves the
strength unchanged, but reduces the
allowance for quarters and abolishes all
extra allowances, a those for fuel and
forage. There are to be no promotions
during the year on the staff, nor on the
line above the grade Of captain. The
force on the Texan border remains, and
the posse comitatus section is added,
declaring that it shall not be lawful to
employ the army as a posse for the pur-
pose Of executing the laws, except where
such employment may be expressly au.
thorized by the Constitution or act OF
Congress; the money appropriated shall
not be used to pay the expenses OF
troops 80 employed, and persons wilfully
violating the act shall be punished by a
fine not exceeding $40, 600, or imprison.
ment for not more than two years, OF
both. For the navy for the year ending
June 80, 1878, o deficiency a]ppropria.
ton act provides 81, 446, 681. Is for pay,
$311, 953. So for Seligman Brothers, etc,
That of May 4, 1878, for the incoming
fiscal year. appropriates for pay ~(active
list) 1882, 1916; retired list, $640, 400;
construction and repairs, 81, 800 DOC;
steam engineering, $500, 900; Naval
Academy, $50, $50; Marine Corps, S614,'
900; civil establishment, $3.50, 600. After
July l there will be no appointments OF
clerks or secretaries from civil life;
those on q cruise are to continue till the
cruise is ended.
On the financial question the first act
vas that passed over the Presidents
veto February %, 1878, making the sill
yer dollar of 412} grains q legal tender,
except where expressly stipulated by
contract. To the international monetary
conference to establish a bi-metallic
standard, q commission composed OF
Messrs. ". s. Groesbeck, F. A. Walker
and Reuben E. Fenton, has been ap.
pointed. The aot further provided TO,
the issue Of silver certificates based on
deposits of silver coin. The act of May
81 prohibited the cancellation and re
tirement after that date of legal tenders,
and provided for the reissue Of notes re-
deemed or received into the treasury
under law. An act approved May 2
prohibiting the further coinage of the
tw~enty-cent silver piece.
The Indians are by the army appro.
priation bill left under the charge of the
department of the interior. The act OF
May 81 appropriates for the bureau fol
the next fiscal year about S., 600, 900.
The Sioux for their support and civil.
cation receive 81, 1875, 900, of which no,
exceeding $50, 900 will be used to re.
move the bands of Red Cloud and Spo..
ted Tail to convenient points within the
Sioux reservation and for their settle.
ment thereon. An act approved May 3
provides for the consolidation of the
Colorado, Utes in n agency on the
White river and the e1tinguishment Of
their right to the southern portion o!
their reservation in that State.
The bankrupt law is repealed by the
act of June 6, the repeal taking effect
September l, cases instituted and pend
ing in any court prior to which date moi
being affected. In respect Of all pains,
penalties and forfeitures incurred under
existing acts before September l, OF
thereafter, under my provisions of acts
kept in force, etc., the acts repealed con-
tinue in full force and effect till the
cases are fully disposed of.
OF facts affecting navigation, one approx
ed April 20 provides that when a vessel
leaves an infected port for the United
States some representative officer Of the
United States at that port shall immedi'
ately give notice to the Marine Hospital
service, which shall make quarantine
rules, not in conflict with State or mu-
nicipaI regulations to prevent the intro
duction of any contagion. Local ofici.
ais can be clothed with the powers Of
United States officers on application Of
State or municipal authorities.
In the diplomatic and consular service
few changes were made by the act OF
June 4. The mission to Greece was ac-
cidentally omitted and a new one to
Colombia provided for, with a minister
resident at $500. All consular officers
are required to furnish to the secretary
of the treasury as may be required prices
current OF articles usually exported to
the United States from the splaceo at
which they are stationed.
In the postal service the act of May
II regulates the advertising of mail let
tings. Before making contracts for in
land mail transportation other than by
railroad or steamer, the postmaster-gen-
eral is to advertise for proposals once a
week for six weeks in not more than ten
State or territorial newspapers. Con-
tracts are not to take place in less than
sixty days after the first publication;
sub-letting or transferring contracts is
not permitted without the postmaster
generals consent, and in lawful cases of
this sort the department shall retain
enough to pay the sub.contractor, unless
there is satisfactory evidence that he has
been. paid. The postmaster general
may, where it is desirable, make M
tracts for not more four years transport
by water of mails between American
ports, but no contracts for new water
route mail service shall be for q longer
time than a year, or than two years,
when they are to foreign ports, unless
otherwise ordered by Congress. -
As to the public lands one act pro-.
vides hat notices of contest under
homestead, tree culture or presumption
laws shall be published in a newspaper
IN the county where the land in contest is
situated. Another provides that where .
person has made o settlement under the
pre-emption law and subsequently chang
ed his filing to that for a homestead entry
upon the same tract, he shall be entitled
to have the time to perfect his title I'M
der the homestead law computed from
the date Of his original settlement un-
der the presumption laws, subject to all
the provisions of the law relating to
homesteads. The act of June l. allows
homestead settlers on public lands