Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-06-05
Congressional Summary.


sumed of the bill providing a perma-
nent form of government fer the Dis
trict of Columbia, and after debate the
sixth section, providing for the election
of a delegate to the house of represen-
tatives was stricken out on motion of
Mr.. Edmunds, by a vote Of yeas 40,
nays 9.
After further debate the senate laid
the bill aside and went into executive
session, and soon after adjourned
SATURDAY, May 25-House.-The
house went into the committee of the
whole on the army appropriation bill.
Several amendm ents to reduce the
pay of officers were offered and voted
down, and the pay Of officers stands as
fixed in the bill, namely: Generals,
$4,000; acknowledgements, $1,000;
ma 81 500; brigadier-gener
ais, $500; colonies, $500: lieutenant
colonies, $4,000; majors. $4,000; cap
tains, mounted, $4,000; captains, not
mounted, $780,; adjutants, $500;
regimental quartermasters, 81 800; first
lieutenants, mounted, 81 800; first lieu
tenants, not mounted, $500; second
Heutenants, mounted, 81, 800; second
lieutenants. not mounted, 81 400; chap
lains, 81 800; store keepers, except at
Springfield, Mass, 81, 800. The forego-
ing is to be n full Of pay and allow
ances except longevity which is to be
10 per cent. for every term of five
years service, not to exceed in the ag-
gregate 40 per cent. nor $500 a year.
On motion of Mr.. Dunnell this longevi-
ty was also extended to chaplains who
! had been excluded by the bill. No
change was made in the section as to
| fuel and forage to be allowed. Several
minor amendments were made, and
then an amendment was offered trans
ferring the Indian bureau from the in
terror to the war department. This
was debated a long time, the repubh-
cans opposing, the democrats favoring
it, and without action the house adj
journed.
MONDAY, May 27-Senate.-In the
senate Mr.. Beck introduced bill to
repeal existing taxes on capital and
| to impose taxes on dividends in
excess Of eight per cent; referred.
Mr.. Blaine said regarding the CORES
pondence recently submitted to the
senate relating to the appointment of
Delfosse, as member of the Halifax
commission on fisheries, the newspa-
pers said the Belgian government COM
| planned that anything should have been
withheld. He now offered as an act of
justice to Delfosse, owing to the insult
fciency of the form er resolution, the fol-
lowing:
Resolred, That the president of the
United States be requested, if not in his
judgment incompatible with public in
terest, to communicate to the senate
copies of all correspondence not hereto
fore submitted, and Of all memoranda
and minutes III possession of the gov
erment relating to the selection of M.
Maurice Delfosse as one of the COM
missioners under the treaty of Wash
ington of the fisheries question. The
resolution was agreed to. Considera-
ton was then resumed Of the bill
providing permanent form Of govern
ment for the District of Columbia.
| The bill having been considered in
committee of the whole was reported
to the senate and the amendments
made in the committee were concurred
in. The bill was then read third time
and passed. Mr.. Ferry moved to take
up the house bill to forbid the further
retirement of legal tender notes. After
a long discussion on the merits of gen.
eral bills, which various senators were
pressing, the motion of Mr.. Ferry. to
take up the bill to forbid the further re-
tirement of legal tender notes was
agreed to; yeas, %; nays, &c. Ad-
journed.
MoNtAY, MAY 27-House.-Under a
call Of states bills were introduced: to
regulate the sale of United States Sc
curities. It makes it unlawful for
the secretary of the treasury to en-
ter into any contract or negotiation of
bonds now authorized, issued or sold,
whether for funding the national debt
or any purpose, with any banking asso-
Citations Or individual or bination of
banking associations unless he shall
first invite proposals by advertisements
for not less than three weeks in five
newspapers, that proposal to be &C
cepted which may be most advan-
tageous to the government to estab-
lish a permanent sinking fund. It
provides that there shall be appro-
priated for the fiscal year commend
ing July, 1878, and for each sue
ceeding year out of the custom
revenues. the sum of one hundred
million dollars which shall be applied
first to pay interest on the public debt;
second, to purchase of SO much of
the outstanding principal of the public
debt as can be purchased Or redeemed
at not more than par and ACQUIRED in
terest On all bonds SO purchased or re-
deemed to cease to bear interest, and to
be cancelled and destroyed. It abro-
gates the act providing for the annual
sinking fund.- Section five of the bill
provides that the act shall be known as
the sinking fund act of 1873, to establish
a national university at Washington.
The house then went into committee
of the whole on the army appropiia-
ton, the question being on the amend
ment of Mr. Scales to transfer the con-
troll of the Indians to the war depart
ment. After debate the amend
ment was adonted-113 to 1O7