The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-03-28
CONG II ESS.

ment. No., on the 18th.
Congo ESS.
TUESDAY, March I'm the Senate,
the bill in aid of the James G. Bennett
Polar Expedition was passed unanimously. A
petition was presented, signed by r. G. Inger-
soil. of Illinois, and others, declaring that the
statutes passed ostensibly for the suppression
of obscene literature are plain violations OF
The letter and spirit of the fundamental prin.
ciples of our Government, and that they are
capable of, and are in fact, being used for the
purposes of moral and religious persecution,
and the petitioners pray that such statutes may
bcrepealed or materially modified, so that they
cannot be used, as alleged, to abridge freedom
of the press or of conscience. The House bill
for the relief Of William 4. Hammond, late
Surgeon-General, was passed-55 to L.. In
the House, the Consular and Diplomatic APP
preparation bill was debated at considerable
length in Committee of the Whole.
WEDNESDAY,, March 13.-Bills were
introduced and referred, in the Senatc--to
provide for and regulate the counting of votes
for President and Nice-President, and the de-
csion of questions arising thereon; to pro-
mote the deposits of savings and the refund
ing Of the National debt. Bills were passed
West Point Appropriation bill, with amend
ments: House bill to make persons charged
with crimes and otfenses competent witnesses
in United States and Territorial Courts i.
The Consular and Diplomatic Appropriation
bill was further considered in Committee of
the Whole in the House. Several amend
ments were agreed to, and the bill and amend
ments were reported to the House and passed
The Senate bill to aid the Bennett Polar En-
petition was also passed.
THURSDAY, March IA number of
Pension bills were passed in the Senate. Bills
were intaoduced-providing for the payment
of all customs dues, and all other debts due to
the United States, in lcgal-tcnder notes at pars
except in cases where it is otherwise expressly
stipulated on the face of the obligation or con-
tract: to regulate passenger fares and freight
traffic ON the Denver Pacific and Kansas Pacific
Railways: to authorize the construction Of a
narrowgauge railroad from Bismarck to the
Black Hills. Adjourned to the 18th A bill
was introduced in the House, regulating the
reserve Iund OF National Banks. The bill ex-
tending 10 three years the time for the with
drawing of distilled liquors from bond was de-
bated and amended in Committee of the
Whole, reported to the House and passed-1lS
to liz.
FRIDAY, March 15.-Senate not in
session. In the House, a substitute was
reported and referred to the Committee
of the Whole for the bill to promote the
deposit of savings in the Treasury and the
retundiEg of the National debt. The contest
ed-eiect on case Of Dean as. Field, from the
Third Massachusetts District. was considered
the majority report favoring the claims of the
former and the minority report those Of the lat
ter-the sitting member. After some discussion,
the Speaker had read a telegram announcing
the death, in Havana, of yellow-fever, of the
Hon. John Z. Leonard, Congressman from the
Fifth Louisiana District. and on motion, out
IN
House adjourned.
SATURDAY, March 16.-The Senate
was not in session.. "A bill was introduced
and referred. in the House. for the establish
ment of a mint at Indianapolis. The bill max
ing available for the payment of certain South
eru uate-bellum mail contractors the sum of
s315,5OO, already appropriated, was further
considered in Committee OF the Whole, and it
having been demonstrated that such mail con-
tractors had been paid. or payment had been
provided for by the Confederate Congress and
Postmaster General, motion was agreed to to
strike out the enacting clause of the bill, and
this action of the committee was concurred in
by the House, without division.
MONDAY, March 1S.-Bills were
passed in the Senate-HOuse bill providing
S2'5,OOO for Notifications and other works of
Defense and for the armament thereof, for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1879; Senate bill to
prohibit Members of Congress from becoming
surcties on certain bonds. Among the bills
introduced Was one making appropriations for
detecting trespassing on public lands, for
bringing into market public lands in certain
States, and for other purposes. An adverse
report was made from the judiciary Commit
tee on the bill providing that any woman who
shall have been a member Of the bar of
the highest court of any State or Territory,
or OF the District of Columbia, for
period of three years, NAV be adj
United to practice in the Supreme Court of
the United States-the ground of the adverse
report being that there was no obstacle in the
present law to the admission of women to
practice in the United States Courts, the
courts making their own rules touching the
admission OF attorneys, and the proposed act
would discrim. nate in favor of women, by COM
pelling the court to admit them when it was
not bound to admit men. Bills were intro
duced in the HOuse-granting pensions to
soldiers who enlisted out of prisons: for tie
payment of certain Southern mail con-
tractors, providing that no claims shall
be paid which have previously been
paid by the Confederate Government; estab-
fishing mint at Louisville, KY; repeating
the law apprOpriating $375,OO for the paw
mcnt of certain Southern mail contractors; to
grant to the State Of Ohio unsOld public lands
remaining in the State; granting alternate
sections OF land to the State of Mississi.pi to
aid in the construction of the Shin Island.
Ripley u Kentucky Railroad; for the appoint
ment OF Commission to ascertain on what
terms treaty of commerce with Mexico en-
be arranged: for the erection of monument
over the grave Of Thomas jefferson.