The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-03-12
CONGRESSION NAL
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON. March l2.-The house
bill for relief of VIM. A. Hammond, late
surgeon general, was taken up and Plum b
spoke in opposition. the bill then passed
without amendment, yeas 55, nays l6.
The vice president submitted a com
munication from the Secretary Of Interior
in answer to inquiries about timber troubles
in Montana. Matthews moved the COM
munication oe referred to the committee
on public lands without being read, and be
printed in the record. Sargent objected
to it being printed in the record but be bad
no objection to printing it in the usual
document form he referred to the course
of the Secretary of the Interior in regard
to timber matters, and said it would stop
all Industries in many of the western states
and territories; he had no objection 10
giving to the public in the usual document
form anything the secretary might desire
to say in defense of his course, but he cid
not recognize the right of cabinet minister
to come on the floor of the senate and
make speech or have printed in the
record defeuse of his course Matthews
said he desired to reply to Sargent and
called for the reading Of the communica
ton as part of his speech that it might
appear in the record. After debate upon
the points Of order, Sargent objected to
the present consideration of the motion to
refer the document, aud it was laid over
until to- morrow.
Thurman, from the judiciary committee,
reported with amendment the senate bill
prohibiting congressman becoming sureties
on certain bonds. Put on calendar.
The resolution ipstructing the committee
oO judiciary to inquire into the expediency
of providing that all claims against the
United States exceeding $1,000 in amount
be prosecuted in the circuit courts for the
districts in which the claims originated,
was agreed to-
The bill 10 aid of the Polar expedition
designed by James Gordon Bennett passed
unanimously without debate.
On motion of Thurman the bill reported
by the committee on Judiciary regarding
the Pacific railroad sinking fund was taken
up and he spoke at length 10 favor of it.
HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, March l2.-The house,
after an explanation by Southland, dis.
claiming the authorshi of Joues resolution
in regard to plural executive head, went
into committee of the whole on diplomatic
and consular appropriations bill,
WASHINGTON.
WAsHINGToN, March I2.-Professor
John Brainerd, formerly of Cleveland
died last night aged 20; be came here
during the late war to take position iu
| the patent Office.
WASHINGTON, March l2.-The senate
finance committee Tuesday next will con-
slider the house bill for the repeal of the
special resumption act,
The senate committee on military affairs
at the request of members who wished tc
make further inquiry, laid over the nomi
nation of Thos, c. II. Smith, now appoint
ment clerk Of the treasury department
to be paymaster in army.
The president has nominated Robert NJ
Reynolds, Ala, first auditor of the treas
ury; naval constructor, Jno W. Easily
chief of bureau of construction and repair
and chief of construction with relative ranl
OF commodore, pay director Geo. F.Cuttel
to be chief of bureau Of provisions auC
clothing and paymaster general with rela
tive rank of commodore.
The committee of ways and means to-da
agreed to report favorably Representativ
Burchards bill to promote refunding O
the National debt and loan of savings t
the United States for that purpose.