The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-12-12
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS,

In the Senate, December 2, Mr.. Anthony
and Mr.. Bayard were appointed a COM
mittee to ioin the House Cor nit
tee a.4d notify the President that
Congress had assembled. Bills were laid
on the table pending the appointment
for retiring the trade dollar, and for its
coinage into standard silver dollars; also,
to authorize the purchase of foreign-built
ships by citizens of the United States. By
Mr.. Voorhees,, resolution instructing the
Committee on Finance to inquire into the
expediency of making the trade dollar
legal tender for al! debts. public
Its recoinage into a standard silver
dollar of 4124 grains. By Mr.. Blaine,
a resolution ipstructing the Judici-
ary Committee to report in the Senate
whether at the recent elections the constitu-
tional rights of any citizens were violated
in any State, what further legislation is nee
essarv to protect citizens in their constitu-
tional rights, etc. Resolutions were intro
duced, providing for a joint committee to
inquire into the cause and spread of the
yellow fever, what legislation is necessary
to prevent its introduction into the coun-
Try ETC. Recess Upon ,1s;dsst re;adssembing
received. The Vice-President laid before
the Senate the credentials of Hon. Justin S.
Morrill,, re elected United States Senator
from Vermont for six years, from March 4,
1879. Read and placed on file. The only,
Senators absent were Barnum CockreU,
cGnkSs ot Nevada a'FdGR Rsrnana Howe 2Dnss
Patterson, Plumb, Sargent, Sharon,
Spencer and Whyte.......In the House,
Mr.. Randall raped to order, when the
Chaplain made prayer, and the roll was
called. The roll showed two hundred and
twenty y.nine members present. Two new
members, Bailey, of New York, and Majors,
of Nevada, then took the ironclad oath, and
inform the President that Congress
was in session. After recess the
Presidents message was received from
Private Secretary Rogers and read.
After the reading of the message, Mr..
Wood, of New York, arose, and, after NOV
ing that it be referred to Committee of
the whole House and ordered printed, made
few remarks unfavorable to that part of
the message relating to the Southern States.
Mr.. Garfield responded, defending the
President, and Messrs. Cox and Town
send took part in the discussion, which
was very animated throughout. The smo-
ton to refer and print the message was
tifcation appropriation bills were reported,
and notice was given of early action on
them.
in the Senate, on the Sd, resolution to
make the trade dollar legal tender was laid
over. The standing and other committees
existing at the close of the last session are
continued. Mr.. Morrill, introduced a bill
authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to
issue in exchange for United States notes,
coin certificates of deposit of the
denomination of $40, or any multi
pie thereof not exceeding s1O9,
bearing interest at the rate of 3.65
per cent. per annum, and convertible any
| r. with To fnrt
bonds described in the refunding act, and
the money SO received shall be applied to
the payment of the fve-twenty bonds in
the mode prescribed by said act, and he is
authorized to prescribe suitable rules in
conformity with this act. Mr.. Beck sub
mitted the following: "ResoIued, That the
| Secretary of the Treasury be and is hereby
directed to inform the Senate what amount
and denomination of silver coin has been
received in payment of customs since the
beginning of the current fiscal year, and
whether or not he has applied silver coin SO
received in whole or in part to the payment
of interest on the bonds or notes of the
United States. If it has been SO applied to
that portion in part only, to state what por-
tion has been SO used, and on what charac.
ter of obligation /; also, that he be directed
| to.inform the Senate the amount of interest
he has paid in bonds and notes OF
the United States since the current fiscal
| year began, and amount of such interest he
has paid in gold and silver coin re-
spectively." Mr.. Matthews called up the
Pacific Railroad Bill, and spoke in its
favor. Mr.. Conover submitted resolution
providing for committee to investigate
how the section of the Sundry Civil Appro
priation Bill passed last session relating to
the Hot Springs Commission was omitted
in the amendment of the bill; whether
Senator Conover had any connection there
W n
gated the matter after the adjournment O.
Congress. Agreed to..-.....1n the House
a number of bills were introduced, am ms
them one to require the Secretary of thu
Treasury to receive trade dollars" 3" in ex
change for legal tender silver dollars, ant
another for like purpose, and TO stop tn,
further coinage of trade dollars. All bills OIL
this subject were, on motion of Mr.. Stephens
referred to the Committee on Coinage, o
which he is Chairman. The House wen
into Committee of the Whole on tn
Military Appropriation Bill, which appro
PIRATES S276, ,647; $4,000 below the appro
priation for the current year. The Miiitar,
Academy and Fortihcation Bills wer
passed.
In the Senate, on the 4th, Mr.. Ferry, Mr.
Davis and Mr.. Randolph were appointed
committee to inquire about the omission o
the Hot Springs clause from the enrolle
) Sundry Civil Appropriation Bill last session
, Mr.. Salisbury introduced bill authorizin
:: red redeening United States lfs Legal tende
notes, as required by the Speci
: Resumption Act, to pay seventy-fve pc
r cent in gold coin ana twenty-five per cen
t in standard silver dollars. Mr.. Eustis in
e troduced a bill appropriating $5,000,00
: for constructing, rebuilding and repairin
the levees on the Mississippi River in Mi
souri,, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mi!
+ sissippi and Louisiana, the money to b
expended under the direction OF tn
e chief engineers of the United States army
Q Laid on the table, and Mr.. Eustis gave NJ
:, tice that he would call it up on Thursday c
r next week to submit some remarks ther,
a upon. The motion of Mr.. Matthews
s take up the Texas Pacific Railroad Bill wa
r rejected-19 yeas, % navs-on the groun
: that it would lead to a long discussion
I'm the House, Mr.. Schleicher offered
l. resolution calling on the President for
l. copy of the dispatches of October 9, 1877!
o addressed to the Secretary of State by th
It United States Minister in Mexico, t,
$ gether with copies of the accompanyin
communications on the subject
Is the commercial relations between til
United States and that country. Adopted
& Mr.. Atkins introduced bill correcting til
E. error in the enrolment of the Civil Snndr
'f Appropriation Bill, in relation to the III,
Springs Reservation, and asked for its in
g mediate passage. On motion of Mr.. Hewitt
IT of New York, a provision was added direc
d ing the Superintendent of the Hot Sprinj
Re Reservation to provide and maintai
of sufficient number of free baths for the III
n of indigents. The bill then passed. M
t. Kelley offered a resolution calling on Il
n Secretary of the Treasury for informant,
to as to the deposit of government money
er any National, State or private bank on Il
he 30th of September and November l, 1S7
other than the deposits made by disbul