Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-05-16
Congressional Summary.

NA~NNt~S~OAA
ing hour expired and the bill was laiC
aside. The senate then took up the
pension bill, the pending question being
on inserting as substitute
for the I'd section the amendment
adopted yesterday providing that Oh
the first day of January, 1879, the term
of office of all pension agents shall ex
pire and thereafter honorably discharg-
ed wounded or disabled soldiers, OF
widows or daughters Of such soldiers
shall be appointed to said office, Mr.
Edmunds said he was opposed to this
whole thing. After debate, the
senate, by a vote of yeas Is, nays SO,
refused to insert the amendment
above mentioned, as substitute
for the second section of the bill.
Mr.. Edmunds moved to strike out
the second section of the bill which, as
agreed on, reads, that from and after
the passage of this act IN case of va
cancy from any cause, the office of pen
sion agent shall be filled by wounded or
disabled union soldiers, or widows or
daughters of union soldiers. In support
of his motion Edmunds said the true
policy was to leave these appointments
with the president and his constitution
al advisers. The motion of Mr..
Edmunds to strike out the 2nd
section of the bill was reject
ed; yeas 80, nays 80. The bill was
then reported to the senate. The
made in committee of the
whole was concurred in and it was read
a third time and passed. Mr.. Allison
called up the Indian appropriation bill
and in explanation thereof said the
on appropriations had
made very few amendments to
the bill as it came from the house.
The amendments we're unimportant.
He moved the five minute rule be APP
piled to discussion of the amend
ments. Agreed to. A large
number Of amendments re-
ported by the committee on appropria-
tons increasing the appropriation for
some agencies few hundred dollars
and decreasing few hundred dollars III
other cases were agreed to; also ali
authorizing the commit
Zee on Indian affairs to employ two
special Indian agents at large at Il COM
pensatiOn not exceeding $4,000 each
per annum. The senate adjourned
without reaching Il vote on the passage
Of the bill.
TUESDAY, May 7.-Houye.-Immedi-
ately after reading the journal the
house resumed consideration of the
District of Columbia government bill.
The bill after further amendment passed.
The house decided 10y 40 yus's, ~
los nays, to 60 into committee OF the
whole on the tariff bill. This result
VAS obtained by four democrats chang
ng from nay to yea. They were Bouck,
Regain, Patterson and Coe. AS soon as
he result of the vote was announced
1 motion to adjourn was made by
Conger, and was defeated, yeas SO,
nays 17S. The house then went into
of the whole, Saylor in the
chair, on the tariff bill, and Banks
spoke iii opposition to the bill. 1t IS
believed that the discussion of the bill
will occupy number of days.
WEDNESDAY, May 8.-Senote.-Sen-
:ttor Davis. of Illinois, stated that as
soon as the Indian appropriation bill
should be disposed of he would ask the
senate to consider the bill reported
from the Judiciary committee providing
for distribution of awards made under
the convention between the United
States and Mexico. The senate then
resumed consideration Of the Indian ap-
preparation bill, the pending 2uesti on
being on the amendment OF Mr. Teller
to remove the Nez Perces Indians Of
the St. Joseph's band now held as prls-
oners of war at Ft Leavenworth, Kan
sas, to Idaho Territory instead of lndl-
an Territory as the house bill provided.
After long debate the Teller amend
ment was rejected. After further de-
bate the senate went into executive ses-
ion and soon afterward adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, May s.-House.-The
speaker announced the committee
on census as follows: Messrs. Cox,
IN. ", Eager, Hogan, Smith, (Ga. J.,
Carlisle, Hatcher, Ballou, Jorgenson,
Ryan. and Williams, (Oregon.l
The committee on elections reported
on the contested election cases from the
I'd district Of South Carolina, 9th dis
trict of Mississippi and Oregon, declar-
ing the sitting members, Cain, Cham
bers and Williams entitled to their
seats. The report was adopted.
Consideration of the bill to regulate
interstate commerce and prevent dis
elimination by common carriers, was
resumed. Pending action, the
morning hour expired. Mr..
Wood moved to go into COM
mittee of the whole on the tariff bill.
The house then went into committee
of the whole, Mr.. Saylor in the chair,
on the tariff bill. Mr.. Tucker, member
of the ways and means committee, took
the floor and spoke in support of the
bill. After several long speeches the
committee rose without action on the
bill, and the house adjourned.
THURSDAY, May 9.-Sendte. The SEN
ate held a long secret session in the
morning to consider Mexican awards.
When the doors were reopened a bill
was introduced to regulate railway mail
service. The senate then resumed con-
sideration of the Indian appropriation
bill which finally passed. The bank
rupt act was then taken up, but the SEN
ate adjourned before reaching vote on
the bill.
THURSDAY, May 9.-Hoetse.-The
joint resolution reported from
the committee on education and labor
for the enforcement of the S hour Law
in all departments of the government
gave rise to a lively discussion IN the
course of which Mr.. Banks denounced
the disregard of the law by the govern
ment as scandalous and Infamous, and
Mr.. Butler, of Massachusetts, advocat
ed penalty for its disregard and said
there was more powder and ball want
ed in the administration of the laws
The joint resolution passed. Mr.
Reagan endeayorcd to have hi:
bill to regulate Interstate transportation