Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-21
THE WORK OF CONGRESS.
Summary OF the Provisions OF the Prin-
cipal Acts or the Session now
CIosing-A New Tariff Act is
ConspicuOusly Absent.
Special to the New York World


tant or wise action as might have u, l. ..
sired, makes of interest review of Its work
or rather of the most important of It's work
At the extra session, called October Is, 1877
but one or two bills of any consequence wert
| passed, the principal one being T. Dc" g
appropriations for the support e.
| for the year ending June 50 L
| failed in the forty-fourth congre> Al
of the senate refusal to accept the acoiIor
| prohibiting the lse of the army in the south
ern States. The BILL which was ultimately ap
proved November 81, 1877, omitted that sec
ton, but included a provision that cavalry
regiments might be recruited to 100 men Ii
each company, and that a sufficient force
should be employed for the defense of the
Texan frontier, provided that the army's
strength should not exceed rs, 900 men. The
army appropriation bill for 1878 g leaves the
strength unchanged, but reduces the allow
ance for quarters and abolishes all extra allow
ance3, as those for fuel and feed. There are
to be no promotions on the staff, nor on the
line above the grade of captain. The force
on the Texan border remains, and the posse
cOnaitat,ts section Is added, declaring that il
shall not be lawful to employ the army as a
posse for the purpose of executing the laws,
except where such employment may be ex-
pressly authorized by the constitution or act
of congress; the money appropriated shall
not be used to pay the expenses of troops so
act shall be punished by fine not exceedins
$4,000, or imprisonment for not more than
two years, or both. The position which the
Democrats occupied during the last congress is
thus approved For the navy for the year
ending June 30, 1878. deficiency appropri-
alton act provides 81 ,446, 688 16 Tor pay,
1911, 953 So for Seigman Brothers, etc.
That of May 4, 1878, for the incoming fiscal
year, appropriates for pay (active list 49,
822,875; retired list. S640, 400; construction
and repairs, 81 SOC, 900; steam engineering,
100000; naval academy, $50, $50; marine
corps, 600; civil establishment, $780,
900. After July LIST there will be no appoinl-
ments of clerks or secretaries from civil life;
those on a cruise are to continue until the
cruise is ended.
On the financial question the first act was
that passed over the Presidents veto Febru-
airy %, 1873, making the silver dollar of
41219 grains legal tender, except where ex-
pressly stipulated by contract. To the Inter-
national monetary conference to establish a
bi-metallic standard, a commission composed
of Messrs. w. S. Groesbeck, F. A. Walker
and Reuben E. Fenton has been appointed
The act further provided for the use of silver
certificates based on deposits of silver CON-
The act of May 31st prohibited the cancella-
tend endersgd Ant after that date Of legal
redeemed or received into the fresasa Of notes
law. An act approved May I'd prohibited the
further coinage of the 20-cent silver piece.
The Pacific railroad legislation comprises
the act approved May 9TH, providing for the
LIQUIDATION of the Central and Union Pacific
and Western Pacific to the government.
February LIST, annually, there shall be carried
to the credit of the sinking fund for this pur-
nose one-half of the compensation for SER
vices rendered to the government by the Cen
trail Pacific, not applied In liquidation OF In
terest, the company adding 81, 2OO, 900, or so
Il Al IN q q nm
the five per cent. of its net earnings payable
to the United States under the act of 1872,
and the whole sum earned by 1t as compen-
sation for services rendered to the United
States, together with the sum by this act re-
ouired to be paid, amount to twenty-five per
cent. of the whole net earnings TOR the year
ending on the thirty-frst of December next
preceding. The Union Pacific Is to pay IN
one-half of the compensation for services to
the government, and $3.50, 900 or SO much OF
it as is necessary to make up the five per cent
of the net earnings. Penalties are provided,
and the reservation of congress to repeal the
| act is made.
The Indians are by the army appropriation
bill left under the charge of the department
of the interior, The act OF May 18th appro'
pirates for the bureau tor the next fiscal yeal
! about SIS, 100000 The Sioux for their sup
| port and civilizatio receive 81, l2l 900. Of
| which not exceeding $4,000 will be used to
remove the bauds Of Red Cloud and Spotted
| Tail to convenient points within the Slou,
! reservation and for their settlement thele con
| An act approved May Sd provides for the con
solidation of the Colorado Utes IN one agency
on the White river, and the extinguishmen
{ of their right to the southern portion OF then
reservation In that State.
| The bankrupt law is repealed by the act o
| June 9TH, the repeal taking effect Septembe
| LIST, cases instituted and pending IN any cour
prior to which date not being affected. Ii
| respect of all pains, penalties and forfeiture
| incurred under existing acts before Septem
Der 1st, or thereafter, under any provisions o
acts kept in force, etc., the acts repealed con
tinue in full force and effect till the cases ar
fully disposed of.
OF acts affecting navigation, one approves
| April 29th provides that when vessel leave
| an infected port for the United States, som
representative officer of the United States a
that port shall Immediately give notice to tn
marine hospital service, which shall max
quarantine rules, not In conflict with State G
municipal regulations, to prevent the intro
duction OF any contagion. Local officials ca
be clothed with the powers of United State
officers on application of State or munlclps
authorities.
In the diplomatic and consular service fe'
changes were made by the act of June 4tf
The mission to Greece was accidentally omit
|
with a minister resident at $500. All COZ
sular officers are required to furnish to til
secretary of the treasury as often as may
REQUIRED prices current of articles usually el
ported to the United States from the places
which they are stationed.
Of acts concerning the District OF Colun
bia, that of April 18th forbids the sale he
of policy or lottery tickets under penalty
fine or imprisonment; another provides TIL
| deeds, mortgages and other lnstrumen
which by law are entitled to be recorded
the office of recorder of deeds shall only tai
effect from the time they are delivered to hi
, for record; and another approprlates SOW
for the relief of the District schools durlr
the present fiscal year.
In the pos al service the act or May III
regulates the advertising of mail letting
, | Before making contracts for inland mf
: | TRANSPORTATION other than by railroad
! steamer, the postmaster general is 10 awe
| tise for proposals once week Tor SIX wee
in not more than ten State or Territorl
| newspapers. Contracts are not to take pla
: in less than sixty days after the first public
d ton; sub-letting or transferring contracts is
/, allowed without the postmaster general 8 co
e sent, and in lawful cases of this sort the depa
ment shall retain enough to pay the su
= contractor, unless there Is satisfactory eN
S dence that he has been paid. The .postma
n ter-general may, where 1T Is desirable, ma
l. | contracts for not more than TOUR years uaI
h port by water of mails between Americ
ports, but no contracts for new water-roI
mail service shall be for longer time thai
l. year, or than two years, when they are
X foreign ports, unless otherwise ordered
r. congress. E.
s. As to the public lands, one act provic
i that notices of contest under homestead, +
IN culture or presumption laws shall be pI
lished in a newspaper IN the county VIII
the land in contest is situated. Another p
vides that where person has made set
lis ment under the presumption law and sub
3 auently changed his fling to that
k a homestead entry upon the sa
h, tract, he shall be entitled to b
n the time to perfect his title un
ha the homestead law computed from the d
nd of his original settlement under the prefer
.lv ton laws, subject to all the provisions of
law relating to homesteads. The act of j.
LIST allows homestead settlers on public La
Ill whose crops were injured by grasshopper
return within three months to the abandon
NJ lands without their original right being
err fected. The act of June I'd authorizes {