The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-07-04
THE WORK OF CONGRESS-.
Summary OK the Provisions Of the Princi-
pal Acts Of the Session now Closed.
WASHINGTON, June II


The adjournment of Congress to-mor.
row after a session of very exciting de-
bate, if not of so important or wise &C.
ton as might have been desired, makes
ofinterest q review of its work, or rather
of the most important of its work. AT
the extra session, called October Is, 1877,
but one or two bills of any consequence
were passed, the principal one being that
making appropriations for the support of
the army for the year ending June 80,
1873, which failed in the Forty-fourth
Congress on account of the Senate's re-
fusal to accept the section prohibiting
the use of the army in the Southern
States. The bill, which was ultimately
approved November 81, 1877, omitted
that section, but included a provision
that cavalry regiments might be recruit
ed to 100 men in each company, and that
q sufficient force should be employed for
the defense of the Texan frontier, pro-
vided that the army's strength should
not exceed $4,000 men. The Army Ap-
preparation bill for 1889 leaves the
strength unchanged, but reduces the al
lowance for quarters and abolishes all
extra allowances, as those for fuel and
forage. There are TO be no promotions
during the year on the staff, nor on the
line above the grade of captain. The
force on the Texan border remains, and
the posse comitatus section is added de-
claring that it shall not be lawful to en-;
ploy the army as q posse for the purpose
of executing the laws, except where such
employment may be expressly author
lied by the Constitution or act of Con-
gress; the money appropriated shall not
Be used to pay the expenses of troops SO
employed, and persons wilfully violating
the act shall be punished by fine not
exceeding $4,000, or imprisonment for
not more than two years, or both. The
position which the Democrats occupied
during the last Congress is thus ap-
proved. For the navy for the year end
ing June 80, 1873, a Deficiency Appro-
priation act provides 81, ,446, ,688.15 for
pay; $S11 ,953.53 for Seligman Brothers,.
&c. That of May 4, 1878, for the incom-i
ing fiscal year, appropriates for pay (ac-
tive list) $3,822,875; retired list, $780,
400; construction and repairs, 81, ,500,-
600; steam engineering, $500, 900; Ma
val Academy, S52,5S0; Marine Corps
S614,00O; civil establishment, $3.50, ,000.i
After July l there will be no appoint
ments of clerks or secretaries from civil
life; those on a cruise are to continue
till the cruise is ended.
On the financial question the first act
was that passed over the Presidents veto
February %, 1878, making the silver dol
Lar of 412a grains legal tender, except
where expressly stipulated by contract.
To the International Monetary Confer
ence to establish bi-metallic standard,
commission composed of Messrs. W. s..
Groesbeck, F. A. Walker and Reuben E.
Fenton, has been appointed. The act
further provided for the issue of silver
certificates based on deposits of silver
coin. The act of May 81 prohibited the
cancellation and retirement after that
date of legal tenders, and provided for
the reissue of notes redeemed or received
into the Treasury under law. = An act
approved May 2 prohibited the further
coinage of the 20-cent silver piece.
The Pacific Railroad legislation COM
prises the act approved May Z, providing
for the liquidation of the Central and
Union Pacific and Western Pacific to the
Government. February annually there
shall be carried to the credit of the Sink.
ing Fund for this purpose one-half of the
compensation for services rendered to the
Government by the Central Pacific, not
applied in liquidation of interest, the
&C lpany adding 81, 100000, or so much
of the sum as is necessary to make up the
5 per cent. of its net earnings payable to
the United States under the act of 1862,
and the whole sum earned by it as com.
pensation. for services rendered to the
United States, together with the sum by
this act required to be paid, amount to
Is per cent. of the whole net earnings for
the year ending on the 31st 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 per cent. of the net earnings.
Penalties are provided and the reserva-
ton of Congress to repeat the act. is
vnoda