American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-03-23
FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS,

In the Senate, on the 11th, a large number
OF petitions were presented demonstrating
! against the tax on incomes. The resolution
| requesting the President to furnish the Sen.
ate with copies of certain correspondence be
tween the British and American Govern
! ments IN relation to the appointment OF
/ a third Commissioner under the twenty
third article of the Treaty of Washington
! was agreed to. The Alcoholic Traffic bill
/ passed by vote of % to lg..... In the House
! 4 great number of bills were introduced and
i'3Ii referred. The Diplomatic Appropriation
Dlu was discussed at length in Committee OF
the Nhole, and an evening session held fOI
| debate only No bills of Importance were
! disposed of.
In the Senate, on the 18th, the bill in aid
OF the Polar expedition designed by James
Gordon Bennett passed unanimously with
out debate. The House bill for the relief of
! VIM A Hammond, late Surgeon General
was taken up and passed with but one dis
senting vote, Senator Plunob,s senator 'TpI-
Ter presented petition of Robert G. Inger-
sou, OF Illinois, and others, in which they say
~ dlat certain M acts OF Congress now in force,
pressing obscene literature, art. in the opin
ION OF the petitioners plain violations of
tne letter and spirit of the fundamental prin-
p5 clplSs OF our government, and are now being
used for the purpose of moral and religions
prosecutions, and praying that such stat
ltes may be repealed. The petition was re-
terred to the Committee on Revision of
Laws On motion of Senator Thurman the
i pm repoIted by the Committee on Judiciary
In regard to the Pacific Railroad sinking fund
was taken up, and speeches in favor of the
pm We're made by senators Thurman and
Davis of Illinois. THE House spent the
larger portion of the day in considering the,
Diplomatic Approximation bill in Cyommittee
OF the Whole. In the course of the debate
Mr.. Cox severely criticised a former speech
OF Mr.. Hewitt, and charged upon the latter
tnat ne " was in great part responsible for
the Electoral Commission, and he Hewitt
naturally desired to have the result certified
as good. The result, however, was bad-no
washing would rinse ont the damned spot"
In the Senate, on the 18th, the Fortifica-
ton Appropriation bill was reported from
committee and placed on the calendar SEN
ator Kellogg introduced a bill to aid the New
Orleans and Pacific Railroad Company; also,
TO To-, establish a mint at New Orleans.
from the Committee Claims, re
ported bill for the relief of book agents
oI the NJ; E. Church South. Placed
the calendar. 1t appropriates $15O,OOO to com
pensate parties for damage done to their
property at Nashville during the war. Sen
ator Teller, member of the committee, sub
united a minority report, signed by himself,
the passage of the bill Senator Matfhews
called up the motion submitted by him yes
terday to refer the communication of the
ber depredations to the Committee on
Public Lands, and have it printed in
the record Senator Matthews said he asked
to have the document printed in the record
as matter of justice, as the department
yesterday in the Senate. Senator Blaine, who
had heretofore opposed the printing of the
report, again spoke at length upon the sub /
OF one dollar per acre eXacted
from the people of Montana was excessive.
Senator Sargent also opposed the motion to
print, and the subject was LAID aside without
action. The West Point Appropriation bill
was then taken up and passed. Senator Pad
dock called up the Senate bill supplementary
to an act in relation to the Hot Springs
reservation in the State of Arkansas. 1t
continues the commission appointed by
that act to hear cases of claimants etc. |
until the 1st of October, 1878, and pro-.
vides that they shall each receive a compen-
sation at the rate of s., 900, per annum. SEN
ator Dorsey moved to amend the bill so to
G9ntinue on m t9e commission until February l,
ISI9, instead OF October l, 1873. Agreed to.
He also submitted an additional section au-
{ thorizing g the superintendent of the reserva-
baths, etc, to the Hot Springs Noun
tain Water Company, giving to said company
the right to construct a reservoir on the Hot
Springs Mountain to supply the reservation |
with water etc. Agreed to. The bill was
then read third time and passed. -. In the |
House, the Diplomatic Appropriation bill was !
perfected and passed.
In the Senate, on the 14th, number of
pension bills passed. among them one grant |
ing $50 month to the widow of Rear Admiral
Charles Wilkes. Senator Voorhees, intro
duced a bill providing for the payment |
Of all customs duties and all other |
debts due the United States in legal tender |
notes at par, except in cases where it is other
obligation or contract r. ferred. Senator |
Teller introduced bill to re ,rlate the pas
Pacific Railroad and Kansas Pacific Railway. |
Consideration was then re |
sumed of unfinished business, being the |
sinking fund, and Mr.. Matthews spoke |
m favor of the bill reported by the Committee |
On Railroads, and gave notice that he would |
hereafter submit it as substitute for that |
reported by the Judiciary Committee. Pend
ng discussion, Mr. Gordon by request intro |
luced a bill to authorize the construction of |
narrow gauge railroad from Bismarck to
The HOOr to speak Monday the sinking /
5und bill. Adjourned. till Monday.
In the House, Mr.. Hardenbergh introduced a |
Dill regulating the reserve fund of national |
banks. The bill authorizes such banks to I
dispose of their reserve fund and invest the |
bonds shall constitute the reserve fund.
4 bill was passed limiting to one the number /
n sPeclat a6Iorneys apP3lnt@ed TED to assist oe1
The House went into Committee of the Whole |
1n the bill extending the time for withdraw
ng distilled liquors from bond. After con- |
siderable discussion the bill was reported to |
5he House and passed-yeas lis, nays 116.
The Senate was not in session on the 18th.
..-...In the House, Mr.. Robbins, from the |
substitute for the bill to promote the deposit |
If savings in the Treasury and the refunding |
IF the National debt, which was referred to |
of the Whole The hin nrovides
hat, for the purposes of refunding the out |
standing per cent bonds into bonds bearing |
l lower rate of interest, any person may de- |
DOsit at any postal money order Office lawful |
money of the United States, in sums not less |
or postal money orders on the Treasury, |
md that where such money orders shall be |
presented to the Treasury at Washington they |
shall be entered to the credit of the deposit |
or, and when such deposits amount to $50 |
hey shall, at the option OF the depositor, |
De convertible into four per cent. bonds |
The contested election case of Dean vs. Field |
rom the Third District of Massachusetts, |
was then considered. After some discussion |
5he Speaker said: "The Chair believes it his |
1uty, though it is very painful one, to lay a
before the House, |
He then handed to the Clerk and had |
read a telegram from the Secretary of State |
the death in Havana of yellow |
lever, of Hon. j. E. Leonard, of louisiana |
Mr.. Ellis, Jldge Leonard's colleague, made |
some fitting remarks, at the close of which |
5he House adjourned out of respect to the
of deceased.
The Senate was not in session on the 10th.
lin the House the bill authorizing the
payment of certain Southern ante bellum
mail contractors was considered at length in
Committee on the Whole. At the conclusion
Of the debate a motion was made to strike
out the enacting clause of the bill, which was
agreed to-. The House subsequently con-
CURED without division, so the bill was de-
feated.
TOrturing Apprentices.