Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-02-20
CONGRESSIONAL.


FRIDAY, Feb. S.-Sendte.-In the
senate during the morning hour
Mr. Saunders called up til, joint
resolution, providing for the appoint
ment of Is additional commissioners to
the Paris exposition. 1t was discussed
until the expiration of the morning
hour, and then referred to the commit
tee on appointments, together with the
amendment appropriating $4,000 to
pay the salaries Of the additional COM
missioners. Consideration was then
resumed of unfinished business, being
the silver bill. The discussion con-
tinued during the session and the senate
adjourned until Monday without COM
ing to vote.
FRIDAY, Feb. S.--Hou@.--In the
house bill was introduced to aid the
construction ofthe Texas Pacific railway.
The first bill taken mp was one appro-
priating SIS, 43O to Day w. II. Newman
and l.. A. Van Holman, of New York,
in full compensation for the use Of the
Pioneer mills in Alexandria by the
United States authorities during the
late war. The bill was advocated by
Messrs. Hunton, Finley, Robinson, of
Indiana, and Wilson; opposed by Messrs.
Jones, of Ohio, and Conger, of Michigan.
The discussion closed with an argument
by Mr.. Tucker, in favor Of the bill.
The committee then rose and re-
ported the bill to the house, with the
recommendation that it be passed.
The bill was then rejected; yeas
81, nays 100. The affirmative votes
came principally from the democratic
side, and the negatives from the repub-
lican side, but there were exceptions to
the rule on both sides. Before the an
nouncement of the vote, the question
arose as to the right of member who
was absent during the roll call to vote,
Mr.. Mills taking the ground that a
member could not be deprived of his
constitutional right by any rule of the
house. The speaker decided with some
warmth that the question had been
agitated for years, and had been
uniformly decided against that position;
that this was not in conformation OF
any constitutional right because it was
the duty Of members to be present and
to attend to their public duties. The
vote having been announced the mo-
ton to reconsider and to lay on the
table was made but pending the motion
the house adjourned.
MONDAY, Feb. 1l.-Senatc.-In the
senate Mr.. Matthews presented a
petition of the national and state
banks composing the Cincinnati
clearing house association, urging the
repeal of that portion of the national
bank act which imposes a tax of one
half to one per cent. upon deposits. Re
ferred. A large number of petitions
from all parts of the country favorlng
an amendment to the constitution pro-
hibting the states from DISTINGUISHING
persons on account of sex, were pre-
scented and referred. Bills were introduce
ed and referred: to authorize the secre-
tary of war to issue ordnance stores and
equipages for the use of students in
colleges and other institutions Of learn
ing where military instruction is given;
to provide for water route to facil-
itate transportation between Lakes
Michigan and Erie Referred; appropri-
atlngSl20O to engrave the plates for por-
traits to accompany memorial addresses
upon the late Senators Morton and
Bogy. Passed.
At the conclusion of the morning
business the senate resumed considera-
ton of the silver bill. The senate adj
burned without reaching a vote.
MONDAY, Feb. l1.-House--The
following bills were introduced and
referred: declaring forfeited all
grants on public lands to railroads or
other corporations when the conditions
of the grants have been violated, and
appropriating said lands to the use of
actual settlers; making custom
duties to the amount of part thereof
payable in legal tender notes; giving the
thanks of congress to Col. Miles, for
his gallant campaign against the Indians
of the northwest; to distribute TO the
several states the proceeds of the cap
tured and abandoned property remain
ing in the treasury; for the sale OF
all the government property at Har-
per's Ferry.
The house then went into committee
ofthe whole. Mr.. Blackburn in the chair
upon the military academy appropria-
ton bill, the pending amendment be-
ing to strike out the sections which al
low additional pay 10 first lieutenants
acting as instructors at the institution