The Newtown bee., 1879-02-11

to fill the unexpifed term of the late o. P. Morton and also as Senator for the term of six years. beginning March f. 1879 .. Mir. Harris reported 8 bill for tho prevention of epidemic committed. IA bill was introducedto to transfer the Indian ofilce to the war department. A long petition was preseiited. signed by fifty seven colored men in Louisiana reclting al- legged outrages perpetrated upon them prior to the last election, and invoking the aid of Con- gross to protect them in their legal rights, It was referred to Mir. Teller's Investigating com mittee. Adjourned after an executive session Senator Hamlin said he was inadvertently | absent from the Senate when the vote on the confirmation of Naval Officer Burt. of New York, was taken, and he asked that his vote be recorded against confirmation. His request was granted .. MT Maxey reported amend ment to the postoffice appropriation bill, pro- viding subsidies for two lines of steamships to run to Brazil, and it was referred to the appro- priation committee ... Mir. Cameron, of Wis consin, from the majority of the committee on | privileges and elections, submitted report signed py the Republican members of the com | mittee, in favor of seating Mr. Corbin as Sem | ator from South Carolina, and Mir. Hill of | Georgia, from the minority of the committee, submitted minority report, signed by the Democratic members of the committee, in favor of M. O. Butler, who now holds the seat. . MT. Matthews, from the foreign relations committee, reported resolution providing for select committee to inquire into the pending Claims or the CltlH6nb OI the OllL6Q States against the government of Nicaragua. The Senate then resumed consideration of Mir. Ed munds resolution affirming the validity of the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth constitu- l tional amendments, and was addressed by Mir. I Bayard in opposition to their adoption, and by Mir. Edmunds on the right and duty of the Senate to enact such legislation as the resolu- tion proposed. Adjourned after an executive l session.
 The debate on the Edmunds resolutions l aSrroirU a validity fha last thrAa nonafi- l tutional amendments was resumed, and Mir. Whyte, of Maryland, argued against their adoption and against the right of Congress to control elections. A long debate ensued. Sev- eral amendments were offered and rejected, and then vote was taken on MT. Morgan's substitute, and it was rejected by thirteen to twenty-six. Mir. Edmunds' resolutions were then adopted by twenty-three to seventeen and the Senate, at Il o'clock P. oI., adjourned | House.
 | Mir. Ellis, of Louisiana, introduced bill te secure from loss, depositors in the Freedman's l Savings ani Trust company. A bill was in trodIced by Mir. Peddie for the construction oi a ship-canal to connect the waters of New Yorb bay with the waters of Newark bay. Adjourned
 MT. Saunders announced that the joint com mittee on the proposed transfer of the IndiaI bureau to the war department had been unable to agree on 8 report, being equally divided He submitted report of four of the members together with bill authorizing the President temporarily to transfer the management o certain Indian tribes from the interior to the war department. !. Mir. Booth, of Calfornia
 presented petition asking for the .yment o
 war premiums cat of the Geneva award :. 4 message and bundle of documents in relation to the New York custom house nominations
 were received from the President, when tht Senate went into executive session, after whicf
 it adjourned.
 MT. Chalmers of Mississippi, in answer tt
 Mir. Bragg, protested that there was no motiv
 of sectional advantage underlying the presenta
 ton of Southern war claims. Mir. Hooker, O
 the same State, concurred in these views.
 MT. Hewitt of New York, spoke for the arm,
 reorganization bill defended the posse conetta
 tas clause, and gave notice of his intention t
 move the repeal of the clause authorizing tn
 use of the army to preserve the peace at th
 polls. Adjourned.
 Resolutions to suspend the rules and pas
 bills making gold and silver interchangeable and providing for an issue of $40, 1000 GOO wort
 of four per cent. bonds, with the proceeds o
 which to meet the arrears of pensions, were re , iected respectively by 10I to 136 and 40 to 81
 not two o-thirds in the affirmative. Bills wer introduced: By Mr. Cutler, appropriatin $100, 1000, 900 to pay the arrearages of pensions ! by Mir. White, appropriating $20. 000, 900 fo . tho same purpose, and by MT. Fort to establis
 a national board of agriculture referred , Memorial services were held in honor of tn
 late Representative Quinn. Adjourned. '.
 Mir. Luttrell. of California, introduced bi amending the bill granting arrears of pensions
 There was an animated debate oa the arm
 appropriation biu and amendments reducin
 the army to 15, 900 men, to IT GOO and to 20 0O ] were rejected the last by 66 to 1f8 At th evening session tho bill for the appointment 8 commission on Mississippi river improv, committee of the whole that it should be r, l fNoftad t0 tha HOHaA Adi0urpa6