The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-05-01
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
In the Senate, April q, consideration
was resumed of the Army Appropriation
Bill. Bayard defeuded the incorporation
of general legislation in appropriation bills,
there being nothing unusual in it. Hence,
the cry of revolution was rnsubstantial and
foolish, and people would condemn it,.
In the House, a bill for the distribution
of the unexpected balance of the Geneva
award, was introduced by Mr.. Freye, and
three financial bills by Mr.. Murch. Several
bills relative to Pacific Railroads were re-
ferred. Among the bills introduced were
two by Fernando Wood, one establishing |
permanent sinking fund, and the other pro- |
yidinp for the appointment of joint |
commission to revise the Revenue Laws. |
The House. by unanimous consent, agreed |
to extend the time for introduction OF bills |
and Joint resolutions beyond the morning |
hour, until the States and Territories are
called. Bills are coming in by the score,
and the call of States bids fair to consume
days of the session. Many hundred bills
we're introduced during the day. A vast
number of petitions were d ed including
one by Warner praying for an amendment
in coinage laws SO as to admit silver to un-
limited coinage on the same condition with
gold and, to provide for the issue OF certln
Gates for bullion.
In the Senate, April %, Mr.. Pendleton
gave notice that on Thursday, after the dis
position of the Army Bill, he would call
up his bill, providing for giving heads OF
departments, seats on the floor OF the Senate
| and House. Consideration was then resumed
of the Army Bill. The feature of the debate
strong grounds In favor of the bill; depre-
Gated sectional discussion at this
time, and maintained the absolute
right of Congress to place riders
on appropriation bills. Such action was
not revolutionary, and no curtailment OF
the powers of the President was involved
..........In the House, the morning hour
was spent in discussing Stephens's Coin
age Bill, which finally passed. The
bill provides, in brief, that silver subsidiary
coin shall be interchangeable with lawful
money in sums of $40, and multiples
thereof, and shall be legal tender for all
debts, public and private, to the same
provides that all coins under quarter
dollar shall be receivable for postage
stamps to the extent of three dollars. The
House went into Comm ttee of the Whole
on the Legislative Appropriation Bill, and
was addressed by Bailey, of New York, and
Geddes, of Ohio.
In the Senate, April %, the morning
hour was principally occupied with reso-
luton relative to- removals and appoint
ments to office without the Intervention OF
the presiding officer. Several amendments
were agreed to, but before final action the
then resumed of the Army Bill,
and Mr.. Williams, of Kentucky, took the
floor. Mr.. Williams was followed oy Mr..
Blaine, reviewing the recent elections In
Louisiana and South Carolina. An excit-
ing scene ensued, in which many Senators
participated......I In the House, resolution
was adopted appropriating $4,000 to meet
the expenses of the Labor Committee, and
granting the committee leave to sit during
recess. On motion or Mr.. F. Woods, a
resolution was adopted requesting the
President to consider the expediency of en-
tering into convention with France fer the
negotiation of treaty, which shall secure a
more equal interchange of products and
{ manufactures of each country. The House
soon afterward went into Committee of the
Whole on the Legislative Bill. Ex Secretary
Robeson obtained the floor, and prefaced
his remarks with statement that aremark
made on the Republican side during the
discussion of the Army Bill, that Republi-
cans would vote for the repeal of the law
authorizing the use of troops at the polls,
if presented as a different proposition,
had been misunderstood TO mean that
they would vote for this amendment.
t They would do nothing of he kind, but
would vote to repeal the entire section
restricting the power of civil officers of the
Government to preserve peace at the
polls, which was an entirely different
e and decidedly opposite proposition. The
/ amendment took all powers from the civil
). officers. The section Republicans were
willing to repeal restricted those powers,
: and believing there should be no restric
: ton, he for one would vote to repeal the
entire section. Mr.. Robson then went
g. into a constitutional argument on the Leg
islative Bill.
! In the House, April "a, Mr.. Dawes rre
: scented the petition of Mrs. Caroline Webster
widow of Colonel Fletcher Webster, askin,
an increase of her pension from thirty dol
c lars to fifty dollars month. The lady wa
a the only surviving representative of DAME
q Webster's family, and had been made poo
by the destruction of her Marsh6eld prop
l. erty. Referred to the Committee on Pen
Is sions. The Army Appropriation Bill wa
r speech, the floor and galleries bein
o crowded. When Mr.. Conkling finished hi
2 speech, a vote was taken on Mr.. Blaine
IL amendment offered few days ago, in re
g gard to carrying arms to the polls, and
10 was rejected-yeas, %; nays, IS. A
IF about the same tenor, was also rejected
- 49,. In the House, the discussion of the LIE,
p islative Appropriation Bill WAS continued
H In the Senate, April 25, consideration wa
resumed of the resolution relating to az
pointments by the Secretary and Sergean
e alarms. Amendments declaring that n
s, Union soldiers shall be removed except fo
N cause, and no Confederate soldier sha
IN take the place of any dismissed Unio
rs soldier. were defeated by a strict party vot
. 26 to "a. The resolution was then agree
Is to. Mr.. Eaton denied that the Committe
Us on Foreign Relations was investigating II
ne amount Of public money spentin furtherin
an the voyage of General Grant abroad, an
n consideration of the Army Bill was then r
sumed Several amendments offered hy IL
u Republican Senators were voted down, an
ar the bill finally passed by a vote of 4
lie to 30........ In the House, in Committee
er the Whole, Thursdays session was col
60 tinued, considering the Legislative Apr
10 priation Bill.
On April 26, the political debate in tn
r. House on the Legislative Bill, came to Q
n end in the afternoon, and the bill vi
nd passed exactly as it came out of the Demt
cratic caucus. The closing hours of Il
debate dev eloped nothing new vf argumel
and very little of dramatic interest. tt
first test came on motion of Garfield
strike out all political amendments. II
Greenbackers voted with the Republican
RS but the Democrats still had six m a jorit
of and refused to strike the amendment OF
pc On the fin al que estion of passing the bi
Al. with the am endments, all the Greenbac
=. ers, except Barlow, of Vermont, voted wi
az the Democrats, and the bill was passed
ne 140 to 119.
Is;
60 The Russan newspapers complain tn
NJ