Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-02-06
UoNaREssIoNALP PROCEEDINGS
Senate.

CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
Senate.
MONDAY, January 27.-The creden-
tials of Senator Shields, of Missouri, we're
ana the general took the oath
of ofice......A large number of bills were
including one to organize and dis
cipline the militia of the United States...
Bills passed: To abolish the volunteer navy
of the United States; appropriating $40, 900
for the purchase OF a site and erection there
on of the military post of Ell Paso, Texas.
......After disposing of the morning bust
ness, passing several bills on the calendar,
the bill to pay Warren Mitchell for cotton
taken during the war was taken up, and
long discussion followed latter an execu-
tive session the senate adjourned.
TUESDAY, January 28.-A resolution
was submitted and agreed to, instructing
the committee on railroads to inquire into
the expediency of authorizing railroad com.
panies operating interstate railroads to con-
struct and operate lines Of telegraph for
commercial purposes and to connect with
other lines that competition in telegraphic
communication may be encouraged......A
favorable report was received on the bill to
extend the time of pre.emptors on public
lands, and it was placed on the calendar.....
The senate resumed the consideration of un.
finished business, being the bill to pay War
rem Mitchell for cotton belonging to him,
taken by the government. 1t was discussed
at length and the senate refused to order it's
third reading-yeas II, nays 30.....Adjourn-
ed.
WEDNESDAY, January 28.-Bills
passed: Granting pension of $50 month
to the widow of the late senior rear admiral
Hiram Paulding; increasing DR.. Mary
Walkers pension to $40 month granting
a pension OF $50 month to the widow of
Gen. Robert Anderson, U. s. A......The bill
to restrict Chinese immigration, which
passed the house yesterday, was laid before
and referred to the committee on foreign
relations. The senate then went into ex.
ecutive session, end when the doors were
reopened adjourned.
THURSDAY, January 3O.-The resolu-
ton of Edmunds declaring the validities of
the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments to the constitution were taken
up, and Morgan advocated the substitute
therefor presented on the goth. Before
Morgan concluded his remarks the senate
went into executive session, and when the
doors were reoenped, adjourned.
FRIDAY, January 3l.-The vice-presi-
dent laid before the senate the credentials
of Geo. J. Vest, elected United States sena-
tor from Missouri. Placed on tile.. Shields
was appointed member of the committees
on railroads and enrolled bills in place of
his predecessor, Armstrong. Saunders,
from the joint committee to inquire into the
expediency of transferring the Indian bu-
, reau from the interior to the war depart
ment, reported that the committee had
been unable to agree and submitted report
accompanied by bill to authorize the
president temporarily to transfer the custo.
dy, control and management of certain In.
Clan tribes from the interior to the war de-
partment, and for other purposes. Laid on
the table After an executive session the
senate ad journed.
SATURDAY, February 1.-The vice
president laid before the senate a communi.
cation from the secretary OF war enclosing
letter from the attorney general in relation
to the extravagant damages awarded by local
juries for damages under the Fox
and Wisconsin river improvement act. Re-
ferred......A minority report was presented
from the committee on privileges and
elections, signed by Hoar, Cameron, of
Wisconsin, and Mitchell, in favor of the
sixteenth amendment to the constitution,
prohibiting states from dis:ranchising per.
sons on account OF sex......The senate went
into executive session, and when the doors
were reopened adjourned until Monday.
SATURDAY, January 25.-The house,
soon after assembling, went into committee
| CT the whole on the postofice appropriation
bill. Amendments were agreed to: In.
creasing the sum to $3,6O0,O00; increasing
the appropriation for letter carriers from
81, 900, 900 to $4,000, 600; directing postofice
employees, on railways, who cancel stamps,
celled, the same to be credited to the post
master at the station where the mail was
put on the cars, for the purpose of fixing q
basis for the pay of such postmaster; in
creasing the appropriation for star service
to S., 100000. The committee then rose and
the house adjourned.
MONDAY, January 27.-Wright's bill
to loan $500 to every man not worth $500
desiring to take advantage of the provisions
of the homestead law came up and was de.
feated-yeas o., nays 212......Bills intro.
duced and referred: Providing for treaty
with Mexico; proposing an amendment to
the constitution providing that terms Of
of the United States shall be limited
to twelve years, and that the of.
fees of those now on the bench
who have served twelve years be vacated
granting medal to each of the survivors
of the five companies of Pennsylvania vol
unteers who were the first troops to come to
Washington at the call of the president at
the beginning of the late Wharf.-The bill
authorizing the secretary of war to erect
diers in private, village or city cemeteries
was passed under suspended rules....Ad.
journed.
TUESDAY, January 28.-After the
legislative appropriation bill was received
and referred to the committee of the whole,
the bill to restrict the immigration of the
Chinese, was taken up. After debate the
bill passed, yeas 155, nays u. 1t provides
that no master of a vessel owned by any
citizen of the United States, shall take on
board at any foreign port any number of
Chinese exceeding Is with the intent to
bring them to the United States, under
penalty OF one hundred dollars for
each passenger in excess of fifteen, such
penalty to become lien on the vessel. .....
The house then went into committee of the
whole on the postoffice appropriation bill.
Amendments were agreed to: Increasing
the appropriation for mail transportation
by railroad from $S,715, 900 to S., 00O, 900 ;
increasing the appropriation for transporta-
ton on steamboats, from $750,00O to $780,.
600. Without final action the committee
rose and the house adjourned.
WEDNESDAY. January 29:-The house
went into committee of the whole on the
postofice appropriation bill. Amendments
were adopted making the appropriation for
the deficiency in the appropriation for post
altransportation by railroad for the fiscal
year ending in June, 1879, which forbids
any increase in the postal car service be.
yond what existed December l, 1878; pro.
viding that the postmaster general shall
make no deficiency during the current fiscal
year by placing postal cars ON any line /;
increasing the appropriation for route agents