The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-02-20

| bill was received from the House and referred
| to the committee on appropriations. The bill
| authorizing railroad companies to construct
and maintain Telegraph lines for commercial
| purposes, and to secure 10 government the use
| of the same for postal, military and other pur-
poses, come up and was laid aside. to give
parties interested an opportunity to be heard
The House bill to authorize the constructian
| of . bridge across tee Missouri river AT or near
Lexington, No., was reported favorably from
the committee on commerce, and placed on the
| calendar.
motion to suspend the rules and pass the
bill 20 establish postal savings banks was de-
feated; yeas, 80: nays, 1s4. bill to restore
the franking privilege Is to letters sent or re-
ceived by members of Congress, also bill to
abolish the mileage of members of Congress
and to substitute the payment of the actual
travelling expenses. Referred. The House
then went into committee of the whole on the
legislative executive and judicial appropria-
tion bill The bill apprOpriates s.475,
as against the estimates of Sl6,096.GOl. and as
against the appropriation last session of sl5.-
35l ,23S.
In the Senate on the llth the committee
on appropriation reported back to the Senate
the post Office appropriation bill with its vari-
Gus amendments. resolution was submit
ted for the better regulation of commerce
among States. The committee on territories
reported favorably the bill to establish .
United States court in the Indian Territory
and for other purposes. Placed on the calen-
dar with . written report on the subject. A
bill for the relief of Daniel ". Frost and the
heirs and executors of William NJ. Mcpherson,
of Missouri. Passed.
In the House on the 18th the conference re-
port on the naval appropriation bill was
agreed to. The House then went into commit
tee on the Legislative appropriation bill Mr..
Patterson opposed that portion OF the bill
which proposes to transfer the coast and geo
logic survey from the Treasury to the Interior
department. That provision would virtually
abolish the system of public land surveys.
The bill would throw an insurmountable OBJ
s'acle in the way of the settlement of the pub
lie domain. Mr. Reagan, chairman of the COM
mittee on commerce, reported the river and
harbOr appropriation bill; ordered printed
and recommitted. Adjourned.
A memorial from the colonization So
ciety was presented to the Senate on the 18TH
asking for an appropriation of $4,000 for the
exploration and survey of the west coast of
Africa, with the view Of promoting commerce
Ordered printed and referred. At the conclu-
sion of the morning business. Mr.. Sanders call
ed up the bill recently introduced by him, to
authorize the President temporarily to trans
fer the custody. control and management of
certain Indians, from the interior to the War
Department. He spoke at length in favor of
educating Indians to enable them to become
citizens. The House bill to restrict the immi-
grafton of Chinese to the United States was
taken up SO that it would be unfinished business
tomorrow. The motion was agreed to by a
rising vote of % to %. Adjourned.
In the House bill to reduce the appropria-
ton for detecting and bringing to trial persons
guilty of violation of the internal revenue law
from 100000 to $4,000. Mr.. Durham said it
was due to honest distillers that sufficient
sum be appropriated to abolish moonshiners.
MIR. Davis said the law in regard to detecting
frauds was dead letter in Chicago and St.
Louis. Large whisky corporation owned in
was not as much in the distiller as in the de-
tective. After a lengthy discussion the bill
passed.
In the Senate the 18th bill was intro
duced to secure the completion of line of
railway to be known as the Mexican and Paci
tc extentiOn of the Galveston and San Antonio
railroad. The House bill to restrict the immi-
grafton of Chinese was taken up, a lengthy
discussion followed and the Senate Adjourned
without taking action.
The House agreed to bring up the election
case next Wednesday. A letter was referred
to the committee on WAYS and means, from
the Secretary of the Treasury stating that
there will probably be deficit in revenue of
the government the next fiscal year of twenty
seven million dollars and asking authority to
issue four per cent. bonds to cover such def
cheney. The house soon afterwar1 went into
committee on the legislative bill. After dis
posing of 63 pages of the bill the committee
rose. The remainder of the days session was
devoted to memorial services to the late Julian
Hartridge.
A bill was introduced in the Senate on
the l4th to amend the pension laws. and pun
ish claim agents for violation thereof. Refer
ed. After considering the bills on the calen-
dar. confederation was resumed of the bill to
restrict Chinese immigration, and Mr.. Blaine
advocated it. A discussion the bill follow
ed that consumed the remaing hours of the
session; no action was taken.
In the House the committee on military af-
fairs. reported a bill authoriziE- = resident
20 appoint James Shields. of the a.. i Mis-
souri,, as a brigadier general on the retired list.
such appointment to be in lieu of the pension
which he now receives; referred to the commit
tee on private calendar. long discussion
took place on the adverse report of the COM
mittee on invalid pensions, ultimately adopt
ed, however. on the bill granting pensions to
soldiers in the Kentucky militia, wounded in
firing a salute at U. 8. fort on the 4th of
July, 1865. The argument turned on whether
man was 80 far in the United States service
as to be en- titled 10 pension.