The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1879-12-25
I THE XLVI CONGRESS.


THE XVI CONGRESS. .5
. THURSDAY, Dec. 11.-Sennte- Senator
Allison, from the committee on Indian.
affairs, reported with two amendments,
a joint resolution that the secretary of the
interior be authorized through a COM
mission of five persons, to be appointed
BY the president, to negotiate with the
Ute Indians for their removal from Col
orado. This resolution provoked long
debate, but was finally adopted with an
amendment that in no case should those
Indians be sent to. the Indian Territory:
Several private appropriation bills were
passed. The bill approprlating 100000
tor the erection of military posts on The
Rio Grande frontier, was passed. After
q short executive session the senate
adjourned until Monoay.
THURSDAY, Dec. 11-House-Mr.
Acklin, introduced a bill authorizing
the appointment by the president of
commission of engineers to examine the
surveys of the conte npiated canal across
the 1sthmus of Panama. Mr.. Shelby
offered preamble and resolution, recit
ing that large number of citizens of
certain states have been induced through
false representations of certain persons,
to leave their homes for the purpose of
immigrating to other states, and that
they have failed for want of funds to
reach their destination, and are without
food and proper clothing, and providing
for select committee to investigate the
causes of such immigration, to sit, dur
ing recess, and report such measures as
the exigency may require. Mr.. Converse,
from the committee on public lands, re
ported a bill amending the act to grant
additional rights to homestead settlers
on the public lands within
railroad limits, approved March
Sd, 1879. Converse stated that under
that act homesteaders who occupied 80
acres, we're authorized to select SO addi-
tional acres without payment of registry
fees. The present bill simply provided
that the registry fees should be paid for
The bill was passed. The invalid pen.
sion appropriation bill was reported,
ordered prln'ed and recommitted. 1t
appropriates $32000,000; about $3,000,-
600 more than last year.
FRIDAY, Dec. 12-Senate.-The senate
was not in session.
FRIDAY Dec. 12.-House. the
bills introduced were the following: For
the appointment of an Inter Oceanic
commission to determine the b. st plan
and route for the establishment of com
munication for trade and commerce be.
Isthmus Of Darien; to prevent the retire.
ment of greenbacks and in favor of sub.
shutting them for national bank notes,
and for the free coinage of sill
yer The fortiicaticn bill, which
was the same as that of last year, with
only slight modification, was passed.
Among the amendments was one appro.
priating $3.50 600 for batteries for the de-
tense of Galveston. The pension bill
was also finally considered in committee
of the whole, and passed. 1t appropri-
ates $32, 900, as against 500 266, 900
last year. The house then took up pri.
vate bills, and after long discussion,
passed bill appropriating $4,000 as an
indemnify and compensation to the wild
ow and heirs of Henry Leef, in conse-
quence of the illegal seizure of the bark
Mary Theirs, by the United States con-
sui at Bahua, Brazil. The claim had been
before congress for thirty years, and had
five times been reported favorably to the
house by the committee on commerce
The house adjourned until Monday.
MONDAY, Dec. 15.-Senate-Mr. Voor
hees presented the petition of 1000 ex.
soldiers and sailors, praying to be paid
in greenbacks the difference in the value
of the greenbacks in which they were
paid for their services 10 the government
and the value OF gold at the time of pay
ment MIR. Butler, of South Carolina,
introduced an amendment to the senate
joint res solution introduced by Mr.. Bay
ard, Withdrawing the legal quality Of
greenbacks. The resolution as proposed
to be amended, will read: ;'That from
and after January list, 1885, the treasury
notes of the United States shall be re-
ceivable for all dues to the United States,
except duties on Imports, and shall not
otherwise be a legal tender; and any of
said notes that shall hereafter be issued
shall bear this superscription." The
vice president presented communica-
tien from the postmaster general recon
mending a deficiency appropria ion of
$2O6,2l2 for extra star mail routes
VOORHEES, also introduced a resolution
providing for'the appointment of COM
mittee of five senators to investigate the
causes leading to negro immigration.
MONDAY, Dec. 15-House- Among the
bills introduced were the following: To
encourage American ship building, and
for the appointment Of a committee to
report a basis for reciprocity treaty
with the British provinces; requiring the
secretary Of the treasury to pay out all
gold and silver coin, legal tender notes
and national bank notes in the treasury
not required for current expenses, in the
purchase of government bonds; anrul'
ling and revoking the court.martial find.
ings and sentence in the case of General
Fitz John Porter, restoring him to SER
vice as colonel in the army, and provid.
ing for the payment of all arrearages as
major general up to the LIST of Septem-
Der, '66, and as colonel thereafter
providing that IN case of
the non surrender Of the Ute Indians en-
gagged in the White river massacre, within
=. Il ~x,A