Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-04-18
CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY,
Senate.

Senate
Mr.. Withers, from the Committee on Appro-
priations, reported back the Army Appropria-
ton bill without amendment, and asked that IT |
be printed and placed on the calendar. Mr.. |
Blaine gave notice that he would olter the fol /
lowing amendment to 60 at the end oil section |
six: "And any military, naval or civil officer, |
or any other person who shall, except Tor the |
purpose herein named, appear armed with a |
deadly weapon of any description, either con
cealed or displayed, within a mile OF any poll
ing place where a general or special election
for Representatives to Congress is being held,
shall, on conviction, be punished with fine OF
not less than $500 nor more than $4,000, or
with Imprisonment for period not less than
six months nor more than five years, or with
both fine and Imprisonment, at the discretion
of the court" Mr. Bayard introduced a bill
to repeal sections 800 and S2l of the Revised
Statutes. He asked unanimous consent to put
the bill on its passage without referring it to
1867, providing test oaths and disqualification
of jurors in courts of the United States. The
effect OF this was to exclude persons of charac-
ter and intelligence from jury service, in the
Southern States particularly. The Senate had
already passed such bill as the one he now in
troduced. He did not desire to debate the bill,
but offered it for the sake of justice and the
promotion Of good feeling among all his coun-
trymen. Referred TO the Committee on the
Judiciary :. After further consideration of the
question Of admission OF Mr.. Bell to seat the
Senate adjourned.
On motion Of Mr.. Voorhees, resolution was
adopted directing the Postmaster General to
furnish to the Senate his reasons for discrimi-
mating postage rates in the transmission of
newspapers through the mails. -, After further
discussion of the claims of Mr.. Bell to scat,
the Senate went into executive session and
then adjourned.
After further discussion Mr.. Bell was adj
mitted to seat in the Senate from New
Hampshire, by a vote Of 35 to rs. The follow
ing Democratic Senators voted for the adms-
sion: Messrs. Bayard, Gordon, Groome, Jones,
of Florida, Mcdonald, Randolph, Voorhees,,
Walker, Whyte Williams. Senators Conk-
ling and Carpenter, Republicans voted against
the admission. After taking up the Army
Appropriation bill the Senate adjourned
House.
Mr.. Conger suggested to his friends on the
other side that they should agree to strike out
the sections torbidding the use of military at
the polls, and then so far as the committee
could recommend to the House, should recon-
mend the passage ola bill repeating entirely the
two sections OF the statutes. He thought he
was authorized to say that if on the committee
rising and recommending to the House the in
PRODUCTION OF a separate bill repeating those
two sections Of the Revised Statutes, so far as
his side of the House was concerned it could be
passed without debate and without delay, leav-
ing the Army Appropriation bill without any
Objectionable feature upon it. All debate was
then closed and voting on the amendments
proceeded with. Mr.. Brewer submitted an
amendment providing that nothing contained
in the bill shall in any way limit the right or
power Of the civil officers of the government to
keep the peace at the polls at such time as is
prescribed for the election of members of Con-
gress. Rejected - III to 1856. Mr. Conger
moved to substitute for section the following:
" That sections 2,002 and 5,528 of the Revised
Statutes be and the same are hereby repealed"
Rejected - 100 to 1876. Mr.. Lapham moved
to amend by providing that any person who
shall appear at the polls at the election OF
| members of Congress with deadly weapon
shall be subject to the penalty provided in the
bill. Reiected-4l to l30 Mr.. Caswell moved
to strike out the portion OF the section provid-
ing tor penalties; rejected. The question then
REQUIRED on the motion made by Mr.. Lowe to
strike out the whole of section 6. Rejected
l22 to 1856. The committee then rose and re-
ported the bill. The other amendments to the
bill, which were all unimportant, were agreed
to without division. The billwas then passed
yeas, l4S; nays l22-a strict party vote, ten
| Greenbackers voting for the bill and two
against it. Adjourned.
Mr. Atkins NOV ed to go into Committee OF
| the Whole on the Legislative bill He stated
| that he had introduced the bill on the basis of
the conference report of the last Congress as
nearly as possible. The entire money portion
of the bill had not been agreed to by the con-
ference committee, but very nearly all of it
had. In regard to those portions upon which
the committee Of conference had not agreed
| the present bill contormed to the bill as it had
| passed the House at the last Congress. He
should not attempt to apply the gag to the
| House in the matter of debate but he would
suggest that the money portion of the bill should
| be considered under the five-minute rule, and
that the general debate should be reserved for
the political portions of the bill. This sugges-
ton was agreed to- and then the House went
into Committee of the Whole, Mr.. Blackburn,
of Kentucky, in the chair, on the Legislative
| Appropriation bill. After finishing the consid-
Grafton Of sixty pages of the bill the House adj
journed.
The House spent day on the report of the
Committees on Rules Certain select commit
tees of the last House were reappointed and
the membership of certain standing committees
was increased. A proposition by the commit
tee to make a three-fourthS vote necessary to
suspend the rules and pass bill was rejected
for II substitute which extended the privilege OF
the Appropriations Committee, to report at any
time, to the Commerce, Ways and Means,
Banking, and Coinage Committees. An amend-
ment by Mr.. Garfield, declaring the introduce
ton of any provision changing existing law in
any appropriation bill out OF order, was lost by
a ote of yeas ITO; nays, 1919. Adjourned.
Mr.. Mcmahon submitted an amendment to
the Legislative Appropriation bill repeating the
sections of the statutes providing for the bien-
NAL examination of pensioners, but leaving
with the commissioners the power to order
special examinations when necessary, and to
increase and reduce pensions in accordance will
right and justice, but no pension shall be re
duced without notice to the pensioner. The
amendment concludes as follows % In ordel
to provide for the payment of arrears of pen
sion, the Secretary of the Treasury is directed
to issue Immediately in payment thereof, al
they may be adjusted, the $l0,000,0O0 in lega
tender currency now IN the United States
Treasury, kept as a special fund for the re
demption of fractional currency" Mr.. Gar
field raised the point of order that the amend
ment was not germane to the bill, changed ex
isting law and did not retrench expenditures
The amendment was supported by Messrs
Weaver, Fort, Warner and Kelley, and Mr.
, Garfeld's point of order was overruled by thu
chairman Mr.. Blackburn. Mr.. Cannon sub
! mitted the following amendment to the amend
,, ment; "and fractional currency presented 10
: redemption shall be redeemed in any money
: in the Treasury at the time the same is pre-
sented." Adopted-yeas 81; nays, Sc. Tn
amendment as amended, was then agreed t.
without division Adjourned.