The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1879-05-30
WASHINGTON NOTES.

injured.
WASHINGTON NOTES.
The most important business OF the
week was the passage by the House
Saturday after an all night session, OF the
Warner silver bill, making the dollar
of 4l2 1-2 grains legal tender. Some OF
the worst features of the original meas
ures are left out Of the am ended bill, but
coinage to be limited only by the ca
pacity of the governments machines;
the issue of certificates is authorized; and
all coin obligations, including the inter-
est and principal of the public debt and
duties, are payable in silver (and the in
terest in certifcates). 1t was finally
decided, however, that the government
should receive the difference between the
value of the bullion sent in and coin
manufactured for doing the work. Sub
sidiary silver coins are exchangeable at
the treasury for legal tenders to the
amount of 500. The bill is now in the
hands of the Senate committee, four OF
whom 1.-TWO Democrats and two kepub-
licans) are in favor of it, and four
against, with one uncertain. 1t is doubt
full if the bill is reported by them at al,
and if re ported. it is likely to fail of pas
sage. and sure of a veto if it passes.
The bill for the exchange of subsidiary
coin for la wful money, and making such
coins a legal tender in sums not exceed
ing $40 passed the Senate Wednesday
without any serious opposition.
The Senate yellow fever bill passed the
House Tuesday, after some opposition by
the state rights members
The long fight which the House has
had over the bill changing the present
law in regard to the removal OF cases
from the State to the federal courts, Is
explained by the fact that the bill ifpassed
would close the fereral courts at the West
and South to many eastern corporations
insurance companies particularly.
The new bill to govern electoral counts
which the House committee have agreed
to report, is in some respects an improve
ment on the regulations which the Re
publicans made while in power. 1t pro-
vides that the vote of every State shall
he counted, unless both Houses agree to
throw it out, whereas the Republican
rple threw il out if either House object
ed to its counting. If controversies re-
garding the validity of any returns have
been passed upon by any Judicial tribunal
the vote must be counted in accordance
with that decision, unless reversed by
the concurrent action of both Houses.
Even where there is but one return from
a State, the two Houses together may
vote to throw it out if objection is made
to it. This is the great weakness OF the
bill, and the Republicans naturally com
plain because it gives the next partisan
Democratic Congress the power to throw
out the vote of any STATE that is necessa-
ry to carry the day.
The Legislative, Executive, and Judi
cial appropriation bill, which contains
the political amendments repeating the
Jurors test oath law, and the laws pro-
vidng for marshals and supervisors of
election, was finally disposed of by the
House Friday and is ready for Hayes
,eyes But long before it had passe the
ssenate, if was reported that Hayes veto
message had been partly prepared.
Perley says that another blackmailing
suit of the Oliver Cameron sort is pend
ing. The gentleman "holding a high
social and official position" will not be
bled, and the affair may come into the
courts.
While Senator Ingalls, of Kansas is
fighting to smother an investigation into
the bribery and corruption by which he
secured reelection, his colleague, Plumb,
is shown up in another apparently very
bad scrape. The reports of the war
claims committee in two Congresses and
of the board of survey in 1864 roundly
denounces Plumb, then a major in the
Union army, for his share in the con
spiracy to browbeat A. L. ii. Crenshaw,
Union man of Jackson county, Mo.
who dealt in cattle and mules. The con-
spirators trumped up charge against
Crenshaw and slapped him into Jail,
where he was bulldozed into giving up
considerable of his property. The board
of survey style this one of the most re-
markable conspiraces against Union
man ever known and unless Mr.. Plumb
can clear himself from the charge, ex-
pulsion from Congress is about what he
deserves.
Naval Constructor Hanscom, Chief |
Robeson's righthand man in the navy |
department, went on the stand before |
Whitthorne's investigating committee in
the Nth Congress, and swore he was a
poor man. A year later his house was
robbed of $4,000 in United States
bonds. The thief has just been caught
with $4,000 Of the securities; but Hans
com, who identified the bonds as his
own. found it highly difficult to explain
on the stand how he bought $4,000 of
bonds between 1868 and 1868 on salary
never higher than $4,000. and nearly all
the time but $4,000 year.
Senator Mcdonald of Indiana, in his
speech on the political issues, had the
face to assert that election supervisors
were actively employed in Massachu-
sets last year to defeat Gen. Butler.
The inno cents, Dawes and Hoar. indig-
nantly denied it. +,
PORTIONS of Connecticut seem to be
,verrun with large black snakes this