Morning journal and courier., 1880-02-12
Forty-sixth Congress.
WAsu1naron Eeh Il.

WAsHINeToN. Feb. Il.
 SENATE.-Mr. Randolph moved that the Senate take up the bill for the relief of Gen eral F1tz John Porter.
 Mir. Logan objected. He did not wish the bill taken up until every Senator could have ample time to discuss it.
 The bill was then made the special order for Monday next.
 Mir. Eaton introduced a resolution calling upon the President to transmit to the Senate any correspondence which had passed be- tween the Government and any foreign power since February, 1879, regarding the construc- tion of ship canal between North and South America. Passed. la
 The Senate then took up the special order, being the bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to ascertain and certify the amount of land located with military land warrants in the States described therein and for other purposes MT. Edmunds resumed his argument in opposition to the bill.
 Mir. Jones, of Florida, asked if there was any information to prove that the money had not been properly appropriated. MT. Edmunds responded that from information derived from public doc uments and Senators and other sources many instances tke States which have received five per cent. had not appropriated money as the law provided it should be. MT. McDonald retorted that Indiana had ex- pended the money legally. lie then proceeded to argue in favor of the bill. At 4:O5 p. m. the Senate went into executive session and the doors were not opened till 12 minutes of 6 o'clock, when the Senate ad- journed.
 HoUsE.-On motion of MT. Buckner, of Missouri, the Committee on Banking and Our rency was authorized to have printed the tes- timony taken in relation to the affairs of the Oeaan National Rank of New York Mir. Price, of Iowa, from the Committee on Banking and Currency, submitted 8 report in relation to the failure of the German National Bank of Chicago. The committee found that the failure was due to the negligence of the directors and their failure to fulfill their duty. It is recommended that the National bank act be so changed as to hold the directors of all banks to more strict personal account and also to require the stockholders who elect directors to make good any loss resulting from the negligence of the directors; ordered printed.
 MT. Warner, of Ohio, from the Committee on Coinage, reported bill in relation to the value of foreign coins. The bill provides that section 3, ,654 be amended to read that the value of foreign coins, as expressed in money of account in the United States shall be that of the pure metal of such coins of standard weight as compared with the pure metal of coins of the United States, and the values of gold and silver coins of the various nations of the world known to our commerce shall be ascertained by assays to be made from time to time. Under the direction of the director of the mint foreign gold coins shall be com pared with standard gold coins of the United States and foreign silver coins with the stan dard silver dollar. The Secretary of the Treasury shall embrace it in his annual report. Bill ordered printed and recommitted.
 The House then resumed consideration of the bill for the removal of causes from State oourfc Mr. Naw of Indiana addrassad fha House in favor of the bill.
 The morning hour expired pending consid eration of the bill.
 Mr. Morton, of New York, submitted me- morial of the Chamber of Commerce of New York asking for an increased appropriation for New York harbor. Referred. MT. Tucker, of Virginia. introduced bill to admit free of duty bibles and other relg- ious books printed in the Chinese language
 for distribution by religious societies. Re- ferred.
 The House then went into Committee of | the Whole and resumed consideration of the rules. The pending question was on 8 mo- ton of MT. Frye to confine the duties of the committee on Mississippi levees to levees. This was offered as 8 substitute for Mir. Chal- mers' motion to give that committee charge of the improvement of the Mississippi river and it's tributaries and estimates relating thereto. The amendment offered by MT. Frye was adopted by vote of 129 to Al. MT. Converse, of Ohio, offered an amend | ment requiring all reports of committees on l bills to be in writing and signed by the mem- bers who concur in the recommendation. Mir. Haskell, of Kansas, opposed the l amendment. It might so happen that mem Der was opposed to particular bill. The fact would be published to the world, and there would be perfect cross fire from lobbyists against member who wouldn't agree to the bill.
 The amendment was rejected. MT. Shallenberger, of Pennsylvania offered substitute for rule H. relating to the powers and duties of committees. The substitute distributes the appropriations among the sev- eral companies having charge of special sub jeots. After 8 discussion, in which Speaker Randall said this was an the House had refused to do in detail and ar gued to show that it would lead to extrava- gance, the amendment was rejected. The re- jection of this substitute disposed of the ques- tion of distributing appropriation work and leaves it where it now is, except so far as re- lates to public buildings and rivers and har- bors.
 Pending further consideration the commit tee rose.
 Mr. King, from the Committee on Inter Oceanic Canal, introduced resolution calling upon the Secretary of the Treasury for any in- formation in the possession of the department and giving statistics upon the amount of ship ping between the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United States, the amount and kind of cargoes, entrances and clearances at the port of San Francisco for the last fiscal year, the amount and kind of cargoes and average dura- tion of voyages round Cape Horn from New York to San Francisco.
 The House at 4:45 adjourned.