National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-01-09
CURRENT CAPITAL TOPICS.
Proceedings In the Two Houses Yes.
terday UnimpOrtant.
Tho New District Tax Blli Reported fol
PrlntinE-A Dish of Pennsylvania Poll
tics Recusant witnesses in tho
Senate 49, A sharp Executive
session-Bids for Paper
The First Patent.
Business in the House Yesterday.

The House was in session longer than the
Senate yesterday, but did no more, the time
being occupied In desultory discussion of tho
report cf the Committee on Rules
In the early part of the proceedings q COM
muncatlon from Horatio Seymour was pre-
sented by Mr.. Prescott, asking for the passage
of a bill for the erection of o monument to
General Herkimer.
An amusing feature of the proceedings was
the request of all the Groonback Mombers for
leave of absence to attend tho National Green
back Conference.
Mr. Neal, of Ohio, introduced tho new tax
bill for the District of Columbia, which was
ordered to be printed and recommitted
The Speaker laid before the House certain
resolutions Of the official reporters in relation
to their late colleague, William Hincks, Of
Massachusetts,, and they were referred to tho
Committee on Appropriations.
Mr.. Armhcld, from the Committee ON Mines
and Mining, reported bill In relation to the
location of mining claims, which simply
prescribed tho limits Of a mining claim aud
the evidence to be set up upon which title
could be based.
Mr. Maginniss made point Of order which
was sustained, that it should be considered in
the Committee of tho Whole, and it was so re-
ferrCd.
Mr. Harris, from the Committee on the
Revision of the Laws, reported back tho
Senate bill providing for the publication aud
distribution OF u supplement- to tho Revised
Statutes. After some discussion and amend.
mont it was adopted.
Mr.. Goodo, from tho Committee on Eluca-
tlon aud Labor reported flvOrably a bill to
apply the proceeds Of the sale of public lands
to the education of the people; referred to the
Whole House on tho State of tho Union. -.
After the expiration of the morning hour
the House went into Committee OF the Whole
for the consideration Of the report of the Com
mittee on Rules, and Mr.. Reagan, of Texas, at
once opened fire upon tho recommendation of
the committee that the River aud Harbor bill
should hereafter be reported from the Commit
tee on Appropriations instead of the Commit
teo on Commerce. DIr. Reagan Is chairman of
the Committee on Commerce. and does not
want to lose tho neat little Job OF making up
this bill. There was, however decided oppo-
sition besides that of Mr.. Reagan to tho change
nearly every member OF the Committee on
Commerce obiecting Members OF the Com
mittee on Commerce seemed to havo taken the
recommendation of the Committee on Rules as
IA reflection upon them, and so marked was
this feeling that Speaker Randall felt com.
PEELED to make speech denying any such re-
hection.
While Mr.. Randall was speaking he and his
colleague, Mr. O'Seill, had quite on interest
ing dialogue over Mr.. Randali's political stand
ing in Philadelphia. Mr.. O'Noill said that on
account of Mr.. Rlndall's neglect Of his con.
stltuents the usual Democratic majority of
| 5000 had been cut down to 5000 at the late
election.
Mr. Randall replied that he would bring il
up when he ran again, to which Mr.. ONeill
r,joned, Not unless he stayed ut home aud
attended to his business instead of being
away trying 10 manipulate tho politics Of New
| York"
Mr.. o'Neill made several other sharp allu.
- NJ. ALL nH,, h.I,a 8
den, which caused hearty laugh on both sides
of the House.
Pending the discussion on this branch of
the report, the House adjourned until to-day.
In the Senate
there was the usual number of petitions, me.
morials &c. Mr.. ingalls, presented a petition
from the citizens of Kansas for the sale OF the
lands Of the Iowas, Sacs aud Fox Indians.
| Mr.. Plumb, from tho Committee on Public
| Lands presented q resolution to extend for
sixty days the time allowed the Secretary oil
the Interior to instruct United States officers
| in relation to the disposition of the lands be-
| longing to the Government in the Hot Springs
reservation Of Arkansas.
| Mr.. Window presented tho Military Acad.
envy appropriation bill, and 1t was placed on
| tho calendar.
| The Sergeant.at-Arms presented before the
| bar of the Senate l.. s. Smith, Levi Wilson and
| u. Is. Purcell, witnesses VINO were In contempt
of the authority of tho Senate for refusing TO
appear before the Senate Committee on Eec.
| tiOns in the Ingalls, investigation. Mr.. Smith
was the principal spokesman for the prisoners,
and, when asked by the Nice.Prcsident what
he had to say why he should not be punished
for contempt, said that he was summoned by
telegraph when away from home aud that he
know nothing about the Ingalls, election and
had 80 informed the chairman.
Utt EgaI will n tp
appear, when the lawyers of the Senate
seized upon the opportunity to split
hairs for something like two hours
over the legal points which the attach
mont of the parties presented. A little after
2 o'clock tho prisoners wero released, with the
understanding that they should appear before
the Senate Committee and testify. The Senate
then went into executive session and shortly
thereafter adjourned,