The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-01-22
HOUSE,.

The following bills were introduced and re-
ferred To reduce the tax on deposits subject
to payment with persons and associations en-
gagged in banking business to facilitate refund
ing the national debt; for the payment of
certain Southern mail contracts to increase the
circulation of the national banks and relieve
them from the payment of tax on circulation
for the importation of pork free of duty for
the transfer of the Indian Bureau to the War
Department; to restrict Chinese immigration
fixing a time for counting the votes of Presi-
dent and Vice President; to create mineral
bureau at the seat of government. Mr..
Warner offered a resolution, calling on the
Secretary of the Treasury to report when and
under what conditions the United States
Treasury became a member of the New York
Clearing House, and whether said Clearing
House accepts Treasury certificates, payable in
silver coin, in settlement of balance, whether
the settlement of balances in standard silver
dollars or certificates is prohibited by the rules
of the Clearing House. Mr.. Hatch dem. of
Mo- offered bill providing for the importa-
tion of salt, free of duty.
A bill was passed appropriating $4,000
for the purchase of furniture for the House.
A resolution was passed instructing the
House Librarian to purchase works on pol
itical economy and finance to be kept in
the Ways and Means Committee room.
A communication from the Postmaster General
relative to lotteries was referred. The River
nd Harbor Appropriation bill created censid-
erable debate. Mr.. Bunnell denounced the
charges made by the press that the bill was a
gigantic steal. Mr.. Brown was opposed to one
committee controlling and monepolizing all the
power relative to appropriations. The people,
he said, held every member of Congress re-
sponsible for all appropriations made.
A bill was referred, from the Comittee on
Military Affairs, favoring the appropriation of
$500, 900 for the erection of suitable posts
| for the protection of the Rio Grande from
tier The following bills were passed: Re-
mitting the duty altar from Rome
| for St. Johns Cathedral, Indianapolis grant
| ing free importation articles intended for the
Miller's International Exhibition to be held at
Cincinnati in 1880 a bill for the free importa-
| ton of classical antiquities was passed. The
| Secretary of the Navy asks for an appropriation
of $40 900 to enable him to fulfil his contract
with Winnie Ream Hoxie for statue of Ad-
miral Farragut.
| Mr. Price, (Rep. of Ia.) spoke at length on
the bill relating to bank reserves. He declared
himself opposed to any tinkering with the cur
rency, either as to the quantity or
quality of the paper which was circulating.
| He was also opposed to taking away
| the legal tender quality of the greenback.
| This bill requires that onehalf the reserves in
national banks be kept in gold and silver coins
4 of the United States. Mr.. Horr, (Rep. of
| Mich.) of the Committee on Manufactures,
| made a speech of great severity on the manner
| in which his committee had continuously been
| sighted by other committees whose duty it had
been to appeal to the Committee on Manufac-
| lures for information, instead of running all
4 over the country in fruitless search, and then
induce the passage Of appropriation bills that
| facts did not warrant: His committee, he
! said, had been created in 1819-the most i'm
| portant of all committees--yet never was any
thing referred to it under any circu instances.
The Committee on Claims reported bill re-
| funding to the State of Georgia, $4,000 ex-
| pended for the common defense in 1877 refer
| red. bill passed donating condemned bronze
| cannon to the Morton Monumental Association
of Indiana. Mr.. Morton (Rep. of New York)
presented a petition of the Central and South
/ America Cable Company, asking aid in the
form of a contract for government messages, to
establish telegraphic connection between the
United States and Central and South America
pia the Gulf of Mexico, the Isthmus of Te-
huantepec, and the Pacific Ocean. Referred
to the Committee ON Commerce.