The Newtown bee., 1880-12-22

Bills and resolutions were introduced: Mak ing the trade dollar a legal tender; in regard to the suppression of pleuro- -pneumonia in cattle; asking for information in regard to trichni 8 in swine. ... On motion of MT. Ran- dolph the bill for the relief of Fitz John Porter was taken up by vote of 35 to l5 Mr. Ran. dolph offered an amendment differing from the one announced by him a few days ago in that it not only authorizes the President to restore Porter to the army with rark not above colonel on the retired list, and without pay for the time he has Teen out of the army, but also relieves Porter from the disability of i-franchisement and incapacity to hold office
 imposed by the sentence of the court martial. Discussion followed without action.
 A resolution calling on the postmaster general for information as to the detention of unfrankable mail matter in the Washington postofice with amendment calling on tue same officer for information as to the abuse oi the frank by members of Congress or the loan of the frank for any person was reported and adopted. The electoral count resolution again came up on MT. Becknell's demand for the previous question, but as the Republicans refused to vote the House was left without quorum, and Mir. Becknell said he would not turt her press the matter at present. .. The funding bill was taken up and discussed .... The consular and diplomatic appropriation bill, appropriating Sl, ,l90, ,430, and the military academies appropriation bill, appropriating 1922, 125, were reported from the committee on appropriations and ordered to be printed. A concurrent resolution providing for recess in Congress from December 9 to
 January 5, 1881, was agreed to-. In com
 mitsee of the whole on the pensions appro- priaton bill Mir. Hubbell, who had charge of the
 bill, stated that it appropriated $50, ,000,C0o or exactly the amount called for by the esti- | mates. It contained proviso that accrued pension due tke indian pensioners should. in | the discretion of the commissioner of pensions < l arrears of pensions had been before the House. 1t had been stated that it woul ouly require a few millions. Up to November l, 1880 the | government had paid out for arrearages alone | s24 500 900, The average arrearas ses to each | of the ol pensioners had been found to~ be | $560. At the date ot the report of the com-
 missioner of pensions there had been 2Sl ,597 | claims pending, and the average arreals on | each new claim was $l 100. Supposing that | thirty per cent ot those claims would be dis | allowed. there would still be i'll round num- l bers l97 ,000 arrearages to be paid, which, at l the rate of $1 Ito each, would amount to | $217 ,000, 900, and he wished to call attention l to the further fact that the average age of the l pensioners ot the government was only forty l one years. He oriticise the present systems | of paying pensions. Under the present system | anybody can get 6 pension who was willing to | take false oath. he commissioner had told
 him that out of the $50 100000 paid out each | year, $4, 000, 900 was paid ouu iraudulently, | and perhaps more. An amendment that the | proviso that & fee of Sl and no more shall be l paid to examining surgeons be stricken out, l was carried, and the bill was then passed. | On motion of Mir. FoIt the House took 8 re-
 cess of ten minutes in honor of the presence of l General Grant.
 Mir. Robinson reported bill approving an | agreement between New York and Come ct-
 cut concerning the boundary line between those | States, winch passed The bill granting 8 ! mansion of Sl0l a month to the widow of the
 late President Tyler, was passed =. The
 fertilization appropriation bill was taken up,
 and finally passed. MT. Gibson, from the
 commit ee on Mississippi levees, reported the bill appropriating $l 800 00) for the improve
 ment of the Mississippi river. Ordered to be
 printed and reeommitted. The House then adjourned.
 On motion ot MT. Ainslle the bill was
 passed amending section 1852 ot the retised
 statutes so as to limit the sessions of the legs-
 latures and assemblies ot the several Territo-
 ries to sixty days duration. On motion ci
 MT. Bingham the Senate bill was passed grant
 ing D. nsion to Margaret S. Heintzelman,
 widow of the late Major General Heintzelman.