Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-02
Forty-Sixth Congress.
WASHINGTON, March l.

WASHINGTON, MarCh l.
 SENATE.-Mr. Beck submitted resolution directing the Secretary of the Treasury to re- port the amount paid out of the appropria- tions for star postal service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880, from July 1, 1879, to March l, 1880; stating the amount paid on each route and what would be required to pay in full for all such star service at the rates and under the contracts now existing for the re- mainder of the present fiscal year, stating the amount required for each route separately :; adopted.
 The chair announced unfinished business before the Senate as being the Fitz John Por- ter bill, but pending it's consideration, in &C., cordance with agreement, Mir. Hoar addressed the Senate on the Geneva award.
 At 2:3O p. m. Mir. Randolph took the floor on the Fitz John Porter bill and asked that the amendments offered by himself to the bill be read. He then addressed the Senate. He said that during seventeen years the case had been in executive consideration and re- ceived the attention of Congress and had, he believed, interest to the general public. The case is almost without a parallel in military history and it is wonderful that unlike most of such cases it has not sunk into obscurity. MT. Randolph then proceeded to give the de tailed history of Fitz John Porter's life pre- vious to the charge under which he rests, and his military services. He then passed in review the objections set forth in the minority report of the several Military Committees on this bill, and he defended Porter's action on the eventful night as preventing great mill. tary blunder and crime.
 At the conclusion of Mr. Randolph's speech the Senate at APO p. m. adjourned.
 HoUsE.-Among the bills introduced were the following: By MT. Aiken, of South Carolina, appropriating $1O,O for the pur- chase of farm of not more than 100 acres for cultivating and propagating the tea plant i; by MT. Lowe, of Alabama, to repeal all taxes on tobacco, also a bill to reduce the tax on whiskey to twenty cents per gallon; by Mir. McMillan, of Tennessee, to place the paper for printing books and papers on the free list.
 The call of States having been completed, MT. Weaver, of Iowa, rose to offer his resolu- tion on the finances and moved to suspend the rules. The Speaker announced that the bus mess in order was the resolution of MT. Cof- froth, which came over from two weeks ago to fix certain nights for the consideration of pension bills After some debate, in which MT. Springer said he had been anxious to get the floor to offer resolution against the third term, MT. Coffroths resolution assigning Wednesday night of this week and Wednes- day of next week to the consideration of pen- sion bills was agreed to.
 Mr. McLane, of Missouri from the Com mittee on Pacific Railroads, moved to suspend the rules and bring up for consideration the bill to alter and amend the sinking fund act approved May r, 1878. MT. McLane ex- plained the provisions of the bill.
 Mr. Claflin, of Massachusetts, thought this too important matter to be passed to- day, and in order that members might examine it he would move that the House adjourn, and it would go over as unfinished business.
 The motion was agreed to, and the House, at $50 D. m., adjourned.