The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-04-23
xLvIth CONGREss-Ist Session.
SENATE.

| w ARLINGTON, April II.
| Mr.. Morrill, moved that the printing COM
| mittee exclude from the Record Mr.. Downey's
poem, but ON aScertaining that the House was
considering it he withdrew the motion.
A bill permitting Che rokee chief to sue in
| court claims for damage by seizure of his
| property by revenue officers was taken up.
| Mr.. voorhees, favored it.
Inc Dill was replaced on the calendar.
The morning hour expired and the consider
ation OF the army bill was resumed.
A message from the President, informing
| the Senate of the presentation to the United
| States by the heirs of Thomas Jefferson of
| the desk or which the Declaration of Inde-
| pendence was signed, and joint resolution of
the House accepting the gift and thanking the
| donors were presented. The resolution passed
| without division.
| The post route bill was reported and laid on
| the table to be called up tomorrow.
| The army appropriation bill was resumed
and Mr.. Blaine moved to strike out section 2,
| prohibiting the use of troops at the polls. Re-
| jected. Davis of ILL.,, voted nay.
| Mr.. Edmunds offered several amendments
| tending to preserve the power of the execu-
tive to use troops on election day for the prop
er execution OF existing laws. but they were
| all rejected
Mr.. Blaine offered the following:
Resolved, That during the existence and
| operation of the foregoing restriction upon
any United States soldiers appearing at the
polls to keep the peace, it shall not be lawful
d Ill.
| openly or concealed, at the polls at any cleo
| ton for Representatives in Congress.
Ruled out of of order by the chairman.
Mr.. Blaine expressed regret that the discus
sion OF matter SO Interesting and important
| to the country should be precluded by new
| ruling which contradicted three previous rul-
| ingS Oh the same subject.
| The bill was then read third time and
| passed, yeas %, nays IS.
| All the votes on the amendments were party
| votes.
The resolutions declaring Spofford entitled
! to the seat now held by Kellogg were taken
up, but the Senate went into executive session
and when the doors were reopened adj our ned.
| HOUSE.
| A speech in verse appears in the Record, as
from Mr.. Downey of Wyoming, in support of
| his bill for painting historical subjects on the
walls of the Capitol.
| Mr.. Garfield moved the reference of the
| speech to the committee on rules for inquiry as
to whether member can copyright his speech.
| Mr.. Conger intimated that Garfield was en-
| vious of the poet
Mr. Garfeld's motion was agreed to-
| A message was received from the Preside MT
| informing Congress of the presentation to the
| government of the desk upon which. the dec
laration of independence was written. The
| following resolution was offered Dy Mr.. Grape
| and unanimously adopted:
| Resolved That the thanks of Congress be
| presented to j. r. Coolidge, Algernon Cool
| idge, Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, and Ellen
| Dwight of Massachusetts, for their patriotic
| presentation.
That this precious relic be accepted in the
| name of the nation and the same be deposited
| in the department of state.
| That copy of these resolutions signed by
| the President of the Senate and Speaker Of the
House, be transmitted to the donors.
| A bill repeating the stamp tax on checks
was referred to the committee of the whole.
The House went into committee of the whole
on the naval appropriation bill.
| The bill was read by sections for amend
| ment.
An amendment was adopted increasing the
contingent expenses appropriation from $780,
900 to 100000.
The committee then rose and the bill passed.
| Mr.. Springer made an unsuccessful attempt
| to have the Curtin-Yocum contested election
| case taken up.
The Senate amendment to the Notifications
bill increasing the appropriation for repairs to
| $4,000 was non-concurred in.
The House went into committee of the
| whole on the bill to settle accounts with Ger.
tain states for expenditures during the war OF
| 1872.
Mr.. Reed of Maine spoke at length in oppo.
sition to the course of the Democracy on the
question of elections, and he particularly OPP
| posed the provision of the bill that marshals
be selected from different political parties.
| Before the conclusion of Mr.. Reeds speech
the committee rose and the House took re-
cess until the evening session, when it went
into committee of the whole on the immigra-
ton bill, but adjourned with action.