Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-02-13
CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY.


ssr. Gordon submitted resolution that
committee of nine Senators be appointed 10
take into consideration TIA subject al the con-
siruction OF a canal 10 connect the Atlantic /
and Pacific oceans, aud that NIL papers, docu-
ments and information relating to said sub
ject be referred 10 said committees, and that II |
be authorized to act cOncurrently with any |
similar committee OF the House OF Represen- !
taiives, and be authorized to employ clerk. |
Petitions have been presented OF claimants
to the unappropriated balance of the Geneva |
award; Of ex-soldiers against the passage oil
the Senate bill for examination in pc nsion |
cases, and OF the vessel owners and captains
association OF Philadelphia against any change
in the navigation laws.
Mr.. Herman introduced bill 10 provide for :
celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the
treaty of peace and recognition Of American
Independence by an exhibition of the arts and
manufactures aud the products Of mines, to
be held in New York in 1888.
On motion of Mr.. Morse the Senate bill APP
propriating $4,000 for the purchase OF a new
site for the Unit ed States Naval Observatory
was passed, with an amendment providing
that il practicable the site shall be on an even
degree OF longitude west OF Greenwich.
MIR. Allison, from the committee on appro-
priations, reported with sundry amendments
the House bill making appropriations Tor forth
fcations and other works OF defense. Or
dered printed and placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Jonas presented the credentials Of Mr..
Randall Leo Gibson, elected to be Senator
from Louisiana for six years from March 4,
| 1888, whio' were read.
Mr.. Cockrell, from the committee on mill
tary affairs, reported adversely on the bill to
remove the charge OF desertion from the mill
! tary record OF Charles Corselius and others.
In view OF the very large number of applica-
tons to Congress for removal OF charges of
deseition, Mr.. Cockrell called attention to the
| concluding sentence OF the committees report
which expresses the conviction that such
special legislation is neither proper nor WISE
and that, as a general rule, the war depart
| ment has ample power to do equal justice to
all applicants for relief.
| Mr.. Bayard. from the committee on
finance reported adversely House bill 564,
ito amend certain sections of the revised
statutes relating to coinage" etc., commonly
known as the Warner silver bill.
| On motion OF MIR. Bayard the Senate took
up the bill authorizing the conversion of ma
tional gold banks, and it was passed as
amended by the committee on finance. The
following is the text of the bill as passed:
"Any national gold bank organized under
the provisions OF the laws OF the United Stat Is,
may, in the manner, and subject to the pro-
visions described by section 5, l54, of the Re.
vised Statutes, tor the conversion oil banks in
corpornted under the laws Of any State, cease
to be q gold bank and become such an associa-
ton as is authorized by section 5, 1873 for car
Tying on the business of banking, and shall
have the same powers and privileges, and
shall be subject to the same duties, response
.bllltles and rules in all respects as are by law
prescribed Tor such associations; provided that
all certificates of organization which shall be
issued under this act shall bear the date of the
original organization OF each bank respec-
lively as gold bank"
Mr.. Hereford has introduced bill to repeal
the act of July A. 1864, comforting on the
quartermaster-gen commissary- general
and accounting officer OF the treasury authority
to examine, adjudicate and settle the claims
sccruing to loyal citizens OF the United States
for supplies taken by or furnished tor the use
of and used by United States armies. The
bill confers jurisdiction in such cases upon the
United States district courts, which shall
certify their judgments to Congress, and Con-
gress may appropriate money to pay such
judgments, if favorable.
Mr.. Kirkwood introduced a bill to provide
for the payment oil additional bounty to the
soldiers OF the army of the United States dur
ing the war of the rebellion.
The bill to amend the act to provide for
taking the tenth and subsequent censuses
approved March 8, 1879, was taken up, and
substitute reported by the census committee
was considered instead and passed. 1t amends
the act above named by striking out the pro-
vision for inquiry as to the naturalization OF
ioreign-born persons and as to the ownership
of the public debt OF the United States section
three allows the reports required from rail.
road, express, telegraph and insurance com.
panies to be made for the fiscal year OF the
company terminating nearest to June l, 1880 (;
section four amends the act aforesaid so as to
require the enumeration to begin June
$780, and to require the enumeration in cities
having over 10000 inhabitants to be taken
within two weeks from that date; section five
allows the enumerator TO be appointed from
the county when no suitable person living in
the enumeration district will undertake the
work; section six requires the enumerator to
correct his enumeration on reliable informa.
ton as to errors in it.