Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-02-03
46th Congress.

Consideration was resumed of the Indian Ian,
| severalty bill. Sen Pendleton addressed the sen
ate in favor of the bill.
Sen. Morgan, commenting on the fact thht tn
Ute commissioners report had not been presented
lntimsted it had probably been withheld until tn
| pending bill should be disposed OF, and expressed
a conviction that it would show that the Ute leg
lslatlon IN the last year had proved sigma
| failure.
! With action on the amendments the senat
went into executive session, and when the door
reopened adjourned.
HoAse-The house went into committee of tht
whole Carlisle in the chair upon the postofict
| appropriation bill
The Dwight amendment provides that hereaf
/ ter the postmaster general may paw out of th,
| appropriation for the transportation on railroad
| routes, to the personal representatives or any
! employe OF the railway mail service, who may bt
killed on the railroad while on duty a sum equa
to his salary for two years; and making this pro
| vision apply to the case of the men recently
burned to death while on duty at Tioga Center
| \. Y.
! This amendment being ruled out, Mr.. Dwight
SO modified it as to eyade the point of order anC
| amended it by further proyiso that the amount
may be paid to the individuals and shall be de-
Quoted from the amount which may be due the
railroad company on whose road the accident oc-
Cured, resulting in the injury. After long de-
| bate, the amendment reiected-3I to "A.
Mr.. Brigham offered an amendment requiring
railroad companies to carry in mail cars safety
heaters and saws, axes and other implements, to
be used IN case of accident. adopted.
Mr.. Clardy moved to amend by increasing the
appropriation for special facilities on trunk lines
from S400 900 to $3.50 600.
This amendment was offered for the purpose of
allowing the second assistant postmaster general
to secure special mail facilities the St L., 1.
NJ. q 5. Railway. and was advocated bv Clardv.
Dunn and Slemmons.
Mr., Blackburn in ODnoStiOn To the amendment
stated that 1t would not have the effect the gov
ernment desired and in the course of his
remarks alluded to the second assistant post
master-general as a man whose past had
shown that he dared to do all that was right
and much that was questionable.
Mr.. Davis, of California offered an amendment
to authorize the postmaster general to pay to the
colOEies of New Zealand ard New South Wales
so much of the cost of transportation of the Brit
ish closed mails to and from Australia as he NAV
deem 1t just not to exceed One-half of the said
cost and appropriating $40 900 for that purpose
Mr.. Davis advocated the adoption of his amend
ment and the amendment was agreed to; yeas.
81, nays q.
Mr.. Blackburn offered an amendment to the act
authorizing the construction of the st. Louis
bridge by adding thereto proviso that no higher
charge shall be made for TRANSPORTATION of mails
over that bridge than the rate per mile paid for
their transportation railroads or the highway
leading to said bridge. The amendment required
unanimous consent to be presented at this time
and being objected to by Wells, it was not re-
ceived.
The committee then rose and reported the bill
to the house, when it passed.
WEDNESDAY, Jan 26-Senote-The postoffice
appropriation bill was read and referred to the
committee on appropriations. The consideration
of the land in severalty bill was then resumed
The question being upon the amendment adding
proylso to the amendment of Senator Hoar
comforting citizenship on Indians taking land il
severalty. After some further discussion KernaI
moved executive session. The motion was theI
| agreed to, and the senate went into executiy,
session. and when the doors reopened it ad
| journed.
! WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26-Rouse-On motion O
Mr.. Sapp, the bill passed granting to Counci
| Bluffs, Carr lake near that city. motion t,
/ dispense with the morning hour was defeated b.
avote of 80 to 81, and the speaker directed the
clerk to finish the bill pending. Mr.. Bicknel
called up the resolution proposing joint rule fO
| counting the electoral votes. After some time be
ing spent in vain to arrive at q determination il
| reference to the time to be consumed in debate
| Bicknen demanded the previous question on th
| Morgan electoral resolution. Mr.. COnger raiseI
| tht question of consideration, it defeated ant
| the house adjourned.
THURSDAY, Jan. 27.- Senate.-Sen. Dawes pre-
sented a petition signed By John Welsh Bisho,
| Simpson, Rev. Joseph Cook Wendell Phillips anC
2,200 others, besides churches, benevolent ant
other societies. representing in all so 900 cti
zens praying congress to observe the treaties mad
with the Indian tribes, and in future to do jusic
! to the remnants of that people. The bulky pack
age inclOsing the petition was conveyed from tn
senator's table where it had attracted attention
the vice presidents table, and with the accOmpa
! nying explanatory letter from the Indian Terri
tory keeping association, of Philadelphia was re
| terred to the committee on Indian affairs. TIL
Indian land in Severalty bill was taken up as un
finished business.
House.-The post route bill having been report
ed and recommitted, Speer at the expiration
of the morning hour, called up the contested elec
ten case of Yeats VS.. Martin. Speer argued i
favor of the contestant, Yeats. Mr.. Keifer pre-
| sented the case of the cOntestee Martin and Nh
Russel the other side. At the conclusion of Rus
sells speech Mr.. Springer demanded the preyiou
question, and the republicans refusing to vote, tn
house was left without a quorum. Adjourned.
FRIDAY Jan. 29-,Senoe- committee o.
diseases of domestic animals reported with amend
ments the bill for the establishment of burea
of animal industry and for the Suppression and pre-
| VentiOn of contagious diseases. The bill to con
| fer to Chicago the title to the grounds in tn
| Fort Dearborn reservation was taken up on mo
tion of Davis of Illinois, and elected discussion
which occupied the morning hour. Sen. Blain
introduced bill for the establishment of tn
L. s. mail service and the revival of foreign com
! merce on American steamships. Mr.. Blaine sal
| he introduced the bill a substitute for on
| which was a substitute of Mr. Beck's speech G
| the previous day, namely: free ships. At thi
suggestion the bill was referred to the committe
on finance.
Sen. Wallace introduced a joint resolution pro
posing amendment to the constitution of tn
| United States, changing the mode of electin
president and vice president of the United State:
The bill dispenses with the electoral college. an
provides for the election by the people by tn
secret ballot and by direct vote. In the district
i each state fo have districts II ha
senators aDd members in congress- and each dis
trict to have one vote: the vote to be canVasse
by the state board of canvassers consisting of tn
governor, chief justice and secretary Of state
their returns TO be made to the speaker of tn
house. and to be conclusive proof of the result
the votes to be counted by congress in joint ballot
and the plurality vote to elect. The bill was TEN
porariy laid on the table, Wallace stating that h
would ask to submit some remarks upon it to
morrow.
Without action upon the bill the senate wen
into executive session, and when the doors re-Op
ened adjourned until tomorrow.
FRIDAY, Jan. 28-Hoalse-A A resolution caln
on the secretary of state for all the information Il
regard to the Halifax fishery award was adopted
The morning hour having been dispensed wit
the house went into committee of the whole, Hun
ton in the chair, on the private calendar.
The committee rose without taking any actiOl
on the bills and the house adjourned
SATURDAY, Jan 29-lSeaate-Sen. Edmund
submitted a resolution, which was adopted with
out dissent, instructing the judiciary committe
to inquire into and report its opinion to the con
stitutional legality of the votes of any eleetora
college given for president aud vice president 0
the United States on the day for the casting 0
votes of electors in all the states.
Sen. Lamar presented the credentials of Jane
B. George successor to Sen. Bruce Of Mississippi
The Indian land. in severalty bill, then cam
up. as in regular order, but the senate adjourne
without coming to a vote.