Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-01-19
THE FORTY-SIxTH CONGRESS.
SGnaa2.

Senate. M
MONDAY, January 10-Logan introduced bin To
authorize the appointment of Gen. Grant on the re-
tired list of the army, with the rank and full nav of
general of the army. The bill also authorizes the
president, when he shall consider emergency has
arisen requiring the services of Gen. Grant active
duty to assign him to any command commensurate
with the rank of general Referred to the committee
on military affairs. Other bills were introduced
and referred, as follows: To amend the revised
statutes so as to require signatures national bank
notes to be written not engraved provide for the
distribution of unclaimed dividends among creditors
of national banks; to extend the franking privilege
to all official business sent through the mails by sena-
| tors, representatives and delegates in congress-
Laid on table and ordered printedl to regulate and
improve the civil service Of the United States: to
prevent extortion from persons in the public service
and bribery and corruption by such persons The
bill for the punishment of tranps in the District of
Columbia occupied the remainder of the morning
hour, but went over without action The Ben Eoll-
day relief bill was then discussed until adjourned
| TUESDAY, January 11.-Cameron, Pa) from the
military committee reported adversely an the bill to
reorgan1ze and discipline the militia of the United
States and its further consideration was indefpite-
ly postponed. Slater introduced bill to reduce
the price OF even numbered sections of public lands
within the limits of any railroad, military or wagon
road grant to presumption settlers to 81 rs per acre
1.-The Holiday relief bill was debated until ad-
journment. ...+ F.- ..fs.
WEDNESDAY: January 12.-Davs wv, ya1 sub
| mitted resolution instructing the committee on
finance to inquire into the advisability of q chang
in the organization of the treasury and other de-
partments so as to divide accounts, etc. for collect
ing receipts and the safe-keeping of revenues from
| the disbursement accounts; to transfer from the
treasury to the war or navy department steamboat
! inspection, hfe-saving and other services and to
place under the state department. matters connected
with our domestic and foreign commerce. Tabled
and ordered printed. .Logans joint resolution ex-
tending the franking privilege to all official business
sent through the mail by senator's representatives
and delegates in congress, debated until the ex-
| p1ratlon OF the morning hour, when the army ap-
preparation bill taken up and discussed at length
in committee of the WHOLE the clause appropriatino
Sl25 600 to pay land grant railroads so per cent Of
| what the quartermasters department finds Justly
| due them for transportation Ito which the senate
committee added proviso that such payment shall
be accepted rs in full of full demands for said SER
vices) receiving the most attention without action
| on the amendment the senate adjourned.
THURSDAY, January 13.-On motion of Mcmillan
the bill recently introduced by him land which had
been reported on favoraby by the committee on
commerce), providing for the payment of damages
which may be occasioned to indians Minnesota
reservations by the construction of reservoirs at the
head waters of the Mississippi under the act of last
year, and also providing that the appropriation here
tofore made for the construction of dam at Lake
Winnebago shall be applied Immediately, was taken
up and passed The bill relating to the extension
OF the ranking privilege was referred to the commit
tee on postofiees by vote of $50 to23 Discussion
OF the army bill was then resumed, the question
being upon The amendments to the item for the pay
ment of government transportation on land grant
| railroads. Edmunds offered an amendment proyid-
ing for the adjustment of all payments due such
eminent bonds by the proper accounting officers in
accordance with the decisions of the Supreme Court
in the cases decided under the land grant acts but
in no case shall than SO per cent of the full
amount of service be paid until final judicial eci-
sion shall be had in respect to each in dispute
| Agreed to-ayes %, noes 49, Edmunds moved that
the amendment reported from the senate committee,
appendiHg proviso that "such payment shall be
accepted in full of all demands for such services
be stricken out. Agreed to after discussion-aye
| %, noes %. The amendments of the senate COM
mttee to the other items of the bin agreed to
az reported Pending action upon the bill tho senate
| adjourned 4f.. ..s t
| FRIDAY, January 14-Hoar presented, with peti-
ton in its favor bill to provide for retiring pres-
dents of the United States The District of Column
ba tramp bill was passed and the senate went into
committee OF the whole and resumed consideration
of the army appropriation bill. After long discus
sion on the correctness of certain ruling by the
chair the bill was reported to the senate and passed.
| -. On motion Of Window the senate took up the
military academy appropriation bill. Window stated
the total of the bill at 1892 1885, which $72 GOT
than the estimates. 1t exceeded the appropriation
for 1881 by 5,901. The senate committee had made
| a single important amendment. The bill was dis
cussed in committee of the whole, reported to the
house without amendment and passed. After all
executive session the senate adjourned till Monday
House.
MONDAY, January 1O.-Bills introduced: Declaring
silver certificates to possess the legal tender
quality the coin for which they issued: to in
the manufactures thereof; proposing constitutions
al amendment providing that all the civil offices Of
the United States, except judges of the supreme and
inferior courts, heads of departments and officers
where duties are temporary, shall hold Office for
term of four years, and that congress may provide
for an election by the people of postmasters and
other officers whose duties to be performed with
in the limit of any state such officers to be subject
to removal by the president on other than political
or religious grounds; to prevent extorton from per-
sons in public SERVICE and bribery and coercion by
such persons; requesting the president to open ne
gotiations with Mexico or the Central American
states for the purchase and cession to the United
the colored population Of the United States relative
to the transportation OF dutiabe goods to regulate
the. importation of articles made in imitation of
butter cheese; to relieve the Supreme Court and
establish Superior Court of the United States. ..
The Indian appropriation bill was reported back from
committee, and the house immediately went into
committee of the whole to consider it. Frost Of
fered an amendment providing that Joseph's band
Of the Nez Perces Indians shall be transferred to
such Indian reservation north of the 45th parallel
north latitude as the secretary of the interior may
select. Rejected without division. The committee
then rose and the house adjourned. s-...
TUESDAY, January 11.-On motion of Blackburn
Qly.) a resolution was adopted appointing COM
plittee of five to inquire into alleged abuses of the
franking privilege. The house then went into COM
ing amendment was that offered by Hscock, appro-
priatng $40 600 to defray the expenses of commits
sion of ten citizens provided for in the act of 1862
and striking out the clause repeating all laws creating
or authorizing such commission. Adopted by q
standing voe-87 to 70. Hiscock rose to point Of
order against the sixth section of the bill, which
provides that all bids for supplies of provisions for
Indians and for transportation of the shall be
first opened and contracts awarded thereon at some
suitable place in the Mississippi valley and Missouri
valley After discussion the point of order
tanned and the section stricken out. Hooker
offered an amendment providing for the transfer of
the management of Indian affairs to the war depart
ment after the first of July next Haskell then rose
point of order that the substance of the amend
ment was embodied in two bills now pending before
| the house, and that, therefore, the amendment was
not in order. Point sustained and amendment ruled
out Frost, in order to avoid that point of order
offered an amendment providing that appropriations
made by this bill shall be expended by the general
of the army instead of by the secretary of the in
terror; but this also ruled out. An amendment
by Ryan (Ks. providing for advertisement of con-
tracts at least sixty days before award adopted
and the committee rose and reported the bill to the
amendment adopted in committee relative to the In
| dian commission was rejected-ayes LOG, nays 49,
The bill was then passed Adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, January 12.-The morning hour was