The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 18??-1882, 1881-12-23
Congress-.

Thus far, business in Congress Cal
hardly be said to have begun, tn
House committees not having yet beer
announced. The brief meetings of tn,
tive branches have, however, served {,
indicate that the first session of tn,
47th Congress is to be busy one
Some 800 bills and notices of bills wer,
introduced during the first week, ant
though most of these were for private
relief, and should not occupy the at
tention of congress at all (being proper
matters for the Court of Claims) there
are others which are important and Cal
for prompt action. Among these il
the bill introduced by Mr.. Willets OF
Michigan, to reorganize the govern.
ment of Utah Territory, drawn, as is
sta ed, to meet the views of President
Arthur. The bill makes Utah an ex,
ception to the system generally follow
ed in the government of territories, but
it does not exceed the constitutional
power and right of the government,
and the course it presclibes is clearly
demanded, if Utah is to be made to re-
spect the laws Of the United States In
regard to the practice of pOlygamy. 1t
simply puts the affairs of Utah in the
hands of Governor and Legislative
council of nine members, all appointed
by the President. AS territory is en-
titled by the constitution, to such form of
government only as Congress is pleased
TO give it. And as the people of Utah
set at defiance the laws of the land, a.
well as the laws of decency and NODES
ty, it is proper, if not necessary, that
they be made an exception to the gen.
eral rule, so far as regards the privileges
OF self-gOvernment. Itis said that the
provisions of the bill received the ap-
probation of the late President, to whom
they were submitted previous to his
assassination. Besides this, Mr.. Will
Its will submit other bills, introduced
oy him to the 46th Congress and which
were referred to the judiciary commit
tee, on which no report was made. The
first relates "to the crime of bigamy
and proof thereof" The second is "to
provide for challenges and oaths to jur.
ors in trials for bigamy and polygamy
in the Territories of the United States"
The purpose of the third bill may be
inferred from its title, which is "a bill
to further regulate suffrage in the Ter
ritOries of the United States, and to
fix certain qualifications for Office, and
to provide for the registration of voters
in the Territory of Utah."
Tariff Reform" has received no lit
tie attention in the Senate. 1t is pro-
posed to form commission to consider
the subject, and the discussion has thus
far been directed to its personel, oena-
tor Morril being in favor of making it
up outside of Congress, and Senators
Beck and Garland antagonizing that
plan, on the ground that after the sub
ject shall have been examined by such
d commission, the committees of Con-
gress must again summon experts and
90 over the same course of examina-
tion again before action can be taken.
Other subjects of Importance in re-
lation to which bills have been intro
duced or speeches made, and which will
claim the attention of Congress, are the
different 3-per cent. refunding bills, one
by Mr.. Sherman and one by Mr.. Ran
dali, and also proposed amendment to
the constitution, guaranteeing presi-
Dental succession in case Of the presi-
dents death.