National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-12
CONGRESS YESTERDAY.
The Post-OzHee Appropriation BIlI-Pen'
sion Bills I'm the Hoase.

sion Bills IN the H0ase.
Bills and joint resolutions were introduced as
follows and referred:
By Mr. HERMAN: In relation to the interna-
tional exhibition of 1885, authorizing and request
ing the President, whenever he shall deem that
adequate preparations therefor have beenmade, to
invite the participation therein of foreign nations,
provided there shall be no expense 10 the Govern
ment. Mr.. HERMAN asked present consideration
of the subject out objection being made, the Joint
resolution was referred, at the suggestion of Mr..
CoNKLING, TO the Committee on Finance.
By Mr.. BECK: For the preservation OF the
records of the United States District Court Ut
Frankfort, KY.
By Nj. WALLACE: For the relief of the Phila-
delphia and Reading Railroad Company. To
Mr.. HOAR offered resolution instructing the
Judiciary Committee to consider and report whether
the assembling at the seat of Government of large
bodies of organized and armed troops not under
the command of officers Of the United States army
any national authority be not likely to prove IN
future dangerous in practice, and whether any
legislation or opinion by Congress on the subject
be desirable. Laid over.
Mr.. VEST, from the Committee on Mines and
Mining, reported without amendment the Dill 10
amend section 1884 of the Revised Statutes relating
to the publication of mining notices Placed on
the calendar.
adversely the bill to amend section 23ji, relative
to assessment of labor in mines. Indefinitely post
poned.
He also reported adversely the bill concerning
patents for placer claims. Postponed indefinitely.
Mr.. BAYARD gave notice that on Monday he
would ask the Senate TO take up the House fund
ing bill and consider it until disposed OF. he
added that he had not insisted upon having 1t
taken up this week. in order that the debate upon
it might proceed continuously when begun.
The subject was here dropped.
Mr.. CONKLING offered resolution, which was
adopted reciting that appropriations had been
made for ten years for the improvement OF the
Great Kanawha River of West Virginia that a
company calling itself "the Kanawha Board,
under some pretended authority not of Congress,
assumed TO levy and collect tolls on the commerce
ofthe river from the town of Charlestown to the
mouth of the river; and lnstructlns the Commerce
Committee to inquire into the fact, and the au-
thorty of said board to levy all tolls navigable
waters of the United States accessible from other
waters than those of West Virginia, and report
such order as shall seem eXDedient-
Mr.. WALLACE was awarded the floor upon his
constitutional amendment for District system
and popular vote by the plurality rule in preSi
dental elections and spoke for an hour upon the
inherent in the present electoral college plan ana
would be remedied by applying the principle in
county, State, and congressional elections tnamely,
the choice OF the person having the hlgheSt num-
Der of VOtes) to the presidential contest He was
attentively heard by the Senate and an unusually
large audience in the galleries.
The consideration of the postal appropriation
bill (approprating, as reported from the Senate
committee, S4l ,li74 432) was resumed IN COMMITTEE
of the Whole.
The CHAIR stated that at the adjournment on
the previous day the pending amendment was the
one previously reported from the Committee on
Post Offices, apprOpriating Ito be expended under
the direction of the Postmaster General 81 900 900
in aid of additional foreign postal service in Amer
ican iron steam vessels, and that the question was
upon an appeal taken by Mr.. MAXEY from the de-
ciSion of the Chair ruling the amendment out of
order, in violation of the twenty ninth rule,
which prohibits general legislation upon an appro-
priation bill.
Debate ensued on the bill until $40 p. m when
the Senate adjourned until TO day.