The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-12-22
FORTY.SEVENTH CONGRESS-.
Senate,

the extraordinary liabilities and expenses in
CURED in consequence of the assault upon the
late President of the United States. MIR. Rol-
Inns introduced bill for the increase of facil-
ties for the just adjudication of pension claims.
Mr.. Blair submitted and asked present
consideration of a resolution instruct
ing the committee on education and labor to in
uuire into the condition of common school
education in the United States, and report
thereon, and also as to what measures, in the
opinion Of the committee, Congress can law
fully and properly enact in aid of such educa-
ton. Adopted. :. Mr.. Hill, from the COM
mittee on privileges and elections,
reported back certain memorials from men,
bers of the Now York legislature affecting the
right Of Messrs. Miller and Lapham to occupy
seats in the Senate, and asked that they be
tabled and the committee discharged from
their further consideration. He stated briefly
that the committee did not think any one nor
all Of the five reasons alleged by the memorial
ists as invalidating the election were sufficient
to justify further Intervention, or did in fact
invalidate it. The tariff commission bill was
then taken up and NessIs. Garland and Beck
denounced and MIR. Morrill, defended the present
tariff. On motion of Mr.. Morrill, the bills on
the subject we're then referred to the commit
tee on finance.
MIR. Vest presented a bill to incorporate tho
Interoceanic Ship Railway company, and for
other purposes. =. Mr.. Logan, from the COM
mittee on military affairs, reported with amend
ments the bill to place General Grant on the
army retired list. Placed on the calendar. Mr..
Maxey, of the committee, said the report just
made was not unanimous and he would indi-
cate his objections at the proper time. Mr..
Fdmunds submitted resolution requiring the
President, if in his opinion not incompatible
with the public interest, to communicate to the
Senate all the correspondence between the
government of the United States and its diplo-
matic agents in Peru and Chilli respective
ly, occurring since the 1st of April, 1879,
touching public affairs in or between those
States and also such correspondence on the
subject as may be in possession Of the depart
ment Of state. Agreed to without dissent. :.
Mr. Eoar offered q resolution, which was
adopted instructing the committee on military
affairs to inquire what legislation, if any, is
needed to enable the widows and heirs of de-
ceased soldiers to receive the benefits Of boun-
iios to said soldiers while living, and remaining
unpaid at the time of their decease. . Mr..
Pendleton's bill to regulate and improve the civil
urged the necessity and possibility of civil SER
vice reform. Messrs. Dawes and Hill also
spoke upon the bill, which was finally laid on
the table for the time being.
Mr.. JONES' of Florida, offered resolution re-
questing the secretary of war to communicate
information or evidence on file in the war
office relating to the construction of q shin
estimates of the cost of the work and the sur
yeys made by the United States with a viow to
the construction Of such canal. Laid over and
ordered printed. q. The resolution of Mr. Hoar,
for a select committee on the rights of women,
vas taken up. Mr. Vest, of Missouri, said
he could see no necessity for a COM
mittee on the subject and regarded the
resolution as step toward the re-
cognition of woman suffrage, to which he
was opposed on principle. Action on the reso-
luton was deferred. >. The subject of the
presidential succession in the event of the
moyal by death, resignation or inability of both
the President and Nice-President was consid-
cred, the resolutions introduced by Mr. Beck,
of Kentucky, and Mr. Maxey, of Texas, and the
bill of Mr.. Garland, of Arkansas, being before
the Senate for discussion. The matter was de-
bated without action by Messrs. Beck, Make,
and Anthony.
Petitions were presented by Messrs. Sher-
man and Ferry for a regulation of lairoad
transportation routes, and by Messrs Plumb
and Mitchell for the abolition of taxes on bank
deposits and checks. Mr.. Sherman, from the
committee on finance, reported favorably with
amendments, the bill to provide for the issue OF
three per cent bonds. He gave notice he would
ask its consideration Immediately after the
holidays. The bill was placed on the calendar.
Mr. Mcpherson submitted resolution re-
ferring to the committee on naval affairs the
Presidents recommendations in favor of
thorough rehabilitation Of the navy. Adopted.
-. MIR. ingalls, submitted q resolution in
structing the committee on pensions to inquire
and report what increase of pension, if any,
should be allowed the widow of Abraham Lin
coin. Adopted. -. Mr.. Garland took part in
the presidential succession debate, supporting
his own bill against the bill introduced BY
Mr. Beck, Of Kentucky. Mr.. Coke, of Texas,
and Mr.. Jones, of Florida, also spoke on the
question.
The Voorhees, resolution, referring to the
finance committee the parts of the Presidents
message relating to the repeal of the laws
authorizing silver coming and the issue of sill
yer certificates, was taken up and Mr.. Voor-
hees discussed the silver and greenback ques-
tion at length, charging that the recommenda-
ton of the secretary Of the treasury for the
early retirement of the silver certificates was
an assault on the financial stability of the
country.
On the first regular "bill day" in the House
& flood of bills poured in. The introduction of
bills began at half-past 12, and continued until
the House adjourned, at o'clock. During the
fonr hours and half thus occupied 754 bills
and joint resolutions were introduced. Only
seventeen States were called, beginning with
Alabama and ending with Massachusetts. Had
the remaining twenty-one been called, the
number of bills would have doubtless gone be-
yond !, 800 The highest number ever intro
duccd in the House in one day was on the first
bill day of the last Congress. The number
then reached 1885. But on that occasion all
the States were we're; called: OF the
duced, 449 are private bills, 2S3 public and 2OS
joint resolutions. Of the private bills 2O7 are
for pensions. The public bills related to al
most every conceivable subject of legislation,
judging from the measures brought in by
them. Mr.. Phelps introduced bills to have the
trade dollar made legal tender, all ship ma
terial admitted free of duty, and the bank
check tax repealed; Mr.. Cook presented bills to
have private claims adjudicated by the court
of claims; Mr.. Marsh proposed bill to have
United States legal tender notes subjected to
State taxation; Mr.. Thomas introduced bill
for the equalization of bounties; Mr.. Springer
desires to have telegraph lines appraised, and
graph systems; MIR. White handed in q bill to
distribute $40, 0O0 900 among States for educa-
tional purposes according to illiteracy; Mr.. Nc
Kenzie of Kentucky, wanted free salt; Mr..
Ellis, of Louisiana, desired to grant govern
ment aid to steamship lines Mr.. Knott, of
kentucky, introduced bill to remove the tax
on tobacco; Mr.. Gibson, ofLouisiana, proposed
bills to reduce the whisky tax to fifty cents per
gallon, to remove the tax on bank checks and
matches, and to impose an income tax; Mr..
Henderson, of Illinois, sought the passage of
what is known as the Adams bill for the crea-
ton of q board of railroad commissioners.
Many of these public bills we're on the files of
the last Congress.
The call of States for the presentation of
bills was continued. Among bills presented
were the following; BY Mr.. Robeson, to pro-
vide for the safety of life on railroads. By Mr..
Hill, to reduce letter postage TO two cents. BY
Mr.. Cox, of New York, topromote the efficiency
of the life-saving service; also to grant pen
Eions to the families of keepers and crews who
lost their lives in the life-saving service; also
making an apportionment of Representatives in