Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-01-20
CONGRESS.

The bill to provide for the punishment
of tramps in the District of Columbia
was again taken up i'll the Senate Tues
day, but was laid aside without action.
In the House little ripple of excite
ment was Occasioned 10y a motion of Mr.
Blackburn, of Kentucky, for an investi-
eating committee into the charges
against Representative Cox, of New
York, and Senator Wallace, of Pennsyl-
vania, for illegally franking Democratic
campaign documents. Mr.. Cox denied
the charge, but courted an investiga-
ton, and a committee of live was ap-
pointed. The Indian Appropriation bill
passed, the committee of ten citizens,
known as the Indian Peace Commission
being unprovided for i'll the bill. The
debate on this section of the bill was spi-
rited and somewhat acrimonious, and it
was defeated by a strict party vote, the
Democrats opposing the appropriation of
$4,000 for the expenses of the commits
ion.
The Senate Wednesday spent consid-
cradle time over Senator Logan's propo-
sition to extend the franking privilege
A great many members spoke in support
of and against the measure, and Mr..
Edmunds asserted that the privilege had
been curtailed at the instance of several
newspapers in the hope of increasing
their circulation by making it expensive
for members to communicate freely with
their constituents. Mr.. Thurman, how
ever, contended that the privilege was
abolished because it was so fiagrantly
abused. No action was reached on the
measure. There was.also long debate
on the Army Appropriation bill.
The entire day was spent in the House
in discussing the Wood Funding bill.
The question being on the amendment
to make the rate of interest on the new
bonds to be issued per cent instead of
81 per cent, as provided in the bill, sew
eral members contended that the bonds
could not be floated at per cent, and
that the attempt to do SO would be a
failure. The majority, however, thought
:, per cent bonds would be readily pur-
chased by banks and capitalists, and the
amendment was finally adopted by a
vote of 1872 to 92.
The Senate on Thursday resumed con-
sideration of the Army Appropriation
bill, but failed to reach any conclusion
upon it. After a prOtracted debate, the
resolution to extend the franking priyi-
lege was referred to the Postoffice Com
mittee.
In the House, several committee re-
ports were received, which occupied the
morning hour, upon the expiration of
whicn the House went into committee
of the whole ON the Funding bill. Sev-
eral hours were spent in debate over
the length of time which the proposed
per cent bonds shall run, and finally
the committee agreed that the issue
should be not to exceed S4OO,OOO,OOO of
bonds and S3O0,O00000 of certificates,
the former to be redeemable at the pleas
ure of the government at any time after
the expiration of live years, and the lat
ter after one year from the date OF is
sue. The vote on this amendment Was
1S2 yeas to nays, the latter being
Weaver and Gillette, Greenbackers.
In the Senate Friday was adopted a
concurrent resolution instructing the
Committee on Naval Affairs to confer
with the Secretary of the Navy III ref
erence to the unveiling of the statue of
Admiral Farragut. The army appropri-
alton bill was adopted, and the military
academy bill, which provides for an ap-
preparation of $322,135, which was $72,-
307 less shau the estimates, but exceed
ed the appropriations for 1880 by $5,9Ol,
was taken up and adopted. A District
tramp bill was passed. A House joint
resolution appropriating $4,000 to de-
fray the expenses of the International
Sanitary Conference, was. after some
discussion on constitutional law, agreed
to.
In the House the day was taken up
with the consideration of private bills.
Mr.. Springer took occasion to emphasize
the necessity of creating court for the
hearing of all private claims. Mr.. An
derson obtained leave to change his
amendment to the funding bill, and Mr..
Townshend WAS granted leave to have