Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-03-16
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.

lucky, of the finance committee, reported ia
vorably with the amendment to his bill to pun
ish unlawful certifcation of checks by officers
of national banks. A resolution was passed,
authorizing the Secretary of War, in his dis
cretion, to use hospital tents now possessed by
the war department, to furnish temporary
shelter to the distressed people driven from
their homes by the Mississippi overflow. Mr..
Dawes, of Massachusetts, spoke against the
Chinese treaty bill. "l .'za
In the House, Mr.. King of louisiana, offered
a resolution directing the committee onappro-
priations to consider what measures Of relief
should be extended to the sufferers by the
present floods of the Mississippi river and its
tributaries, and report by bill or otherwise as
speedily as possible. Referred. The bill au-
thorizing an appropriation by Congress to aid
in celebrating at New Orleans, on the 9Th of
April, the two hundredth anniversary Of the
mouth of the Mississippi, by La Sale, was
laid on the table. The Senate bill appropria-
ting 500, 900 for statue Of Chief Justice John
Marshall was passed. The agricultural appro-
priation bill, appropriating $500, $3.50, was pass
ed. Mr.. Aiken, of South Carolina, after an
effort for an appropriation for the encourage
ment Of tea culture in this country, branched
off to general discussion of the question of
tariff, advocating revision Of customs duty,
and especially reduction Of duty upon iron.
Mr.. Aiken was followed by several other lnem-
bers who spoke on the tariff question until the
hour Of adjournment. :"s,-r "'.' th."2 ,Hr
In the Senate on the 9Th, bill was reported
contributing S25, 900 for continuing the i'm
provements of the Memphis harbor. The bill
for commission on the alcoholic liquor traffic
came up on the calendar, the question being
on Mr. Bayard's motion to commit to the f.
nance committee. The motion was rejected
by party vote, " tth the exception Of Mr..
Cameron, of Wisconsin, who voted with the
Democrats. The Chinese treaty bill was dis
cussed at length, but without action. aoi1a'
In the House a number of committees re-
ported on bills, after which the bill authorizing
the purchase of the property known as the
Freedman's Savings Bank in Washington, and
appropriating $780, 900 therefor, was passed,
after some debate. The anti-polygamy bill
was reached, but pending decision of the
chair as to which committee it should be re-
ferred, the House adjourned. 90 " - "aii'4.'
In the Senate on the 9th, the bill for a COM
mission on the subject Of alcoholic liquor traf-
ic was taken up again and further debated.
The pending amendment, directing that not
more than three of five members Of the COM
mission shall be Of the same political party was
agreed to-. Mr.. Bayard, of Delaware, moved
that not more than three of them shall be pro-
hibitionists, which was agreedto. Pending fur
ther debate on this bill, the morning hourex-
pired, and the Chinese bill was taken up. The
title of the bill was amended so as to read:
sAn act to execute certain treaty stipulations
relating to the Chinese" The bill was passed
by vote of 20 to 15 The text Of the bill, as
passed, is printed in another column. ''i.' -
In the House, a bill providing for cancella-
tion of stamps on tobacco transported by rail
was discussed. The agricultural appropriation
bill was also considered. Amendments to this
bill were adopted appropriating 5000 for ex-
periments in the manufacture of sugar from
sorghum, and $4,000 for experiments in the
manufacture of sugar from beets. Other
amendments were adopted and the bill was
passed. . Er.''.'
In the Senate ON the 10th, Mr.. Brown, of
Georgia, presented a memorial from mer-
chants, bankers and other prominent citizens
of Atlanta, for an adequate appropriation for
the improvement of the harbor of Savannah.
He subsequently introduced a bill appropria-
ting $3.50, 900 for that purpose. A resolution
was passed directing the secretary of war to
use steamers and other vessels belonging to or
now employed by the government on the Mis-
sissippi or it's tributaries in the transportation
and distribution of supplies to sufferers in the
overaowed district. The bill commission
on the alcoholic liquor traffic, which again
came up on the calendar, was discussed upon
the pending amendment offered by Mr.. Bay
ard (noted above) and the amendment was lost
by party vote--ayes, "a nays 25. The bill
was then reported to the Senatefrom the COM
mittee of the whole, and Mr.. JONES' Of Flori-
da, argued against the power Of Congress, un-
der the constitution, to regulate or interfere
with the liquor traffic. Mr.. Sherman replied
that the bill did not propose any interference
with the license or sale in the States, but
merely instituted an inquiry as to the best
mode of dealing with the evils growing out of
the traffic. He thought it a sufficient answer
to the objection to say that the information
was needed to enable Congress to deal with the
District of Columbia and the Territories, and
to regulate the revenue Mr.. Maxey cOrrobO-