Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-13
VERMONT IN CONGRESS.

THE SERVICES OF HER SENATORS AND REPRE-
sENTATIvEs DURING THE LAST SESSION OF
CONGRESS, AS RELATED BY WEBB" THE
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT OF THE Dos
TON JOURNAL.
George +. Edmunds stands at the head of
the delegation from Vermont and is a recog-
nzed leader in the Senate in all matters of
law and party policy. He was appointed
chairman of the committee on the judiciary
and chairman of the committee on foreign re-
latons for a time, but he subsequently decin-
cd service on the latter, and he was also
member of the committee on private claims.
He presented but few bills. Those which
were of public character related to the re-
tirement of army officers to allow citizens to
sue for claims against the United States, the
purpose of which is that great government
may be compelled to pay just debts due to its
citizens to punish counterfeitng of foreign
bonds to secure service of process in United
States courts to defray expenses incurred in
consequence of the assault upon President
Garfield to amend the law relative to polyg-
amy, and to amend the law relative to quo.
rum of the United States Supreme Court.
Mr.. Edmunds spoke on great variety of sub
iects, including the Alabama claims the al
coholc liquor traffic; the appointment of ex-
confederates in the army the Boston navy
yard; the death of Senators Carpenter and
Burnside Chinese immigration Thanking
privilege; Mississippi overflow, and the 3 per
cent bond bill Mr.. Edmunds was absent
during the latter part of the session owing to
illness in his family.
Justin S. Morrill, holds the very important
position of chairman of the committee on
finance and is member of the committees
on education and labor and public buildings
and grounds, as well as of the select commit
tees on the census and library accommoda-
tions. He was excused, however, from SER
vice on the two latter committees on account
of the exacting nature of his duties as chair
man of the committee on finance. The only
public bills which Mr.. Morrill, introduced re-
lated to the entry and withdrawal of distilled
spirits; to apply the net proceeds of public
lands and patents to education to require
written signatures on national bank notes, and
to amend the law relative to the circulation of
national banks, and to appoint tariff COM
mission. The passage of the latter bill was
largely due to his eXertions. He also intro
duced several bills of Importance in the Dis
trct of Columbia. AS the organ of the COM
mittee on finance, he reported 80 bills, aud
from the committee on public buildings and
grounds he reported ten bills. He did not ask
for leave of absence, and appears not to
have been absent from the Senate a single
4cBlbldtlNO huJ. HIS T6SOTu rs 10 IalLQIulleSS
of public service is one which no younger
members have surpassed and few have equal
ed. Mr.. Morrill, spoke upon variety of sub
jects, particularly on the bills coming from
his committee. He made special speeches on
the apportionment bill, on the bill to permit
the grinding of Canadian grain at mills in the
United States, on Chinese immigration. on
discriminating duties, on distilled spirits on
the bill to extend the executive mansion, for
eign tariff, internal taxation, tariff commits
sion, per cent bonds Japanese indemnity,
labor strikes, reciprocity with Mexico nation
al banks, Pacific railroad sinking fund and
the river and harbor bill. Altogether his rec
ord indicates wonderful activity. He is look
ed upon in his party as the representative of
sound financial principles, and as the most
earnest exponent of the protective tariff sys-
tenn.
Charles H. Joyce was appointed member
of the committee on invalid pensions, and of
the select committees on bounty and back pay
alcoholic liquor traffic, and the death of Pres
ident Garfield. He was an active and indus
trious member of the committee on pensions.
and throughout his public career has been the
soldiers most earnest friend. He reported to
the House nearly 60 pension bills, and intro
duced several. The public measures which he
introduced were for the alcoholic liquor com
mission, for apportionment, for the repeal of
the tax on bank checks and proprietary med
icines. II spoke upon the agricultural appro-
priation bill, apportionment, Chinese immi-
grafton, and on pensions, bounty and back
pay.
James NJ. Tyler was a member of the COM
mittees on education and labor and the GEN.
sus. The public bills which he presented re-
lated to apportionment, to the inspection of
steam vessels to amend the Dill to give the
Court of Claims jurisdiction of claims and
to provide for the erection of public build
ing at Brattleboro. He spoke on the bill to
make the agricultural bureau an executive
department, on apportionment, and made
very earnest fight to secure Justice for the
state, but in vain, on Chinese immigration,
on internal tax reduction and on the death of
the late Senator Carpenter.
William W. Circuit was appointed member
OF the committees on territories and expendi-
lures on public buildings. He reported from
the committee on territories the bill relative
to North Dakota The public bills which he
presented were to suppress bigamy in the ter
ritories to allow arrears of pension to widows
and orphans, and he asked for cannon for a
soldiers monument at Newport and at ST.
Johnsbury. He remembered the soldiers in
numerous pension bills. His principal
speeches were on the bill to make the agri-
cultural bureau an executive department and
on the bill to distribute the balance of the
Geneva award The latter speech was a no.
table one. In it Mr.. Grout presented, in a
very torcihle way, the entire Geneva award
question,