Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-06
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

-.
Journed to-day, when Mr.. Hammond for
mally announced the death of the late
senator Hill, of Georgia. The members
then held meeting to fix upon a time
when the two houses shall hold memorial
services in memory of the dead Senator.
A committee consisting of Messrs. Ham
mond, Blount and Speer was selected to
make arrangements for the occasion. 1t
was decided that the memorial services
should not be held before January 2Oth
next. The exact date was nol fixed upon.
1t Is believed that Emory Speer is after
the scalp Of District Attorney Bigby. and
Is laying pipes so that he may become
Bigby's successor. He goes to see Brew
ster Cameron, the special agent of the
Department Of Justice, very frequently.
In case Speer should become District At
torney it is believed that James Atkins
would be his assistant.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
In the Senate, Mr.. Brown presented the
credentials Of Pope Barrow, chosen to fill
the uneXpired term of the late Senator
Hill, of Georgia.
Wnen the credentials had been read
Mr.. Edmunds remarked that the Cover
nOr's certificate was not, in his judgment,
IN conformity with the act of Congress,
but as all knew that Mr.. Barrow had been
regularly elected, he would not urge the
point, being content to call attention to it
so that this defective certificate should
not be drawn upon as a precedent.
The oath of office was then adminis-
tered to the new Senator.
The President pro TEN. laid before the
senate the annual report of the Comp
trOller Of the Currency, which was ordered
printed.
ON motion of Mr. Anthony, the Standing
and Select Committees, as they existed at
the close Of last session. were continued.
Petitions were introduced by Messrs.
Dawes, Ingalls, and COckrell in relation
to the passage of the pending bill and for
the increase Of pensions to soldiers who
lost limbs or are labOring under equiya-
lent disabilities.
Mr.. Sanders gave notice that early next
week he would call up the pending bill
for the admission of Dakota.
Mr.. Beck offered preamble and resOlu-
tiOn, setting forth the law against leyving
political assessments, with copies of cir
culars asking contributions for political
purposes issued by the Republican and
Readiuster Committees during the last
campaign. and instructing the Judiciary
Committee to investigate the matter fully
and report how much money was so col
lected. where and how it was spent.
and whether those political commit
tees or any of their members have still any
of the money in their possession. Also
the names of all persons dismissed from
the public service since the 9TH of May,
1882, and how many of them had failed to
contribute as requested. The resolution
requires the committee to report by bill
or otherwise on or before February lst,
1888.
Mr.. Beck said he would call up the reso-
luton tomorrow.
Mr.. Platt offered a resolution instruct
ing the Commissioner of Pensions to give
a mass of information under fourteen
heads in relation to the pension roll and
the probable effect upon it Of the passage
of House bill No. lao now pending in
the Senate.
Mr. Bayard asked Mr.. Platt to amend
the resolution so as to call for complete
alphabetical list of pensioners; but Mr..
Platt declined upon the ground that this
would delay too long the information de
sired by the Committee on Pensions in
connection with the pending bill.
The resolution, at Mr.. Beck's sugges-
ton. went over until tomorrow.
At the conclusion of the morning hour,
Mr.. Hoar called up the resolution to meet
daily at II O'Clock. After discussion, it
was rejected, leaving the hour of meeting
l. O'Clock, as usual.
Mr.. Morgan, of Alabama, introduced a
joint resolution for an amendment to the
Constitution authorizing the President to
veto part of an appropriation bill and APP
prove the remainder.
Mr.. George offered joint resolution for
an amendment to the Constitution provid-
ing that in appropriation bills the exact
amount of each appropriation and the
purposes for which it is made
shall be stated. and that no extra
compensation shall be granted to
any public contractor, officer, agent or
servant after the making of contract or
the rendering of service, and that the
President may approve and disapprOve
appropriations in the same bill and re-
turn to Congress a portion of the bill dis
approved, as in ordinary cases of veto.
After passing bill permitting retired
army officers to hold official positions in
the Territories, the Senate, at , p. m, on
motion of Mr.. PendletOn, adjourned, as a
mark OF respect to the late Representatives
Updegratf and Lowe.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
The House met at u O'Clock. After the
reading of the journal the Speaker laid
before the House the annual report of the
Comptroller of the Currency, and it was
referred to the Committee on Banking and
Currency.
The Speaker as the regular order pro-
ceeded to call the committees for reports.
Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, Chairman
of the Committee of Ways and Means, re-
ported bill to abolish the internal reve-
nue. tax on tobacco, snuff, cigars and
cigarettes. 1t was referred to the com
mittee of the whole, and the minority was
granted leave to file a minority report.
The House took up the calendar
The bill to repeal and amend certain
acts pertaining to the shipment and dis
charge Of seamen was passed. 1t repeals
the provision for the payment of three
months extra wages to seamen, and pro-
vides in lieu thereof that seamen dis
charged in foreign ports shall be provided
with means of returning home or provided
with another berth. 1t embodies sub
stantiallv the notifications of the law
recommended by the joint special COM
mttee having in charge the question of
the decline Of American shipping.
A message from the Senate announced
the death of Hon. Benjamin II. Hill, of
Georgia. and after few touching re-
marks by Mr.. Hammond, of Georgia, the
House, as a mark of respect to the memory
of the deceased, at / 80 adjourned.
IHE PROPOSED POLITICAL ASSESSMENTS
INQUIRY.
The preamble to Mr.. Beck's resolution
of inquiry into political assessments,
offered in the Senate to-day, recites that
the provisions of the act of August 10,
1876, prohibiting the employees of the gov
ernment from giving to or receiving from
any officer of the government any
money or property or other things
of value for political purposes,
have either proved inefficient to prevent
repetition of the wrongs against which
they were intended to guard, or have been
violated by the political managers of the
Republican party and their allies. That
certain members of the Senate, acting as
part of the Republican Executive Com
mittee these members are Messrs. ALI
son and Hale), have united with others
in requesting and receiving money
from employees Of the government,
as shown by the circular given in the re-
solution, which is the one tamiliarly
known as the voluntary assessment cir
cular. issued by the Republican EXecu-
tive Committee. Also that another men,
Der of the senate NIr, MahOne) had re-
quested and received sums of money from
employees of the United States TO aid in
the political campaign for the Readjuster
party in Virginia as appears from circu-
lar addressed to a pOstmistress there.