Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-12-20
FoRTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS.


| grant Of the Oregon Central Railroad, and a
concurrent resolution of the legislature of Ore
| gon IN favor OF the passage of a. bill to incOr
porate the Nicaragua Canal Company. Both
were referred. Slater also introduced bill
which was referred, to forfeit the unearned
! lands of the Oregon Central Railroad Company.
-. Ferry introduced bill which was referred,
! to amend the pension laws by increasing
| the pension of soldiers and sailors who have
lost an arm or leg in the service. The senate
then took up the bankruptcy BILL the question
being on Browns motion to postpone the sub
| Ject indefinitely. Debate ensued but the SEN
ate refused by vote of 81 to 80 TO postpone
indefinitely. The Lowell bill, introduced by
Hoar, was then adopted as substitute.
| PendletOn's civil service bill was then taken ND
by vote Of d to Is. The bill was laid aside
for other matters and the senate after an ex-
| ecut1ve session adjourned.
TUESDAY December PA petition was in
troduced for an increase Of pensions to one
| armed and One-legged soldiers; also a me-
mortal Of the Chicago Board of Trade in favor
! OF the Lowell bankruptcy bill :. Beck intro
duced bill, which was referred, to prohibit
officers and employees of the United States from
contributing money for political purposes .
| The Pendleton civil service bill was taken up
and its author addressed the senate. Sherman
also spoke on the bill. Plumb introduced a
| bill which was referred, to authorize the secre-
soldiers and sailors in Kansas. After an ex-
| ecutlVe session the senate adjourned.
| WEDNESDAY, December 12.-SeveraI petitions
were presented for increase of pensions to one
armed and one-legged soldiers and relating to
| tax on tobacco Beck called 10 his resolution
| for an investigation of political assessments,
| the question being on Edmund's motion to re-
Ter Beck'S resolution and the substitute offered
| by Hale to the committee on Judiciary. After
| debate this was adopted. :. Consideration of
Pendleton's civil service bill was then resumed.
| Sherman moved to strike out the provision
making permanent appropriations for the ex-
penses OF the civil service commission there
being, he said, no appropriation Of this charac-
ter for any branch Of the civil service, not even
for judges of the supreme court. Agreed to-
On motion of Sherman the provision for the
payment. Of the expenses of the commission
was l1mlJed to travelling expenses. Coke offered
an amendment, which was ordered printed
providing that, "For the purpose of equaliz-
ing appointments between the several states
and territories and the District of Columbia
and also between political parties, all persons
now In office, place or employment who would
have been IN operation if the act had it been
IN force when they respectively entered the
public service, shall, within twelve months
from the approval of this act, comply, with the
terms and conditions Of applicants under this
act for original entrance into the service, or
vacate the places held respectively by them"
....Adjourned.
THURSDAY, December 14.-Pendleton's civil
service reform bill was taken up and Hoar adj
subject, his remarks ending III colloquv with
George. Brown offered an amendment. strik-
ing out the provision that entrance to the SER
vice shall be at the lowest grade, and providing
that competition shall be for offices of all
grades, and shall not be confined to persons
already In office; also an amendment explicitly
authorizing removals by the President or heads
of departments without assignment of cause
-. Adjourned.
FRIDAY, December 15.-Kasson Ta.) from
the committee on ways and means, reported
back the bill amending the act to repeal dis
eliminating duties on goods produced east of
the cape Of Good Hope. Passed. After de-
bate and a vote Of IA to 15 Mclean, elected
to congress from the Second District of Mis-
souri, but refused q certificate by the secretary
of state because the district was wiped out by
the new apDortionment, was sworn in and ee-
cort I'd to his seat Consideration of the post
Office appropriation bill was resumed in COM
mittee Of the whole. Adjourned.
SATURDAY, December 16.-Tbe civil service |
bill was taken up and Voorhees, spoke against |
it. Debate ensued. =. Dawes introduced bill
appropriating $3.50, 900 to settle the indebted
ness to the Kansas Indians, as represented by
Kansas scrip, with the proviso that the United
States shall be reimbursed from the sale of
Kansas Indian lands. Adjourned
House.
MONDAY, December 11.-Townsend (Il), |
offered resolution reciting that it is alleged
that certain existing lines of transportation |
have entered into a combination for the pur- |
pose of preventing the construction of COM |
petng lines into territories and through states,
thereby establishing mOnopolies IN transpOrta- |
ton, and directing the committee on commerce |
to report without delay bill prohibiting and |
furnishing such combinations. Referred 10 the |
committee on commerce. Bills and resOIu- |
tons introduced and referred: Providing that |
no further purchases of silver be made or sill |
yer dollars coined until the number of such |
dollars be reduced to 50,000,000 constituting
the Pacific Railroad acts so as to provide that |
the companies shall pay the cost of selecting, |
conveying and surveying lands; to abolish in
ternal revenue taxes and allow a rebate on
whisky and tobacco; to reduce the specie in the |
treasury to $3.50, 00Q, 600 by requiring the sec
rotary of the treasury to pay out silver dollars |
for current expenses of the government;
proposing constitutional amendment relative |
to the election Of president, vice president and |
members of congress; (tixes the term of |
president and vice president at six years, and |
makes the president ineligible for election for |
the next succeeding term; abolishes the cleo |
toral college, and provides for direct vote for |
president; every state shall be entitled to as |
many votes as il has senators and representa- |
tves IN congress, and the vote of each state |
shall be cast in proportion to the popular vote |
in the state for each candidate; the term of |
members of congress is fixed at three years,
and each session shall begin the first Wednes- |
nay in January; IN counting the votes cast for |
president in joint convention, each senator and !
member shall have one vote On motion of
Steele CInd. }, the bill was passed authorizing
brevet commissions to commissioned officers
for distinguished conduct in engagements
against hostile Indians Adjourned.
TUESDAY, December I'm committee Of the
whole, the house proceeded to the consideration
of the library bill. After a long and spirited
debate during which several additional amend
ments were offered, Singleton (Ill.) moved to
lay the bill and amendments on the table
Rejected-yeas 102, nays 1T. Holman's
amendment providing that the building shall
not cost. when completed, a exceeding
81. co., 900, and charging the supervising ar
chitect of the treasury with the duty of pre-
pairing the plans for such building, was agreed
to-yeas 1872, nays II. Amendments were
agreed to making it lawful for the commission
to purchase grounds between East Capitol
Street, Street SOUTH and First and Second
Streets east. in lieu of the grounds mentioned
in the BILL provided they can be got at less
cost after competitive offers from owners. or to
purchase both III case the aggreg ate of COM
Detitive offers shall not exceed 1900, 900, and
proving that the building shall be constructed
as far as practicable in separate parts. Ad-
i0I1rpod