Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-12-19
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10Th, 'S3.

upon the clerks desk. The order of BUSH
ness was the call of states for bills and
JOINT resolutions for reference. Massachu.
sets was the last state called up to the
hour of adjournment, and over eight hun
bred measures had been introduced. The
largest number from any one state was
1853 by the members from Indiana. The
Illinois representatives were second, with
a record of 1874 and Kansas is third on the
list with 100. On Tuesday the introduc.
of bills exceeded two hundred. Many of
the bills are of private character and
will not be heard of again until they are
re-introduced on"bill-day" of the next
congress. Fully one half of the more i'm
portant public measures were old, and one
of the pension bills had been introduced
in every congress since 1852. While a
number of the bills varied In form they
were identical in purpose, and several rep
resentatives from different states presented
precisely the same bill. There were five
bills to provide uniform system of bank
ruptcy, three TO prevent the spread of con
tagious diseases among cattle, several for
the abolition of the internal revenue
bureau, number for the reduction OF
postage, and the withdrawal from circula-
ton of the trade. There were also num-
Der Of tariff bills, some increasing, and
some lowering the duties on articles speci'
fed. Among important measures was a
bill by Mr.. Dunn of Arkansas appropria'
ting six million dollars for the improve
ment of the Mississippi river. One by Mr..
Sumner of California which provides that
forty days from the passage of the act, it
shall be unlawful for the Union Pacific
and Central Pacific railroad companies to
charge more than three cents for second
class, and one cent for third class passen-
gers. There was one by MIR. Townshend
of Illinois to abolish postage on second
class lnalable matter, and to reduce the
postage on transient newspapers. A num-
Der of bills introduced in the House were
substantially the same as those introduced
in the Senate few days before, of which
will mention one by Senator Blair and
one by Representative White to lessen
crime and human suffering from alcohol
ism by restricting the use Of distilled
spirits to scientific, and medicinal pur.
poses. In the bills introduced no less
than dozen amendments to the constitu'
ton have been proposed, covering the
protection of citizens in their political
rights, the broadening of suffrage lie
foreign born citizens and to women, the
regulation of the liquor traffic, and the
extension of the veto power to the items
of appropriation bills. The bill by Sena
tor Hill of Colorado to establish system
of postal telegraps may be expected to
receive the early attention of the Senate,
now that Senator Hill has been made
chairman of the committee en- post offices
a nd post ROADS, the position held last year
by Ex-senator Ferry of Michigan. Anoth-
er important vacancy was the chairman
ship of the Senate committee on foreign
affairs, made by Ex-senator WINDOWS
retirement TO which Senator Miller Of
California has been appointed. The chair
manship of the committee on mines and
mining, vacated by Senator Hills promo.
ton, went to Senator Bowen of Colorado
one of the silver kings of the west.
The senate committees have been an
nounced, and many changes were made
in the memberships, as is the case at the
commencement of each congress. Sena
tors 60 out and their places have to be
filled with careful regard to the seniority
of those who remain and certain usages
as to the ranking order of the various
committees.
Speaker Carlisle is now arranging the
membership of the forty-fve standing
house committees, which he expects tc
announce before the holiday vacation. Ir
the House he confronts thirty-two more
members than have occupied seats in any
previous congress. Of these one hundred
and ninety-seven are democrats and more
than half are new members. Eighty were
in the last congress and ten or twelve no
in the forty-seventh congress had served
previously.
The national republican committed
which met in this city Wednesday tc
decide upon the time place and chairman
ship of the nrtional republican convention
for presidential nominations chose respect
lvely for each the of June 1854, Chicago
and Senator Sabn of Minnesota.