Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-12-13
CONGRESSIONAL.

DECEMBER s. The forty-eighth congress
convened at noon. The Senate was called to
order, with Senator EdmuDds in the chair.
Twelve new senators were sworn In, and after
this ceremony, Messrs Sherman and Bayard
were appointed a committee to join the House
committee TO wait upon the president to in
form him that congress was ready for any COM
munication. II was positively certain that the
message would not be sent Ia to- day, and the
Senate adjourned.
HoUsE.-An hour before the appointed time
the galleries and corridors leading TO the
House OF Representatives were crowded with
men, women and children. 1t vas by far the
largest crowd that has gathered In many years
10 witness the opening OF Congress. At ~
O'Clock sharp the House was called to order
The first business before that body was the
election OF Carlisle as speaker, the vote stand
ing: Carlisle, 1871; Keller, ll2; Robinson, 2;
aud vote each for Wadsworth Of New York,
Wise OF Virginia aud Lacey of Michigan; total
vote 30S. The Manning Chalmers contest for
the Mississippi seat was the only other i'm
portant measure before the House, and was
under discussion when that body adjourned.
DECEMBER A lot of legislation was pro-
pos,d III the senate, regarding the iron clad
oath, presidential succession, looking to the
RICH of tue colored people, the laboring class,
the educational interess, and various other
matters Including bills provi Dug for a terri
torial FOL of government for Alaska and the
establishment of schools there under the man
a cement of the interior drpartm mt, and a bill
Tor the relief of FltZ John Porter.
HoUsE-Tne Mississippi and Kansas con-
e sted election cases we're referred To tue COM
mittee Oh elections. The irginia seat is heing
Contested by Messrs. Mayo aud Garrison. The
Case was discussed at considerable length, but
action was deferred for the day, and The House
listened t" the reading Of the Presidents Mes
sage.
nHTENfuED lie ,,.tx ,.i,,.. "A
asking lor the restoration 10 the public mar
ket II certain lands in Minnesota aud Wiscun
sin aud 10 repeal the presumption aud timbe r
culture law; All amendment To the constiJu-
ton was proposed giving the right of suffrage
10 women; resolution was offered providing
for amendment 10 the 18th amendment insert
ing the word nativity" soas To make the arti-
Gle read: "The right of citizens of the United
states To vote will not be denied or abridged
by the United States or any state on account
of nativity, race, color or previous condition
of servitude.n
HoUsE-After the oath OF office had been ad
ministcred TO one member, and the trsrsac-
tion Of some routine work, and adjournment
was taken till Monday the 10th.
DECEMBER 5-Senate.-A resolution was sub
mitted opposing convict labor on public works
and one looking to the establishment of mill
tary school west of the Mississippi for the
training and education Of the Indian youths I;
also joint resolution proposing constitution.
al amendment pi ohibting the sale and manu-
facture of distilled alcoholic intoxicants, ex-
cept for medicinal purposes in any OF the
states and territories, aud the importation of
the same except for the purposes named. The
resolution provides that should the amendment
not be ratified by three-fourths of the states
before the last OF December, 1890, the prohi-
bition 1t proposes shall take effect as an act of
congress at the expiration Of 10 years. The
bills to abolish internal revenue providing for
land grants TO soldiers and sailors of the late
war, were introduced respectively by Butler Of
South Carolina and Logan OF Illinoise.
HoUsE-Tbe session was very short. The
Virginia contested election case was referred
to tie committee on elections, when that COM
mittee shall have been appointed. A resolu-
ton was submitted announcing the death of
Thomas II. Herndon of Alabama, and out Of
respect to his memory the House adjourned.