The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-28
WORK AT THE CAPITAL.
MANY MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST.
Work to he Accomplished Before Adj
Journment-A Measure to Prevent Do
sertion from the Army - Judge
Drummond Resigns-Congress.
THE ORDER OF BUSINESS.

the session. The question Of final ad.
joumment was only briefly alluded
to, but the discussion of other mat
tiers proceeded upon the understanding
that the end of the session would DO
reached not later than July S. An order Of
business was decided upon substantially as
follows: The annual appropriation bills, in
Guiding the River and HarbOr bill. are to
have precedence as fast as they are ready.
When no appropriation bills are ready the
Important measures on the calendar are TO
be taken Up and disposed Of In the follow
ing order:
feiture bill, Postal Telegraph bill bill relat-
ing to route Of railroad lines into Washington
City, Chinese bill, Contract-Lsbor bill, and bill
for the admission of Dakota
1t Is not 70 b expected that all these
measures will be reached, Is the final adj
journment will not be delayed for them after
the Appropriation bills are disposed Of.
A MEASURE TO PREVENT DISCRETION.
The Senate placed provision In the Ar
my Appropriation bill which, permitted
to remain, Will 60 far towards removing the
principal cause Of desertiOn. The amend.
nent provides that enlisted men detailed
for extra duty as mechanics, clerks, labor
ers or Transfers, shall be paid for such ex-
ira duty at the rate of fifty cents per day
for mechanics, clerks and schO0I.teachers,
and thrty-five cents per day for laborers
and teamsters. This pay Is in addition to
pay proper as soldiers. 1t is now the custom
in the army tU order enlisted men to per!
form mechanical, clerical and farm labor at
frontier posts and allow no additional Gem
pensation for labor thus imposed, and the
result has been discomfort and numerous
assertions. Recently an order was forward.
cd to q frontier post to have enlisted men
the present summer, and within two
weeks from the receipt of the order
at the post thirty.five men deserted. The
officers of the army have always deprecated
this policy of forcing soldiers to perform
labor not contemplated by the terms OF their
enlistment but the imposition has been
necessary because Congress has uniformly
refused for several years past to make APP
preparations for furnishing proper supplies.
The Senate amendment appropriates $780,
900 to pay for such extra work IN the
future, and IL 1t be retained in the bill
there will be less desertiOn hereafter from
the ranks of the army.
It Is expected that the balance sheet OF
the Government will show total reduction
of the debt for the year of Sl00, 900, 900 and a
OF about 100000 600. This decrease Of
debt is $37,OOO,O0O less than last
year. The commercial balance in favor
OF the United States for the current
year, however, will be but $50, 900. 900,
against 500, 900, 900 in the preceding year.
The legislation which was designed to re-
duce the revenues caused reduction of
SIS, 900, 900 only from customs, $50, 600, 900
FROM internal revenue and about IS, 00o, 900
from miscellaneous receipts
THE TRADE-DoLLAR.
The Senate Committee on Finance have
postponed tho further consideration OF the
Trade Dollar bill until next December, for
the reason that the House bill requires an
amendment and the concurrence of the
House could not be obtained this session.
A GREENBACK ISSUE.
The Treasury Department will issue
$3.50, 900 in one and two dollar notes the
last Of the week.
THE ELECTORAL COUNT BILL.
The bill passed by the House provides TOR
q meeting of the two Houses in joint con.
yentlOn AT Inc nOuT Oh one y ClOCh NJ Inc d1ttT-
noon of the second Tuesday in January sue.
ceedmg every meeting of the electors. and
for the determination of all objections and
questions arising in in the the, count BY
After providing for the appointment Of
telers on the part of the two houses, the
opening by the President of the Senate, the
presiding officer of the joint convention, of
the certificates of the electoral votes, the
count OF the vote and their entry upon the
journals of tho two Houses, the formal an
nouncement of the result and the notihca,
found elected, the bill then provides as fol-
lows:
DIf upon the call OF State no objection is
shall be counted and added to the list OF
States whose votes are determined: but in
case objection has been made, as herein.
s Ser sd aside to- bs 'a to
within the same manner rs herein
after provided for the case of a double
return of votes from State. All objections
to the counting of the vote of any state shall
he made in writing and signed by at least
three members of the joint convention, be-
fore the call of said State, said objections TO
be placed in the hands of the presiding oihcer
of said JOINT convention, who shall present
the same upon the call of the State.
IL more tsaD one return on paper purPort-
ing to be steturn from State shall have
been received by the President of the Senate.
then and in that case the presiding officer OF
the joint convention shall submit to the mem.
bers thereof the determination as 10 WnlCn
is the proper return; and three hours shall
be allowed for debate, and the joint conven-
ton shall then proceed to vote per capita,
commencing with the State of Alabama, and
those votes shall be counted and added to the
votes aready ascertained which majority
of the Joint convention shall determine to
have been contained in the proper and legal
return.
The last section prescribes the order the
two houses shall be seated in the Joint con
yennon.
JUDGE DRUMMoND's RESIGNATION.
The President received the resignation OF
Judge Drummond, of the Seventh Judicial
Circuit yesterday, and directed Attorney.
General Brewster to accept it. Judge
Drummond writes that having reached the
age of seventy five, and being enfeebed by
his years, he desires to avail himself Of the
privilege of the law, which entities him TO
retirement from the bench, and asks the
President to nominate his successor at his
earliest convenience.
There is very little doubt Of the appoint
ment of Postmaster General Gresham as
DrummOnd's successor. although he has in
~. toI Co. and mob