Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-22

| MT. Van Wyck appealed from the decision | of the chair, and on motion of Mr. Edmunds | the Senate resolved to close the doors at | once in order to discuss the appeal At1p, l m. the doors were closed.
 The ruling of the chair was sustained by | the Senate in secret session. Objection was
 then made to the immediate consideration of | the resolution, even in secret session, and it
 went over for one day under the rule. The l doors were then reopened.
 When the doors were reopened Mir. Sher- l man offered resolution, which was agreed l to, directing the Secretary of the Treasury l to communicate all information in relation to | frauds connected with the wools imported | into the United States MT. Morgan offered | 8 resolution, which was agreed to, directing l the Committee on Foreign Relations to in 1 quire into the subject of settlements and 1 trading posts being established on the Congo | river, Africa.
 The bill to provide for ascertaining and | settling private land claims in certain States and territories came up on the calendar. Mir. Oonger opposed the present consideration of l the bill. He contended that it was too im- portant a measure to be rushed through Con- gress and intimated that there was some great job or steal behind it.
 MT. Bayard explained that the bill had
 psssed twice in the Senate and said it was nothing but right that it should be disposed of. The measure contained the most careful provisions to protect the individual as well as the United States.
 After further debate it was agreed to make the bill special order for Monday next.
 The bill to amend section 1860 of the re- vised statutes not to exclude retired army officers from holding civil office in the territories was passed.
 The bill to provide civil government for Alaska was under discussion, when at 4:2O p. m. the Senate went into executive session and at 4:50 adjourned.
 HoUsE-Under the call of States large number of bills were introduced, having ref erence to 8 variety of subjects, none of them, however, of any especial importance.
 Mir. Hemph1ll, South Carolina, from the committee on department of justice, reported resolution calling upon the department of justice for list of marshals and assistant marshals employed in the State of West Vir ginia in 1882 and 1883 with the work per- formed. compensationspaid, &c. adopted
 Mir. Boutelle, of Maine, raised storm by asking action upon resolution calling upon the Secretary of War for information as to whether it is true that the maps prepared in the Fitz John Porter case are annually sub- mitted to the graduating class for the pur- pose of inviting criticism of the conduct of their superior officers and if so by what au- thority and further that if it be true whether the same is not prejudicial to good order and military discipline.
 Several members sprang to their feet and objected amid considerable confusion to the consideration of the resolution.
 Committees were then called for motions to suspend the rules and pass bills reported Mir. Springer, Illinois, from the committee on expenditures in the department of justice, moved to suspend the rules and pass 6 re- solution increasing the committee to nine members with authority to appoint sub-com- mittees of not less than three members to be Ekeor of hn k0 and for persons and papers to take testimony. The resolution was amended limiting the ex- penses of the committees to $5, 900 and then adopted.
 No other motions being made by commit tees, Mir Holman moved to suspend the rules and pass 8 series of resolutions in favor of q forfeiture of railroad land grants not actually earned and for an amendment of the law to prevent speculation in public land and directing the Committee Pubic Lands to report bills to carry into effect these views.
 MT. Reed of Maine, cautioned the House against such sweeping measures.
 Mr. Belford, of Colorado, said that the cattle men had fenced in thousands and thou sands of acres until the Secretary of the In- terior had been compelled to order the fences cut and ths land opened to settlers. He did not wish to sse the West controlled by cattle kings as the East was by railroad monarchs.
 Mr Horr, of Michigan, reminded the gen. tleman that the West owed much to the railroads and but for their opening up by the railroads land nov worth $2.50 would not be worth ten cents an acre. He favored the examination of the case of each railroad by itself.
 MT. Cobb, of Indiana, said the resolutions covered the scope which the Committee on Public Lands had laid down for it's govern ment and they were working assiduously to perfect land grant railroad forfeiture bills. He believed hundred millions of acres were held by railroads which had no more right to them than any member of the House. The resolutions, he said, were in accordance with the views of that committee. The yeas and nays were ordered on the passage of the resolution.
 The vote resulted: Yeas 251, nays IS, so 1 the resolution was adopted. MT. Calkins, of Indiana, moved to pend the rules and pass the bill to regulate the practice of patent cases. It provides ticls where the damages are less than $20
 shall not be required to pay the costs. The | bill was passed.
 | Mir. Cox, of New York, moved to suspend
 the rules and pass bill repeating the oath known as the ironclad oath. MT. Boutelle, of Maine, opposed the resolution. | MT. Cox pointed out that the oath did not l apply to southern men, as another oath was prescribed for them. All that the bill pro- vided was to give Union men the same rights l as those who had been on the ether side He ] said that oath making was cath breaking and | that Tallyrand swore thirteen times to sup port as many different governments. The l rules were suspended and the bill passed, 1855 to II.
 At p. the House adjourned.