Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-02-08
CONGRESSIONAL.
Tuesday. Jan. %.

TUESDAY, JAN. 29.
.Seraatc-Mr. Vest, of the Committee On
Public Lands. reported favorably bill
repeating the timber-culture laws.
Placed on the calendar.
Mr. Cameron, of Wisconsin, introduc-
ed bill to establish the territory of
North Dakota
Mr.. Platt offered resolution for which
he asked immediate consideration direct
ing the Committee on Post Offices and
Post Roads to inquire whether tele-
graphic charges ha been injuriously
affected by the large stock dividends of
the Western Union company, or by con-
solicitations or contracts with competing
or other companies, and whether,
through the Gold and Stock Telegraph
company or otherwise, the Western
Union company prescribed rules or reg
ulations for the transmission of press
news. The resolution authorizes the
Committee to send for persons and pa
pers
Objection was made by Mr. Sherman,
and it went over till tomorrow.
House - Mr.. Pettibone offered reso-
luton, which was adopted unanimously,
providing that the funeral cerGmo les of
the late E. w N. Mackey, of South
Carolina, be held in this hail tomorrow
at o'clock, and directing the clerk to
inv ite the members of the senate to be
present.
Mr.. Broadhead presented a petition
signed by 2,335 citizens of st. Louis,
asking for the improvement of the Mis-
.issippi river. Referred.
The speaker laid before the house a
communication from the secretary of
war in response to the resolution calling
for information of the average number
of commissioned officers of the army be-
tween the 4th of March, 1857, and the
4th of March, 1861. and betweeM the 4th
of March 1877 and the 4th of March
1881, etc. The secretary states that dur
ing the first period, the Terage number
OF commissioned officers was LOGS, of
whom sixty were tried by court
martial, and thirty-nine convicted. Dur
ing the second period the average num-
Der was 2,474, of whom $50 were tried
by court-martial, and 122 convicted.
TUESDAY JAN. 90.
Senate "A petition was presented
signed by 1000 citizens of the District
of Coluna bia, and other petitions signed
by large number of citizens of the
territories of Washington. Dakota and
Idaho, all praying for the enactment of
a law prohibiting the manufacture and
sale of alcoholic liquors in the district
and territories.
The chair informed the senate that
the hour had arrived for senators to at
tend the funeral ceremonies of the late
Representative Mackey, and the senators
thereupon proceeded in body to the
halls of the house. On their return the
senate adjourned.
HOuSe-Mr. Maxey, for the committee
on postoffices and postroads, introduced
bill regulating the rates of postage on
second-class mail matter at letter carrier
offices.
When the hour of one o'clock arrived,
public business was suspended, and ar
rangements made for the funeral cere-
monies of the late E. w. Mackey, of
South Carolina
THURSDAY, JAN. 81.
Sendte-Floods of petitions were pre-
scnted from dozen or more states pray
ing for prohibitory liquor lows in the
District of Columbia and the territories
Referred.
H0uSe-Mr. Anderson, from the com
mittee on public lands. reported reso-
luton, which was adopted, calling upon
the secretary of the interior to explain
by what authority 1S9, 900 acres of land
We're certified to the state of Kansas for
the benefit of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad.
At the conclusion of the morning
hour the house proceeded to the consid-
Grafton of the calendar, prejudice being
given to bills reported from the COM
mittee on public lands. The first bill
was that declaring forfeited certain
grants of land made in certain states
in aid of the construction of railroads.
1t forfeits all lands granted Mississippi
under the act approved Aug. IL, 1856,
except the grant IN aid of railroad from
jackson to the ttdte line of Alabama
also the lands granted Alabama under
the act OF June 3, 1856, and March 3,
1857, to ail in the construction of road
from Elyton to the Tennessee river,
Memphis and Charleston road, and the
Savannah and Albany road; also the
lands granted Louisiana in aid of the
construction of a road from a point
where the Iron Meuntain road intersects
the southern boundary to a point near
Helena.
Mr.. Cobb made brief explanation of
the provision of the BILL stating that the
provision of the BILL stating that the
lands which it was proposed to forfeit
had not been earned by the verious COM
p4nies, and declaring himself in favor of
torfeiting every acre granted railroad
companies which had not been earned
in strict accordance with the law. None
of the lands affected by the bill We're
patented either to the states or the COM
panies, and in its second section the bill
fully protected settlers who had entered
upon the lands.
Mr.. Van Eaton. member of the COM
mittee on public lands offered an
amendment excepting from the provis-
ions of the bill the land granted Missis-
sippi to aid in the construction of rail
road from the Gulf Of Mexico, COM
monty called the Gulf and Ship Island
railroad. After debate the amend
ment was passed.
The next bill on the calendar was that
declaring the forfeiture If the lands
granted the Texas Pacific Railroad COM
pany under an act of congress approved
March 3, 1871, and the acts supplement
tai thereto. The report accompanying
the bill being very long it was ordered
printed in The Record, and without any
debate, the bill was passed.
FKIDAY, FEB. l.
Sendte-No work was done in the SEN
ate. The Fitz John Porter bill which
was to come to vote in the house and
upon which heated debate was expect
ed took the attention OF everybody and
nearly every senator went to the house
to listen to it.
House-The Fitz John Porter bill &C.
cupied the attention of the house al
day. A great deal of feeling was man
ifested by both sides. At one time il
looked as though there would be a con
f1ict between Henley (dem.), of Califor
mia, and Cutcheen (rep.l. of Michigan
Mr.. Cutcheon made a speech on thi:
question a week ago, in which he Sc
verely attacked Gen. Grant for changing
his opinion of Porter. He said Grant
had always been against Porter till he
found democratic house was elected
Then, because bill was before congres:
to make him Grant a general for life
he had suddenly changed his mind and
now announced himself in favor
of Porter Cutcheon said all ht
did it for was to curry favo
with the democrats and get them to vot,
for him as general. Bat. it seems tina
when Cutcheon's speech was printed IL
the Congressional record, his charg'
against Grant was left out. To-day Mr.