The Dickinson press., 1884-12-13
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.

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mess. Messrs. ~o Shermm 'U and Garlani
were appointed q committee to inform tho
president. that tho senate was ready to receive
any communication he might be pleased tc
make. The secretary read the credentials OF
William P. Sheffield, appointed to fill the Va
cancy caused by the death of Senator Anthony.
The Presidents message was received. and
when the reading was concluded, MI. Aldrlch,
in a few feeling remarks, made a formal an
nouncement of the death of Senator Anthony,
and the senate adjourned.
HousE.-Promptly at noon the speakers
gavel called the house to order. After prayer
the speaker directed the clerk to call the roll
The roll call disclosedthe presence of 222 men,
bers, and the clerk was directed to inform the
senate that the house was ready to proceed to
business. The speaker appointed Messrs. Ran
dali and Cox IN. W a committee to wait upon
the president, in conjunction with a similar
committee from the senate, and inform him
that congress was ready to receive any CON-
munication he might be pleased to make.
The message was referred to the committee
Of the whole on the state of the Union, and,
with accompanying documents, ordered printed.
SENATE.-Mr. Sheffield was sworn in as SEN
ator from Rhode Island. A resolution was
offered for an investigation of all leases Of
land in the Indian Territory, and debated at
considerable length.
HousE-Mr. Follett,of Ohio as a question of
privilege, presented the following preamble
and resolution:
1 do impeachL Lot Wright, United States mar
shall for the southern district of Ohio, of high
crimes and misdemeanors l charge him with
usurpation of power and violation of law, in
that he appointed a large number of general
voting precincts in Cincinnati, at the election
for members of congress, on the 14th of Octob-
eE, 1854, and armed the said deputy marshals
with pistols, and other deadly weapons, said to
have been furnished by the war department.
Resolved, That the committee on eXpendi-
lures of the department of justice be required
and directed, as soon as the same can reason
able be done, to investigate such charges and
report to the house.
An exciting debate followed, participated in
by Messrs. Follett and Converse, of Ohio;
Cox of New York; Reagan of Texas; Barksdale
of Missouri, and others on the Democratic side,
while Messrs. Kleter and Jud Taylor, of Ohio;
Hiscock of New York, and Reid of Maine pre-
sented the Republican view Of the case. None
vestigation contemplated by it The resolution
was adopted.
SENATE-The resolution for an investiga-
ton of land leases in the Indian TIE rritory was
amended 30 as to include leases in Indian res
ervations and adopted. Mr.. Mcpherson intro
duced a bill to suspend silver coinage. Bills
passed authorizing the construction Of a rail-
way bridge across the St Croix between Still
water and Taylor's Falls, and authorizing the
secretary of war to adjusta and settle the account
for arms, ETC., between Montana and the United
States.
Senator Mills of New York introduced o bill,
authorizing the president to place Brvt. Mai.
Gen. William w. Averill on the retired list Of
the army with the rank and pay of "confiden-
tial cruisers" in the act re-establishing the
court of commissions of Alabama claims shall
be construed and held to include for all pur-
poses of said act any and all vessels, officers
and crew Of vessels of organized ex-
petitions acting as such by authority Of
the late so-called confederate government, or
any of its officers, by which vessels or car
goes of loyal citizens of the United States were
captured or destroyed on the high seas; and
that act be construed to include any waters
within the admiralty jurisdiction Of the United
States.
The senate passed the mouse bill for the re-
lief of Francis B. Van Haesen. 1t authorizes
q REIMBURSEMENT by the governor of Minnesota
to 16O acres of land near Alexandria, and con-
fines Van Haesen's bounty warrant title to it.
HoUsE.-A bill passed authorizing the con-
s%truction Of q bridge across the ST. Croix river
between Saltwater and Taylor's Falls.
On motion of Mr.. Cobb, the senate amend
ments to the house bill perfecting the unearned
land of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad compa-
ny were nOn-cOncurred in.
On motion of Mr.. Randall, the house went
into committee of the whole (Mr. Cox of New
York in the chair) on the bill making tempor-
airy provision for the naval service. No amend
ments were offered to the bill, and no discus
sion was had, MIR. Randall merely making a
brief statement that the total appropriation for
the support of the navy for the current fiscal
year was s15, 63G, l66, a reduction of $25S, 26S
from the appropriation of the previous year.
The committee rose, the bill passed.
duced and referred: By Mr., Mitchell, grant
ing a pension to Gen. Grant; by Mr.. Gibson, for
the erection of a public building at New Or
leanst to cost one million dollars.
Mr.. Cameron (Pa.) submitted the following,
which he desired to lie over and be printed:
Whereas, The shipping trade in American
vessels is depressed and export trade in Amer
lean produce is languishing for want of a
market that might be reached if the shipping
trade was in the hands of citizens of the United
States: therefore be it
Resolved, That the committee on finance be
and is hereby directed to inquire whether it be
expedient to expend the surplus revenue of the
United States or any portion thereof, forthe pur-
pose of reviving the shipping and export trade
by allowing o rebate from tariff duties on for
eign goods imported in ships built and owned
in the United States, and by also allowing a
premium on American-grown products and
articles of American manufacture exportedin
American vessels, and report by bill or other
wise.
Messrs. Ingalls, and Cameron will call up the
resolution at an early day.
Mr.. Hill offered a resolution declaring
against the suspension of the coinage of silver
dollars or the issue of silver certificates. Ad.
journed till Monday.
usE.-Following is the text of Repre-
sentative Morrison's bill, introduced: tBe it
enacted, that the secretary of the treasury be
and is hereby authorized and directed to ap-
ply the surplus revenues, at any time
in the treasury in excess OF $1OO, 100000,
not otherwise appropriated to the retention
of United States bonds; and when any Of said
bonds are redeemable at the pleasure Of the
government. 1t shall not be lawful to apply
any portion of said surplus to the purchase Of
bonds at premium"
The interstate bill was discussed
m the House adjourned to Monday.
SENATE. Mr.. Blair introduced a bill to ap-
propriate $4,000 to promote the proposed
worlds exposition to be held in Chicago mex
September by the colored people. Mr.. Blai
is one of the most interchangeable workers il
congress, and it would not be surprising if Ii,
succeeded in securing the passage of hil
bill. The commissioners named in the bill
to disburse the appropriation are Joseph E.
Thomas of Illinois, Daniel johnson of Missis-
sippi, Philip Josephs of Alabama, W. w. Hand
of Illinois, Joseph N. Moore of Tennessee ant
Thomas I. Fortune of New York. The com
sum of 500, 600.
MIR. Mitchell withdrew his bill granting
pension to Gen. Grant, this being in accord
ance with the expressed wishes of the genera
himself. The bill for the incorporation of thu
Spokane Falls & C9ur d'Alene Railroad com
pany was considered and amendments adopted
forbidding the colnpany's consolidation with
other railroad companies or to build branches
The letter from Gen. Grant, read in the sen
ate, declining, under any circumstances, to &C
cepta pension from the United States, is com
mended by all his friends. The latter, as wei
as the general himself, feel that he is justly en-
titled to be placed on the retired list with tn
rank of general, which he bore at the time h