The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-05-16
SUMMARY OF CONGRESS.



Tie agricultural appropriation bill was
reported back to the Senate The Senate
committee has increased the appropriation
Tor sorghum experiments from $1,000 to
$4,000, and has added a provision for ar
tesian wells to reclaim arid lands, $50, 0O0,
and one for encouraging silk culture, s15,0O0
Mr.. Plumb introduced n bill t. prevent
the acquisition of rea estate by aliens.
II provides that aliens who have not declared
their intention ~ become citizens shall not
acquire title TO real estate in any of the Terrific
ries or in the District of Columbia. 1t pro-
vides that no foreign corporation. NOR tnan
ten per cent of the stO * of which is held by
aliens, shall acquire ii lie to any lands in the
Territories or in the District of Columbia. and
that no corporation, native or foreign, except
railroads shall acquire more than 5000 acres.
Mr. Van WNcG al.o introduced a bill to
restrici the ownership by aliens and foreign
corporations and companies of public land
and OF any land in the Terrt1rias
After final sp tchCs ~ Meisrs. Randall
and kas.on a ;anst and by Messrs. Morr son
aud Blackbu n in favor Of the tariff bill, a
motion to IKE out it, lrtins class,
which p"a'i ally kill; the bill, was ca lied,
amid much excitement by 15J yeas to 155
nays forty one Democrats voting in the
affirmative and four Republican, in the mega
tive.
Mr.. Edmunds introduced a bill in the
Senate pla ing General CIR mt on the tired
list of The army with the full pay of a gen
raj. He accompanied the int oducton with
10 l-di n III NllCH HecA II'Nsel Jnt lltt ludb
the COMMITTEES on military aiairs would,
10 obvious reasons, give the mat er
prompt attention. The reasons referred to,
were General Grants financial losses incurred
ny the failure of the New York firm, of which
he was a member. The bill would secure to
General Grant the pay of q gen raj, $4,000,
AMI the emolumC nts attlche1 thereto,
amounting in all t, some $4,000. The ship
ping bill was further considered
The Senate insisted on its amendments to
the Fitz John Porter bill and the pleuro-
pneumonia bill, which wtre rejected b
the House The committee on pensions
reporte favorably, with an amend
ment, the house bill granting pension to the
soldiers of1the Mexican war. The amend
ment provides that no such officer, enlisted
man, or wi low shall be entitled to the bene-
J fits of this act unless dep n lent in whole or
in art upon his or her own labor or assist
an from hers for support. Considera-
tion o, the shipping bill was re sumo and it
was finally pa with amendments.
The Senate tCol up the In Ian appropria-
ton bill and Mr. Dawes briefly recapitula-
tie i S provisions. The estimates for the year,
he said. hal been $50 G.S 9 81 The amount
o. the bill as it came from the House had
been S5,+5G, 3S9.3l. The amendm mt; pro-
Iosel 10y the Senate increase the amount by
/ 1901, 4l3. 66, maxim the tota amount reported
to the Senate for Re Indian service for the
coming year Sc, 2l3, S0291 This amount ex-
ceeds the Indian bill Of last year by $40, l47,
the chief elemen5 of which increase, Mr..
Dawes said, was the amount for Indian
schools.
The House decided IN the Virginia con
:ested election case of OFerrall against Paul
that OFerrall was entitled to the seat. He
at once took the oath of office. -. At the
evening session speeches were made by
lleSSls. Young Holman. Woodward. Nor
gan, Sumner. breckenridge and Oates in favor
of, and Messrs. Ferr II, Connolly, Davis,
James skinner, Spriggs and Taylor against
lie tariff bill
The report of the committee on privileges
AID elections in relation to the Cop al CO IN
y Miss, election troubles. was lai before
he Senate The bill to provide for free
bridge a ross the Potomac river was passed
-. The shipping bill was furth n debated.
The river and halbor bill was reported to
the Hous,. The total of the propnations
is S1?,6l9, 100 The largest appropriation is
for the Mississippi river from it. uouth to its
source, amounting to $500 ,OOO and not in
Guiding the 100000 appropria ed hereto
fore. FIT en- ad iitional great rivers
Of the country receive S3,4O),t01.
The total amount recommeT d Tor 1856
rivers and twelve channe S is s., 900 The
appropriation for harbors, ice harbors and
bry akwater is 81, 8, 100. .Senlta amend
ment 10 the House bill, rep aaling tn iron
Clad oath, was conC urred in. Senate amend
ments to the Fitz john Porter bill Were non
concuTred in
The BIZ approp~iat.n. 81. OO). 600 as loan
t. the New Orleans exposition anne up Mr..
Holman strongly oppo ell the bill, declaring
that Congres had no constitutional power to
loan money to a private corporati) IN. Mr..
Potter took similar ground Tie bill was
passed 49, to ST.. The secretary of the in
terror submitted a supplem ntary estimate
of S21263O for additional clerical orce in the
office of the commssi ner of pensions. A
bill reviving the patent laws was introduced.
The House passe the bi granting 5000
TO the widow of General Fran is p Blair for
he hu stands service IN organizins troops
during the war, and increasing her pension
10 so a month Most o. the day was spent
in debate on two bill one approp-iating
$500 for the reliei of Wills \. Arnod of
Henderson Tenn, which was reported ia
voraby by tie comm ttee on wa claims, the
other tor the relief OF Hiram johnson and
forty six other persons # the same Place,
whiC was reporie adve selv The House
in committee finally tituted the johnson
bill for tie Arno Il ill.