Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-01-17
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

mittee on foreign relations to inquire into
the expediency Of such legislation as shall
enable the executive department to protect
our interests against governments which
have prohibited, or restrained the imports-
tion of healthful meats from the United
States. Byconsent of Mr.. Anthony the res
olution was deferred. Morgan offered the
following resolution, which was agreed to /:
"Resolved that the Attorney General be i'll
structed to transmit to the Senate copies Of
the reports with accompanying papers made
by the different examiners of the Depart
ment of Justice, concerning the business or
the courts Of the United States in Alabama,
Georgia, Arkansas and Texas, which reports
relate to abuses by officers of said courts and
marshals of said districts in charging, col
lecting and accounting for of fees and other
! abuses referred to in the report of Brewster
Cameron, the general agent of the Depart
ment of Justice, made to said department
January 5th, 1884,"
In the House, a warm and lengthy discus
sion ensued on the question Of referring a
special message of the President submitting
the annual report of the Mississippi River
commission. The question was whether it
should be submitted to the committee on
the Mississippi levees or the committee on
rivers and harbors. BY a vote of 143 to 194
it was referred to the last named committee.
In the Senate, on the 10th, Senator Dawes
introduced bill to provide for the trans
mission of correspondence by telegraph.
This bill provides for creating a United
States postal telegraph company, under di-
rection of the Postoffice Department, the
creation of the office of fourth assistant
Postmaster General, this official to be presi-
dent of the board of directors of the compa-
ny, and for the establishment of private tel
egraph offices at postOffices throughout the
United States and the transmission of CORES
pondence from such postal telegraph offices.
Sawyer introduced bill to prohibit tire
mailing of newspapers containing lottery
advertisement Bills were introduced as
follows: BY Morgan, granting the right Of
way over the public lands in Alabama and
Florida to the Alabama Diagonal Railroad
Company, and giving the same company a
right to purchase public lands in said States,
also granting the right of way over the pub
lie lands in Alabama and to grant lands in
said State in aid of the Gulf and Air Line
Railroad. Mr.. VOORHEES, introduced bill
to equalize the bounties of soldiers. This
bill, VOORHEES, said, is copy of bill which
was passed by Congress nine years ago, but
was vetoed by President Grant on the
ground that it would take more money out
of the Treasury than public interests would
warrant. But there is SO much now said
about the surplus revenue, and the abun-
dance Of money, that he would re-intrO-
duce the bill now and hoped it would meet
the consideration of the Military Commit
tee. After a short executive session, the
Senate adjourned.
In the House, Mr.. Long, Of Louisiana, i'll
troduced joint resolution for the immedi-
ate appropriation of 81 900, 600 in accordance
with the urgent request of the Mississippi
river commission for the preservation, re-
pair and construction of certain works for
the Improvement of that river. Referred.
After the transaction of some further busi-
ness Of no general Importance, the House
adjourned until Monday.
In the Senate, on the 1lth, Senator Van
Wyck, from the committee of the Missi.s-
sippi river, submitted joint resolution ap-
propriating Sl,0O0,OO0 to continue the I'M
provements already begun by the Mississp-
pi river improvement committee. After
some debate it was amended so as to give it
the form of bill, which was read three
times and passed. Mr.. Mccall introduced
bill to provide for system of postal saw
ings banks in the United States. Mr.. Ed
munds, bill for the relief of the survivors
of the exploring steamer Jet0uaette and the
widows and children of those who perished
in the retreat from the wreck of that vessel
in the Arctic sea.
Mr. Cullom addressed the Senate on the
subject of his bill to re-organize the legisla-
tive power of Utah. 1t provides that the
government Of Utah shall consist Of a gov
ernor and council of nine members, to be
appointed by the President and confirmed
by the Senate, and they shall be citizens
and qualified voters of the Territory.
Brown followed Cullom in opposition to
the bill. He did not propose, he said, to
discuss the social question Or the church
policy involved in the Mormon problem.
At a future time he might do that. He
proposed now to speak Of the question from
the standpoint of the constitution. He de-
clared all the recent legislation of Congress
in connection with Utah affairs unconstitu-
tional and indefensible. When the matter
had been previously before the Senate hehad
denounced the policy, and he would like to
see something done to suppress it if it could
be done without violation of the constitu-
tion of the United States, which every sena-
tor here had taken solemn oath to support.
Garland had always thought the Edmunds
bill for the Utah trouble very much like
prescribing a corn plaster for consumption,
but he hoped the right remedy would he
found. The Supreme Court had laid down
the doctrine that people could not shelter
themselves from the consequences of crime
by pleading the requirements Of religion.
After an executive session the Senate adj
journed until Monday.
In the Senate, on the l4th a petition was
presented by Vest, of Missouri, from the
pork packers of st. Louis, praying for such
retalatory legislation as may protect them
from the exclusion of American pork from
Germany and France. Thepetition says, "it
is useless to appeal to those nations in any
other way except by such legislation as will
teach them to respect the rights of citizens
of the United States" The election of Pres
ident pro tem of the Senate was then pro-
ceeded with, and Mr.. Edmunds was re-
elected. The oath of Office was adminis-
tered by Mr. Garland, of Arkansas, who
occupied the chair during the election pro-