The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-01-16

When the House re-opened after the holi.
day recess, Mr. Smith, of Pennsylvania, pro
sented the certificate of election of John A
Swope, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the
death of w. A. Dune al, from the Nineteenth
con ressional district Of Pennsylvania, and
Mr.. Swope appeared at the bar of the House
and took the oath of Office The Military
Academy bill, with Senate amendments, was
referred to committee on appropriations. ..
Mr.. Breckenridge. of Arkansas introduced
bill providing for the creation of river and
harbor department. which shall be under the
charge of a commissioner of rivers and har-
bors, to be appointed by the President, and
who shall receive salary of $4,000. :. Mr..
King, of Louisiana, introduced bill appro-
priating s. ,000,OU for thu Improvement OF
the Mississippi river in accordance with the
plans and estimates of the Mississip-
pi River commission. Referred ~
Mr.. Hiscocll moved to suspend the rules
and pass a bill aboishing the internal reve-
nue. tax on tobacco, cigars, snuff, cigarettes
and cheroots, the tax on distilled spirits used
for manufacturing or mechanical purposes,
the special tax on dealers in tobacco, and the
tax on liquors distilled wholly from fruit.
After discussion the motion to suspend the
rule was lost by Il yeas to l2S nays.
The motion of Mr.. Collins to suspend the
rules and make the bankruptcy bill the spec
ial order for January -, and following days,
was rejected by vote of 13j yeas so 1O nays
less than the two-thirds required. This
practically kills the bill for this session of
Congress. a motion to pass the Mexican
pension bill, as it came from the Senate, was
rejected by 100 yeas to S. yeas-thirteen less
than the necessary two-thirds majority.
The House went into committee of the
whole ON the pensions appropriation bill,
which appropriates Sj9,91G,0JJ. The bill
was passed, with an amendment limiting
pension agents fees to $40 except that writ
ten contract for S25 fee may be made be-
n pl n I'M m
the same State, ana providing that no agent
shall receive a fee until the claim is al
lowed
Mr.. Phelps made a reply to Mr.. Reagan's
attack upon him in connection with the in
ter-state commerce bill Messrs. Horr and
Hewitt also spoke on the bill. The con
sular and diplomatic appropriation bill as re-
ported by the committee, is 81, 1870, $50, n re-
duction under the present fiscal year of S34,-
255
The House, by vote of l5S to -, passed
the inter state commerce bill. The bill pro
vides that no railroad or pipe line company
shall make any discrimination in its charges
for transporting freight from one State or
Territory to another or to or from any
foreign country. The provisions re-
lating to the carrying Of passengers de-
clares that all persons who have
bought tickets of the same class shall he af-
forde equal accommodations, but that any
road may provide separate accommodations
for passengers provided that no discrimina
ton is made ON account of race or color. No
passenger can lie charged more than three
cents mile. The bill prescrbes penalties
for violation of its provisions, and provides
FOR the bringing of suits in the United States
and State courts. The act does not apply to the
carriage of property wholly within one State.
Mr.. Randall, from the committee on appro
priations, reported bill for the expenses OF
the navy for the six months ending June 80,
1885, 1t appr1priates 6,l2O, loo. Mr..
Craigs contest for the seat from the Fourth
district of Alabama, occupied by Charles NJ
Shelley Democrat was decided in favor of
the contestant, who is Republican, and Mr..
Craig took the oath of office.
Res)lutions were adopted calling on the
President for information about the Congo
conference, and for copies of all correspond
ence between this government and France
in regard to the French and American Land
Commission since November %, 1881. A
large number of private bills will be intro
duced.