Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-22
CONGRESSIONAL EnToME.
Business Transacted by Both Houses
Yesterday = Washington
News Items.
A Proposed Amendment to the COnstitu-
ton Defining the Crime Of
Polygamy.
Full Text Of the Amendment as 1t Il to
Be Reported by the
Committee.

Il WASHINGTON, May 21.-In the Senat
Mr.. Riddleberger offered a resolution pro
viding for permitting all papers relating t,
the nomination OF Mr.. Matthews as Re
corder OF Deeds for the District of Colum
bia. At this point Messrs. Edmunda, Mil
Ter and Others objected to the reception O
the resolution as being executive business
and it was declared not now in order. Mr.
Dolph ~endeavored to secure the setting
of a day for the consideration
OF his bill repeating the presumption and
lumber culture claims. Objection was
made by several Senators, among them
Mr.. Sewell, who said he would object to
any further special orders until the Porter
bill was taken up and disposed OF, and
that he would ask the Senate to take up
that bill when the Bankruptcy bill was dis.
posed Of. On motion OF Mr.. Hoar the
Senate took up the bill providing for clos
ing business of the Court OF Alabama
Claims.
The reports Of the majority and minority
OF the committee were read. The majority
report maintains that the difference in
value between coin and currency at the
time OF the general award aid afterward at
the sale OF the general award bonds, was
and is the property of the United States
Treasury, and should not form any part OF
the sum OF which the Judgment OF the Court
should be paid. The minority report con-
tends, on the contrarylthat the. United States
occupied the position OF trustee for the
claimants and could not sell the bonds
named and credit itself with the differences
between gold and currency values. When
the bill was about to come to a vote, in the
precise form in which it came from the
House, Mr.. George stated his understand
ing to be that it provided for the payment
OF exactly the amount OF money received
by the United States from Great Britain,
giving the claimant the benefit OF the pre-
MUM made on the sale OF gold for green
backs, in which part OF tho former claim
ants were paid. He also understood the
bill to pay all interest which the United
States had agreed to pay from the time of
the receipt OF the money in 1873 up to
1877, when the money was covered in the
Treasury.
Mr.. Hoar said the understanding
was exactly correct, or in other
words the United States gives moth
ing and loses nothing by this transac-
ton. 1t pays out more money got from
Great Britain, and when it invests money
in certain securities and sells them, it pays
out the money it gets and does not make
a SPECULATION of the transaction.
Mr.. Beck asked whether we were not thus
paying the people a premium on the legal
tender notes of the country.
Mr.. Wilson replied that we were paying
them q premium realized by the Govern
ment on the sale OF the coin and bonds, and |
paying them the interest on the bonds.
MIR. Beck did not think it right to nav !
interest.
The bill was passed as it came from the
House-yeas, 80. nays, ID.
TIE Urgent Deficiency bill being reported |
by Mr.. Wilson fro q the Committee on APP |
preparations it was passed without debate.
MI. Plumb moved that the Senate insist |
on it's amendments to the Postoffice Appro-
motion, and the Chair appointed Messrs.
Plumb. Malone and Call as a Conference
On motion OF Mr.. Dolph, the bill passed
providing for the forfeiture OF the wagon
road land grant in Oregon.
On motion OF Mr.. Couger, the House bill
passed establishing a l~iie-saving sta
ton at Port Adams, Oregon, and one be-
tween Point Reyes and Point Dabblo, Cali
also one between Point San Jose
and Point Lobos, California, and one ON
Lake Ontario, New York, at or near
the mouth OF the Niagara River.
On motion of Mr.. Blair, the Senate then
proceeded to the consideration OF the ia
reported Pension bills standing on
The calendar.
After the passage Of q number Of such
oils, Mr.. Beck suggested that once in a
in ten times or soft might be
we'll to have the committee report bearings
n the case just read, just to show that
somebody had looked at the case. The
expression: "Read a third time and
" gave little information. We had
,wO or three vetOes and several suggestions
hat nobody knew anything about what
vas being done. He (Mr. Becky according
y did not know. and he did not believe,
my member OF the Senate did. After quite
lengthy cross fire between the Senators ON
his point the Senate went into executive !
'ession and when the doors r%eopened, add
burned until Monday.
The committee on Naval Affairs reported
he Naval Appropriation bill. Referred to !
he Committee OF the Whole. II
The House resumed the consideration Of 6
he bill prohibiting the Importation OF !
nackerel during the spawning season. ,
After Il long debate the bill was passed.
[eas 12O, nays 20. As passed, the bill
for II period OF five years, from
darch, 1887, the Importation into the T
United States or landing on it's shores OF {
aackerel Except Spanish mackerel) caught
etween the first OF March and the first Of I
une OF each year. The penalty provided -.
Or a violation OF the act is a forfeiture OF 4
he mackerel imported or landed, Or if the s
essel violating the act be a United States I
essel, the forfeiture OF its license. Nothing.
!owever, in the act is to be held to apply to
aackerel caught off shore with a hook and
ne from open r~ow-boats to less than :
wenty feet keel and landed in said boats. y
On motion of Mr.. Morrison, an order :
apart Saturday sessions for general : :
ebate al rescinded. This action to take !
fleet after Tomorrow.
Consideration OF private business was
proceeded with, and several bills re-
orted to-day and on previous Fridays 4
ON the Committee OF the Whole, were Y
assed. il
Among the bills passed was one removing e
be charge of desertion from the record OF t
rankin Thompson, alias See'ye. This is j
case Of a woman who, for two years, s.
srved in a Michigan regiment Us a soldier o
ithout disclosing her IDENTIFY fl
EVENING SESSION. n
The House at it's evening session passed IL
,irty pen-ion bills, and at 10 D.. LII. i'd a
until tomorrow. u