Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-12-16
CONGRESSIONAL.
MONDAY, Dec. 6.


tatOrs when at noon the second ses-
sion of the forty-ninth congress was
opened. In his prayer the Chaplain Rev
j. &. Butler, feeliEgly alluded to the
mourning drapery with which the cham
Der was hung in memory of Senator
Pike of New Hampshire. The presid-
| ing officer, Sherman, Ia dbefore the
senate several annual reports of the heads
of departments which were ordered print
ed. Several bills were introduced and
referred, among them the following
Sen. Allison, to authorize the constrnc-
tion Of bridge across the Missouri river
Sen. Eyarts, to authorize the construction
of a bridge across East river, New York
A recess was then taken for ten minutes
The recess was extended to o'clock
at which hour Senator Edmunds reported
that the joint committee of the two
houses had waited on the president and
that the president had asked the commit
tee to congratulate the senate and house
on their safe return to the capitol and to
say that he would communicate with
them in writing. Immediately thereupon
his message was received and it's reading
begun. When the senate reas5embled
Senator Blair announced the death of his
late colleague, Sen. Pike, and moved as a
mark of respect to his memory that the
senate adjourn. The motion was agreed
to and at $3.50 p. M, the senate ad-
iourned.
House-For an hour before noon
to-day the floor of the house pre-
sented an exciting appearance. Groups
of members crowded the clerks
rooms and blockadcd the aisles chatting,
laughing and exchanging congratulations
| of success in their recent elections or
coincidence upon defeat. Victors twitted
| the vanquished, and the vanquished
| jokingly cOmmise rated with the yictors
upon their failure to throw off public life.
| At I precisely twelve o'clock, Speak err
| Carlisle raped the house to order, and
the chaplain delivered prayer in which
he feel1ngly referred to the deaths Of rep
! resentatives Beach and Arnold, and in
| yoked the divine supervision over the pro-
ceedings of the congress. The clerk then
| proceeded to call the roll, when Oil mem
! bers responded to their names. On
motion of Mr.. Morrison, a resolu-
ton was adopted directing the clerk to
inform the senate that the house was
ready to proceed to business. On
motion of Mr.. Reagan, a resolution
was adopted for the appointment of a
| committee of three members to join &
similar committee appointed by the SEN
ate to wait upon the president and inform
him that congress was ready to receive
any communication he might desire to
make. At 1910 a recess for thirty min
utes was taken, after which further re-
cess was taken until two o'clock.
Upon the reassembling of the house
the committee appointed to wait upon
the president announced that it had per-
formed its duty, and that the president
would communicate in writing further.
The presidents annual message was then
presented to the house and was imme-
diateIy read by the clerk. The
document was then ordered printed and
referred to the committee Of the WHOLE
Mr.. Hewitt, of New York, announced TO
the house the death of the late congress-
men from New York, Lewis Beach and
John ArnOt, Jr,, and a similar duty was
performed by Mr.. Caswell, of Wisconsin,
who announced the death of his colleague
W. t. Price. A committee, consisting Of
Messrs. Guenther, Morrill,, Frederick,
Taulber, Osborne, Hudd and LaFoLlette,
was appointed to attend Prices funeral
and then as a mark of respect to the
memory Of the deceased representatives,
TUESDAY Dec. 7.
Senate-Tn the senate the credentials
of Senator Cheney, of New Hampshire.
appointed to fill temporily, the vacancy
caused by the death of Sen. Pike were
presented by Sen. Blair and the oath of
Office administered. Sen, Beck introduce
ed a bill to provide for the retirement of
United States legal tender and national
bank notes of small denominations and
for ike issue of coin certificates. The
committee on finance through Sen. Van
Wyck introduced bill to exempt FROM
duty imported sugar and molasses, also
imported boards, lumber and timber.
Same referred. Sen, DAVIS offered the
following resolution which was also laid
over and ordered printed: "Resolyed,
that the committee on finance be in
stTucted to inquire and report as soon as
practicable what spacific reduction can be
made in customs, duties and internal
taxes, which will in their judgements re-
duced the receipts to the necessary and
economical expenditures of the govern
ment, without impairing the prosperity
and development of home industries or
the compromising of home labor" A
message from the house announcing the
up, and resolution of coincidence offer
ed by Sen. Spooner, was adopted. Sen.
Henderson and Blackburn were appoint
ed a committee to attend the funeral.
A like message from the house announc-
ing the deaths, during the recess, of
Beach and Arnot was also taken up, and
on motion of Sen. Miller. an adjourn
ment was taken at two o'clock out of re-
spect to the three deceased representa-
tiVes.
House-After the reading of the iourn-
al the states were called for the introduc-
ton of bills and resolutions, when the
following were introduced and referred:
Mr.. Adams Ill.) to change the law in re-
lation to the amount of United States
bonds to be kept on deposit by the ma
tional banks as security for their circulat-
ing notes. By Mr.. Lyman, (Ia.) author
izing the construction of a bridge be-
tween Council Bluffs and Omaha. By Mr.
Parker, On. " to amend the oleomarg-
arine bill. Referred to the committee on
agriculture. Mr.. Bragg, on behalf of the
committee on military affairs, called up
for action the senate bill for the relief
of graduates of the military ACADEMY,