The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-20
SUMMARY OF CONGRESS-,
Senate Sessions.

tempore, who, after prayer and the reading
of the journal, laid before the Senate several
papers, including the credentials OF John W.
Daniel, the newly elected United States Sen
ator from Virginia. which were read and
laid on the table. -. . Numerous bills
were introduced. among them being the
following: By Senator Morgan-To substl-
tute silver dollars in part i'll the place or gold
coin and currency in several reserved funds
held in the treasury. BY Senator Blair-To
provide for the erection OF monuments Ill thlS
CITY to President Lincoln and General
Grant, similar to the Washington, to COST
81 .ON0.NCO each; none but American citizens
are to he employed upon this work. BY Mr.
Logan: To provide for the adjustment of the
accounts Of laborers. worknen and mechan-
les arising under the eight-hour law; also to
confer military rank on telegraph operators
in the military service Also to create a com
mission to inquire into the material, lndus-
trial and intellectual progress made
by the colored people since 1S65.:...
A resolution offered by Mr.. Hoar was at his
request referred to the committee on foreign
relations, requesting the President to take
measures for revising and extending our ex-
tradition treaties, SO as to cover cases OF EN-
bezzlement and other breaches OF trust IN
offering his resolution, Mr.. Hoar made
faulting bank officers who tried to
escape punishment by flight to Canada.
Upon motion of Mr.. Sherman marble
statue of the late President Garfield, presented
to Congress by the State of Ohio, and now Id
position at the capitol. was accepted. :: Mr..
Edmunds' Utah bill came up, and Mr. Hoar
moved to strike out the section prohibiting the
exercise of suffrage by women in Utah: After
discussion tho matter went over to the next
day.
TWELFTH DAY-The chair laid before the
Senate a letter from the postmaster general
complying with the call Of a recent Senate
resolution in respect to the appointment of
pcstmasters in Maine alleged to have been
procured through the influence of S. S.
Brown, Chairman of the Democratic COM
mittee of the Senate. After debate
upon the matter by Messrs. Hale, Vest and
VOORHEES,, the communication, on motion OF
Mr. Hale. was referred to the committee on
civil service reform. :. Mr.. Gray called up
MIR. Beck's resolution of inquiry regarding
the payment of customs duties in coin,
and the application Of that coin to
the purposes Of the sinking fund, etc. Mr..
Gray said he would vote on it. Mr. Beck
made speech favoring the suspension OF
silver coinage, saying that If coinage were
now suspended silver might be got to proper
relation with gold; and, in the opinion of the
best authorities in the world, We had now got
to a point in silver coinage beyond which it
was dangerous for us to go....On motion Of
Mr. Edmunds the Senate took up the Utah
bill. the pending question being on Mr.
Hoar's motion to strike out the section
that would disfranchise the women
Yeas. II; nays, ST. The section disfranchis-
ing the women remains, therefore, part of
the bill. .. Mr.. Blair, from the committee on
education and labor, reported favorably
bill to aid in the establishment of common
schools-the same as the bill that passed the
Senate last Congress. Mr.. George intro
duced bill to prevent contraction in the
currency and to increase the circulation OF
silver and silver certificates.
THIRTEENTH DAY.-Mr. VOORHEES, offered
as a substitute for Mr. Harrison's recent reso-
luton regarding the late administration OF
the pension Office series OF resolutions re-
citing various allegations made by the present
commissioner of the pension office against Its
former administration, and calling Ior an IN
vestigation in the truth of said allegations.
After debate with Mr.. Logan the subject
went over for day.. Discussion OF the Ed
munds anti Mormon bill was resumed
House Sessions.
TWELFTH DAy.-Upon the reassembling of
the House after the holiday recess the flood OF
bills introduced just before adjournment con-
tinued. In all, about $40 bills were introduced
during the day, among them being the fol-
lowing: By Mr.. Cutcheon-A bill to reform
the civil service and to preserve the constitu-
tional distinction between the Legislative
of a bureau of civil appointments:
Mr.. Long introduced bill for the repeal of
the Tenure of Office act and bill providing
that the principal officer Of each
department. of the government be
given a seat on the floor of the House.
Mr. Buchanan introduced bill for the re-
peal of the tax on tobacco and the manufac-
turers thereof: a bill creating department.
of agriculture, and Mr.. Mitchell Senate bill for
the retiring and recoining of the trade dollar.
Mr.. Beach introduced joint resolutions pro-
viding for constitutional amendments. One
to give the comptroller power to change the
location or name Of national banks and in
crease their capital stock. One to raise the
statutes of limitations on debts of the United
States. One to give the President the power
to veto one OF more items in the appropria-
ton bills. One to provide uniform laws on
marriage and divorce, and one to prevent the
giving or loaning of the public money for
private or corporation enterprise. A
constitutional amendment proposed by
Mr.. MeAdoo, provides that presidential
electors shall be elected in every State on
the third Tuesday in October, and that no
other officers than Representatives in Con-
gress shall be elected on the same day. Mr..
McAdoo also introduced bill depriving of
the right of suffrage all polygamists or per-
sons who are members of organizations that
encourage other persons to commit blgamy.
THIRTEENTH DAY-The call of States for
the introduction of bills was resumed, SS2
bills being introduced during the day, in
cluding the following: By Mr.. Seney-To
repeal the civil service act: to make share hol-
ders in national banks individually liable for
the debts Of the bank; to retire trade dollars.
BY Mr.. Foran-For the restoration of wages
in the government printing Office. By Mr..
Little-Requiring national banking associ-
ations to keep three-fourthS of their required
reserves in coin of unlimited legal tender, at
least two-tifths of which shall be in silver.
BY Mr. Kelley-For the further limita-
tion of the coinage of the silver dollar.
1t provides that until the free coin
age Of both gold and silver full legal tender
shall be established at common. ratio by the
leading commercial nations of Europe in Con-
cert with the United States, the coinage of
silver dollars shall be limited to $1,000 in coin
during each and every year. BY Mr.. Scott
TO regulate the coinage Of the silver dollar.
BY Mr.. Curtin-To equalze the pensions Of
all utterly helpless penSioned soldiers. BY
Mr.. Randal-Providing for filling vacancies
in the Office of President and Vice-President;
also proposing constitutional amendment
giving the President the power to veto
specific items in appropriation bills. By Mr..
Tillman-For the free coinage Of the silver
dollar.
FOURTEENTH DAY-The call of States was
resumed and the following bills and resolu-
tions were introduced and referred: By Mr.
Golf. of West Virginia-To repeal the inter-
nal revenue on tobacco By Mr.. Price, of
Wisconsin-For the creation of commits
sion on the subject of the alcoholic liquor
traffic BY Mr.. Clifford, of DakOta-For the
admission of the State of Dakota. By Mr..
u. ~,