, 1888-02-01
Congressional Notes.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3l.-Chairman
Culbertson of the house judiciary, in be-
half Of the subcommittee to which was
referred Representative Taylor's (Ohio)
bill defining polygamy, to-day reported to
the full committee the following substi-
tute
Section 1.-Polygamy shall not exist or
be lawful within the United States or any
place subject to their jurisdiction.
Sec. 2-Polygamy shall consist of the
marriage relation by contract, or in fact,
between one person of either sex and
more than one person of the other sex.
Sec. 3-Congress shall enforce this ar
ticle with the District of Columbia and
the territories of the United States and
other places subject to their jurisdiction,
and shall have power concurrently with
the several states to enforce the same
within the states by appropriate legisla-
ton.
The full committee did not attempt to
discuss this report o.day and it took its
place as unfinished business.
The house committee on banking and
currency to-day reported favorably Ding
ley's bill authorizing the secretary of the
treasury to invest the money deposited by
national banks for the retirement of their
circulation in the purchase of United
States bonds. The committee reports an
amendment limiting 85 per cent of the
amount that may be invested and author
izing the secretary to sell the bonds, re-
deemed if it shall be necessary to redeem
the circulating notes outstanding.
The bill introduced by Senator Stewart
to-day to enforce restrictions on Chinese
immigration provides that after ninety
days from its passage Chinese laborers
shall not have the right to enter the
United States IN the ground OF previous
residence. The second section declares
that the secretary of the treasury shall
have the right to change at will the form
of certificates to be delivered to Chinese
departing from this country for the pur-
pose of Identification on their return.
The secretary is also granted power to
make all needful rules and regulations to
prevent the unlawful entry of Chinese
into this country.
Among the bills passed in the senate
to day was one to authorize Dallas City to
construct a bridge across the Columbia
river in Oregon and Washington, to grant
the right OF way through public lands for
irrigation purposes, and the joint resolu-
ton proposing an amendment to the con
stitution providing that the term of office
of the president and the iftieth congress
shall continue until the Both day of April,
1889, at noon, that senators whose exist
ing term would otherwise expire on the
4th of March, 1889, land thereafter) shall
continue in Office until April 30 succeed
ing such expirations, and that the Both
day of April, at noon, shall thereafter be
substituted for the 4th of March as the
commencement and termination of the
official term of the president, vice presi-
dent, senators and representatives in con-
gress.
The secretary Of the interior has en-
dorsed the request of the acting commits
sioncr of the land office asking an addi-
tional appropriation of 800, 900 for sur
veYs; 5000, 600 to be devoted specially to
surveying lands within the grant and the
indemnity limits of land grants to rail.
roads, $4,000 for clerical services in the
Office of tho surveyor general, and $780,,
600 for increased surveys.