Year: 1859

provided they mailed by known officer or messenger
Vt the government and not other wise.


TIC Senate ADDED 30 the Post Route bill amendment
Aoohsnhg the Thanking privilege and raising The q
postage 10 i've cents angle letter II they had let the
but that ,ba, great and expensive abuse the snkag pr
vicge would have been aboshed; but by connecting
Win secn an unpopular measure the increase OF post
sge they rtked the proposed reform The bill passed the
Senate in this form. ~


HOMESTEAD BILL.


bill was introduced into the House by Mr.. Grow Of
Pa which passed under the operation Of the previous
question by vote Of l20 to 10.


This bill enacts that any person who is the head Of
family, or who has arrived at the age of twenty
years, and citizen Of the United States, who shall
have fled his intention to become such, required by
tho naturalization laws of the United States SHALL from
and after its PASSAGE be entitled TO enter free Of cost
quarter sccon of vacant and unapproprated public
lands which may, at the time the application made, be
subject to private entry at 81 % per acre, or quantity
equal thereto to be located in body in conformity with
the legal Subdivisions Of the public lands and after the
same shal have been surveyed That such person SHALL
upon application to the register Of the land Office In which
he or abe about 70 make such entry mako affidavit be-
fore the said register that he she Is the head Of fa
~, or twenty one years more OF age and that such
application s made for his her exclusive and bene-
ft, and not either directly indirectly for the
benefit Of any other person persons whomsoever and
upon making the affidavit above required and filing the
adav with the register he she shall thereupon per-





vded, however, that certificate shall be given patent
issued therefor until the expiration Of five years from the
o. Il any time thereafter the person making such entry
he b dead his widow, Or in OF her DEATH his
heirs or devsee or In case Of widow making such entry
her heirs devisee in Of her DEATH shall prove by
two credible witnesses that he, she, they have
tnued TO reside upon and cultivate such land and still
reside upon the same and have not alenated the sae
any part thereof then In such case he she they
at that time citizen OF the United States, SHALL pay
nent Of ten dollars be entitled TO patent, as in other
vi6odf hu 1av Ind
Of the death Of both father and mother leaving infant
child children under twenty years Of age the right
and the fee shall nure 10 the benefit Of said infant child
children and the executor administrator guardian
At any time within two years after the death Of the
surviving parent and in accordance with the laws Of tho
State in which such children for the time being have their
domic sell said land for the benefit Of said infants, but
FOR other purposes and the purchaser shall acquire the
absolute title BY the purchase, and be entitled TO patent


No individual allowed to make more than one entry
and the land not TO be liable TO the satisfaction Of
debts contracted before the issuance Of the patent


In the Senate the bill was referred TO the Committee on
Public Lands.


House, in which the Western members took part in favor
Of the b-Mr. Cvanagh, OF Minnesota taking the lead


motion o. was 81 %ads IN s % senate On I ast M
lost by vote Of 20 to 90 Thus goes over to the next
session


NAVAL AFFAIRS


Tho Committee on Naval Affairs in the Senate reported
the 4th of January bill to authorize the construction
Of to small war steamers.


The committee also reported bill to increase the pay
of the officers Of the navy This bill proposes to add one
per cent for each year of service to the present pay of
captains and commanders the active list two per cent
each year service to the present pay Of euenans
and passed mdshpmen and twenty five per cent
the present compensation Of surgeons pusers and eng
Professors at the Naval Academy have the
same as those at West Point and boaswains, gunners
carpenters and samakers are to have three per cent In
crease TO their present pay.


A
Naval Affairs comforting the rank of Senior Flag Officer
the active st Of the United STATES navy Capt Charles
Stewart, passed In the House.


In the House bill was reported auth ,rzng the Presi
dent Of the United States TO procure two steam revenue
cutters; one to be stationed at the port Of Philadelphia
and the other at the port Of New Orleans.


The House Committee on Naval Affairs reported ad-
yersey on the petition to pay TO the officers and men Of
the expedition under Dr. Kane the was PAID to
the officers and men Of the expedition under Lieutenant
iwIe te -erare Is amendments 10 the Naval bill were
considered in Committee Of the House. ----.-..


Mr.. Bocock Of Virginia, moved TO amend the amend
ment appropatng for the charter of vessels for
the Paraguay Expedition by giving the Secretary Of the
Navy authority 10 purchase them The chartering o.
these vessels for nine months amounts TO this sum-
making the contract the Secretary inserted clause by
which the government could purchase them at $3.50
only 500 600 than the price Of the charter and
$500 less than their charter for fifteen months. Thi
amendment was concurred in by the House, by vote
80 TO ~.


AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE BILL.


bill donating some six million acres Of tho public
lands to the several States and Territories for the purpose
Of establishing agricultural colleges was passed by both
houses after much debate but has been vetoed by the
President. An attempt was then made in the House to
pass the veto, but twothrds could not be
had. The object Of this bill is plain enough-being
thing more than seizng the public lands for the enrich


THE CHAFFEE INDIA RUBBER PATENT.


An effort was made in the House on Monday, January
orevive the patent Of Edwin n Chaee, for vucanized
India rubber-a patent which expired two years ago,
when the invention Improvement became public pro-
perty The effort failed, however. The plan to sus
pend the rules, discharge the Committee OF the Whole
from s consideration and then pass under the opera
ton Of the previous question. The suspension of the rules
requires othrds VOTE but the Chaee case had only
q simple majority Of one (se to s6) The bill therefore
remains on the calendar.


TIE WASHINGTON AND OREGON WAR DEBT


The modest demand Of some six or eight millions of dol.
lars made upon the general government to compensate
the volunteers OF Washington and Oregon Territories for
he expenses incurred by them in making Indian forays
came before the House in the tenth week Of the session.
the shape Of resolution directing the third Auditor Of


same i. for the army and report 70 M next Congress
that might possibly reduce the claims from 40
90 per cent was Of course opposed hy the delegates
from those Territories and Others but the House,
lheless, thought the proposition fair and proper and
adopted the resolution.


THE DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR BILL.


bill was introduced into the House making appropra-
lions for the payment Of consular and diplomatic service
the year ending June 3o $780, which led to proract
ed debate on two points The was, that large
Der Of diplomatic Offices abroad sinoeures
kept for the benent Of petty politicians whose capac
and characters were below the average Of respeca
by The other because the bill included appr0
praon Of come $50 70 enable the President to per-
orm the contract which he had entered into with the Afr
Colonization Society for supplying with food and shell
the unfortunate Africans who were captured board
he SLAYER Echo, landed u Charleston, and subsequently
restored 70 their country BY the steam frgate Niagara
The bill was taken up In Committee Of the Whole
Tuesday, the 18th Of January, but discussion that
day was not confined TO the merits Of the bill, but
was general In its character. Next day the attack
Was opened upon Il. The nrst movement was amend
ment offered by Mr. Colfax OF Indiana, strike the
provision for the mission to Persia alleging
therefor, that at time when the treasury Of the govern
ment bankrupt and unable 10 pay It's debts, and when
The people expect rerenchment Of US, should not
large the diplomatic expenses Of tho country except for
some controlling reasons.


This gave rise TO very animated discussion, but the
amendment agreed TO. Various attempts were made
10 strike out the provisions for ministers TO different i'm
portant missions Considerable play characterised the
debate, and amendments followed thick upon each other
strike out the mission 10 Austria spite the
md sp Iono vho