Year: 1873

CONTESTED SEATS.


Among the amendments that passed the House with
the Appropriation bill. important one by Mr. NC
Crary of Iowa. which provides that hereafter no money
from the contingent fund Of the House shall be paid to
contestant for seat in the House. This will have tho
double effect stopping In great measure, the grow
ing habit of contestng seats in Congress as business
undertaking, and obtaining allowance or several
thousand dollars for expenses and also saving large
amount OF money annually TO the Government Inc
cost Of these contests last year amounted to aOoOO
Contestants in deserving will doubtless be paid
hereafter but the money must from regular aps
propraton OF the two Houses with tho sanction OF the
President, and not from the contingent fund Oh the
House, where there is no accountability. speclai
meeting OF the House Committee Elections Will be
held on Friday :or the purpose Of deciding tho appar
entity intermnable OF contested seat OF Bowen
against De Large. No case has been subjected 70
such inexcusable delay and negligence on the
part of the persons interested as thls
one, and II there had been an understanding
between them whereby two salaries should be obtained
from the Government the could scarcely have been
worse. 1t seems certain that Bowen Will obtain the
seat but even II 1t is accorded to him at once he VIII
have but about thirty working days OF service before
the dissolution of this Congress For this thirty days
service he will obtain 2OO0 to say nothing OF the
expenses He is also Sheriff OF Charleston which pays
handsomely.





for property taken and destroyed by the Government
army during the rebellion is of such great import
ance that hitherto been treated with great caution
in Congress- on account OF the vast number El a eas
ing that OF the Kentucky Salt WORKS at
CEN BneIl TO prevent it Ealing the hands OF the
Rebels but there are almost countless cases equaLy
inst and deserving whether the condition OF the
nances is such that all such may be paid so soon az au
thenticated. is question which VIII De warmly con
tested i'm both Houses. The committees of both Houses
IN


DoINGs IN THE HOUSE.


The proceedings Of the House to-day not Of much
interest resolution offered by Farnsworth was
agreed TO unanimously nstructng the Wilson Investi-
eating Committee to inquire into the payment
az counsel fees TO members Of the House by
the Union Pacific Railroad and Credit Mobilier
Company and also whether those corporations nave
paid money to influence the election OF any members
This resolution applies only to members of the House,
but probable that the dealings OF these companies
mvestieaton An hour spent in yea and nay votes
on the amendments put upon the Appropriation Dill 1y
ance were adopted and the bill was passed,


At o'clock the bill establishing territorial govern
ment for the Indian Territory known the Oklahoma
bill. came up as the special order. Parker Of Missouri
made long and exhaustive speeoh III 1avor OF tue Dill
civizing the tribes nhabing the Territory Connor Of
Texas also supported it, The House adjourned WITHOUT
taking any vote on the Dill LIS passage very & bs





tabishment OF territorial government would IN the
end result deprying the Indians OF their reservations
by breaking up their tribal organizations the indian
title TO the reservations should in any way be extn-
gished large part Of their lands VIII fa In the hahds
of two three railroad companies


CARELESS LEGISLATION.


The careless in which bills are allowed to pass
the Senate during the morning hour strikingly
illustrated this morning in the debate on the bill for the
relief of the heirs Of Admiral Dahlgren. This bill
passed the Senate few days ago by unanimous vote
that is no Senators voted either way upon except the
one who had the bill in charge This morning,
when the motion 10 reconsider was called
Messrs Logan and Morrill, W.T. opposed 1t on principle,
holding that when ordnance officers are educated and
employed by the Government and invent improvements
in ordnance ammunition, spending the Goyernments
time and using Government material 10 experiment
with the entitled 10 the benefit from the
result OF labor without paying them extra for it,
Mr. Carpenter opposed the bill because delegated 10
the Court OF Claims powers which belong exclusively 10
Congress The bill went at the close OF the morn
ing hour and the remainder Of the day was spent upon
the calendar.