Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1882 — DOINGS OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

DOINGS OF CONGRESS.

The House, in committee of the whole, devoted the day, at its session on the Bth inst., to debate on the Tariff Commission bilk The Senate held no session. » The Senate passed a bill, at its session on the 10thinst., to fix at $5,000 per annum the salaries of the election Commissioners under the Anti-polygamy law. Mr. Saunders introduced a bill to appropriate $20,000,000 in trust fvt the Wichita and other bands of Indians, the income to be paid them semi-annually, on | condition of their relinquishing their right to 40,000,000 acres of land in Kansas and Indian I Territory. The death of Representative,Allen was announced. In the House, Mr. Butterworth introduced a resolution calling upon the Secretary of State for information m regard to the cattle trade with England and pork shipments to France. Mr. Thompson submitted a majority report on the contested seat of the Second district of South Carolina, admitting Mr. Mackey. Mr. McLane introduced a bill to abrogate the fifth and sixth articles of the Burlingame treaty with China. Mr. Ray presented a measure to make the fees on postal money-orders sto 10 cents. Mr. Richardson handed in a concurrent resolution to inquire into the cost of a Suitable site for a residence for the President A bid to restore Capt. Ctfrbin to the active list of the navy, with restitution of the differ, ence in pay for nine years, was passed by the Senate on the 11th inst., Don Cameron and McDill voting in its favor with the Democrats. Mr. Vest introduced a general bridge law, designed to secure reasonable protection to navigation. Angus Cameron reported a bill anpronriatine $320,153 for losses sustained by Ben Holladay on account of Indian hostilities. An executive session was held, at which 8. P. Rounds was confirmed as Public Printer. The following nominations were sent in by the President: John R. G. Pitkin to be Marshal for the East district of Louisiana; Samuel M. Jackson so be Collector of Internal Revenue for the Twenty-third district of Pennsylvania; Edward F. Burton to be Superintendent at San Francisco, Cal.; Stephen W. Duncombe, of Michigan, to be Register of the Land Office at Aberdeen, D. T.; Thomas 8. Allen, of Wisconsin, to be Receiver of Public Moneys at Aberdeen, D. T.; John F. Gawey, of Ohio, to be Register of the Land Office at Olympia, W. T.; Vincent W. Bayless, of Wisconsin, to be Receiver of Public Moneys at Eau Claire, Wis. The House passed a bill appropriating SBO,OOO to feed the Arapahoes, Cheyennes, Kiowas and three other tribes in Indian Territory. In committee of the whole on the Postal Appropriation bill, a Senate amendment was ’ concurred in to increase by $500,000 the allowance for fast mails, but the proposition to restore the franking privilege was defeated. Mr. Henderson reported a bill for the construction of the Illinois -nd Mississippi canal. Mr. Sewell presented a petition in the Senate, on the 12th inst., from 978 officers of the army, praying for the passage of the bill for compulsory retirement at the age of 62 years. The bill alloUng to the Southern Utes agricultural lands in Utah was amended to allow the Indians to receive their annuities in cash or stock, and then passed. A bill was passed to refer to the Court of Claims the bill of George E. Payne for alleged wrongful seizure of his sugar plantar

tion in Louisiana, by Gen. Butler, in 1862. The President sent to the Senate the names of George Maney, *»f Tennessee, as Minister Resident and Consul General of the United States in Bolivia; William L. Scruggs, of Georgia, Minister Resident of the United States of Colombia; and C. C. Andrews, of Minnesota, Consul General of the United States at Rio de Janeiro. Consuls —Joseph F. Swords, of the District of Columbia, at Trinidad; Samuel Spackman, of Pennsylvania, at Cologne ; Geo. E. Bullock, of Indiana, at Annaberg, Germany; Theodore Canisins, of Illinois, at Apia : Thomas Adamson, of Pennsylvania, at Panama. Tne Senate confirmed the nomination of William E. Chandler to be Secretary of the Navy by 28 to 16. The appointments of W. H. Hunt as Minister to Russia and J. R. Partridge as Minister to Peru were also approved. In the House, bills were favorably reported to appropriate *500,000 for the purchase of torpedoes and to. make experiments therewith ; for the construction of the Delaware ana Maryland free ship canal, and to prevent na<tional banks from issuing notes exceeding 90 per cent, of the value of the . bonds dejwsitod in the treasury. An adverse report was made in regal'd to the taxation of legaltender notes by States. Mr. Page introduced a Chinese bill providing for the suspension of iimnigration for ten years. The Committee on Appropriations was instructed to report what further measures of relief are necessary for the sufferers by the overflow of the Mississippi. Mr. Cameron presented in the Senate, on the 13th inst., a protest from the Land League against the imprisonment of American citizens in Ireland. A bill was passed for the adjustment of the claims growing out of the destruction of the private armed brig Gen. Armstrong m 1814 at Port Royal.' Mr. McMillan made a favorable report on a bill authorizing the Secretary of War to prevent the obstruction of navigation by bridges by requiring additional safeguards, at the expense of the bridge corporations. The House bill to rectify duties on products of the Netherlands was amended and passed. The bill for a right of way through Indian Territory was passed, an amendment to require the consent of the Indian Council being rejected. The bill was passed to appropriate 480,000 to supply the deficiency in the subsistence of Indian tribes, as also acts to bridge tho Mississippi at Keithsburg, 111., and to establish an assay office at Omaha. The House paused a bill to ratify the agreement between the Shoshones and Bannocks and the Utah and Northern railroad for the sale of lands in Idaho. The Tariff-Commission bill was taken up, and speeches were made by Messrs. Updegraff, Turner, Brumm and Arm field. A bill was passed appropriating SIO,OOO for the erection of a monument over the grave of Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Maxey made a favorable report to the Senate, on the 14th inst, on the bill renewing the appropriation of March, 1877, to pay Southern mail contractors. A bill was passed to pay the claims of 1,359 loyal citizens, aggregating *291,148, for small supplies taken for the use of the army during the War of the Rebellion. Mr. Voorhees spoke on his resolution condemning the Secretary of State for his neglect of American citizens in Ireland, and on motion of Mr. Sherman it was sent to the Committee on Foreign Relations for further inquiry. In tne House the minority report ou the antiChinese bill was read. It declares against a fifteen-year suspension, and in favor of Mr. Page’s motion. The private calendar was taken up in committee of the whole, and the bill for the relief of Edward P, Armstrong, of Missouri, was debated for an hour and defeated. At a caucus of the Republican members of the House it was agreed that on Monday, 17th, an effort should be made to pass the anti-Chinese bill (Mr. Page’s) under a suspension of the rules; and that on Tuesday and for the remainder of the week the Committee on Elections should have the floor for the disposal of contested-election cases, the Utah case to be diap«*ed-of first, and then the Lynch-Chalmers Mississippi contest.