Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1882 — FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS.

The House at its session on Saturday, May--20, agreed to the Senate amendment to the bill to authorize the receipt of United States gold coin for bars. Mr. Calkins called up. the contested election case of Mackey vs. O’Connor, from South Carolina. Mr. Randall raised a question as to consideration, and on the division the Democrats refused to vote, the result being 118 to 1, lacking 27 of a quorum. A call of tfle House was ordered, and 214 were found to be present. The doors were closed, and the Sergeant-at-Arms was ordered to bring absent members to the bar. A second vote on the question of consideration resulted in 119 yeas to 2 nays. Mr. Hiscock reported the General Deficiency bill, appropriating $6,425,317. After another fruitless call of the House, Mr. Calkins moved an adjournment, which was carried. Tho Senate was not in session. In the Senate, May 22, Mr. Platt opposed the House bill increasing the pension of CoL D. 0. Thomas S2O per month in excess of his grade, and it was indefinitely postponed. Mr. Miller introduced a joint resolution to authorize the President to declare martial law in Alaska, The Geneva Award bill was taken up, on which Mr. Hoar addressed the Senate. Mr. Garland moved a substitute for the payment of the insurance people. A communication from the Secretary of War asked a special appropriation of $25,000 to dispatch a relief vessel to Lady Faanklin bay. The President sent the following nominations to the Senate : Louis Dupont Lyme, of Pennsylvania, Consul at Funchal ; John W. Stone, of Michigan, Attorney of the United States for the Western district of Michigan; Fred Rosencrans, Postmaster at Tecumseh, Mich. In the House Mr. Calkins called up the South Carolina contested-election case. Mr. Randall moved an adjournment, which was lost by 82 to 112. He then raised a question of consideration, the vote showing no quorum. A call of the House disclosed the presence of £23 members. The doors were closed, and the Ser-geant-at- Arms was ordered to arrest absentees. He soon captured one offender, who made a speech. After another useless vote on consideration and a second call of the House, an adjournment was effected. By a vote of 38 to 12 the Geneva Award bin was passed by the Senate, without amendment, on May 23. Mr. Logan reported a provision to be inserted in the Army Appropriation bill, to establish an army and navy hospital at Hot Springs, Ark. Mr. Pugh moved to reconsider the final vote on the Five-Per-Cent Land bill, which prevailed. Mr. Groome objected to the consideration of the bill for the admission of Dakota, and it was laid aside. The Hou?a resumed its struggle on the South Carolina contested election. The first vote on consideration showed seventeen less than a quorum in at endancefand the second revealed two more absentees. The bill for the relief of the officers and crew of tho Monitor, which destroyed the rebel ironclad Merrimac, involving about $200,000, was passed by the Senate, at its session on May 24. Mr. Logan put through the House joint re: olution api ropriating $16,000,000 to supply the deficiency in army pensions. In the House, Mr. Calkins caused to be read extracts from a letter written by Mr. Hewitt, alleging that the Elections Committee refused to investigate the charges of forgery in the South Caolina contested-election case. Mr. Calkins said the committee had never failed to inquire into the truth of any charge made before it, and Mr. Atherton denied the latter statement Nearly every member was on his feet, many speaking at once. Mr. Hewitt asked an investigation of the charge of forgery, after which he promised not to participate in

filibustering. A motion by Mr. Randall that the House adjourn to Friday showed that there was no quorum. A call of the House disclosed a quorum. Mr. Walker, of Pennsylvania, fell to the floor in a fainting fit. After filibustering had gone on for throe hours, Mr. Calkins advised members to bring five days’ rations with them, and moved to adjourn, which was carried. The session of the Senate on May 25 was dull and uneventful A bill passed appropriating $15,000 for a light-house at Little Traverse harbor, Lake Michigan. The Japanese Indemnity act was taken up, Mr. Morgan warmly advocating repayment, and Mr. Jones arguing against any return of money. In the House, Mr. Calkins called up the South Carolina contested-election case. Mr. Randall raised a question of consideration. Mr. Kenna moved to adjourn, on which there were 133 nays and no yeas. The Speaker submitted a request by Mr. Curtin for leave of absence, and Mr. Randall demanded a yea and nay vote, leave being refused by 13 to 134. Motions were then made to adjourn to Saturday and to Monday, both being lost, Ben Wood voting with the Republicans. On a motion for a recess, the vote showed no quorum and a call of the House was ordered. At 5 o’clock a recess was t; ken until 8. At the evening session the galleries were well filled, and the attendance of members was larger than usual. The call of the House was several times intenupted by votes on motions to excuse members for the evening. A proposition for an adjournment to Monday received only 118 votes, less than a quorum. Mr. Bayard reported in the Senate, May 25, a modification of the measure recently introduced by him as a substitute for the BondedSpirit i bill, the change referring mainly to brindies and warehousing bonds. A bill was passed to provide for the removal of obstructions to free navigation, ani requiring bridge companies to erect sheer Dooms. When the Japanese Indemnity bill was taken up, Mr. Saunders moved an amendment to pay George 8. Fisher, Consul at Kanagawa, . $15,000 for the destruction of his property. Mr. Jones proposed that the President communicate with Great Britain, France and tjie Netherlands and secure their co-operation in snaking full restitution to Japan. The House took up the South C rolina contested-election case, Blackburn raised a question of consideration. ’ Dilatory motions were made by Messrs. Converse, Carlisle and Randall, and the roll was several times called. Mr. Blackburn, in order to break the diallock, submitted a resolution that a special committee investigate the charges of irregularity in handling the testimony in the Mackey-Dibble case. The confusion then became very great, scores of members talking simu tmeously, ana Mr. Calkins secured an adjournment. The resolution offered by Mr. Blackburn was the fruit of a secret session of the Democratic caucus committee. Immediately after the adjournment the Republicans held a caucus, with Mr. Robeson in the chair. Mr. Calkins explained that he had intended to offer a counter proposition to that of Mr. Blackburn, but debate was cut off. A resolution was then adopted to submit to the Democrats a proposition to open the case for discussion for six hours, the time to be equally divided, wbe.i a motion Jwill be entertained to recommit the report to the committee.