Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1882 — FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS.

The Alabama contested-election ease of Lowe vs. Wheeler being under consideration in the House on the Sdinxt, Mr. Springer moved to recommit, with instructions, and placed that motion in the form of a resolution and preamble. The preamble sets forth that a number of so-called depositions offered by the contestant were never certified, and did not show that any of the pretended witnesses were sworn, and that some of the depositions bad been changed since the examination. At this point Mr. Reed objected to the further reading, claiming that the preamble was merely a speech, and made the point of order that it was not proper to be incorporated in a motion to recommit. Mr. Springer declared that he acted in perfect good faitb, and that if the gentleman from Maine (Reed) insisted to the contrary he was acting without the slightest foundation. The Speaker ruled the resolution was not in order, on the ground that portions of the preamble were in the nature of debate. Mr. springer was successful, however, in getting the whole preamble in the Record by appealing from the decision of the chair. The appeal was laid on the table. Mr. Springer then moved to recommit, with instructions to the committee to ascertain the num ben of tissue ballots cast for either Lowe or Wheeler, and to reporta resolution giving the seat to the one having the highest number of legal votes, after rejecting all such tissue ballots. The motion was lost—yeas 91. nays 132—a party vote, except Smith, of Now York, who voted with the Republicans. A resolution deolaring the contestant entitled to the seat was adopted—yeas 149, nays 3 Phelps, and Rice of Ohio) —and Lowe appeared at the bar of the House and took the oath of office. There was no session of the Senate.

Acling Vice President Davis explained to the Semite, when it convened on the sth inst., that his letter designating Mr. Ingalls to act as Chairman was in exact conformity with the selection of Mr. Eaton in a similar manner by Mr. Thurman, and he asked a decision upon the issue. The Committee on Rules was instructed to report on the matter. Mr. Lapbam made a favorable repoit and Mr. George an adverse one on a constitutional amendment giving suffrage to women. ATesolution was adopted that the President be r< quested to transmit all fresh correspondence i etween the State Department and E ivoy Trcscott and Walker Blaine. Mr. Pendleton ftrked that the Committee on Civil Service be instructed to report whether assessments for partisan purposes are being lev.ed on Government employes, but Mr. Plumb objected. Mr. McMillan introduced a bill for a treaty with the Sioux Indians for the cession of part of their reservation. Mr. Sewell presented an act allowing SIO,OOO to the widow of Minister Kilpatrick. Mr. Plumb offered a resolution of inquiry as to the sway of the Typographical Union in the Government Printing Office, which was adopted. Mr. Beck presented a resolution that the General Appropriation bills be reported as soon as possible, which was laid over. The Army bill was taken up. The amendment that after forty years of service any officer may apply for retirement was adopted, and also a clause fixing 64 vears as the age for compulsory retirement In the House, Mr. Whire offered a resolution to release the Committee on Ways and Means from further investigation as to the extension of the bonded period for spirits. Thia led to a war of words between Messrs. White and Kelley. Mr. Robertson introduced a bill to apply to the permanent improvement of the Mississippi river an amount equal to the cotton tax collected in that region. Mr. White offered a resolution for an inquiry as to the connection of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue with the Bonded Spirits bill Mr. Turner moved to abolish the duty on trace chains, which was lost. A motion by Mr. Henderson to make the Illinois and Michigan Canal bill the special order for June 15 was urged by Messrs. Springer and Marsh, and opposed by Messrs. Bland and Singleton, arid was voted down. For public buildings at Concord, N. H., and Marquette, Mich., SIOO,OOO each was appropriated. Mr. Lynch introduced a bill to guarantee the interest on $50,000,000 bonds of a projected railway on the levees from New Orleans to Carlo. Mr. Slater introduced a bill in the Senate, on the 6th inst., to prohibit the collection of party assessments by Government employes, the penalty being a fine of SSOO and deposition from office. Mr. Rollins presented a joint resolution for a commission on the revival of international commerce by the use of steamships built and owned by American citizens. Mr. Davis offered a resolution, which was adopted, for an inquiry into the propriety of reducing letter postage to 2 cents and on newspapers to half the present rate. The Army Appropriation bill was taken up. A motion to exempt Gens. Sherman and Sheridan from compulsory retirement was defeated. Mr. Logan secured the insertion of a clause appropriating SIOO,OOO to erect an army and navy hospital at Hot Springs, Ark. The bill was then passed by a vote of 42 to 11. The President nominated George P. Pomeroy to bo Con-sul-General at Cairo, E. T. Brulatour for Secretary of Legation at Paris, and E. G. Van Rifer Consul at Moscow. In the House, a bill was reported to suspend the issue of silver certificates and limit the coinage of silver dollars. A report on the Northern Pacific land grants stated that no legislation is required to hasten the completion of the road. A bill was reported to compel the Kansas Pacific to defray the cost of surveying and conveying certain lands. In the contested-election case from the First district of Florida, a recommendation was made that Mr, Davidson have leave to withdraw. Mr. White indulged in some personal remarks in regard to the report of the Committee on Ways and Means on the Bonded Spirit-bilL The General Deficiency Appropriation bill was read by sections. Mr. McCook called attention to the clause appropriating $32,328'for liabilities incurred by the Yorktown Centennial Commission, and asked an explanation. Mr. Cobb caused the bill for liquors to be read, which covered $6,529, on which a lively debate arose. Mr. Hewitt presented a resolution of the New York Chamber of Commerce in opposition to the sale of the Brooklyn navy-yard. Mr. Kasson secured the unanimous passage of resolutions in eulogy of Garibaldi. The petition of M. D. Ball to be admitted as delegate from Alaska was reported back without recommendation.

B lls were passed by the Senate, at its session on the 7th inst., to Wrect public buildings at Clarksburg, W. Va.; Camden, N. J., and Lynchburg, Va., involving $215,000. In regard to the bill to give the administratrix of John C. Underwood $5,000 for contesting his claim to a seat, the statement was made that deceased was a Judge in the Federal Court, ond ccnetantly in receipt of a salary. The District of Columbia bill, which appropriates $2,367,767, occupied the remainder of the session. The House went into committee of the whole on the General Deficiency Appropriation bill. Mr. Sparks made a fruitless attempt to strike out the clause setting aside $900,000 for army transportation for two years. Mr. Holman failed in an effort to cut out $125,000 for army transportation to land-grant; roads. Mr. Blount, in moving to strike out an appropriation of $150,000 for the Bureau of (Jonstruction and Repair of the Navy, called out Mr. Bobeson, who boasted that every ship bearing the American flag had been built by him, and that they are the best of their kind. Mr. Sparks apologized to Mr. Cox for having, in debate, called him “a little scamp.”

The District of Columbia Appropriation nill was passed by the Senate, on the Bth inst., after refusing to remit $49,000 unpaid taxes on the property of the late Superintendent Patterson, of the Coast Survey. Mr. Hawley reported a joint resolution, which was adopted, appropriating SIO,OOO to furnish food to destitute people in the overflowed portion of Mississippi. The House passed a bill increasing to S4O per month the pension of any soldier who lost a leg, hand or foot in the late war. The General Deficiency Appropriation bill was taken up and passed, motions being defeated to strike out the clauses of $ 125,000 for land-grant railroads, of $362,000 for tbo Naval Bureau of Construction, andof $112,609 sos Special Deputy Marshals. A joint resolution wjs passed to lend 1,000 army tents to shelter Russian refugees at Vineland, N. J. Bills were reported to create the Oregon Short-Lino Railroad Company and the National Railroad Company. Mr. Calkins reported in favor of limiting to $2,000 the expense of contesting seats. The Democrats of the Senate held a caucus to consider the nominations on the Tariff Commission. Considerable opposition to the make-up was developed. Senator Vest received a dispatch from ex-Gov. Phelps, of Missouri, declining the appointment. A joint resolution to refund internal-revenue taxes illegally collected from the Detroit House of Correction was passed by the Senate on the 9th inst. Mr. Van Wyck offered lion bilk A proposition by Mr. Burrows to equalize the salaries of Senate and House employes was agreed to. Mr. White objected to the item of $2,300,000 for salaries in the Internal Revenue Bureau, and it was passed until ray, for any distance not exceeding twentyfive miles. The Japanese Indemnity bill was discussed and flung aside. The House spent the day in committee of the whole on the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Appropriaa resolution, which was laid over, that the nominations to the Tariff Commission be considered in open session. A bill was passed authorizing the Postmaster General ,o extend mail routes, at pro-rata additional the bill is completed by the committee. Nearly half the items were considered, when a recess was taken. At the evening session twenty-five pension bills were passed. Every lady who shops by mail should send five P-cent stamps for a copy of Strawbridge & Clothier’s Quarterly. The present number contains 1,000 engravings, illustrating the new fashions, and four pages of new music. Strawbridge & Clothier, Eighth and Market streets, Philadelphia.