Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 July 1882 — FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS.

A bill to establish the Territory of Pembina was reported to the Senate on the Ist inst. by Mr. Saunders, of Nebraska. A bill was passed to permit the investment of the Pacific railroad sinking-fund in first-mortgage thirty-year bonds of the Union and Central Pacific roads. The Legislative Appropriation bill was considered in committee of the whole. The President sent to the Senate the following nominations : Joseph R. West, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of that District; Lewis W. Wallace, of Indiana, to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Turkey, a reappointment; Henry C. Hall, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Central American States; John R. Halderman, of Missouri, to be Minister Resident and Consul General to Siam; John M. Francis, of New York, to be Minister Resident and Consul General to Portugal; J. P. Wickersham, of Pennsylvania, Minister Resident and Consul General to Denmark; Michael J. Cramer, of Kentucky, Minister Resident and Consul General to Switzerland James Biley Weaver, of West Virginia, Secretary of Legation and Consul General to Vienna ; Lewis Richmond, of Rhode Island, Secretary of Legation at Rome ; John T. Robeson, of Tennessee, United States Consul at Beirut; A. T. Sharp, of Kansas, United States Consul at Manila; Lorin A. Lathrop, of Nevada, United States Consul at Bristol; William W. Spaulding, of Minnesota, Receiver of Public Moneys at Duluth; John R. Carey, of Minnesota, Register of the Land Office at Duluth ; William A. Swan, of Pennsylvania, Indian Agent at Cheyenne River Agency, Dakota ; Francis M. Darby, Assistant Treasurer of the United States at' Baltimore ; Thomas A. Henry, Collector of Customs for the District of Pamlico, N. C.; Horace McKay, Collector of Internal Revenue for the Sixth district of Indiana ; David Bennett, Collector of Internal Revenue for the Seventh district of Kentucky; John F. Kumbler, Collector of Internal Revenue for the Tenth district of Ohio, In the House, a joint resolution was passed authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to issue 2 per cent, bonds to the amount of $200,000,000, in exchange for securities bearing a higher rate of interest The Naval Appropriation bill was then taken up iu committee of the . whole, discussed, amended, and hid over. Tne Senate bill to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Sault Ste. Marie was passed. The Speaker presented a message from the President vetoing the bill to regulate the carriage of passengers by sea. * The Senate passed a hill, at its session on the 3d inst., to authorize the sale of timber on the Menominee lands in Wisconsin. A charter was granted to Robert Garrett and others of Maryland to lay a cable to Europe within two yearsThe general deficiency appropriation came up The amendment creating a board to audit, the Gaifield funeral expenses, and limiting the amount for medical service to $52,500, was earnestly fought by Mr. Vest After a general exchange of sentiment, it was agreed to reduce the entire appropriation to $57,500, and to allow the surgeons $35,000. The bill was then passed. The President nominated Col. C. H. Crane to be Surgeon General, John Davis to be Assistant Secretary of State, and Eugene Schuyler to be Minister Resident to Roumania, Servia and Greece. In the House, Mr. Berry introduced a bill to abolish the State of Nevada and attach the ts rritoi yto California. Mr. Robinson, of New York, after stating that the British Minister had called upon Secretary Frelinghuysen to raise questions about words spoken in debate by tbe New York member, introduced a resolution inquiring of tbe Secretary of State whether tho appointment of a British censor bad been suggested in the interview. Bills were parsed for publio buildings at Oxford, Miss.; Poughkeepsie, “N. Y.; Terre Haute, Ind.; St. Joseph, Mo., and Harrisonburg and Abingdon, Va. The rules were suspended and a bill passed to correct the error in the statutes concerning the duty on knit goods. A bill to ratify the railway treaty with the Crow Indians was passed. Mr. Hiscock reported a •übstitute for the sundry civil appropriation. The act to create the Territory of Pembina came up In the Senate on the sth inst, and provoked a hot debate, Mr. Vest insisting on the repeal of the Dakota law in relation to the repudiation of bonds of Yankton county. The River and Harbor bill was reported. It was voted to postpone for the session consideration of the National Bankrupt law. The bill for the relief of Ben Holliday was briefly considered. The House went into committee of the whole on the naval appropriation. Mr. Atkins moved to reduce the item for the Bureau of Construction and Repair to $1,500,000. Mr. Robeson thought tl is would be a declaration that we have no n:tvy. Mr. Ellis pointed out the war-clouds on the horizon, and pronounced for a reconstruction of the navy. An amendment by Mr. Harris was adopted, that any portion of the item of $1,750,000 not wanted for the purposes specified may be applied to the construction of two cruisjug vessels of war. The committee reported the till 10" the House, the previous quesii ’n was seconded, and an adjournment was effected. The River and Harbor Appropriation bill, covering $19,463,975, was taken up iu the Senate on the 6th inst. Mr. McMillan briefly reviewed the amendments made by the Senate committee. The item of SIOO,OOO for surveying the Hennepin canal called out speeches from Messrs. -Butler, Beck, Yest and Allison. The former gave notice of a proposed modification, of the amendment. In the Houso a joint resolution was passed authorizing the President to calx an International Conference to fix a common prime meridian. In closing the debate on the Naval Appropriation bill Mr. Robeson indulged in harsh reflections upon Mr. Whitthome, the hdter responding by branding Robeson as a falsifier and perjurer. The naval appropriation passed by 119 to 75. Objection was made to the bill for a pension to Mrs.

Garfield, on'the ground that it would give rise to debate, and the House went into committee of the whole on the Snndry Civil Appropriation bill. Mr. Hiscock explained the items in the act Mr. Blackburn criticised the majority for not having already disposed of the general appropriation bills. Mr. Bayne said President Arthur had violated bis promise to stand by the civil-service plank of tho Republican platform. The entire session of the Senate on the 7th inst. was devoted to work on the River and Harbor bill. Mr. Logan urged the importance of constructing the Hennepin canal, stating that the cost would not exceed $4,000,000. Mr. Vest claimed that the national Government had no right to assume jurisdiction over the enterprise, and stated that manufacturing towns along Rock river had entered protests against the canal. Mr. Hawley reviewed canal management in the Middle States to show the difficulties encountered. Sir. Sherman thought the matter should be considered as a separate measure. Mr. Morgan said the purpose of the scheme was to divert traffic from New Orleans to Chicago. Mr. Hawley gave warning that SIOO,OOO would be but a drop in the bucket. Messrs. Allison and Windom spoke in favor of the project and Mr. Butier in opposition. The House, in committee of the whole, was considering the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill, when Mr. Butlerwortb, of Ohio, made a savage attack upon trie Democratic party. Having been interrupted by Mr. Cox, Mr. Butterworth indulgod in an allusion unfit for publication, and it was omitted from the records. Mr. Cox retorted by calling Mr. Butterworth a blackguard. Mr. Deuster introduced a bill to regulate the carriage of passengers by sea, drawn iu accordance with the President’s suggestions. The Republican Senators held a caucus after adjournment, and the following agreements were reached with substantial unanimity. That the House bill for the reduction of internal-revenue taxation be taken up, aud that all its provisions as amended by the Finance Committee shall receive Republican support; that the Fiuanco Committee prepare additional amendments providing for a restoration of the tariff duties on sugar to the rates in force before the last tariff changes in regard to this article were made, for a reduction of $8 per ton from present duty on Bessemer steel rails and for a reduction of duties on hoop iron, in accordance with the provisions of the McKinley bill now pending in the House.