Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1884 — NEWS CONDENSED. [ARTICLE]

NEWS CONDENSED.

Concise Record of the Week. DOINGS OF CONGRESS. After prolonged debate, the Mexican treaty was ratified by the Senate on the 11th Inst The vote stood 41 to 20—one vote more than the necessary two-thirds. The treaty would have tailed but for the action of Senator Van Wyck, who. though opposed to it, abstained from voting, because, as he said, the great majority of the people were in favor of the measure, Mr. Allison presented a memorial from the Legislature of lowa asking the passage of a law to regulate tares and freights by railroad. A favorable report was made on the bill to ratify the agreement with the Shoshones and Bannocks for the sale of a portion of their lands. A bill was passed appropriating to Louisa Boddy, of Oregon, $5,400 for property destroyed by Modocs. Bills were introduced to suspend the coinage of standard silver dollars for two years, for a public building at Sacramento, and to improve low-water navigation on the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Cairo. In the House of Representatives, majority and minority reports were made on the Morrison tariff bill. An act to place the name of George W. Getty on the retired list as Major General was favorably reported, as also a measure for the sale of the Kickapoo reservation in Kansas. An adverse report was handed in on the bill to construct a macadamized road from Memphis to the adjacent national cemetery. Debate in committee of the whole on the postoffice appropriation bill consumed the balance of the day's session. the largest and most attentive audience gathered in the halls of Congress the present session assembled in the Senate chamber on the 12th inst. to listen to the opening debate on the bill for the relief of Gen. Fitz John Porter. Two speeches were made—by Mr. Sewell, of New Jersey, in favor of the measure, and Mr. Wilson, of lowa, in opposition. A joint resolution was introduced for a constitutional amendment fixing the term of the President at six years and making him ineligible to re-election. Bills were introduced to establish forest reservations at the head waters of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers, and for the erection of a public building at Boulder, Colo. Favorable reports were made on bills for the extension of the Chesapeake and Ohio road to Fortress Monroe, and to authorize the return of private boxes deposited in the Treasury vaults. Mr. Coke spoke On the pleuropneumonia bill. The House of Representatives, in committee of the whole on the postoffice appropriation bill struck out the clause limiting the salaries of Postmasters to $4,000, and rejected an amendment increasing the items for clerks by $125,000. At the time of adjournment a proposition was made to increase by $400,000 the appropriation for carriers. A bill 'was introduced for the admission of Washington Territory as a State after the 4th of March. 1805. Another large audience assembled in the Senate galleries on the 13th inst. to listen to the debate on the Fitz John Porter bill. Mr. Manderson first addressed the Senate in opposition to the bill. He was followed by Mr. Logan In a lengthy speech on the same side, after which the measure was read a third time and passed by a vote of 36 yeas to 25 nays, five Republicans and Riddleb.-rger voting in the affirmative. Ma hone was absent. Following is the vote in detail: Yeas—Bayard, Brown, Butler, Call, Cockrell, Coke, Colquitt, Fair, Farley, Garland. Gibson. Gorman, Groome, Hampton, Harris, Hoar, Jackson, Jones (Fla.), Jones (Nev.), Lamar, McPherson, Maxey, Morgan, Pendleton, Pike, Pugh, Riddleberger, Sabin, Saulsbury, Sewell. Slater, Vance. Voorhees, Walker, and Williams—36. Nays— Nays-Aldrich, Allison, Blair. Bowen, Conger, Cullom, Dawes, Dolph, Edmunds, Frye, Harrison, Hawley, Hill, Ingalls, Logan, McMillan, Manderson, Miller (Cal.), Mitchell. Morrill, Palmer, Platt, Sherman, Van Wyck, Wilson—2s. During the vote the following pairs were announced: Beck yea with Hale nay, Cameron (Wis.) yea with George nay. Miller (N. Y.) nay with Camden yea, Plumb nay with Vest yea. Sawyer nay with Kenna yea. The preamble to the bill as passed recites that the board of officers convened by the President to examine and report upon the case of Gen. Porter stated that justice required the President to annul the findings and sentence of the courtmartial in Gen. Porter’s case, and restore him to the position of which sentence deprived him, such restoiation to takj effect from the date of dismissal from service; that the President had remitted so much of the sentence as disqualified Gen. Porter from holding office, and that in order to do justice to Gen. Porter it was enacted, etc. The bill then authorizes the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint Gen. Porter to the position of Colonel in the army of the same grade and rank held by him at the time of dismissal, and, authorizes the President in his discretion to place Gen. Porter on the retired list as of that grade; Gen. Porter, however, to receive no compensation or allowance prior to his appointment under the act. A joint resolution was submitted appropriating $25,000 for the suppression of the fcot-and-mouth disease among cattle in Kansas. A bill was introduced for a public building at Akron, Ohio. A favorable report was made on the bill for the admission of Dakota. The House of Representatives, in committee of the whole on the postoffice appropriation bill, adopted an amendment increasing the amount for the freedelivery service to $4,000,000. The Committee on Public Lands was directed to report whether the grant to the Lake Superior and Portage Lake Canal Company is liable to forfeiture.

The joint resolution appropriating' §25,000 for the eradication of the foot-and-mouth disease, in co-operation with the authorities ol Kansas, was called up in the Senate on the 14th inst. by Mr. Plumb. Mr. Sherman stated that the people of Illinois and other States were becoming alarmed, and argued that the appropriation should not be confined to Kansas. Mr. Cullom thought $50,000 should be set aside, and at once. Mr. Sherman said the question was a national one, and he favored action by tlie General Government. Mr. Garland defended the measure as constitutional, and Mr. Maxey argued that citizens of States could not bo deprived of their property without due process of' law. Mr. Ingalls explained that a large proportion of the cattle in Kansas were not owned by its people. Mr. Conger said contagion was spreading over the country wuile Senators discussed constitutional principles. Mr. Bayard thought the Government could not enter the States and kill and pay for diseased cattle. Mr. Ingalls created a good deal of laughter, in whieh the Democratic side of the chamber joined as heartily as the Republicans, by the remark that they would soon have to consider the suppression of the foot and mouth disease iu the Democratic party, as it never opened its iqouth without putting its foot in it. The House, in committee of the whole, discussed for hours the bill granting a pension of $2,500 per year to the sole surviving grandchild of Thomas Jefferson, the objection being that the precedent would establish a civil pension list, and finally struck out the enacting clause, by a vote of 129 to 60. The Speaker presented a communication from the Secretary of War, askin the appropriation of $220,000 for the erection in San Francisco of additional buildings for the military headquarters. The session of the House of Representatives on March 15 was principally devoted to consideration of the postoffioe a appropriation Wll. It was agreed to include within the 50 per cent, limitation clause the Northern Pacific and Union Pacific Roads. The Committee on Public Lands reported a bill to forfeit a cert in grant made for the construction of a railroad from the Central Pacific to Portland, Ore. There was no session of the Senate.