Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 June 1882 — CONGRESSIONAL. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESSIONAL.

SENATE. Washington, J une 9.—The senate joint-resolution refunding internal revenue taxes illegally collected from the Detroit house of correction passed. The Japanese indemnity fund bill was taJ|en up and dlscufsed and again went over without action. After a short executive session the senate adjourned till Monday. HOUSE. Washington, June 9.— The house went into committee on legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill. / A long discussion ensued upon the proposition made by Mr. Burrows, of Michigan, to equalize the salaries o) the house and senate employes by a reduction In the salaries of the latter. The proposition was agreed to by a vote of 68 to 3. ' % The item appropriating $2,300,000 for the salaries and expenses of the internal revenue agents was taken up. After finishing forty of the 100 pages of the bill the committee rose. Recess. At the evening session twenty-five pension bitls were passed. Adjourned till to-morrow. HQUBE. Washington, June 10. Representative Townsend under instruction from the committee on commerce has prepared a report upon the inter-state commerce bill recently agreed to by that committee, and will submit it to the house at the first opportunity. The bill provides for the establishment of a board of commissioners of inter-state commerce as a bureau of the interior department whose duty shall be to thoroughly investigate and report upon the bearings of proposed legislation. Numerous amendments were offered and rejected, and the committee after consideration of eighty of the hundred pages of the bill rose and the house adjourned. SENATE. Washington, June 12.—The house bills to divide lowa into two judicial districts, and authorizing the Sioux City & Pacific railroad to construct a bridge over the Missouri river, passed. The senate went into executive session. The Japanese indemnity bill came up as unfinished business, the question being upon Mr. Morrill’s amendment to pay back in legal coin the exact sum received from the Japanese government, viz., $185,000. After discussion the amendment prevailed—yeas, 23; nays, 20. Mr. Morrill moved further to amend by directing the distribution of the bonds under control of the state department, known as Japanese indemnity bonds. After an extended debate between Messrs Morrill and Windom bill was laid over as unfinished business. On motion Mr. Logan insisted upon the amendments to the army appro- ? nation bill, and Messrs. Logan, lumb and Ransom were appointed oonferees. The clause relative to the compulsory retirement of army officers will not go the committee, the house having in the senate amendment designating sixty-four as the age instead of sixty-two as originally proposed in the house biil. Adjourned.

HOUSE. Washington, June 12.—Mr. Butterworth, from the committee on appropriations, reported back the army appropriation bill with senate amendments recommending concurrence in the same, and non-concurrence in the others. After a debate the senate amendment was agreed to; yeas, 101; nays, 75. Other recommendations of the committee on appropriations were agreed to without division. Mr. Townsend, of Ohio, from the committee on commerce, reported a bill creating the board of commissioners of the inter-state commerce as a bureau of the interior department, a committee of the whole. Mr. Humphrey, from the committee on judiciary, reported a bill to establish a uniform system of bankruptcy. The house then proceeded to the consideration of business relating . to the Dist. of Columbia. After debate the previous question was ordered on the bill and amendments, including the one offered by Mr. Blount, prodding that one-half of the improvement shall be paid for by the District of Coulmbia, and authorizing the district commissoners to issue 3.65 bonds to such an amount as may be required in execution of that Improvement. Adjourned. SENATE. Washington, D. C., June 13,1882 A bill to appropriate money f _>r the benefit of southern mail contractors was laid over until to-morrow, at the request of several senators who desired to examine it. Bill to raise naval officers who hac served 35 years to rank of commodore rejected 10 to 35. Mr. Brown’s resolution, supplying each senator with a $1,200 clerk, was rejected—yeas, 20; nays, 28. Messrs. Plumb, Dawes and Cock reil were constituted conferees on th district appropriation bill. The Japanese indemnity bill wa considered in committee and Morri IP amendment ordering a destructio n o the bonds in wnich the fund was in vested prevailed—yeas, 27; nays, 23. The only notable feature of remain der of the proceedings in the committee of the was a speech by Mr Logan, denunciatory of the principal of prize money, of allowing interest upon it for .the benefit of the Wyoming, after the payment of interest or tl l which Japan had refused. The prize money claim was reduced more than SIOO,OOO by deducting the accumulated interest. The bill passed—yeas, 35;’ nays, 13 The bill as passed authorizes and directs the president to pay to the government of Jspan $785,000.

Section 2 directs the secretary of the treasury to pay from the treasury $140,000 as prize money to the officers and crews of the United States ship Wyoming and steamer Tokiang, or their legal representatives, for services in the straits of Sbimonoeki, in 186 f and 1864*. No payment to be made to the assignee of any marines, but to the 'mariner himself, his legai representative, or his or their duly authorized attorney. Adjourned. HOUSE. Washington. June 13.—The joint resolution passed authorizing the secretary of war to erect, at a cost of SIO,OOO, a memorial column at Washington’s headquarters at Newburgh, New York; appVopriating $15,000 to aid ‘in defraying the expenses of the celebration to be held there in 1883. Mr. Cox, of New York, delivered an address on the question of Dolitical assessments. After a lengthly debate the amendment was rejected. Mr. Townshend, of Illinois, offered an amendment reducing letter postage to two cents. Ruled out. Mr. Springer offered an amendment providing that the reporter of the United States supreme court shall cover into the treasury all receipts from sales of reports in excess of $2,600 per year. Adopted. Pending a long discussion upon the last section the house adjourned. SENATE. Washington, June 14.— The senate resumed consideration of the senate joint resolution to pay mail contractors in various southern states amounts due them on their contracts for 1889, 1860 and 1861, and reappropriating $875,000 for that purpose. The vote upon proceeding with the bill was—yeas 39, nays 24. This was a party vote, Dav'g, of Illinois, voting “no’’ with the Republicans. After discussion the bill went over. A long struggle msued for precedence of regular business, but finally a motion by Mr. Bayard to take u*p the bonded spirits bill prevailed—yeas, 36; nays, 21. Without action the senate went into executive session and soon adjourned HOUSE. Washington, June 14.—The house went into committee of the whole on the legislative, executive and judicial appropriations bill. A b tter personal controversy ensued between Messrs. White, of Kentucky, and Kelly, of Pennsylvania, which culminated in both gentlemer apologizing to the house. . The bill then passed by a vote o yeas, 126; naye-, 45. The river and harbor bill was then taken up, but went over without action. Mr. O’Neill, from the committee on appropriations, reported the invalid pension appropriation bill. Referred to the committee of the whole. The total amount appropriated is SIOO,000,COO. Adjourned. SENATE. Washington, Juno 15.—The joint resolution to reapproprfate $375,000 to pay the mail contractors for service in the southern states prior to these states going into the rebellion, again occupied the time reserved for the oalendar. Mr. Morgan submitted a resolution, which was laid over temporarily, for investigation during vacation by a select committee, into the labor strikes, their, causes and remedy. The committee to examine persons under oath. The house bill relating to the bonded period upon distilled spirits was again up as unfinished business. Mr. McMillan moved to postpone the biU and amendments indefinitely. The motion prevailed—yeas, 32; nays, 24. Adjourned.

HOUSE. Washington, June 15.—The house went into committee of the whole on the river and harbor appropriation bill. At the close of the general debate the first and second paragraphs of the bill were read, but without action the committee rose and the house adjourned. SfcNATE. Washington, June 16.—Mr. Hoar introduced a bill to provide for the performance of the duties of the office of president in case of the removal, resignation, inability or death of both the president and vice president. It vests the succession to the presidency in the members of the cabinet in the order in which they were named in Washington’s cabinet, beginning with the secretary of state and conSLuding with the secretary of the Interior, and excluding cabinet officers not previously confirmed by the senate. The bill to reappropriate $875,000 to pay southern mail contractors for services'prior to ihe secession of their states was taken up, but went over without action. The bill to enable national banking associations to extend their corporate existence was read for action upon the committee amendments. Pending a motion for an executive session, tne bill was laid over without action until Monday. house. * Washington, June 16.—The senate amendment to the house bill authorizing the Sioux City snd Pacific railroad company to construct a bridge' across the Missouri river was agreed to. The house went into committee on the river and harbor appropriation bill, and the rest of the day was devoted to discussing the measure. The house at tne evening session passed seventeen pension bills (including' the one granting a pension of SSO a month to Betty Taylor Danderldge, daughter of Zachary Taylor,) and then adjourned till to-morrow. No application has been made to Justice Bradley for a writ of habeas corpus in the Guiteau case.