Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 January 1883 — XLVIITH CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

XLVIITH CONGRESS.

The President laid before the Senate, at its session on the 2d inst, a communication transmitting the report of the Mississippi River Commission, with maps, etc. Ordered printed. Mr. Garland presented the remonstrance of certain merchants of Arkansas against the increased duty on tin platea Referred. Several petitions were presented for the passage of a bill giving an increased pension to one-m-med and one-legged soldiers. Mr. Garland, from the Committee on Judiciary. reported the original bill as a substitute for the bills referred to that committee, providing for the forfeiture of certain railroad land grants. The bill cancels all grants of land to railroad companies which have made little effort to complete their trades within the time specified. Mr. Logan delivered a three hours’ speech in opposition to the Fitz John Porter bill In the House, bills were introduced to transfer the revenue-cutter service to the Navy Department, and to limit to one year the presentation of claims by States for moneys expended In suppressing Indian hostilities. BUIb were passed: To place tobacco exported by rail on the same looting as that sent to Europe by sea, and t 6 permit 'Canadian farmers to nave 'grain ground at mffla on this side ofjfeehprder. Mr. Logan finished his argument in the Fitz John Porter case on the 3d infit., and a motion for an indefinite postponement was lost—2B to 20—Mahone and Cameron, of Pennsylvania, voting with the Democrats. A number of petitions were presented fop a constitutional amendment to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors. A statement from the Comraission-

er of Internal Revenue estimated the amount . required to refund taxes on tobacco and matches at $36,080,716. In the House, a telegram was presented from the St Louis Mercantile Exchange, asking the immediate passage of the Bonded Whisky bill The Aring Appropriation bill was taken up in committee or the whole, and Mr. Browne’s amendment *for the gradual abolition of the pay corps was adopted. A sharp debate took place over the statement by Mr. Hiscock that the Democrats at the last session left deficiencies in the appropriations amounting to $27.000,000. The West Point Appropriation bill was passed by the Senate on the 4th inst Mr. Morrill reported the House bill to reduce in-ternal-revenue taxation, with an amendment for an entire revision of the tariff and of the machinery for its collection. The Sherman bill extending the * bonded period for two years on whisky in warehouses was passed by a vote of 23 yeas co 20 nays. In the House, Mr. Kasson, of lowa, Chairman of the Committee on Civil Service Reform, reported back the Senate bill to regulate and improve the civil service of the United States, and spoke in favor of the measure. Mr. Reagan, of Texas, spoke in opposition to the bill, on the ground that it was not efficient to remedy the evils complained of. Mr. Townshend, of Illinois, favored the provision of a penalty for the violation of the clause forbidding political assessments by public officers Mr. Buckner, of Missouri, favored the bill, as it would tend to break up the iniquitous assessment system. Mr. Calkins, of Indiana, regarded the bill as a turning point to perfect civil reform. If the Democrats could stand, this bill now he was sure the Republicans, with their fellowß in office, could He admired his Democratic friends who could take medicine in the shape of a Civil Service Reform bill after having wandered for twenty-four years in the Desert of Sahara. For this reason and many others he favored the bill. Mr. Thompson, of Kentucky, moved to recommit the bill with instructions to the committee to report it back with an amendment prohibiting the assessment of public employes by private persona Lost—yeas 85, nays 114 The bill then passed—yeas 155, nays 47. Of the 155 affirmative votes, 100 were Republicans and 49 Democrats—4o Democrats and 7 Republicans voting in the negative. The Senate devoted the principal part of the day, at its session on the sth inst, to the discussion of the Presidential Succession bill Senator Garland, of Arkansas, made an earnest plea for the passage of the measure, declaring that “after the 4th of March next, the life of President Arthur is the only life between order and anarchy.” He favored a Presidential term of six years. Messrs. Jones, of Florida, and Morgan, of Alabama, opposed the bilL Mr. Ingalls presented to the Senate a petition for the admission of Dakota as a State. Mr. Vest submitted a report in relation to Yel-' lowstone Park. President Arthur nominated to the Senate Gustavus Goward, of Hlinois, to be Secretary of the American Legation in Japan. The House took up’ the District of Columbia bill, which appropriates $3,443,847, and passed it The proceedings of Congress on the 6th inst were tame and uninteresting. In the Senate, petitions from Wisconsin were presented for a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors, as also a memorial from Oregon for the improvement of Columbia river. A House bill was passed to permit the free exportation of tobacco .and cigars. A bill was reported to grant right of way through public land in Alabama to the Rome and Decatur railroad. Tno House listened to a communication from the President recomm-nding an appropriation of $100,(XX) to complete the census Mr. White, of Kentucky, offered a resolution as to the m cessity for the presence of Commissioner Raum in Illinois, where cnorinou-i quantities of distil ed spir ts now lie in bonded warehouses, and whose owners are petitioning for extension of the bonded period. The Presidential Succession bill was discuss d at some length by the Senate on the Stli inst, ind Mr. Beck, who has heretofore opposed the measure, gave it his support A bill was passed to prohibit the use of the Capitol for other than legitimate purposes Mr. . Fondle on presented a memorial of Cincinnati merchants against the proposed national bankrupt law. In the House,bills were introduced to create a postal telegraph, to reduce lfetter postage to 1 cent, to bridge St Croix lake and Niagara river, and to limit the coinage of • standard silver dollars to the requirements of the people. A resolution was adopted for the appointment of a committee to investigate the charge that John Bailey, Chief Clerk of the House, is an agent of the Washington Gas Company. The Shipping bill was discussed.