Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 June 1884 — SENATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

SENATE AND HOUSE.

Proceedings of the Federal Congress Boiled Down. On June 3, the Senate passed bills granting to letter carriers an annual leave of absence for fifteen days, giving a pension of SSO per month ■ to the widow of Gen. Judson Kilpatrick, providing for t>he sale of the Fort Hayes and the Kickapoo Reservations in Kansas, fixing the mem nejshipofthe Dakota Legislature at twenty-fotlr Councilmen and forty-eight Representatives, limiting the cost of the public buildings at Leavenworth to SIOO,OOO, and authorizing’ the bridging of the • Missouri at Rulo aad at Leavenworth. After passing sixtvtwo bills the Senate adjourned to F'riday. The House passed a bill to prevent the unlawful occupancy of public lands. When the bill 1 to forfeit the Oregon Central land grant canle up an amendment to coniine the forfeiture to unearned lands was lost. A vote on the passage of the bill showed the lack of a quorum. There was no session of the Senate on the 4th Inst. In the House, Mr. Hopkins, of Pennsylvania. from the Committee on Public Buildings, submitted a report on the charges of corrup- - tion or collusion in regard to the selection of a site for a public building at Brooklyn, N. Y. The report says: "Every opportunity was offered tor introduction of evidence to sustain the charges, and we unhesitatingly report that there hasmot been produced before us a scintilla of evidence which in the slightest degree reflects upon the integrity of the Secretary of the Treasury, upon the Supervising Architect, or upon other officers of the Government." The report was 'recommitted with authority to send a sub-committee to Brooklyn to take testimony. The Oregon Central land-grant forfeiture bill was passed—yeas 138, nays 26. The Senate’s amendments were non-concurred in to the bill establishing a Bureau of Labor Statistics. Mr. Henley, of California, then called up the bill forfeiting lands g> anted to the Caliiornia and Oregon Railroad Comjiany, except such lands as were granted for that portion of the road which was completed before the Ist of July, 1880. After remarks by Mr. Cobb, of Indiana, in support of the bill, a vote was taken on its passage. It stood—yeas 123, nays 15, showing no quorum present. The House of Representatives on June 5 passed bills to forfeit the land grant of the California and Oregon Road; to bridge the Cumberland River at Nashville and the Missouri at Leavenworth; and to repeal a land grant to the Iron Mountain Road from Pilot Knob to Helena. There Was no session of the Senate. Mr. Culbertson’s bill limiting the jurisdiction of the United States Circuit Courts and regulating the removal of cases to the Federal - Courts passed the House on June 7. The biH provides that the minimum jurisdiction of the Circuit Court shall be $2,000 instead of SSOO, and makes members of corporations doing business in a State citizens of that State for all judicial purposes. The right of removal of causes to the Federal Courts is limited to defendants. The House also passed a bill forfeiting the unearned land grant of the Atlantic and Pacific Road. Adverse reports were made on the bill to repeal the civil-service act. The House discussed at considerable length resolutions offered by Mr. Nelson, of Minnesota, reserving the agricultural public lands for bona fide settlers. Mr. Holman offered an amendment extending the scope of Mr. Nelson’s resolutions. During the debate on this measure the fact developed that there was not aquorum present, and an adjournment was carried. The Senate was not in session.