Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1884 — SENATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

SENATE AND HOUSE.

Proceedings of the Federal Con* gress Boiled Down. .. Is the Senate, June 10, Mr. Logan presented a memorial from a Cincinnati mass-meeting, demanding a quarter section of land for each soldier, sailor, or marine who served in the Union army. The consular appronriation was debated in secret session for some hours. The House adopted a concurrent resolution for fluid adjournment on June 30. In committee of the whole, on the river and harbor bill, Mr. Ochiltree secured the cancellation of the clause appropriating $250,609 to continue work on Galveston harbor, and Mr. Holman hai an item for the imSrovement of the Little Kanawha stricken from le bill. An evening session was held for the consideration of Indian affairs. Mil. Voorhees offered a resolution in the {Senate, June 11, calling for information as to the supply of beef to Indians. Mr. Butler presented a resolution for a special committee to examine into the condition of the national banks in New York City. Two secret sessions were held to consider the item of $250,006 in the consular appropriation to cover the expense of executing the neutrality act. A vote on the passage of the bill revealed the fact that no quorum was present. The House, in committee of the whole on the river and harbor bill, refused to strike out the clause for the construction of the Hennepin Canal. Motions for an increase in the items for the improvement of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers were lost,but $75,000 was appropriated for completing the surveys of the Mississippi. The Senate, on June 12, passed the consular and diplomatic appropriation bill. Senator Vest offered an amendment to the bill providing that no money shall be paid out of the public treasury for printing speeches In the 'Congressional Record which are not spoken in the Senate or in the House. It is understood that the item of $230,000 was passed in secret session, with only three dissenting votes. The money is to be used, it is said, to secure from the Nicaraguan Government for the United States the absolute and exclusive right of waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans along the line of the projected Nicaragua Canal. The Mexican pensions bill w4s debated a?considernble length, but no action was taken. The House passed the river and harbor bill, by 157 to 104, after striking out the Hennepin Canal clause. By a vote of 8 to 5 the Committee on Elections refused to reopen the Virginia contested-elec-tion case of Massey vs. Wise. Three Democrats voted with the Republicans in the majority. The Senate, on June 18, rejected a treaty for an international copyright and patent system which has already been ratified by twenty-four governments. The time of nearly the entire session was spent on a bill to pag the State of Georgia $35,555 for money expended for the common flefen.se in 1777, and when a vote was reached no quorum was present. The House adopted by a vote of 115 to 52 the Senate amendment to the postoffice appropriation bill increasing the item for the free delivery service from $3.60v,800 to $4,000,000, but refused to agree to the amendment for an increase of the item for railway transportation. The consideration of the bill was not concluded. At the evening session seventy-six pension bills were passed. . • L There was no session of the Senate on the J4th. The House devoted its session to consideration of the amendments made by the S -nate to the postoffice bill. By a vote of -125 to 95 it was agreed to make the appropriation for special mail facilities on the trunk lines $250,000. A motion to increase to $4,300,000 the item for railway postoffice clerks was lost, and the House insisted on disagreement with the Senate.