Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1887 — CONGRESSIONAL. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESSIONAL.

Work of the Senate and the House of Representatives. . A M ruoniAL of citizens of Now Lebanon, Ohio, asking the initiation ol negotiations for the acquisition of Canada, was presented in the Senate ou the Bth lust. Bill! were passed fed tho settlement of amounts with the Mobile and Ohio Road, to prohibit any agent of the Government from hiring out the labor of prisoners, ipjd to ascertain the extent and \nl ue of the vessel fisheries of the United States The President sent tho following nominations of postmasters to the Senate: At Aurora, Ind., Hanford G. Given; Chonoa. 111., Hylvanus Chapman; Karlvtlle, 111.. Berkley G. Barratt; Monroe, Mich,, Henry K. Noble; Plainwoll, Mich., Jacob V. Rogeis;New Richmond, Wis., Ezra A. Glover, Jr.; Fort Howard, Wis., Peter V. Cottrell; Benicia, Cal , Willism H. Foreman; Buffalo, Wyoming, Lcollie Simmons; Butte City, Montana, Patrick Talen. Tbe House of liepresen'.atives passed bills to indemnify eertain Chinamen for losses sustained by a mob at Rock Springs, Wyo., and to prohibit the importation of opium by any subject of the Emperor of Chinn; for a public building at Houston, to cost ; 75,000. and to grant tho Bom Hocks to tlio city of San Francisco. Addresses eulogistic of the deceased Representatives from New York were delivered by Messrs. Millard, Van Eaton, Felix Campbell, ami others. Memorial services in honor of the late General John A. Logan were held in the Senate on the Sth Inst. The Senate ohambur was packed with attentive listeners—Mrs. Logan and family being among the number. Fifteen members delivered touching eulogies on the life and services of the dead Senator. In the House of Representatives eulogistic addroMos relative to the death of the late Congressman Price of Wisconsin woro delivered by Representatives Caswell. Thomas of Wisconsin, Hudd, I’ettibone, Henderson of lowa, and Breokinridge of Kentucky. The Rouse pnss<*d a bill authorizing the Fort Worth and Denver Road to lay track through Indian Territory The Senate bills appropriating ¥Z1,000,0)0-for-coast defenses and gun foundries wore sent by tbe House to the Committee on Appropriations.

Joint resolutions of the Republican members of th j Indiana Legislature were presented in the Senate on the 10th inst., protesting against tho validity of the election of David Turpio as United States Senator. The Senato amended and passed House bills relating to the imjiorting of mackerel caught during the spawning season, and for the erection of a branch Soldiers’ Home west of tho Rocky Mountains, as also a Senate measure giving right of way through the Coeur d'Alene reservation to two railways. Unfavorable reports were made on bills for a sub-treasury at Louisville and for the erection of a Federal prison. A bill was reported for tho division of the State of Illinois into judicial districts. Senator Cullom introduced a bill providing that no prisoner shall be debarred from receiving a patent nor any patent be declared invalid by reason of its having been first patented in a foreign country, unless it has beon introduced into public use in the United States for more than two year 3 prior to the application. Tne President sent the following nominations to the Senate; Postmaster—At Mffiinhurg, Pa. ; Cyrus A. Eaton; Houtzdale, Pa., G. W. Dickey; Lewisburg, Pa., William Himmelright; Brownsvillo, Tenn., Daniel Bond. To be Register of Land Office, Samuel E. Byrne, at Marquetto, Mich. To bo Indian agents, at Fort Belknap agency, Montana, Edwin C. Fields, of Maryland; Colorado River agency, Arizona, George W. Busey, of Illinois. The House of Representatives p issed bills appropriating $575,000f0r a public building at Denver, and granting a railroad right-of-way acro-s thoFt.Douglas military reservation,Utah. The House Judiciary Committee reported adversely the bill for the erection of a United States prison for the confinement of United States prisoners. The Republican members of the eommttee made a minority report recommending the passage of the bill. A bill was favorably reported to convey to the city of Aurora, Hl.', a five acre island in Fox River never surveyed by the Government, but which has excited the eupidity of a citizen. Senator STAXFORD-introduced a bill in the SenateVm the 11th inst. to provide mortars and heavy guns for the armament of the forts, coast defenses, and vessels of the United States. Bills were passed to repay Thomas A. Osuorn, formerly Marshal of Kansas, 1(8,701 public money lost by him through, the failure of a private bank; to giva the State of California five per cent, of the net proceeds of land sales within her limits, ami to grant railroad rights of way through several Indian reservations. A resolution was passed by the Senate calling on the Secretary of the Interior for information as to tho existence of a rule in the Pension Office whereby hearings are refused to applicants because they havo applied to Congress for relief. A message was received from the President transmitting without his approval tne dependent pension bill. The House passed thirty-five pension bills. The postoffice appropriation, bill with an amendment setting aside $500,000 for the mails to South and Central America, passed the Senate on the 12th inst. The House bill for a public building at Portsmouth, Ohio, limiting the cost to soo,ooo,Nvas also passed. Mr. Cullom presented a petition from over two hundred citizens of Flora, 111., asking such an amendment of the law that the widow and ttiinor children of a pensioner shall receive his allowance after his death. Mr. Williams introduced a bill to authorize tfie redemption of legaltender notes in coin at San Francisco. The House of Representatives passed the Senate bill for the retirement of the trade dollar, with .on amendment providing that its recoinage shall hot count in the bullion required to be coined under tho Bland law.