Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1873 — General News Summary. [ARTICLE]

General News Summary.

CONGRESS. . February 6 —Senate— Bills were passed —to transfer certain power with reference to Territories to the Secretary of the Interior; confer Jurisdiction on the Court of Claims to determine the suit of Carondelet ve. The United States; Diplomatic and Consular and the Bortificatfon Appropriation bills: the Vienna Exposition bin, with an amendment providing that not more than SSO 000 shall he paid for salaries, nor more than $5 Oto to any ode person .. A motion was entered to reconsider the vote by which the Specie Payment bill was rejected on the sth .. Messrs Stevenson and Stockton requested to be excused from serving on the Special Committee to consider the testimony sent from the Honse, Implicating certain Senators; which request was ref need.. The bill to establish an iron shfp-bullding yard on the waters falling into the Atlantic, and another on the Mississippi, or one of its tributaries, yras taken up and debated. House— Bills were passed—removing the political disabilities of Robert M. T. Hunter, of Virginia; Senate bill appropriating $30,000 to defray the expenees .of the Investigations with reference to the elections in Kansas, Louisiana and Arkansas; Post-Office Appropriation bill, one provision of which is for letter-carriers In all places having a population of 20.000 within Post-Office delivery The Conference Committee on the bill to amend the Bank ruptcy law, made a report, which was adopted, agreeing with the Senate bill, with a few amendments....A report''-frem the Conference Committee on the bill for constructing steam sloops-of-war was adopted agreeing to the construction of eight such vessels, ata cost of not exceeding sß.2oo.ooo....Resolutions were adopted—to pay C. C. Bowen, contestant for the seat of De Large, from South Carolina —both having been excluded from a seat—slJOO in full for expenses; authorizing the Select Committee on the Union Pacific Railroad and Credit-Mobilier—-the Wilson Committee—to consider and act on the testimony taken before the Poland Committee. February 7.— Senate— A remonstrance of New York business men against thh repeal of the Bankrupt law was presented.... A bill was introduced and referred, authorizing an irrevocable deposit of money in the United States Treasury, and the payment of five per cent, interest thereon for charitable or religious purposes Several bills were reported from committees... .The bill for the distribution of the Geneva award was debated... .Adjourned to the 10th. Hmm— After the disposal ot a few-privatehills..theMilitary Appropriation bill, appropriating $840,517, 'wasconsidered in Committee of the Whole, reported to the House and passed. February B.— House Bills were passed—Senate bill appropriating $130,000 for the Government building at Covington, Ky.; to rearrange the.indicia! districts of Mississippi; appropriating $33,333 to pay W. W. Hubbell for the use of several millions of his patent fuses for navy shells for rifle cannon, etc., during the war, and for transfer of his patents to the Government.... A large number of private bills were also-passed. February 10. — Senate— Mr. Pomeroy rose to a personal explanation, denying every statement affecting his integrity. He pronounced all the allegations made against him specificallyfalse. He had never entered into any agreement with any member of the Kansas Legislature, and had never paid one dollar to any member to vote for him. He asked for a special committee, composed largely of his political opponents, to investigate in the fullest and promptest manner all the charges against him, and offered a resolution to that effect, which was adopted. The Vice-President appointed as such committee Messrs. Frellnghuysen, Buckingham, Alcorn. Thurman, and Vickers A letter was submitted from Mr. Wilson, ot Massachusetts, announcing his resignation as Senator, to take effect attheendof this Congress... Bills were passed— House bill to provide for the appointment of a commission to completp the boundary line between the territory of the United States and the possessions of Great Britain not completed under act of January 11, 1856, to carry into effect the first article of its treaty of June 15. 1846: the Alabama Claims hill, providing for the distribution of the Genevj award .. Several bills were introduced and other reported from committees....A resolution was adopted that a select committee be appointed to consider the testimony transmitted by the House affecting certain Senators, with leave to sit during the session of the Senate. House—h. large number of bills were introduced and referred, among them one for the redemption of United States notes in coin on and after May 1,1871.... The Senate bill appropriating s2toooo for a Government building at Grand Raplde, Mich., was passed.. February 11. Bills were passed—to continue the Southern Claims Commission ; authorizing the Becfetary of War to have a monument erected at Salisbury, N. C., to the Union soldiers who died there in prison;granting right of way over public lands to the Denver, Georgetown A Utah Railroad Company, and to the Denver. South Park and Pacific Railroad Company, Colorado; to remit the excise tax upon alcohol used by universities arni co'leges for scientific purposes; amendatory of the act to promote the development of the mining resources of the United States, extending the time when the first annual expencnSkre on mining claims may he made until June 10.1874. House— Among the bills passed were--authorizing the President to negotiate for the cession of a portion of the Creek reservation to the Seminole and Sac Indiana; to pay the heirs of George C. Bestar. of Peoria, $125,000. for losses in constructing an iron-clad steamer: authorizing the building of the Montana & Wyoming Railroad. ....The River and Harbor bill, appropriating $5,507,400, was reported.... A number of bills were introduced and referred... .The Army bill, appropriating $31,311.9-53, was ■ considered In Committee of the Whole, and reported to the House The bill further anmcndlngthe postal laws, -making letter postage after July 1 two Cents, was reported, and an amendment was adopted striking out the words “actually and wholly” from the section relating to weekly newspapers, so that it will not exclude those country weekly" papers having a portion of theireditiona printed In large cities. Other amendments were made, and the bill was passed as amended. It provided! ‘ - Sac.-I.'That on and after the Ist day of July next on all mail matter which is wholly or partly in writing., except book, magazine, and newspaper manuscripts and corrected proofs passing between authors and publishers, and excepting also correspondence or postal car’s, on all printed matter which is so marked as to convey any other or further information than is conveyed by original print, except correction of mere typographical errors, on all matter which is sent tn violation of law or regulation of the Department respecting Inclosures; and on all matter to'which no specific rate of postage is assigned, postage shall be chatged at a rate of two cents for each half ounce or fraction thereof, and this provision shall include all letters commonly known as drop, or local letters, delivered through post-offices or their carriers; and magazine manuscripts and newspaper manuscripts are hereby declared to belong to the third class of mailable matter. 1 Sue. 2. That from and after the first day of January next, under such regulations and in such manner as the Postmaster-General shall prescribe, postage provided by law to be paid upon printed matter or mailable matter of the second class shall in fill cases be prepaid and collected at the offices ffig four ounces each copy in weightsball be char g cd and collected at the rate of fifteen cents per quarter: Provided, that weekly newspapers within the respective connties where the same arc printed and published, and none other, may pass through the mails free of postage as provided in the eighth clause of section 184 of the act to revise, consolidate and amend the statutes relating to the posteffico department. Stc. 8. That any person who shall take any letter, postal card or packet out of any'poet-office or branch post-offlce,or from any letter ormall-carrlet, or which has been in any post-office or branch post-office, or in the custody of any letter or mailcarrier, before it shall have been delivered-to the person to whom it was directed, with the design to obstruct correspondence or pry into the business or secrets of another, or shall accrete, embezzle or destroy thq same, shall, on conviction thereof. for every such offense, forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding SSOO, or be imprisoned at hard labor not exceeding one year, or both, at the discretion of the court; — - February 12. Senate— A bill wM passed to amend the act providing for holding United States Circuit Courts in the Western District of Missouri. House— The Senate amendments to the bill making provision for the Vienna Exposltion - ere concurred in. ...A bill was parsed changing the time of h iding United States Courts in Minnesota. THS XLBCTOasL VOTB. The Senate and Honse met in joint convention on the 12th for the purpose of counting the eleotoral vote for /’resident and-Vice-President. The Vice-President called th<-convention to order, and .the announcement of the votes of the Electoral CoPege was made, Objections were made to the counting of the votes of the States of Georgia, Mi-sisstppi. Texas, Arkansas »nd Louisiana, and the votes of Georgia. Arkansas and Louisiana were rejected, and those of Mississippi and Texas were emitted. After the counting of the votes from the different States the Vice-President announced the general result to be the election of Grant and WJaon, tltey. having received a majority of the whole number of Electoral votes; »