Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1873 — FORTY-THIRD CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FORTY-THIRD CONGRESS.

Wednesday, December 3 .—Senate. — Bills were introduced—to provide for the better protection of the Northern and Northwestern frontiers : to facilitate commerce between the States; to organize tbc territory of Pembina, and provide for its temporary government ; to aid in the execution of the laws in Utah; to provide for the redemption of the loan of 1858.... Mr. Morrill, of Vermont, addressed the Senate in favor of a resolution instructing the Committee on Finance to consider the expediency of reporting a trill to provide for the resumption of specie payment in January, 1875. ..‘?A petition was presented of 8,500 citizens of Kentucky, asking for the passage of a law prohibiting the manufacture of spirituous liquors in the Territories of the United States.... Executive session and adjournment. House.— A bill was introduced and referred to provide for the redemption of the loan of 1858....N0tice was given of a hill to repeal so much of the Postal act as prohibits weekly newspapers from passing through the mails free of postage... .A resolution was offered to admit C. Davidson to a seat as representative from the Fourth Congressional District of Louisiana, and an amendment was agreed to inserting the name of George L. Smith, instead of Davidson, and the oath of office was administered to Mr. Smith... .The credentials of the contestants for scats from the State of Louisiana were referred to the Committeo on Elections... .Adjourned. Thursday, December 4.— Senate.— Bills were intJSduccd, and laid on the table for future reference—to complete the water highway from the James River to the 0(iio, at the mouth of the Kanawha; to aid in the execution of law in Utah: to remove all political disabilities. ...The hill for the redempllon of the loan of 1858 was passed.... On motion a new committee was provided for, to be known ns the Committee on Civil Service and Retrenchment, and two additional members were voted to each of the Committees on Foreign Relations, Claims, aud Education and Labori. . .The standing committees were then elected... .Tho credentials of Messrs. Pinchback aud McMillau, as Senators from Louisiana, and that portion of the President’s Message referring to amendments To the Constitution of the United States, were referred to the Committee on Privileges and Elections.... Adjourned to the Bth. House. —Several bills were introduced and referred, among them—to repeal the Bankruptcy law; to repeal the “iron-clad oath,s and for removing disabilities under the Fourteenth Amendment: amending the National Banking Act, and authorizing free banking with practicable redemption ;recognlzing Cuban belligerency; relating to the free transmission by mail or nowspapers and periodicals; to prohibit the payment of Interest by National Banks; to restore the franking privilege: authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to put in circulation the residue of the *41,000,000 reserve by purchasing Government bonds therewith; to regulate commerce among the several States by railways; also, for a canal connecting the waters of I-ake Michigan and the Illinois,'Mississippi and Rock Rivers; for the improvement of the Mississippi River, between the month of the Ohio and the Missouri; to require uniform charges on railways and to punish unjust discrimination in favor of or against particular persons or places; for the repeal of the Salary 8i11....A resolution was adopted that a select committee of seven be appointed to take into consideration, the subject of a repeal of the Salary Bill (so called), and that the said Committee he Instructed to report at the earliest practicable day, and that all hills on the subject be referred to said Committee. The Speaker announced as such Committee Messrs. Hale (Me.), Maynard, Kasson, Scofield, Hale (N. Y.), Nlblack and Jewett. ...Adjourned. Friday, December s.— Senate— Not in session. „ House— Bills were introduced and referred—to establish an educational /and, and to apply the proceeds of the public lands to the education of the people; to reduce postage; to strengthen the credit of the reconstructed States, and to afford' them financial relief; to permit publishers of newspapers and periodicals to exchange, and publishers of weekly newspapers to send within the county of their pnblication one copy thereof to actual subscribers free of postage; to aid in the establishment of free schools throughout the United States; to afford cheap transportation by water from the interior to the Atlantic seaboard by way of the Great Lakes; to complete the James River & Kanawha Canal.... The Senate hill for the redemption of the loan of 1858 was taken np, debated and referred.... The Speaker announced the Standing Committees Adjourned to the Bth. Monday, December B.— Senate— Joint resolutions of the Legislature of Michigan were presented and laid on the table, asking for the construction of a Niagara ship canal, and asking for the survey of a canal across the State.... Among the bills introduced and referred were—to incorporate the Sonthern Trans-Continental Railway Company, and to grant the right of way through the public lands to the same; amendatory of the Banxruptey act; to provide cheap »»s permanent transportation for persons and freights between New York and Chicago.... The Rev. Byron Sunderland waselected Chaplain, and Jamea R. Young, Executive Clerk, of the Senate.... The bill to repeal the Increased Salary bill was called up, and Mr. Wright spoke in favor of the repeal, and the bill was referred to the Committee on CivU Service and Retrenchment.... Executive session adjournment. 0 House.— A number of bills were intro, duced and referred, among them—for the admission of Colorado u a State; to provide *36.000,000 addition*! bank-note circulation for States haring

less than their due proportion; for the payment of losses by the Morgan raid; to repeal the act to enforce civil rights; to repeal all taxes on whisky and tobacco, and to provide for the deficiency in the revenue thereby occasioned; to provide for cheap transportation between Chicago and New York; several bills for public buildings and improvements.... Bills were presented—modifying the steamboat-passenger act, by allowing tow-boats on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to carry 150 pounds of steam pressure, in place of 110 pounds, on standard boilers of forty-two inches diameter, with plates a quarter of an inch in thickness; removing all di-abilities imposed or remaining on any person by the third section of the Fourteenth Article of the Amendments to the Federal Constitution, and substituting for the iron-clad oath the modified oath which is now administered to persons from whom disabilities had been remov ed—l4l to «i)....The Select Committee on the Salary question reported a bill repealing so mnch of the Salary hill as increases the compensation of the Vice-President, Speaker, Senators. Representatives, and Delegates to Congress. A minority report, In favor of also reducing the incidental allowances of the Presidential office, was made. ...A report was made that Mr. Shanks was entitled to the seat from the Ninth Indiana District, and he was sworn in.... The Supplementary Civil Rights Bill was referred to the Jndiciary Committe... .Adjourned. Tuesday, December 9.— Senate. — Bills were introduced—to provide for the resumption of specie payments and free hanking; to provide for the transmission of correspondence by telegraph, by connecting the telegraph with the Postal Service; to arm and equip the whole body militia of the United States, appropriating $500,000 annually for that purpose, all arms issued to the militia to be of the same pattern as adopted for the United States army; to provide for the conslructionof levees on the Mississippi River... .The Vice-President appointed Mr. Alcorn member of the Committee on Mines and Mining, to fill the vacancy on that committee.... Several resolutions of inquiry and instructions to committees were adopted.... Adjourned. House. —A bill was reported from the Committee of Ways and Means, and, after discussion, passed, providing for the redemption of the loan of 1858. It differs somewhat from a similar bill passed by the Senate. It declares that for the purpose of redeeming bonds issued under the Act of June 14, 1858, it is the pleasure of the United States to pay all coupon and registered bonds of the loan of 1858 on the Ist of January, 1(874, at which date interest thereon shall cease, and makes an appropriation to carry out that provision. The second section authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to issue an equal amount of five per cent, bonds in exchange for such bonds of 1858 as the holders thereof -may desire to exchange, on or before the Ist of February. 1874—provided, that no commissions or allowances whatever be paid for the exchange of bonds... .A lengthy discussion was had on tne hill for the repeal of the Increased Salary law, several members taking part in the debate.... Adjourned.

Wednesday, December ' 10 .—Senate— Petitions were presented and referred—asking for the appointment of a committee to regulate the traffic in alcoholic liquors; from the business men of Chicago, asking for the establishment of a branch mint in that city.... Bills were introduced or reported from Committees—authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to issue *44,01X1,000 reserve fund, and make it a part of the permanent circulation; to authorize the orgauization of National banks without circulation; providing for the free transmission by mail of newspapers and periodicals, authorizing newspaper exchange to be made free of postage, aB formerly, and also free transmission of weekly papers to subscribers within the county where published.... The House hill granting general amnesty was read. Mr. Sumner objected to the second reading of the bill at this time, not because he was opposed to general amnesty, hut before it became a law he desired to secure jnstice to liis colored fellow-citizens.... Executive session and adjournment. House— A bill was introduced and referred, to authorize the organization of National Banks without circulation A hill was passed authorizing the present number of enlisted men of lhe navy to he increased from 8,500 to 10,000, this increase not to continue beyond January 1, 1875... A lengthy discussion then coinmenced on the salary question, when notice was given that the previous question would be moved at 3 o’clock on the 11th... .The Speakeranuonneed the following committees : On Mississippi Levees—Morey, Chairman; Uurlbnt, Stannard, Pierce, Rice, Randall ana Lamar. On Centennial Celebration and Proposed National Census of 1875—Kelley, Chairman; Hawley (Conn.), G. F. Hoar, Shanks, Woodford, Butler (Tenii.), Smith (Ohio), Hart, Clayton, Young, Harris, Standford.... Adjourned.