Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1878 — CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

A preamble and resolution were submitted in the Benats, on the Bth. by Mr. Winder. eetllM forth that the United Matos Httent Office “ ha* become aa institution of onmaiou,” end directing the Commit*** on Pntente to eowddsr the expediency of eome other mode of compensating in venture In place of the pm ent eyeSMn... A reeolution wee agreed to nq nesting the President to fnntiah the Senate with copies of the report* of United Hu.tr* Mnrehele and other officers, and aoch other noneapondence aa he might haro. relative to the Carolina and lxmjci"ft» •■ Mr. Edmund* spoke in favor of the bill to amend the Revised HUtntea relating to Presidential election*, sjid to provide for and regulating the counting of votea for President and V ice-President, and the decision of question* relating thereto.... fteeol ntioru were agreed to—instructing the Committee on Incline Attaint to inquire into the expediency of providing for the TSSrWuu of existing laws regulating intrroonmc with the Indbui tribes in the Indian Territory) requesting the President to transmit to the Benaieeopieeof correspondence reapeoting the immimity of the diplomatic agents of n foreign Government from judicial proceeding* against them while received aa such and maiding Tn the. United BUtm. Among the bills introduced In the House were the following: To compel National Hanks to receive the standard silver dollars aa an equivalent in vain* to the gold ooin of the United HUfea; to make minor or anbaidiary coin legal-tender for all debts doe the Government; amending the Silver Remonetization act; to enforce the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the Constitution ; to make silver standard dollars interchangeable with g01d....A resolution was ottered and referred for a holiday reoeas from the 2ut of December to the 6th of finnary.... A mo. tbm wm made arid defeated-yea* 160. nayaiti (leas than two-thirds in the affirmative)— to suspend trie rules and adopt a resolution declaring that the legal-tender quality of the standard silver dollar shall be maintained and enforced, and that any discrimination against them, by any National Bank refusing to receive them and treat them aa legal dollars, shall be deemed a defiance of the laws, etc... A resolution was adopted for the appointment of a committee of nino members to investigate the method of preventing the introduction and spread of epidemic diseases. A bili. w»a introduced and referred in the Senate, on the 10th, to authorize the exchange of subsidiary coin for trade dollars.... A bill was reported favorably from the Committee on Military Affairs authorising the appointment of Dr. Jnmus Powell aa an Assistant Snrgeon in the army. In explanation, it was stated that the Doctor had already rendered services aa AasistantBurgeon. but conld not be regularly appointed because he bad served in the Confederate Army when a minor. The bill was then passed—% to zl A resolution was agreed to requesting the House to transmit to the Henate a copy of the testimony of James E. Anderson relating to Senator Stanley Matthews, taken before the House Committee . The bill relating to Presidential elections wns further debated. Messrs. Morgan and Kdmnnds supporting, and Mr. Jones (Florida) opposing the measure. In the House, the Speaker announced, as members of the Yellow-Fever Inquiry Committee, Mesara Young, Gibson, Goode, Hartridge, Morse, Garfield, Harmer and Chittenden... The Consular and Diplomatic and the Naval Appropriation bills (tbs latter appropriating sl4,olß,4*>‘J) were reported from Committee of the Whole and passed. . The Speaker announced appointments to fill vacancies in committees... .The request of the Senate to }>e fnmirhed with a copy of Mr. Anderson's testimony relating to Senator Matthews wm, on motion of Mr. Potter, complied with.

Th* Fortification Appropriation bill was reported in the Senate, on the Uth, aa was also the House bill to correct the error in the envrollihent of the Bnndry Civil Appropriation bill of last session.... Bills were introduced—for the repeal of the section of the Revised Statutes which prohibits the appointment to the army of any person who served under the Confederate Government: to fix the salary of persons in the Hallway Mail Service... The Honsa bill making appropriations for the support of the Military Academy was reported, with amendment*.... Tbe resolution submitted by Mr. Blaine in regard to an inquiry as to whether, at tor recent election, the Constitutional rights of American citizens were violated, was token np, and Mr. Blaine made a speech in its support, and was replied to by Senator Thnrman -Messrs. Kdmnnds and Lamar also participating in the debate. The Pension Appropriation bill was reported in tbe House, referred to the Committee of the Whole and made the special order for tbe 12th. .... Tbe bill reported last session from tbe Committee on Commerce to regulate inter-Stote commerce, was taken np, debated and passed—--139 to 110. It provides that it shall be nnlawfnl for any person or persons engaged in the transportation of property by railroad from one State to another, or to or from any foreign oonntry, to receive any greater or less amount of compensation from one person than another for like service, and prohibits the pooling of freighta, eta The Fortification Appropriation bill was passed in the Senate, on the 12th, with amendments increasing the appropriation fox the armament of sea-coast fortifications from $125,000 to $250,000, and for the preservation and repair of fortifications from SIOO,OOO to $200,005. . ...The House bill to correct the error in the enrollment of the Bnndry Civil Appropriation bill of last year, was pamed....A report and a bill “ to reduce and organize the Army of the United States, and to make roles for its government and regulation,"were submitted from the Joint Select Committee to Prepare a Plan for the Reorganization of the Army; the bill provides that the army shall consist of not more than 26,009 enlisted men, and was made the special order for Jin. 8 ...The House bill making an appropriation for the support of the West Point Military Academy was amended and passed. A bkholution was offered in the House, directing inquiry into the conduct of Chief Supervisor of Kleotions Davenport at the last election in New York....A| resolution was adopted ordering a recess from Dec. 20 to Jan. 6... .Speeches were made on the Geneva Award bi 11... .Bills were pewed—repealing so much of the Bnndry Civil bill as appropriates $39,(100 to tbe payment of the claims of O. P. Bnrkirk, late Indian Agent of the Ponca Agency: a substitute for the Pension .Appropriation bill; removing the political disabilities of ex-Scnator Chesnnt. of Bonth Carolina.... A bill was introduced and refereed to repeal the dnty on quinine. Bills were introduced in the Senate, on the 13th—to provide for the temporary increase of the army in emergency; to amend tbe law relating to pensions; to secure a more efficient collection of tbe revenue from cigars.... A bill was passed to authorize duplicates of the registered bonds stolen from the Manhattan Savings Institution of New York... .The bill in regard to the count of the Electoral vote waa farther debated and finally passed— 36 to 26. .. Adjonrned to the 16th. Is the House, the bill lookiiur to are investigation of the conduct of J. J. Davenport, Supervisor of Elections of New York, was amended so as to make the investigation extend to his conduct on the days of registration, and was then adopted without objection... .A hill was introduced and referred, to make the trade dollar a legal tender.