Forty-fourth Congress

Tüesday, April 4. - Señale. - The special comruiítee to investígate tho Mississippi troubles was announced as follows : Messrs. Boutwcll, Canieron WV'is.), Ogleaby, üayard, and McDonalü (Iud.) The nianagore on the part of tho House appearcd in the Senate and presented thn anieles of impeaclinient againt WilHam Worth Belknap, late Becretazr of War. The managers wen reccived and assigned teats within the bar of tbc Senate, and when the Arms had proclaimcd sücdcc, Lord road the artioles at ïentb. The reading of the articles of inipeach inent Eaving been concludcd, Ferry, the President pro tempore of the Senate, announced that tho Senate would take the proper order on the subject of theimpcachnicnt, of which due notice would bc given. Thö House managen then rctired. The Seuate subsequ'-r.tly adopted an order to print tho arüclcs of itüpoachmont. . . .The Senate. in executive soesion, rejected the nomiuation of Richard II. D.iná, Jr., lo bo Minister to Eugland. The vote fitood: Yeas, 17 ; nays, 36. Umise.-A message was reccivod from the Senate anuouucing tbat the Senate was rcady to receive tho Belknap iiupeackmeut arüciea....Knott, the rh&irman of tho Judiciary Committee, reported a bilí to aniend sectiou 1,( 44 of the revieed statutes so as to próvido that "do person shall bo pttoseuted, tried or punihed for any offrnsc, except a the interual revenue, untess indicted vrithin three years after such oiïense bas been . or may , be eommitted." After dicussion, the bill passed.,.. Blackburn offered a resolution inquiring imder what law, and by whose orders, Gens. Uplon and Forsjthe and Maj. Sawyer, of the army, are abseni in foreign countries. Adopted Schleicher inti'oducert a b:)l tü provide for the protection of the Texas" frontier on the lower lïio Orando The House held an evetïing sepeion, wb'eh was devoted exclusively, in Committee of the Whole, to the conêideration of the Legislativo Appropriation bill. Wednesday, iprü 5.- Senate.- The Senate, 9t 10 o'clock, orgafzed aa a court of impeachment. Chief Juetice Waite appeared and. 'adnimiatered tho following oath to six Senators at a tinie : " You do 60lemniy swe-ar that in all thinB apperiaining to the trial of the iinpeachment of W. W. Belkuap, late Secretary of War, uow pending, you will be mipartial anti jubt, according tothe Constitution and of the law." Aftcr theoath had been administcred the Clücf-judtice retired, and the öenate adopted au order inatrutsting " tbc Sccretary of the Senate to uotify tho House cf IiepreeentativeB that the .Senate is now orpauized for the trial of the impeachnient of W. W. Bcfknap, late Secretary of War, and ready to roeoive the managers of the impearhment on the part of the House of Represemativrfi." In a short time the House uianagerg appeurud in t'ie Senatu chamber and roqnestcd tbat Belknap be sxuñmoned to appcar aud auswer. Itwas ordcred that Bolknap be sumuioned to appcar on Mouday, April 17, at 1 o'clock. Tho managers then withdrew, and the court adjourned until the 17th ...A bill was passod iiuthorizing the sale of the Pawuee ludían reserratfon. '1 he Senate indulged in a íong discussion of the Postal bill ivithoiit reachin a vote. House.- Ra iid uil offered a reeolution directing the Secretary of tho Treasury to f urniah tho House with an itemized account of the amount expended uuder the i torn of $300,000 appropriatcd for light and fuel ror the fincal year ending June 30, 1876. Adopted. .... Cox, from the Comniíttee on Banking and Curreucy, reportad a bill to regúlate the winding np of National bañks. He explaind thatthe object of the bill was to facilítate liquidation, and that insolvent, banks may be perfectly and epeedily closed up in the iñtereet of the public. Passed Hubbell, from the Committee on Banking and Currency, reported back, adverselv-, the bill fixing tho k-gal rate of interest on national nioney throughout the United Siates at not exceeding evx per cent. perannum TJie Honae devottd some time, in Cnmmlttee of the Wlaole, to the conaideration of the bill transferring the Indian bureau to the War department. . . .The evening session was devted exclusively to the Legislative Appropriatioa bül. TuuiïSDAY, April 6.- Senate.- Shorinan, from the Finance Conimittee, reported tho Houee Silvercoin bill, as amended by the committee. One of the amendments providea for the recoinage of the old American dollar, and making it a legal tender to the amount of $20, instead of $50, as flxed by the House. Anolher amendment provides that the'trade dollar t-hall not hereafter be a legal tender for any amount whatcver. .. Wright, from the Committeïi on the Judiciñry, reported adversely on the Senate bill to abolish capital punfshment, and it was indefinifclv postponed Boutwell introducod a bill making an appropriation to defray the exprnpes of the committee appointed to investígate the Mississippi clêction....The Posta! bill v.as aam up for conBidoration, and Harvcy offered a substitute, allowing íonr-pound pactases to gothrougU the mails at the rate of one cent for two ounces. Morrison also off red an ameudment creating a fourth u1ös of mail ru;ittt;r. JcVjifc. & 1 I AJ House.- Thn PrintinK Committee reported a bill providing for the purchase of the property of the late Connrchfnonal Globe The bill fixing the Presidenta alary at 6,üO0 aftr March 4, i 877, was reportod from the Appropriation Commitud witliout digcussiou Tho bill fixiujLi tho ratO of interest throughout the country at six per cent. was dcfeated- yeas, 75 ; nays, 135. 'ï licrt1 was a lively ilebate clt:riusf i' session. It oponed with an attaók'on the Appropriatiou Coinuiitteo by Joyce. DimneH, Towneud (Pa.), aud Williams (Wis.), which v.i reptllud bv Riudali, Whitehonse, and Willard. Fiuday, April 7.- tèenate,- Not in aes&ion. House.- Af Ier a shacp disonssioa the Houw, by a voto of 89 yeas to 128 nays, tablcd a resol iltion authoxizlng (i-n. Weitze!, of thb atmy, to act a trustee for tho Cincinnati Southern nllroad Whitth. me, the Chairnian of tlio Committee on Naval Affairs, reportad a rcsohition instructing tho ub-comraïttee to proceed to the PhiladelphJa and League Island Navj-yards to inquire intü eer tai n alleged abuses and frauds. Adopted The House then wcntiDtocoiuniittee of the wholoon tbc private calendar. Satuiíday, April 8.- Senate.- The Sonate held no session. Houw.- Tho proceedings in the Houee were limited to the delivery of speeches, to which tliore were few listcners, cither on the floor or in the gailerics. Monday, April 10.- Señale.- In tbo Senato during the íaorning hour a large number of billa and petitionu wera pi'cscnted and referred. The líouse bill to provide for the defleiency in tho l'ririting and Engraving Bureau of the Treaury deparlment. and ror the issue of il ver coin of the United States in place of fractional currency was taken up and paspcd as amended by fcüe Sunate Finance Committee .... resol ation was adopted authorizing Boutwc-11's Mississippi Committee to employ a clers and titenosrapher, and to pend for persona and papers. A bill wa also introduced apprnprïa Uu g $10,000 to defray the expenses of the coujmtttec. House.- The Committee on Eloctions reported a resolution that C. B. Farwell is not cntitled to hls Bf-at as a member from the Third Illinois district, and that J. V.LeMoynoia cntitled tosuuhseat. The minority report, in favor of Farwell, waa nnt ready, Ql it. Botii reporta wet nrtlored printed, and to He uron the taljle nntil called up for action . . . . The House euspeudod the rules, and, without any conüderation or cübcussiou, pastittl the Ui ver aud Uarbor Approiriittiuii b:3i. The total amonnt pprf)prfatefl is Í5.872,H'O... A rcKulution waa adopteid inquirJng into the cause of tüeiniprirfoiimmt ol K. O'Meagher Condón.