Congressional Proceedings

Tuesday, Jan. 29.- Senate.- Mr. Eclinunds ntroduced a bilí tomake the 22d of February a legal lolidayin tho DJatrict of Columbia Mr. Plumb ntroduced a bilí to repeal curtain acts and partB f acts relatiug to the taxatiou of dcposits a MTlngB luniks. . ..Mr. Howo, f rom tlie Jommittee on Library, rcporled favorably on Jie House joint resolution accept ing Carpen;er'8 paintiug of Lincoln and his Cabiuet. After some. debate the roaolnticn was agreed to - jtuh, -I'! ; iiíiyk, 7. , . .Mr. Wallace, of Pcnnsylv;inia, líreg.scd Uie Senate in favor of the Hilvcr bill, which was called u? íor consideration. Mesara, liayard, D twès anti Vhyto spoko ftgainfit the measure. Mr. Casieron, of Wiaconsfu, subinitted au anioiulmont to tho Sil ver biil so aa to próvido that tbe dollar ehall consist of 420 grains standard Büver, iuatead of 412)L grains. Oraevod printed. Mr, Burnsidfi submittcd au amcndiuent to tho dauw declarluR tliat said dollar shomd be legal tender for all dcbts. public and private, so as to próvido that it shall bo legal tender for ail dcbts, public and private, aiuounting to siinis over $500. Orderid priiitcd. Mr. Beek callcd up his resolution dedanni? it " unueccBsary or inexpedient to maintain or taxes at this time for the purpose of providing for $37,196,045.04, asked for by the Sccretary of the, Trcanury for a sinking fund," and epoko in favor of pasrting the rcaolution. House. - Mr. Stcphens introduced a bilí to mako importers uso the metrie system of wcighta and mensures. Referred. ...Mr. Butler, of M;issacliusetta, creatcd considerable excitement and amusement iy presenting the reaolntionn adoptad hy the Norfolk (Mass.) Unitarian Conference in favor of a single gold standard, and then asking the Speaker for his Bible, and canning to bc read, front a chaptcr in Sfc. John, Christ's relmko of certain dudóles and Jiioney-trhangers who attempted to nse the Lord'a temple for purposcn of merchandise. Mr. Butler Raid that, after the rebute by Chris t, lic had noanswer to make the ministers who attemijUd to instruet hun. .. .After a somewhat ainusing dlBOlUtflon of the subject of admiRBion to tho floor of the House, a resolution was adopted tl i' '-ting that the rule be rigidly euforced, and the uRtag of passes bc discontinnod. The Speaker tal cd that be wonld ixumcdiately revoke a!l paftHcs. ihj.1 f:x-nicnibrrs of OOÜflTOflB tOSirin admlSBion to the floor ehould ulo a declaration that they are not interented iu pending legilation, and thr.t the execution of the rule wou ld exolade employés, clerlts to comniittees and private Bocrctarii-8 . . . .Mr. Kcnna, from the Committee on Comruerce, reported bftck the bül to reeogniztj tito Wooílruff scientiiic expedittoii around the world, The bill grante for the purpose of the expedition an Amerlcaa register to a forcign-built vcssol Aitor dteouaslén the bill passen - yeas, 107 ; nayp, 100. Wicdnkbday, Jan. ?0. - Senate. - fifr. Voorhees Bubmítted :i reíolvtion reqnesting the President, if not incompatible with public iuterests, to transmit to the Señale a eiatement as to hun n.;my acres of land in the Tndian Torritory have b in Buryeyed into sectiona and quarter eeetions fnr wh at pinpOKe said snrvey has boen made, anc low tari !i l."i.l r. iii.uns i.j s;iiil 'Í erritory nol Burveyed ; iiiso, what amount of luudu were ownod by the neveral tribes of Indiaus previous to the treaties of 186G, aud wliether the In,dian title to any suoh land ha3 bpen extinguishet' binco eaid treatles were made, and, if so to wkat extent :tud for what considcratiou. Agreec to..., Mr. Chris tianey wado a speech in opposition to the SU ver bill. He claimed that tlie deprcciation of silvcr was not due to lts deujonetization, but to othír causes, and that its remonetization would not restoro it to a par with gold. He propoKcd to ainend tho pending bill, by providiñg for tho coiuage of a Biïver dollar of 434 grain, to be a f uil Icgftl tender exnept where otluTwise providcd by law, or by contract, and authorixing tho Secretary of the 'freaaury ttï purchasc not less than $2,(KHi,0(JO nor more thaii $4,000,000 worth of eilver bullton per month for 0 ■:; ;iíü - the act to remain iu force for one year. Hoü8E.- Mr. Hays introduced a bill prohibiting any further deeiruotlOB of legaï-teuder notes, auí miikiug such notes a leynl tender for customs dttties llferre:! Jtfr. Davla, of Nm-th Carolina, intro dnced a bill rt-pealing ecction 4,71fi of tho Itevisei Statutes, forbidding the paymeDt of pensiouBto an; 1 i -t-uinji. or to the widow, cliiïdron, or hcirs ttf an] deoeaeed perron, who in any man nor voluntarih engaged in or aided or abetted the late rebeliion. . . . The House went into committee of the who] e to conKHÏer the biil ixteniliygtha time for ihc. witbtfrawa of distillctl BplxltS now in bond uiiiil Julj 1, 1878. Mr. Butlor's amenclmeut, providicg tha' wheu spirits are withdrawn from bond the tax ehal be ccïlloctf-fi at the rate required by law. at the timo of its ( ntiy iuto bond, was adopted - 10K againtit 51 Mr. Fofiter'.s BUbstitute for the orifiiual proposiition, declarlng a reduction of the tax on whisky iuexpedient, was adpted by a vote of 134 to 95. House BUfltained the action of the committee in adopting the substitute by a vote of ycaa 146, nay 112, and the titlc was changcd accordingly. THuitsuAY, Jan. 31. - gEKATE. - It was aii exceedingly dull day in the Senate. A few bilis of a private character were paeeed, aome pctilions presented, after which the Silver bill was taken apC Mr. otorgan submitted au ameudaient to allo-v the free coinage of silvcr, by perniittinti myholdero] bullion to deposit it in tho assay office or mint in BUDQB not les thau $100 in a single deposit nor toexcecd $100,000 during a calendar mouth by the samo deposítor. Tliís bullion is to be valned atitemarkei pnoe for leril tenders at the ditte of deposit. cortififco be giveu to tho owner, to be paid by tho Secretar? of tho Treasnry, in not lesa tüan ihïrtj nor more than ninety days, in cgal-teuder notes, or silver dollar, at tho option of the Government Al:cr onfl year the coinage of silvf-r to be on the same footin in all respecta with the coinage o: gold. Ordered priiitcd. Mr. Booth Bubinitted an amendnient to aïlow tiie owner of silver dollars U deposit them with the Treasurer or auy Assietant Xreaaurox of the United States, and receive certificates of not les uui S10 each, the certiftcates to be enffraved an nioiT-r, vl o circuíate in DlacA oi an ver. xne aeaign is to obvíate the inconveniences of silver m commercial transactions. Ordered printed. Mr. Oglcaby spke in favor of the biil and urgr d immediato aotdon .... Ad jourucd til Monday. House. - Thcro was a wrangle over the Wes Point Appropriatïon bill Mr. llarris, o: Virginia, from tho Committee on Eleotiona reported in the California case agains Pacheco, tho sitting member, and in favor of WiggiutoD, the contestant. M. Wsd presented a minority report taking opposito grounds. Mr. íípnnger preeented a separate repon on his own account, although concurring in tho rppolution of the majority. The reports were ordered printed. Mr. Harris gavo nolíce that he wodld cali u p the case next Tuesday. Fiïiday, Feb. 1. - SeKate. - Not in possío:i. House. - Mr, Phillips iutrodneed a bül io jrovide for the fundiiig of the national debt iu liome bonds convertible into currency. Refe:rt:d. ..There was an animated debate iu tbe ïlouse over tho charges agalnst the Boorkeoper, Polk, of Missouri, and the Qte oonnected with them. Mr. Baker, of Indiana, called the attention of ihe House to numerOOfl rnmors whicli have been about the Capítol for a long timo, and whirh were fully stated iu afli í;l'. it. tbat Mr. Baker made a part cf his speech After a e harp disciwftïon tho investigation askec for was ordered, and the matter coniiuitted to the Civil-Servicc Committee. After investigation had been ordered, Mr. Ellswofth, of Ulohl gan, moved that thm affidavits againat Polk, on tho pround thrtt they were ex parte, be eliininated from tha lüiblic records of the proceediogs. Tbe uiotion vme iu fa et to expunge a portion of Mr. lïaker's epticch. llakerwas abseni from the hall and arrived Just au the Hou re hud voted to mutílate iho records. Balcer immediafe moved areconsideration, and, after au imposione Bpeech, in wliieu he demanded thai his rights as a meuiber be protected. Rucceeded in carrying the point. . . . Adjourncd to Monday. Monday, Feb. 4. - A largo numbci of petitions were presented from all parts of the country, most of them rnmomtrating against chauges ín the present lariff duties, and the restoration of the tax on toa and ooffee, all of which wro referred. Other petitious, favoring the nrganiz.ttion of a Department of Industry, the liead thereof to bo a Cabinet ofticer, were presented aid referred. .. .The fnllowing bilis were introduced : Mr. Davis, from the Oonimlttoe on Juiüciary, rcported a BUbetltnto for tlir bill to prevent abuses in respect to milcago of District Attorneya of the United States ; by Mr. Dawes, a bill rcguiating the authentïcation and uso of proxics in iheiueetings of phareholdocB of national banking BABOolationH ; by Mr. .Sjiencf-r, to incorpórate the National Pacific; Kaiiroad and T Icjcraph Company ; by Mr. Sannders, supplemeiitary to the joint renolution in relation to ihe ParJa JExpotiMon. It authorizes the President to appoint eighteen additional Coinmiösioners Mr. Jíayard ftddrossod tbe Beoots in oppoaition t the jjnssnge of the Silver biü. A reeolutiou ordering the preparatiou of a gradïiateii in como tax was offered in the House, and received 1C5 yeas, tho naya numbering only SS. As it required a two-third-ï vote, the resolation id not pass. The afnrruative votes carne ohlefly from the Pimoeraís, ,'ind the nng.'itiv'S from tho Republicana Tho following büls wero ïiuroduced : By Mr. Ho,tiiarcl, authorizing the jmyjnent of onstuma In legal-teuder notes; by Mr. Mills, prÓViding that II bonds heroafter lasued by (lxc Gkyvcrranent Bhat] be payabie, principal and interest, in gold, BÍlver, or legal-tender notes ; by Mr. Davis, of North Carolina, to reduco Ihe tax on brandy made from appïes, peaches or grapes, 35 cents; by Mr. Rlddlé', for a constitutional amendment providing for the eleclion of President by the direct yote of the people; by Mr. Sextou, making the ieceivers of railroaa corporations amenable to prooesses and jadgroentaoï Ihe cjurtsof the sc-veral Siates throiiffh whicU eaid rsilroiuls aro run.... Mr. EUswotth pres bted an affldavli fromthe Doorkeeper denyi&g rs uUerly without foundation tho charges against his oinciül integrity, and earneetty roqneKJUsg an investigaron on tho part of tlio douse. liefcrreii to tlio Cotniuittee on Ciut Ht-riir Refurm. .