Bills Before Congress

Senator Thurmnn, of Ohio, lins introuced a bilí toprohibitmembers of Conjress from becoming sureties on certain )onds. It próvidos that it sball be unawful for nny Senator or Representaivo in, or Delégate to OougreBs, to beome surety on any official bond hcrefter exceuted to the United States, or ;o nny officer thereof, or on any bond ïereafter exeonted by auy eontractor vith the United States, or with any deiiirtment or officer thereof, to secure tho )erformance of any contract in whieh the Jnited States may bo interested, and ny Biich bond hereaftor executed by uch Senator or Representativo or Delégate as a surety shall be nuil and void. Senator Ferry, of Michigan, offers a jill to repeal certain provisions of the act of Congress, approvod July 12, 1876, entitled "An act making appropriations or the Postoffico Department. " It repeals so much of the thirtoenth section f the act as provided that railroad comlanioswhoso railroad was constructed in v.hole or in part by land-grant made by jongress on condition that the mails should be transported over their road at such price as Congress should by law direct, should roceive ouly 80 per cent. )t tlio compeinsation autïiorized by the iet, and provides that such roa]s shall )e paid at the rates fixed by law for the compensation of such services to I oads genorally. Senator Oockrell, of Missouri, introduced a bilí to authorize the deposit of silver bullion or bars and issue eortificates therefor. It nuthorizes the Secretary of tho Treasury to receivo deposits of silver bullion or bnrs with the Treasnrer or any Assistant Treasurer of the United States, in sums not less than $20, estimating 412J grains troy woight standard silver to the dollar, and to issue cortifientes therefor in dcnoininations not less than $20, each corresponding -with the denominations of Unittd States notes, and suoh certiücates ehall be in the f onn of the certificates now payablo to depositar or bearer, and shall bo receivable at par in payment for duties on imports, taxes, and all public dues, and shall be payable by the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of the United States on demand in silver dollars or United States notos, and, when so paid, such bnllion shnll beconie tho propertv of the United States. The House Banking and Currency Committee bas matured a postal savings bond bill, and reported it to the House. It provides for deposite as low as 15 cents, and a postal savings bond as low as f 10, and up to $100, bearing 3.65 per cent. interest. These bonds are cüangeable íor Umted States 4 per cents, at the oftico of any Assistant United States Treasurer. The following is au important paragraph in the bill: Sec. 4. All moneya received into the treasury in pursuanco of this act ehall bo apphedexcluüivcly to tho rodeniption of sueh bonds of the United States as are redeemablo at the pleasure of tho United Staten, and tho Secrotary of tho Treaeury hall oall in of such bonds thoBO that bear the highcst rato of interest at tho time, and the Seorettiry of the Treasury is boreby authorized and d"ireotcd to causo to be prepared a special issue of United States notos, idcntical in all rospects with the logaltonder notos, which ehall bo a legal tender for all dobt?, public and private, oxcept duties on importa and the payment of interest on the public debt, to tho amount of 10 pnr cent, of tho postal money orders and postal savings bonds actually outstanding, until the whole amount of such spocial issue shall roach the su:u of $50,000,000, which special issue of lealtonder notes f-hall be nsed wholly nnd oxclusivoly in tho redemption of tho postal savings bond herein provided for, uuder such rules and rogulations as tho Socvetary of tho Treasury shall pretcribe for the purposo. The Senate Committee on Patents hns prepared and reported an important bill revisiug tho patent hvwB. It provides that the time within whioh suits for infringement may bo commenced shall be four years af ter the cxpiration of a patent. The damages for infringement are to follow the general rules laid down by conrts, the trespassing parties to pay for tho in jury done ; but in case where general rules will not apply the eourt may assess a specific sum in acoordance with its estimato of the injury. In tho reif-sue of patenta the inventor may amend his speciflcatione in form, but cannot add new matter, and tho model cauuot be appcaled to. In order to do away with the great number of usolees patents it is required that after four and one-half years an additional fee of $50 shall bo paid, and after nine and one-half years another of $100. Testimony can bc taken in perpetuation j by leave of a oourt and notice to the j posing parties, and this evidence will ! be available. Any other parties can use it agaiust either of the parties to the suit in which it was tnken. Suits may be brought by leavo of the court to repeal and annul patent which are void. j A remedy is providod for injury which is dono by one party advertising that a j patent is an infringement of his. The I agrtement in regard to an assignment must bo made within one rxionth. If a persoa sells a jtatent that is iuoumbered as uninciimbcred, with intent to defraud, it is a misdemeanor, and made punishabie by a fine of $1,000 on conviction. A bill hns been introduced in the House by a Western member to construct a rnilro.'id trom Choycnno to a point at or nsar Fort Laramie ; thence to a point at or near Deadwood, in the Territory of Dakota ; thence, commenciDg at or near Fort Laramie, ter a point at or near Fort Fotterman ; thenco, in a northerly and northwosterly direction, by the most practicable route, to the Yellowstono river, near the mouth of the Big Horn river; thence, by the most practicable route, to a point at or near Helena, in tho Terrritory of Montana ; thence, by tho most practical route, to the Paeiftc ocean, orthenivigable waters connecting therewith. Tho company is to be required to commence its line within a year, and to construct fifty miks a year until the road is completed to Helena, Montana Territory. Mortgage.bonds for $25,000 a mile are allowed, and the right-of-way is granted through all piiblic lands. The capital stock of the Corporation is to be $35,000,000. Gen. Garfield has discovered a new way in which to use ofücers of tho I3ngineer Corps not on duty. His bill proposes that the President shall select from among their number a board to inquire into the nuinber, causes and means of prevention of accidenta od railroatls in tho United States, the number of persons killed or injured thereby, and the most appioved means of preventing the occurrence of the samo ; and it ahall be the duty of suid Commissioners to hereafter investígate such accidents on railronda as may, in their judgment, be accompanied by circumstances of an unusual or unpxplained character, and specially report upon tho same. The Commissioners shall, in addition to their pay as officers of engineers of the army, receive compensation for actual travel and other necessary expenses incurred in the duties design.ited. The bill introdueed in the Senate by Mr. Ferry, to grant an increase of pensions in certain casos, próvidos that from and ftfter June 4, 1878, all pereons who, while in tho military service of the United States, and in line of duty, since Mnrch 4, 1861, shail have lost nu arm abovo the eibow, or a leg abovo the kut e, hall be cntitlcd to a pension of S3C per month ; aud those who shall have lost a leg below the knee, or an arm below the elbow, shall bo entitled to 830 per month ; and those who sliall havo lost one hand and one foot shall be entitled to $15 per month. A Prompt Miiic. A good story is told of a deacon in Tennessee, who was in the habit of riding a bucking mulo - that is a mulo that eau inake a oamol's bank of its straight ouc, aud, liy a ppasmodic movement of its four lega nud hump, dieohargo it rider like a cnnnon ball. The othcr day they oame to the edgo of the worst mud hole in the State, and the mule gave unmistakable indications of bticking. Tho good deacon kncw that he was about to be thrown, and his skurricd about for a prayer. His table graco carne easiest : "Lord, for what we avo about to receive make us humbly thaukful," lie exclaimed, and the mule had buckcd and lie was in.