Congressional Proceedings

Tuesdat, Maroh 12.- Sexate.- The bill iu aid of the polar expedition destgned by Janie Qordon Bennett was passé d unanimously, without debate The Mouw bill for the relief of William A. Hammond, late Surgeon Ocueral, was taken up, anii Mr. Plumb spoke in oppositiou . The bill was tlieii pasEed without amendment -yeas, 65 ; nays, I - Mr. Plumb - The Senate, in executive nession, conflrnied a large number of appointments. Hocse.- Considcration was resume oí the Diplomatic Approprialion bill, iiud Mr. Hale, of Halne, took the Hoor and deltvered a Bet speech. He cliarged that while tho Dcinecrats were proaching economy, and a reduction in the amonnt of the appropriations for Ihe several branches of the Government, bilis were introducid in the Houe by hundreds to pay all sorts of Southern claims, and to forward echemes to defrand the treasury. Mr. Dunnell spoVe in defense of the consular systeui, which was not only self-suRtaining but actually brought $.100,000 a year into the treasury. He attributed partly to want of consular agencies the deercase of American commerce. He declared hilnself in favor of voting Government aid to American conitnerce. Cougress suUenly and Btupiclly refused to give aid to commerce, because the cry of " subBidj" was rung in it ears. The great Amorican question to-day was, how Auierican producers could reach foreign consmuers. Mr. Oox, of New York, followed Mr. Dtlnnell, and onticised Mr. Hcwitt's speech of ïueeday. The drift of that speech, he said, could not bo miKinterpreted. It was intended to quiet a tltln. ni colleague, howevcr, oould not qulet one particular titii'. He could not read onc title olear to tho White House or any other mansión. Hls colleague was in great part respousible for the Electoral Oommfasion, and he naturally desired to have the result cflrtifled as good Tho reBuIt, however, was bad. No washing would rinse out the damned spot. rfith its stain the multitudlnous seas would continue, to be incarnadined HU the present Executive retired for a better man. Wednesdat, March 13.- Senate.- Mr. Matthewa offered a motion to print Secretary Schurz' comnnmication regarding the Montana timberthieves in the Congrexxional Record. At the request of Mr. Blaine, Mr. Matthcws read tho commuuication. The former tben took the fioor and spoke at length of the action of the Secretary of the Interior. He said that the Secretary did not happen to be a native of thiB conntry. He conld not help that, and ho (IMaine) did not mention it as a reproach to hlln. He was born in the Kinpdom of Prupsia, which was 15,003 square miles less in extent than Montana, and the Secretary, perhaps with the instinct of hi boyhood, applied the laiid laws of Pruseia to Montana, aad not the land laws that had been uscd in ettling the United States. ...The Military Academy Apprtiprition bill was discussed, aiuendcd and pasned The following bilis were introduced : By Mr. Merrimon, to provide for and regúlate tho oounting of votes for President and Vice President, and the decisión of questious arieIng thereon. By Mr. Kellogg, to aid the New Orleaus and Paiflc Iiailroad Company ; also, to establlsh a mint at New Orleans. liy Mr. Gordon, a bill to promote tho dcpositB of saviiigs and the refunding of the national debt. By Mr. Morgan, for U,o relief of book agenta of the Methodist Episcopal Church ; it appropnatcs $150,000 to compénsate the parties for damage Uone to their property at Naehville during the late war. Hocsk.- The House devotcd the entiro day to the coiiBidcration of the Diplomatic Approprlation bill, the discussion at times taking an exiremely partisan turn. Mr. Hcwitt again attacked the President for making porsonal appointmenta, the latter being defended by Mr. Keightley. An ulerease in the ealary of the four principal Ministers frora $lf,000, as provided in tho bill, to $17,600, the present salary was rejectod- 38 to lio. A number of other amendmentu were offered and voted down. Thübsday, Maroh H. - Senate. - A rmmber of pension bilis wero passed, auiong them one granting $50 a month to the widow of Rear Admiral Charlen Wilkes Mr. Voorheen introduced a biil providing for the payment of all customs duUes and all other debts duo to the Uuited States ín legal-tender notes at par, except in cases whcre it is otherwiBe expreeBly stipulated on the faoe of tbc obligation or contract Mr. Tellt r introduced a bill to regúlate paEBenger fares and fre'ght trafflc on the Denver Parffic rallwayand Kansas Paciüc raüway Consideration was then resumed oí unfioished business, being the bill in regard to tho Pacific railroad sinking fund, and Mr. Matthews poke in favor of thn bill reported by tho Committeo on Kailroads... .Mr. Gordon, by request, introdaced a bill to authorizö the construction of a narrow-gange railroad from Bismarek to the Black Hilis. the bill was referred .... The Military Academy bill was taken np, and Mr. Sargent moved to amend so as to provide that the President should henceforth only be emjiowcrcd to have in the academy ten cadets, appointed by himself at large. instead of íorty, which he now has by appointing ten eaca yjar. Mr. Blaine moved to so amend that amendment ae to provide that these teu cadetB Bhall bc appomted from among the deHcendants of ITnion soldicrs, and that no others should be ellKiblc. This was lost- 39 to IS. The qucstlou was Dien on Mr. Sargcnt's affiendment, agalnat the paveage of which Mr. Matthewe olJ?cted, p'.endlDg that os President Hayes bas aready made ten appolntinents itn paogage vrould tak1 f rom hiln the power of apuoiuting any more inlees there should be a vacaucy In these tcu. The Sennte did not f vor the I'ri e:dent, and pnB-od the Kargent amendment by a very largo majority, aud thfn pasoed tUe blll au ameudcd. House.- The House, atter an excltlng and olose contst, paa;ed the bül extcndiug the bondsd pcriod for flnc whikiCB ljy a vote oí 122 yeaa to 105 nays. The purposc of the bill Is to give domentic manufacturer of dintillrd spiritu tbc same privilege :hat ík given to iujporterH of forpigu liquore A 3ill reportod from the Committec ou Expcnditureg n the Dopartment of JuBtice, tiraiting the number of xpecial attorneyx appinti to asnist District AtornfjM to one, and lünltlng the fee to $2,000, wa aflied The Hono patmed the bill exteuding tliij jinc for the payment of the tnx on iliütilled Bpirits In boud to three year from the time of bonding, Fbiday, March 15.- Senate.- Not in seBsion. Hot'MK.- The day in the House was Lpent in debate upou the Boston contectod election case of Dean vb. Tiold. Discunnion va arreste-d by the ipcakcr, beforo lt had prooeeded far, to announc he dealh of Hon. J. Edwards Leonard, a mcruber of tlie Uouse from Ixmislana, whereupou the louse adjourned. Satcrday, March 16.- Senate.- Not in Besion. House. - The Houee devoted ihe day to private biHa, and Ihe only action of iinportance was he defoat of the bül to pay certaiu Bouthern anteelium mail contractornilTSJH.O. . . .The House gave he l'resident auother üttle dlg by adoptíng a reouliin calliug npon the Attorney General to Irnow whether the President bas any right to appoint cai tí to West Point. Mokday, March 18.- Senate.- Mr. Edimiiftlo, rom tne Judiciary Oominlttfre, report cd ftdvereely upon the Houee bilí admittlng womon to practico in be Supremo Court or other Unitod States courtf, ■ecauae it $ diacretionary dow with those courta to ecíde who hall practice het'oro thfin, and thia bill would cotnpel the courta to adui't women whcn it Fould not admit ineu to that privilege Ir. McCreery luqiiired of the Cbairman of the Juiciary CouiiDittec what progrcuH wae iiiaking in cftanl tu the repeal of tbc Iïaukrupt law. Mr. EJmunds rcpJied that thn cuinmittco was puütatog progeaa, ani ho bopo.l tbat thcro would be a report loon - Mr. Win dom called up tho Houhk bUJ mak-, og QupropriatioiiH fortiftcaÜQn und othor fforka '■, ït witH rüocï wittjnut dlKcuwion. The ill approprlates $275, í00 Mr. Thnrman called up ;ho Sonate biUtoprohlbltmeiuberuof CoiigrrHsfrom jecorning suroties ou certain bonde. Pa8ed. .. The Seiiate resuined consideration of the Pftolflo Unilroad Sinlung Fund bill, aud Mr. Christiancy, of Mirhifiau, made a vigorous legal argument in Bupport of thfi Governtucut'fl riuüt to euforce tho coili ctioa of the railroad'ö debt. HouüK.-Mr. Springer tried to get bcforo tho House, for action, the bill providiug for the freo coinage of Kilver, as providcd in tho original Blaml bill. Tho opponents of the btll, by ñlibuetering, preveuted him f rom aucceeding. . . .The followfng bilis were iotroiluced: By Mr. Vanw, granting pcnsidiiK to FoldierH wlio enlisted out of prifious ; alsot for tlio payment of certain eouthern mail contractors (this bill provideB that no claimH hall be paid which havo heretofore been paid by the Confedérate Government) ; by Mr. Gibaon, for tho appointment of a corauiiBston to asceitain on what terms a treaty of commerec! with Moxieo can be urranged; by Mr. Monroo, relating to telcgraphic comrnunioation betweeu the. United Staten and forflicu countrles; by Mr. Willis, of Kentncky, rstablinliiNg a mint at liontsville ; by Mr. Sampson, proposing an arnendment to the c nstilution providiug that the President hall be eloctcd by a direct vote of the people; by Mr. Conger, repcaling the law appropriatiug 1475,000 for the payment of certain bouthern mail contractorR; by Mr. Kwing, to grant to the State of oliio tho uusold public lands remaiuing in that State ; by Mr. Cox, of New York, for tlie erection of a monument over the grave of Thomas Xefferson.