Congressional Proceedings

Tdesdat, March 19. - Senate.- The day wat, an extremely anünated one in the Sonate. When the Deftciency bul came up there was a lsng, hested, bitter, personal diecussion upon the timber question. It was a rencwal of the contcst of last week, in which Blaino, the Massachu'etts Senatots ud the Secretary of the Interior, by his acts, we central figures. Mr. Blainc rcnewcd hiB attack upon Mr. Sehurz. An exceedmily lively debate followcd, the Interior Department and the administrntion beicg defended by Messrs. Christiancy, Dawes and Hoar. Mr. Christiancy chaiged the opposition to Schui z with having espoused the cause of the poor settler who carries hiB flag along tho frontitr only for the pnrpoae of attacktDg Secretary Sehurz. Mr. Sargent declared that Sehurz, by the enforcement of obsolete laws, was secking a cücap reputatíon as a reformer. An angry colloquy ensuect between MeFsrs. Sargent and Dawes. Apologies were demanded by both, and Iven by neithor. Senator Dawes chargcd the peop'.e of the Territories wilh being thieves anddepredators, and Sargent accuseel the people of Massacbnsctts of stcaliug Plymouth rock - Mr. Morgan addreesed the Senato in support of the Thurman Pacific RailroaJ Sinking Kund bilí. He drew a forciblc picture of the tremendous power of corporations in thie country. wh!cb is greuter tlnn the power of some kingdoniH, aud declared that the country eitlicr raut ultimtely Bticcumb to thíse cirpurationB or become thelr mssters. Th? time had come, bc Sald, when the Pacific railroady should pay tlie debt of justicc or be nnmade by the power which had made theni. House. - Two reports were znadc from the Committee on Civil-Service Reform in the case of Doorkeeper Polk, charged with careleesness or malffasance in the dctieH of lr.8, station. The majority report was to the effect that evidence showcd Polk's unfltneBB to hold the office, and recouitnended his diBmiBsa). The minority report claimed that the evidence ditl not sustain the charg.e, and reconimended the retentiou of Polk.... Mr. Smith of Peunsylvania, Irom thü Comniittee en Ap proprlatioiiB, reported a bíll making appro prialions for the paymtut of invalid and oth fr peusioners. It appropriatcB $29,289,000 Mr Durham, from the fam? committee, reported back the West Poiut Academy bill, recommending concurrence in eonie of the Senate amendments and non-concurrencc in others Mr. O'Neil prescuted the remonstrancñ of printers, clectrotypera, bookscllers, engravera and others agaiiiKt the action of the Comuiittec on Ways and Means in not impiïsing duty oa imported stereotype and electrotype printing platee. IW-ferred The following blllB were introduced and referred : By Mr. tïlackburn, for the betU:r protection of plays and dramatic literaluro. It provides that tbe Copyright law shall cover all playa purcliased from a fdreign author for the purposo of pflaying or publishing in the United StateB ; by Mr. Springer, to authorizc the coinage of gold aud Bilver on the sanie terms, and to promote the deposit th' rsof . ... A resohition proposing that there shouid be no furthcr action 0:4 the tariff, and recommending that the Wayft and Means Comniittf-i- be di=charged from the bil], wae introduced in the Houbc, but could not be actfd upon, owing to a single objection whicti was interpoeed & new inovement wa xaade in Pacific raitrfad matters by the adoption of a resolution calling on the Attorney General lor information ai to what procecdings are pending against the Kansas Paciüc road at the mtance nf the Government - The remalnder of the day was paseed upon the Deflclency Appropriation bill, few changea being made in It. Wrdnerdat. March 20. - Siwate.- 5tr. Mitchel! üitroduced a bill for the protection of homestead eettlerfl on public land-}. . . .It wasordered tbat there be printcd for the use of the Finance Oommittee the Btatement made by the Secretary of the Treasury ia regard to the reppal of the Specie Ilenumplion act, aod tho tablee submitted by him on the subject. . . . Mr. Allipon Introduced a biJl to repeal the Pre-Emption 1W9 and provide for 'he sale of timber on tho public lands. .. .The Senate bill to amend section ",46t of the Revised Statutep, rclating to the cultivation of timber on the public domain. waa discuseed brieiy and paed- yeas, .'!!); nays, 12 MeüBrs. Windom, li ain d Withers were appointcd a conference comniittee on the part of tbe Senate on the Military Acadcmy Appropriation bill Mr. Howe cffered a resolution asking the xti-buuíhe io íniorm tne Senate whfcther Judge Whlttakor, who preeided at the trial of Thomas C. Anderson, In New Orleans, was ever in the employ of the Government, whether he was a defatlfter, and to what ainount, and, if eo, whether legal proccdings had ever been taken againet hlm. Mr. Ho wc aid that at home and eteewhere hc had bsen acciiFed of nut iclding very cordial support to tbo Presidente policy, and, if it would milt the convenience of the Senate on Monday next, he wouM lilíi1 to tako np thie resolution and eubniit seme remarku, by way of ! custng hiinsolf, so f ar as he was ab'e Considcration was reettmed of the Paplflc lUilroad Binking Fund blil, and Mr. MitoheJl epokc in favor of tho bill reported by the CoramitteG on RulroarlH. TTr. T Her, of Colorado, obtained the floor. and, in i long speech, arraiued Mr. Hoar for liaviufi cüled the people of Ihe Territorice thievea and pi anderei s. Mr. Hoar responded that he could not conceivf tlic mental c mditlon of a man who put purh a conKtrnction upon hia rmarke. Jïoupk. - In the Hnu&o the b.U regiüating advertising for mail contracta wan paaed. Itnqatros iKlvo.rtiflpments to be brief, and ti refvr for d !;i:l.s to the Post office Departmc-nt, lt olso ptolïiH.K the Bubletting of mail contráete, and declares auch MCtra.-tsannnlieU.. .Thr Honso Uien Went fnta -o:nmittee of the whol on the Deficiency AppropiJMfOD bilí, and, after a few unimportant chaDgeo, it wbr reported to the House aud passed Mr. Elttl offered the u-uol rcsolutioim ín regard to the dttUh of the Hon. J. E. Lconard, of Loulalana, and gave notice he would cali them up for actiou L-aturdav April 6. Tiiubkday, March 21.- Senate.- Mr. Herpford offcred a reaolutlon rilling upon (he Finare Committee to report the House blll repeaUng tbe Resuiüptlon act within one week. Mr. Morrill objerwd, and it went over. .. .tiir. Teller epoke nu :our in the Senato on tho Pacific Railroad Kunding lill, and Ihen the Henate resumea the disensión of the Timber bilí. Mr. Jone?, of Florida, made i strong attack on Secretary Schurz, claiming that ie was not pnrsniog the policy of hi predeccRsors, but one which would work dieaf frout-ly for a large ntimlwr of citizcnB. , .. Mr. Morgan also arraigned the Secretary of the Interior, and H&tA hiH conduct au to public tinibern-jiii had been cvasive and notcandid. Mr. i ;hr.ws defended Secretary Schurü. Ho aaid the j real gist of the accnsations agalnst the Secretary of :ho Interior wa8 not that uaually heard about the negligente of a public omeer, but that, according ;o his eenso of duty, he was enforcing the law. Because of that he wan arraigned asoppressive to I individuáis, as being un-Anierlcan. He (Matthews) ihmi'.'ht it was one of out cheriahed maxinis that the beat way to secure tho repeal of obnoxious laws was to rigidly enforce them. HorsK.- Jiffr. Waddell, Chairman of the Committce on PostomceB acd Post Itoada, reported a bilí to entablih íi postal Ba vin ge depoaitory as a branch of the Postoñiue Department..., Mr. Chalmors introducid a bilí providing for the'organizatiou of the Mitïötstsippi Improvcment Commisaion . . . , The Naval Apprnpriation bill was dipcussed, aimnded and pMuod. The amtnmt appropriated is $14,048,684, Fjriday, March 22.- Senate.- 5lr. McDonald addressed the Seuate in favor of the Thurman Pacific Bailroad Sinking Fund bill, af ter which the Deficiency bill was taken np, and, after adopting the auifudnient appropriating $20. 000 to af-sifit Secretary Schurz In prosecuting the timber depredators in the pib!ic lauds, the bill was put to a vote and passfd. Huusk. - Mr. Ward, of Pennsylvaaia, introduced a bilí supplementary to the Homestead lawn of the United Statea providing that persons bona ñde intending to makö actual entry and settlement under tho Homcstcad acta, shall receive, throngh the Secretary of tho Interior, f ree trarsportation for thtmselvea, families, fanning utensils, and personal f ff o ets to their new humes, and also fleedö for two yeara cultiva tion .... Mr. Atkimi introduced a bill to provide for the more económica] snrvey of the public lands. . . . Mr. Hunton introduced a bill to reorganizo a eyatem of Bupcrintendence of railrads....A large nuiuber of private bilis were passed. Moaday, Marcli 25.- Senate.- Mr. Howe called up hie rcsolution aeking the President for ii_formation in regard to the allegcd defalcation of Judge W'bittakcr, of Louisiana, who prewided at the Atn.erfion trial, and proceeded to makehispromieed speech, which consiated of a eharp attaek upon the adniinistration. The President was arraigucd for appointiug Demócrata and Liberáis to ofüce, and hls ciil-service reform policy was iieiiounced as a pretenso ouly. Mr. lïowe was particulirly wevere upou tho President' Southern policy, and declared that Packard's title to the Governortjtlüp of Louisiana was as good as Hayes' title to the Presidency Mr. Wallace Bitbinitted an amendment to the House bill to repeal tho SpecieKesumption act, which providee that on and after Jiïly 1, 1878, United States legal -tender notes shall bo recoivable for atl debt and dues both public and private .... The Scnatc, in executive session, aftor a loug debate, rejected. by a vote of 22 to 17, the uouiinat;on of Lewie E. Parsona, United States Attorncy for the Northern aud Middle Dislricts of Alabama. House. - Under a cali of the States a largo number of bilis were introduced and referred, among th'_ni the following : By Mr. Stephens (by request), aulhorizing the issue of Postofüce bouis bcaring interest ftt the rato of 90 cents for every three calendar montliy, and redeeinable oa demand at any Postofftce having funde on hand ; by Mr. Banning, aulhorizing the Commissioner of luternal Revenue to ref und and I ay back certaiu taxes to dLstillerd, also, to reorganize the army; by Mr. Boyd, authcrizing the State of Ii'iuois t j eell certain of the lafce grounds in Chicago, and to uso the proceeds on the Illinoia river iruprovement ; by Mr. Gunter (by request), to aid the educatioii and advanoement of the colored peoplfl ; by Tr. Schleicher, to regúlate the value of subsidiary silver coin (it provides that auch coin ehall be a legal tender for any amount not exceeding $10, and that vheoever preseiited in amnimt of $100 the Secretary of tho Treasury shall issue theref or legal-tender money) ; by M :■. Bapp, for a branch mint in Council Bluffs Mr. Springer'a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill to authorize the coiuage of gold and silver on the same terma, and to permit the deposit thereof for the same purpoees, was rejected - yo&s, 140; nays, 102 - not two-thirds in the affirmative Mr. Goode moved to suspend the rulee and pass the bill to sliepend the operation oí the Sinking-Fund act for fivc years. Rejected- y eas. 122; naya, 112 - not two-thirds in the amrmative.