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The National Capital

The National Capital image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
December
Year
1878
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Washington, Deo. 7. Congress has scttlecl down to business ■ right at tho start with an earnestiiess that IcíuIs to tho belief that wo símil báye a sessiou marked by a;good dea! of solid work, and leas oí the buncombo and politica! capital-making than characteri.i'cl the last Bession; The mam' bors return to their dutjes apparently impressed with a truth they ought to havo realized long ago. namely, that their constituents are tired of seeing the halls of the National Capitol converted into a politica! arena, and the whole time of the session consumed in political harangucs (printed and circulated at Government expense), to the neglect of the public business. The House has done a thing it was never known to do beforo - passcd two of the appropriation bilis bof ore it had been in session two aays. Let us hope Ihat, it wil] keep on in tho good path it has startcd upon. THE HLAIXK ItKSOLUTIOJÏ. The Democratie members held a caucus this week, at whieh the conclusión was reached to allow the Blaine ' gation to proceed provided they were allo wed to include the Northern States. It was also agreed not to oppose the investigation of the öiphex dispatohes, from whatever quarter the proposition emanated. The j publicans, it is said, will agree to this ; so it is pretty certain that an investigation of tho elections in both sections will be ordered. PUNISHING ELECTION FRAUDS. Representativo Rainey, of South Carolina, has introduced in the House a bilí to regálate the manner of holding elections for Representativos in Congress, and punishing f rand at such elections. It declares that it shall not be lawful at such elections to use bulláis which are written or printed upon tissue ! paper, or upon pieces of paper less than j iive inches in length and three inches in width, and that whoever casts such ballots shall be guilty of felony, and, upon convicticn, shall be fined not more than $1,000 and imprisoned not more than two years. The bilí provides that ! all such ballots shall be rejected and not j counted, and that eyery officer found guilty of counting them shall bc ! ished as aforesaid. It provides further that all ballots cast at such elections shall be written or printed on phiin white paper, and shall have on the j side no distinguishing marks, and that all ballots of a ditïerent description and having distinguishing marks on them shall be rejected. The bill still further provides that any person who shall be guilty of fratid at any election for Representative in Congress by casting, or causing to be deposited, any unlawfol ballot, or by counting or aiding to count fraudulent ballots, shall bo deemed guilty of felony, and, upon conviction, be iined $1,000 and imprisoned not less than ono nor more than live years. The bilí declares it to be a felony for any person to intimídate or prevent any voter from voting, and punishes tho offender by fine and impriaonmenf, as in case of otlier ofl'enses mentioned. POLITICAL ASSESSMENTS. Representativo Chalmers, of Mississipjii, offers a bilí malíing it a penal offense to a.sscss persons in Government ! employ for election purposes. Eyery officer, or other person, violating the provisions of the bilí will be deemed guilty of a misdemeanar, and, on conviction, bo fined not exeeeding $1,000. It ïmposes the same fino upon persons convioted of solicitiug, or otherwise attempjfcing to induce, Government clerks to contributc for election purposes. THE BANCROFT TREATY. Threo or four rcsohitions have been introduccd iii the House in reference to ! giving notice totheNorth Germán Confederation to termínate the freaty of Feb. 22, 1868. One introduce.! by Mr. Springer sets forth the provisious of the treaty, which are that when a German-American citizen shall have i turned and remained in the territory of i Germany' longer than two yeara it shall be held that he has renounced Lió citizenship in this country. Complaints ! have been made that such citizeus have boen forced into the military service, and, as this works great injustice tö German-Americans who have no intention to renounce their citizenship, it is sought by the tenxis of the treaty to ' have it termínate by giving the requirod notifieation. THE SUPI'LY OF COIK. A bilí introdueed by Representa! i ve Phillips provides that the redemption of notes in coin shall bc suspended whenever the coin in the treasury süall be reduced to $50,000,000, and that when the iinount of coiu in the treasury exceeds $100,000,000 the surplus shall be used for the redemption of bonds bearing the highest rate of interest tiiut are subject to cali. THE LABOK QTJESTION-. Abram S. Hewitt, Chairman of the special coinmittec of the House charged i witk the investigation of the labor inicstion, will eall his committee together in a few days and continue hearing the views of prominent manufacturera ahd workingmen on that subject. He has invited scveral prominent New Enf;laii(l manufaeturers and the ieading members of the l'ittsburgh trades-unions to come forward and give thcir views on the business and labor question. It will be somo time before he is ready to prepare his report to Congress. THE l'OTTEIt IKVKSTK.ATION. It is said to be the mtenYibn f the Potter Investigating Committee to send a sub-committee to New Orleans to continue that branch of the investigation, which was interrupted by the yellowfever epidemie. THE TARIKF. The Committee on Ways and Means, in a general interchange of views, last week, indicated tliat it would coniiue itself to curreni business without c.insidering mensures for a chonge of the tariff or kindred legislation. EX-QOV. FOOTE. The Louisiana Republieans, hèaded by Gov. le)log-g, will make a hot fight agaiost the conflrmation of Henry S. Foote as Superintendent of the New Orleans Mint. Footc's ap2ointment was effected through the inrlunee of Judge Swajnie, of tho L'nited Stiltes Supremo Court. Henry S. F.oote lias been a prominent figuro in politics for ' upward of half a oentury. He was cessively Congressnian, Govemjor and j Senator in Mississippi away baok in tho days before secession had begún. to be tallied about, aud was a dangerous rival and fierco antagonist of Jeff. Davis. Whcn secession was first agitated in Mississippi' Footo combated the trine with all the ability and carnestnosa h could comm.iMil. Tlie iire-eatiTs, led by such men as Davis, Qriitman, and Éárksdále, liiiuily obtained the ascendeney, and Footo was relegated to the shades of private life. He then emigrated to California, and carne very near liciug eleoted to the1 Sonate from that State. Ho subsequer.tly driftcd baok to the States, setdea in Tennessce, and was elected to the Confedérate Senate during ttte war, -whorc he continued to sliow liis hatx-ed of Jeff Davis by vchomently opposinf; his policy at every stage of the lveboliion. Foote ík tho man who told John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, in tho Senate of the United States, years ep.thatif he would go down to Missiesippi he would be hung. Sinco then Foote has always been known by the title of " Hangman " Foote. OOV. WALL ACE. There will also be an effort to prevent the confirmntion of Gen. Lew Wallaee as Governor of New Mexieo. Godlove S. Orth, who was opposed and almost defeated by Wallfloes opposition, is heading the movcmcnt ngainst tho latter's eoufirmation, with some show of succcss. _ M.KCK STEPHKNS. A. If. Stephi'ns.theT.illipiitian statesman fronj Georgia, had iv narrow escape from a Kerious accidon+j a few days ago. W'hili! asoending the steps Igadiog to tho pórtico of the Capitol olie of liis crutches slipped and he canie nenr tumbling backward down the long flight of stone steps. Luckily his faithful servunt was at hand, and caught tho fragüe frame of the Georgia statesman, tlms saving him from what must have proved a fatal fall. Stephens is ono of the remarkable nren of tho time. Ho is now 67 years old, and, althougli he has been reported as dying for the last ten years, he has as good a prospect of living to the end of the centnry as any man on the continent. He seeins to grow more vigorous, bodily and mentally, every day, and is in better health now than he has enjoyed for many years past. PERSONAL. Tho venerable Peter Cooper was around town several days, the past weck, and uttractod much attention in the street and on the floor of the House, by his patriarcnáí appeararice. Neither of the Nevada Senators - Jones and Sharon - have as yet put in an appearance at the capital. Secretary of tlie Navy Thompsoji En an attack of vértigo a few days ago, v.liich, for á time, greatly alarmed his family and friends. He is now well agarn. Senator Sargent, of California, and Bepresentative Dtnoell, of Minnesota, have been seriously ill, but are noweonvalescent. .Tim And(ison, the champion witness, turns np in Navada, whence he notifies Senator Allison by telegraph that he is ready to testify in the Stanley Matthews business - provided, of coursu, the committce will grant hini mileagB und witness fees. Senator Allison says he clon't think his testimony worth the price demanded, and Jim will probably winter in the Sierras uniese he makes a raise among the tniners; and, as they are not so soft as the average Congressman, this is hardly probable.

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus