Congressional Proceedings

TUESDAY, Jan. 14.- Senatk.- Mr. Butler submittcd a resolution directing tho Secretary of the Interior to inquire and report what railroad company. individual or individuáis are building a railroad across the public domain in Arizona, aiid by what authority the road is being oonstructed Agreed to. . . .Mr. Davis (W. Ya.) callod up tho resolulion süWitted by hira early in the sesaion to praniote tiie agricultural interests of the country, and made a long speech upon the subject Mr. Matthews made a leuKíhy speech in opposition to the bilí to amend the Patent laws. House.- The House spent the entire day, in committee oL the whole. in coneidering the bilí for the payment of pensions to survivors of the Mexican war. Wednesday, Jan. 15.- Senate.- The Hcraeo biil for the payinent to ofticers and soldiere of the Mexftttn war of three months' extra pay, provided for by the act of July 19. 1848, led to a Ion" dis cunsion. Mr. Edmnnds submitted an amendment to make the act apply to those who served in the late war for the preservation of the Union Tho bill was laid aaide without action Mr. Voorhees submitted a resolution iustructing the Comiuittee on Indian Aifairs to inquire into the etreumstances which led to the recent escape of Cheyennc Indians froiu Fort Eobinson, Neb. and their slanghter by United States forces. Agreed to A comruunication was laid before thé Senate in executive session (rom Sccretary Sherman on the subject of the New York Custom House appoiutments, designed to show that the removal of Collector Arthur aml Naval OHici-rCurm 11 was made for Kufticieut (iui-. At the conclusión of the rcading of Ëecretary Sherman's commuuication, Senator Conklini; made an eameat tpwoh defending Arthur and C:ornell from the charges of inefllciency, and denenncing the cliai-Kes as pwtesaea and afterthoughts put forth by the adniintetroUon in an effort to justifv actdon that was wbidly unwarrautod on civil service grounds. and prompud tnerely by p-rauual or parti san considnratJuiiM. Hocsk.- Mr. Wood, Cliairman of the Ways and Meane CgmniUee, ivported back the bill aurtlior i.ing tóeue o.' cei-tiflcates of deposit in aid of the Necretary of the Treantuy to issue Inexchange lawfiil iiioney United Ktatos oerüfl catas of deposit oL the rienomination oí SKI hearing' interest at the rate „L 8 per .-,-iit.. aud .'uil' vertible at any lime. v. ith aocrued interest, into -4 ].r cent. bondB,autberlred to be issued aud directa tliat tiie ïnoney .-o reoetved slmU ),■ anpUed only to the payuieut of 5-80 bond. ïhe bilí, after a soniewhat piotnoted debute. íií paase.l-yeíiw 151nj-B, v.'.. Mr.Wood algo reported bilí to falitate the refunding of tle uational debt. It authorizea the Becretary oí the Treauury, tn the proceKs of retunding the nstlona] debt, to ex.hanxe dlrectly at par bonda bearing I per at. Interest fo'r bonde commaijy known a the 6-SOg, outstanditiR and nncaUed, an.l directs tliat whenever all Buch '.--ii bonda shall have been redeemed, the ! proviBioii of thls s.-rtion and all éxlsöng provlBlons ■ lw authorlziBg the refunUlns of thenaüqn! debt BbaU apply to any banda of the I at. ,1 stat.-s bearing 5 per oont. or a hiKher ruU oi mm,, whicn may be redeemable, aud that, in auy surh ' chnge, interest fliail be allowed on bouJ reo..,i,e,i (or a perioit oí time oaonthn... The main qneaüoii belng ordsred, tlie House adjourned I'hursdat, Jan. li). ate. -Mr. Dorsey submitted a reaólution calllng upou the Secretary oL the Treasury íor a statement of all theappropriatious and pxpenditures from t'ie natioua) treasury for the purpose of ! toe the eipeniea of the Indian Department ' from July 1. 171, to June 80, ÍS78. Agreed to 'Xho bill proviiiing for the payment of arreara of pensions was passed Mr. Windom oiïered a reaolntion calling for a committee to in quirc into the propriely of enoonnglsg the migrution of Vilacks from those Statis whero they do not receive Bnch treaMnent os mifrht be aooorded American citizens to State whtre thrir rights will be respect d. Hoube.- Tlie House passed, without división, the bill reported from the Ways and Meaus Committee to faoilitirte the refundinpr of the national debt. . '' I he Mississippi Levee bill was taken up and the remainder of the day devoted to ita discussion In the evening memorial services in honor of the late ProL. Jomph Hcnry were held in the presence of a va.st audience. Friday, Jau. 17.- SfNAir:.- A resolntíon was ofTerod by Mr. BanUbnry rallingupon the Seoretary ïnoniry for iiiformntioii in ropird to the I refundinft "f HM mitimial debt. Jt was luid ovor. The balance of the day wan spcnt in oonsidering tho bilí to ími'im tbc Patent law Messrs. McDonald and Iianuilph were appointed (o serve au members of the THlrr Oommittoee, in place of pfoe&rB. Wallaea and Jiayard. who were exeused at their öWfl nqueat.... Adjourned till Monday. Horsn.- The House devotad, the day, in coramittee of the whole, to the private calendar.... Aftra laying aside several bilis to report tv the House, the biil wan reaehed for the paylmnt of $OÜ.IHRJ to the Trustees of the Protestant' Eplscopal Semiuary and High School in Virginia for tent Of buildings during the war. Quite a leügthy dlscusPion followed.the opponents of the bill amertingitwas a warelaim.and the frieudsof themeasure stating it was a just bill for rent of property. and the Government was as much bound to pay rent for tbia building as for any other bailding oceupied by it. Without reaching a vote the committee rose, and the House adjourued. Satuhday, Jan. 18.- Senate.- Not innession. HovfiK. - The House took up and passed the (leneva Award bill. It revives and continues theCourt of Commissioners of Alabama Claims: ilxes the numberof Judges at three; reqJires the court to convene and organize as soon as practicable in Washington, and limite its existcnco to eightccn months. It provides thatno claim byor jnbehalf of any insurance company hall bc admitted or allowed by the Court of Claims unlens such claimant sliall show that the Kum of its Ioskch in res])ect to war riskH exceeded the premium orgains, and theu the allowance shall uot he greater tlian aücb exces. No claim is to be admissible in favor of any insurance company (nat was uot lawfully existinp at the time of the loss under the law of the ünitod States. Monday, Jan. 20. - Senate.- Mr. Cockrollintroduced a bilí to províde a uniform national currency. . . .Mr. Morgan submitted a substituto agreed npon in the IXmocratic caucus for Mr. Edmunds' reaoluüon conccrning suiTrage and the later conwti tutional amemlments. I.aid on the table. The followingaretbircKcluMons: "J. Itis thojudgmentof the Senate that the Thirteenth. ï'onrteenth and Fifteenth amendments to tho constitiition of the United States are as valid and binding as any other parts of tho constitiition; that the peóple of tin; United States have a common inte-rest in the enforcement of the whoie constitution in every Htate and Territory in the United States, so far aa power has been delegated to them, to enforce naid amendnieuts, and to protect every citizen in the exerciwe of all rights thereby sccured. 2. That the Government of the Uaited States and the Governmeuie of the aareral States are distlnct, and each has citizens of its own who owe it allegiance, and whose rlfrhte witliin its jurisdictioli it must protect; that the Oovernment of the United States i one of delegated powers alone: its authority is deflncil and limiti d byfthe couMtitution: all powers not granted it by that instrument, not prnhibitcd to it by the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people. and that no right can bo acquired under the constitution. or secured througli the laws of the United States, exeept .such as the Government of the United States has authority to grant or secure. 3. That the constitution of the United States has not conferred the right of suft'rage upon any one, and the United States havo no votew of their owu er ation in the States, but the Fifteenth amendment of the constitution hos invested citizeus of the United States with a new constitutional right, which is an exemption from disoimination in the exercise of the elective franchise on account of race, color, orprevious conditionof servitnde, and it is within the jurisdiction of the United States, which Congress may exert by appropriatc legislation, to prevent the dEnial or abiidgement by a State of the right of a citizen to vote, wlien such denial or abiidgement is on account oí race, color, or previous condition of servitude of the voter. 4. That, when such right to vote is donied or abrldged by the conduet of a peraon who is not soting by authority andobedience to the lawa of the State, tliejurisdiction to punish such eonduct is in the State Government, and is not in the Governiuent of the United States." House.- The day was a dull one in the House, the time being consumed in the introduction of bilis, and those offered were of little importauce.