Congressional Proceedings

Tuesday, Jan. 28.- Senate.- Tho teatimony of James E. Anderson, taken before the com mittee of the Houae, and affeeting Senator Matthows. was received from the House, and re&rred to a select committee appointed at the last aession, of which Mr. All son ia the Chairman Mr. Edmunds introdueed a bilí authorizing the Preeident to prescribe imitable pólice regulutions for the government of varions Indian reservations. .. .The Warren Mittiiell cotton claim was debated. put to a vote, and defeated- 17 yeafi to ÜU uayu. Houhk. - The Legislative Appropriation bilí waH reported and referred to the committee of the whole..,. 1 he bilí to res trie t the immigration of the Chinese was then talten up and passed by a vote of 1Í.5 yeas to 72 nays. It próvidos that no master of a yessel owned by any citizen uf the United States bhall take on board at any forcign port any i number of Chinese exceeding fifteen. with intent to bring them to the United States, nmlf i ■niiHy of $11(1 for e:u'b passenger in exceas of flfteen, sucn penalty to beconie a lien on the vessel. Wednesdat, Jan. 29.- Senate.- Mr. Hamlin called np the Senate bill for promoting the efficiency of Chaplains of the l'nited States navy, and it was passed without diseussion. The bil] ] vides that no persou nnder 25 years nor over .Ï5 be appointed Chuplain, and fixes the relativo rank, and the whole nuraber not to exceed twenty The pension cases on the calendar being disposed i of, the Senate went into executive seesion. on motion of Mr. Conkling, and the uomination of Senator Christiancy to be Minister to Peru was unanimously confirmed, and without the usual reference. -Af ter a short strnggle, the Republicana, who desired the moraing hour, were YOted down, j and, by a vote of yeas 118, aays 115, the House went into committee of the whole on the Postofflce Appropriation bill. Thursdat. Jan. 30.- Senatbl- The resolutions of Mr. Edmunds, declaring the validity of the Thirteenth. Fonrteenth and Fifteenih amendments to the constitution, were taken up, uid'Mr. Morgan j advocates! his substitute of Jan, 20. HorsE. - The Postoffice Appropriation bill was pasned after many of the amouuts were increased . . . .The etruggle for the morning hour then began, and Mr. Ilewitt. by fllibustering, prevented a renewul of tlie war-claims debate. Friday, Jan. 31. - Senate. - Mr. Sanndere, ! from the joint committee to inquire into the ! diency of transferring the Indian Bureau from the j Interior Department to tbe War Department, j ported that the committee had been i unable to agree, and submitted a j port. Mgned by four inembern of the committee, in favor of the proposed transfer.... In execuüve sesión, after re.ulmg the Pteeident'a message and Seeretary Sherman's letter regarding tlie Xew York ÜQBtom House nominations, Senator Conkliníí made a speech, closingwith an oxprossion of opinicn that the Senate should procee to con sider and act uponthe pending nomlnatiotta without fmther postponoment. A motion by Mr. ?.I;itthevs to postpone further consideration of the nominations till Moxulay, Feb. 8, was adopted by yöftfl 35. nays 2(i, theDemocrats all voting in the alhrmative. Housiü. - The House spcut the clay ín imcwngling over another Southern claim - a bilí to pay for rent j fnr a collpge building in Virginia used by troops during the war. It was defeated by a vote ef 89 yeas to 121 nays. Satukday, Feb. 1.- Senate.- Mr. McCrcery, from the joiut committee aiipointed to inquire into tbe expeilieney of traunferring the Indian Bureau from the Interior Department to the Wir Department, submitted a report, Blgned by four members of the committee. in favor of the transfer Mr. lloar, from the Committee on Privileges :uul Eïections, preeented a minority rpport in favor of a Bixteenth ameudnient to the constitution prohiblüng a State disfrancliiNing persona on account o[ sex. Tlie report was signed by Me-.Hi'n. Hoar, Cunif-ron (Wis.ï. and Mitclicll. . . . Coosideratlon was resumea of rsotntlone of Mr. iliiiund-'. (Ifrlariii validity of tb 'l'liirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteentn ainepomenta tö the constitution. tnd Mr. Morgan ciVntlnued hia ugument in f;ivir pi the aabBÜtute presented by ÍJÍII1. "I'ht v, si'M-iaiiij diecuetion was reeumed iu the House, Mr. ChalmerH.of MissisMpjïi, leading off. He said he did nöt envy the cheap political capifal that a Union soldier, nicaning (ien. Bragg, couJd make. by telling the lw in the 8outh who had profesKod loyalty diiring the war that he had no [ naore eonfidenee ia theit loyalty than a mouae had in a utufted cat Hkin. He charged Bragg with haking the bloody nhirt, and said he was stretch ing hifi legfi in a frantio effort to cli:nb up to the Iie])ublican platform and ror it of it last banner. ! Mr. Mills, of Texas, followed Chnlmers, and spoke in tlie Bfliae nirain. IJe rea.sserted that no true Southerncr asted to have the war claims alowed, and favored a conslitutional amendment whic'i would forever exclude all claims growing out of tüe war. Mr. Hooker. of Mfeaisnippi, made a very eloquent sjjeerh. in which he charged Braeg with taking up a role which had been abandoneu by liberaï-hearied men on the lie publican Mdeof the House. It was not liis purpone ■ to créate sectional strife, but to avoid it. He denied the right of any mau tospeak for the Soutlutn Democracy and charge them with preñen ting tnuululcnt claims against the Government. Mr. Singleton, of Mississippi. closed the discussion. ; He said that Gen. liragg had been so long abusiug the Demoeraey when running on the Repúblicas ticket for Congrcss and otner offices that, like the old harper whose. narp refused to sing I of aught but love. liis mouth refused to give out ■nytbing but abuse of the Demoeraey. The Democrats of the Houth IVniocrats of principie. If they had only bren inilueiufd by "loaves and ftBhes," they could liave sold out long ago to the Kepnblicans. Monday, Feb H.- Senate.- Mr. McCreory introduced a 1-ill to truuCsx tin (lfii-e of Indian AfTairs froni the Interior to the War Department, j ....Mr. Matthews introducta a joint resolution proTi'ding for a commercial treaty with Mexi;o. .. . Mr. Teller prest uted a petition from Ule OOlored people of Louisiana. claiming that they are imt ■ prometed eith r in life or property. They ïherefore invoke thé proteoUon of thFederal Gdnnaent. n rfèrred to the Teller Committcr Mr. Harria, from the pelect committee on eiiilemic diseases, reported a bMl to prevent the inir-iduction ot ooDtagioDi or infectious ; dfaeaoea into fch United States, attd to establisli a ' Bureau ï Heaüh The Kenate had i lively and interestlng exeutive sessiofL, the New York Custom House nominations formjMku the bone of con teñí inii. Mr. Conkng attacked the administrution, iu a fcwo liours' fipeeob, which prored to be un effort by the side of which all previous speeches of liin lif In the direotioo of h tlern.ss are dfclared bygood (udgei to ink toto lDBlgniflcance, and were marte to appeav ns the vfry essence oL nüldness and suavity. Mr. Edmunds, in a mild speech, opposed tho rcmoval of Cicu. Arlluir. Messrs. Howc, Voorhecs Miil Kernan alao oppósed ihe ïvmoval of Arttaur. Mr. Bayurd afTvocated tho eonftrmatlon of Üje.Presldent's ajipolctees, At the close of the debate tni roll w callea, añil Gun. Merritt was confirmad as Collector oL Custems at New York by38yeaato!M nan, and Silas W. liurt vas coa Ih-HH'd as Naval Offlcer by 31 yeas to 18 nays. House. - Mr. Cutler introducid a liill approptlating Slliü. 000, 0(10 Lor üic payment oL arrcaragca oL pensiona. The strae subject was broiifilit Lefore tlte. House on a motion to suspend the rules, and pass á blll introduced by Mr. Iiurchard. of Illlnoix, authorizinu hB issue oL -(-])er bent. bonds to the amount of $40, 000, UTO to pay the clalmanta imcler the Arreara of Pension act. Deteated- two thirds (oiling to vote in tlie allii-mativo.