Congress

May i4.- In the Senate Mr. Vest (Dem., Mo.) gave notice of his ntion to introduce a bilí proposing to organize the ludían Territory into a State, and providing for its admission into the Union. His resolution making inquiry as to whether any part of the Indian Territory had been purchased by the United States with a view of locating Indians or freedmen thereon was agreed to. Mr. Lamar called up the bill reported from the committee on judiciary to amend the Revised Statutes o as to provide that if two or more persona conspire either to oommit an offence against the United States or to defraud the revenae, and one or more of such persons once actually commit such crime, all parties to the conspiracy shall, on conyiction, be nned $10,000 and imprisonment not more than two years or both, at discretion of the conrt. The bill was nassed. All parts of the bill were passed upon with the exception of what is known as the judicial portion, which appropriates $2,800,000 for defraying the expenses of the judiciary and fixing the pay of jurors, providing how the}' shall be selected, repealing the test oath, and also of section 2081, Revised Statute, except so much thereof as relates to the pay of supervisors of elections, and all other sections authorizing the appointment of chief supervisors of elections, special deputy marshals of elections, or general deputy marshals having any duties to perform in respect to any election, and prescribing their dnties and powers and allowing them compensation. The House spent the day discussing the sil ver bill, and adjonrned without reaching a vote. May 15. - In the Senate t onsideration was resumed of the legislativo, xecntive and judicial appropriation bill. Mr. Beek, (Dem., Ky.) explained the provisioES of the bill, as it had been amended, stating that the increase by the Senate was $94,500, making the entire sum $18,ñ41,000. Among the amendments were $18,000 for mints and $27,000 for the Interior Department, additional to the appropriations in the bill for these purposes. In the House consideration was resumed of the Warner silyer bill, the pending question being on the motion of Mr. Killinger (Rep., Pa.) to lay the bill and amendments on the table, on which the yeas and nays had been ordcred. The question waB taken and it was decided in the negative, veas, 109, nays 126. The question then recurred on seconding the previous qiiostion, and it was seoonded, yeas, 119, Nays 107. The rcsult of the last two votes was greeted with applause on the Democratie side. Finally it was agreed that the previons question should only apply to the first section of the bill, which provides that gold coins shall be a one dollar piece (the unit) of 25.08 grains, a quarter eagle (or $2.50), a $3 piece, ;in eagle and a doublé eagle. The section was agreed to, 105 to 94. The question then recurred on the section which provides that silver coins shall be one dollar (the unit), a half dollar, a quarter dollar and a dime; that the weight of the dollar nhallbe41i grains troy, the weight of the half dollar 12% grammes, and the weight of the quarter and dime one-half and one-tifth respectively of that of the half-dollar; also that the silver dollars in the Treasury, when reiuced in weight by natnral abrasión, more thau 1 per cent., shall be recoined. The second section was then agreed to and the t .ird section was taken np. It provides that any owner of silver bulhon may deposit the same at any mint, to be formed into bars or into Standard dollars of 412 grains for his benefit. May 16.- In the Senate Mr. Maxey (Dem., Tex.) introduced a bilí anthorizing the öecretary of War to purchane sights for fort and posts in Texas. The president pro tem laid before the Senate a message from the President of the United States in reply of the resolution of the 7th nst.. requesting information relative to the alleged unlawful occnpation of a portion of the Indian Territory. He transmita a copy of his proclamation, and copies of correspendence and papers on file in the War Department toucbing this subject. Consideration was resumed of the legislative appropriation bilí, bnt no conclusión was reached. In the House a resolution was reported from the committee on rules by Mr. Frye (Rep., Me.) for the appointment of a standing committee to which shall be referred all bilis, resolutions and petitions, ete., affecting the trame in alcjholic liquors. An argument in opposition was made by Fernando Wood on the ground that, under the proposed authority, this committee might arrógate to itself powers wbich did not I elong either to it or to Congress, and might, under the plea of morality, undertake to interfere with the revenue of the Government derived from the tax on spirit. Mr. Oarfield (Rep., O.) advocated the resolution and disposed of the constitutional objection by saying that Congrpss had exclusive jurisdiction over the District of Columbia, where there were 1.000 rum-holes under the shadow of the Capítol, and over territories with an area as large as Europe. Congress had also constitutional control of the question in relation to the dnty on imported liquors and to the internal tax 'on distilled spiritB. A motion to lay the resolution on the table was made by Mr. Blount, and was rejected, yeas 99, nays 128. All of thn amrmative votes canie from the Democratie side, all the líe publicans, all the Greenbackers and many Democrats voting no. The resolution was then agreed to. May 17. - In the Senate consideration was resumed of the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bill. Among the amendments agreed to was one offered by Mr. Voorhees (Dem., Ind.), from the joint committee on library, appropriating $5,000 for the purchase of works of art. The amendment recommended by the committee on nnance, appropriating $20,000 for diplomatic and consular service, to be expended at the diseretion of the President of the United States, was agreed to. In tbe House the silver bill was discussed by Messrs. Garüeld, Ewing, Newberry and others, but was not disposed of. May 19.- In the Senate, consideration was resumed of tbe legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation bill, and speeches thereon were made by Senators Blaine and Vanee. A commnnication was received from the Secretaiy of the Trpasury in responce to the resolution of the lCth inst., by which he was directed to report what amount of United States legal tender notes have been redeemed in coin smee the first day of January last, and also wbat amount of coin he considera himself authorized to retain in the Treasury for the purpose of maintaining the resumption of specie paymenta nnder the provisión of the act of Jaauary i, 1875. Secretary Sherman writea : There has been redeemed in coin since Januars 1, 1879. of legal tender notes thn amouut of $4,133,513. As to the amouut of coin ized to be retained in the Treasury for the pnrpoae of maintaing the resnmption o f specie payments, I have to state that nnder the provisions of the resumption act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury, in order ti prepare and próvido for the redemption of United States note, to use any surplus revenue in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and to issue certain honda of the United States, the coin revenue of the Treasury has úeen increased to $188,000,000, that being about forty per cent. of the notes ontstanding to be redecmed, and believed to be the smallest reserve upon which resumption could be prudently commenced and successfully maintained. as f ully set forth in my last annnal report. This reserve aróse from the sale of $95,500.000 in bonds and from surplus revenues. as authorized by law, and it must, under existing law, he inaintained unimpared for the pnrpose for which it was created. May 20.- In the Senate, Mr. McDonald (Dem., lnd.) asked leave to introduce a bilí to authorize the President of the United States to employ the militia and land and naval forces of the United States to enforce the laws whenever their execution is obstruct ed by combinations too powerful to be Bippressed by judicial authorities, etc, and preventing the military from being used as a pos8e comitatus except in cases as authorized by the Constitution and laws. The consideration fo the Legislative, judicial and executive Appropriation biil was then resumed. The debate continued in a colloquial form bet ween Messrs. Whyte, Hoar (Rep., Mass.) Dawes (Kep., MaRS.) Windom (Rep., Minn.), Conkling (Rep., N. Y.), and Kdmundn (Rep., Vt.). Mr. Edmund's motion to strike out the clause repealing the statute relativa to the oath was lost; vean 26, nays 37. The bill was then read a third time and passed, 37 yeas, 27 nays, a strict party vote. Messrs. Hill (Ga.), Farley, Butler and Vest, who would have voted aye, were pa:red respectively with Dawes, Jones (Nev.), Hamlin, Plumb and Carpenter, who would have voted no. In the House consideration was resumed of the Warner silver bill, the question being on the third section, allowing a deposit of bullion at any mint and its being coined for the benefit of the owner. Mr Conger moved to lay the section on the table; defeated, yeas 112, nays 116. The effect of the adoption of. the motion would have been to kill the bill. Mr. Marsh, (Rep., 111.; subiaitted an amendment that the charges shall be the difference between the market value of bullion and the legal tender value of coin. Agreed to, yeas 117, naya 105.