National Affairs

Washington, Deo. 8. - In the Senate yesterday a resolution to uscertain whether any patent had been issned for the manufacture of sugar frora eorghum was adopted. No other business was transacted. Washington, Dea 9.- Af ter the reading ot the journal yesterday and the presentaron of a few department communicationB, the Senate, on motlon oï Mr. I'arwell, adjourned till Monday. Washington Dea 12.- The Republican and Democratie Senatorial caucus committees held a conference Raturday and agreed upon the compojition of the varlous standing commilteas of the Benate. The following are the chairnien ot the principal committees: Appropriations, Mr. Allison, Iowa; Finance, Mr. Morrill, Vermont; Foreign Relations, Mr. Sherman, Ohio; Judiciary, Mr. Edmumls, Vermont; Military Affaire, Mr. Hawley, Connecticut; Naval Affairs, Mr. Cameron, Pennsylvania: Indian Alïairs, Mr. D.iwes, Massachuseits-; Post-offloes and Post Rouds, Mr. Sawyer, Wisconein; Patents, Mr. Teller, Colorado; Pensions, Mr. Davis, Minnesota; Kailroads, Mr. Sabin, Minnesota: Oommerce, Mr. Frye, Maine; Agriculture, Mr. Palmer. Michigan; Public Buildings and Grounds, Mr. Stanford, California; Publio Lands, Mr. Plumb, Kansas; Terrttories, Mr. Platt, Connecticut; Privileges and Elections, Mr. Hoar, Massactausetts, Inter-State Cotnmerce, Mr. Cullum, Illinoie; Claims, Mr. Spooner, Wisconsin; Fisheries, Mr. Stockbridge, Michigan; Rules, Mr. Aldrich, Rhode Island; Library, Mr. Evarts, New York; Manufactures, Mr. Stewart, Nevada; Education and Labor, Mr. Blair, New Hampshire; District of Columbia, Mr. Ingalls, Kansas; Census, Mr. Hale, Maine; Civil Service and Retrenchments, Mr. Chace, Rhode Island; Expenses of the Civil Service, Mr. Quiiy, Pennsylvania; Expendituve of Public Monoy, Mr. Farwell, Illinois; Improvement of the Mississippi River, Mr Paddoek, Nebraska; Transportation Routes to the SeaboanJ, Mr. Mitchell, Oregon; Revisión of Laws. Mr. Wilson, Iowa; Centonnial of the Constitution, Mr. Hiscock, New York; Indian Tribes, Mr. Chandler, New Hanipshire. Washington, Dec. 13. - A resolution naming the Senators to constiluto the standing OJmraittees of the Fiftleth Congress was adopted. The total numDer of bilis and joint resolutions introduced was 594, a larger number than were ever bef ore introduced in the Senate in oue day. Among them were thefollowing: To repeal the tax on oleomargarine ; to give pensions to all who served during the nar; to prohib t the manufacture, importation or sale pi intoxicating liquors in the United States; to appropriate $126,377,800 for sea-coast defenses; to establish a Government postal telegraph ; for the admission of Dakota and Washington Territorios as States; for a constitutional amendment in relation to bigamy and polygamy; to reimburse the eeveral States for terestpaid on war taxes; to prohlbit the letting of Government work to contraotors employing convict labor; for a constitution&l am ndment . cxtending the right of suffiage; requiring ten years' residence before forcigners can declare their lntention to become citizens of the United States, except that in the case of those urriving before they reach the age of twenty-one years a residence of six years only shall bc required; appropriating S7,W6,000 to ereet public buildings; to reimburse prisoners of war and nurscs who were ín the military or naval servioe during the war of the rebellion; to restrict toe ownership of real estáte ín the Territories to -American citizens ; to pro vide for the inspecti n of meats for exportation; to prevent the importation of adulterated articles; to promote foreign trade and enconrage the American merchant marine; to repeal the preemption and tlmber culture laws; to authorizothe Secretary of the Treasury to apply the surplus money in the Treasury to the purchase of United Btatea bon 3, or to the prepayment of interest on the public debt; to amend the constitutionallowing Congress to pass uniform laws on the subject of marriage and divorce, and to retire United States legal tender and National bank notes of small denomiaation and issue coin ctírtificates, in lieu of gold and silver certifleates. Tlie President Bent in a long list of recent appointments, includlng those of the following Minieters to foreign governmente: Ossar a Slranse, of New York, to Turkey; Alex. R. Lawton, of Georgia, to AustriaHungary; Biyless W. Hunna, of Indiana, to the Argenüne Repubiic; 8. 8. Carlisle, of Lonisiana, to Bolivia. Consuls General: Jare 1 Ii Rathbone, of California, at Paris; Charlton H. Way, of Georgia, at 8t Petersburg; D. L. Pringle, of South Carolina, at Constantinopla A!so, G. Brown Goode to be Fish Commissioner; Legh W. Reed, Virginia, to be Assistant Reg.stcr of the Treasury. WAsnrNöTON. Dec. 14- In the 8enate yesterday bilis were introducid as follows: , To remove the limitation in the payment of arrears of pensions and to equalize the rates; to extend the Congressfonal term till the last .Tuesday in April; to amend the Inter-State commerce act; to open the great Sioux reservation in Nebraska to eettlement; to tax manufacturera and dealers in adulterated lard and requiring it to be stampe.i; to reg,nlate the holding of Congresslonal election9 in 'South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi and Louislana; to promote the political progress and commercial prosperity of the Amerioan Natun; to authorize the Seoretary of the Treasury to establish three additional life-saving stations on the Oregon ooast; to pro vide that no third-class post-ofBoe shall be rolegated to t ie fourth class whose gross annual receipts aiuount to H,!W or whoso box-rents and commissïons bring the postmaster's sulary up lo $1,000 per annum. The Committee on Privileges and Elections aecided the West Virginia coutestai election case in favor of Mr. Paulkner. THE HOUSE. Washington, Dec. 8. - The House was not in seBaion yesterday Washington, Dcc. 1). - The Ilonse ad journed at 12:20 yesterday until Mondáy after the introdnetiou of a few resolutiona ■relaticg to ameudineut of the rues. Washington, D 'c. 13. - Anuni!er of exeentive Communications, prinoipally rela,tive to private land ciaims in New Mexico, were laid before the House by the Sjieaker yesterday, and appropriately referred. On 'account of the Thoebe con test Speaker Carlisle requested the Honse to relieve him of the responsibility of ajpointing the Committee on Elections, and a resolution waa adopted providing for the eleotion of the iifteen menibersof the oommittoe to-day. Washington, Deo. 14. - A large number of Execuüve communioations were laid yesterday morning before the House by the Speaker and appropriately referred. At 12:10 Ihe House took a recess until 1 o'clock. After the recsss, Speaker Carlisle having called Mr. Mills, of Texas, to the ch;iir, Mr. Caunon, of IllinoiB, oilered a resolution declaring tüat the following-uamed gentlemen shall constitute tbo Committee on Electious: Messrs. Crisp, Chairman; O'Ferrall, Outhwaite, Bnrry, Maish, Heard, Johnson of North Caroliua, O'Neil of In(diana, Moore. Rowell, Houk, (Jooper, Lyiman, Johnson of Indiana, and Lodge. The resolulion was ujianimously adopted. . The Speaker having resumed the chair, . directed all papan in the various contested ■election cises to be refeijred to the committee just electad. and febeo the Housa at '1: 10 acljomne'i uinil Fridaj.