Fiftieth Congress

REXATB. Washington. Feb. 2.- In tho Senate yestcrday a nieiuorial was presented usking tliat a reciprocity treaty he eutered into with Mexico in onier to prevent smuggltag. Bills were reported ïrom coinmittees ior an inspection of meats tor exportation; prohlbltlng the lmportation of adulteraced nrtioles of food or drink, and increusing the pensions or' soldiers and siilors who have lost boih banda A bilí vrasintroduoed providing for the payment of a service penBion of one cent for each day's service to all Union soldiers and sailors of the rebellion. Washington, Feb. 3.- The bill to increase the pension of the totaily helpless to $72 per month was passed in the Senate yesterday. Mr. Plumb spoke in favor of' nis resolution regarding inefficiënt mail service in the South and West. Mr. Kenna (W. Va.) epoke in favor of the President's message and in reply to Mr. Sherinun's (0.) recent speech, and was answered by the Senator. Adjourned to the 6th. Washington, Feb. 7. -In the Senate yesterday the bill to amend the postul iaws so that newspapers now sent free of postage to persons residing within the county oí publication may be sent to pereons living iu other counties when they receive ihem at poRt-offlces within the county of publioation was passed. Senator Platt (Conn ) in a lengthy speech on the President's messag characterúed it as a free-trade document and challenged any one oí the thirty-eight Democratie Senators to rise in his place and say that the President of the United States was in his judgment a protectionist The Senator declared that either the President m his message inlended Jree trade or else he was not dealing fairly with the American people. The metbod of reduction proposei by the President meant the absolute and ünal destruction of the protective Bysteui. It meant practical and absolute free trade, so that the spirit and resultof the message led to the same conclusión. The Senate adjourned beiore the speech was finished. Washington. Feb. 8. - In the Senate yesfcerday bilis were intro Juced providing that a!l soldiers who serveJ at least nlnety clays in the late war, and were honorably mustered out or discharged, sliail reoeive the same bounty as if they had served their f nll terms of enlistment; grantnga bounty of $100 tor each year's enlistment to seamen who enlisted in the navy between Maren 1, 1861, and Maren 5, 1 863, and to amend the miuing Iaws of the Unite.l Siates so that no person shall acquire more than one mining claim on the same vein. Senator Platt concluded his speech on the President's message; He said that document meant absolute free trade and the destruction of the protective system of the country. As to the Bnrplus in the Treasury he denied that there was any necessity for such an accumultion, and said the great talk about the surplus could be for no other purpose than to break down ths protective system. The Democratie party stood pledged to reduce the surplus. TheSenate had waited now nearly three yeirs for a bill to reduce t íxatiou to come trom the House. This was a Democratie Administration; and if money had been allowed to aoeumulate in the Treasury and no eiïort made for its reduction the fault was that of the party in power. Mr. Platt said the surplus might be used in 'payina; off ernment bonds in advance of their maturity. He said the President had cast a doubt upon the existence of any authorlty for the Treasury to buy np bond because the authority was eontainsd in an appropriation bill, but the President seemed to forget that hie own authority Lor drawing a 6alary of $50,000 a year instead of $?5.000 was also in an appropriation bill- the Legislative bill of 1875. lt seemed to make a difference " whose ox was gored;" whe her the President wanted to do a thing or wanted not to lo it The benefit of protection, said Senator Platt in conclusión, are as extensiye as the eountry'B boundaries, and wouldso continue unless destroyed by the Democratie party. THE HOUSE. Washington, Feb. 2- After a long debate yesterday the House adopted a resolution for the appointment of a special conimittee of Bve to investígate the Keading strike in all its phases, and also the differenceg exisöng between the minere and operators in the Lehigh and Schuylkill regions. The Urgncy-Deticiency bill was reported. Washington, Feo. 'X- In the House yeBtrday a bill to prevent the transmission through the mails hb second-clas matter of cheap literatura, and requiring it to be transmitted as third-class matter, was passed. A bilí was introduced for the orRanization of the Terrltory of Alaska, Mr. Crain, of Texas, from the Committee on I'residential Elections, reported a joint reeolution propoeing a constitutional amendment proviaing that Congress shall hold its annnal meetings on the flrst Monday in January. Washington, Feb. 4.- In the House yesterday a bilí was reported which prescribes the death penalty for willf ully casting away a snip with intent to defrand the underwriters. The Committee on War ClaimB has agreed to report favorably the bill to reimburse the several States for interest on money expended by them on account of ratolng troops employed in aiding the United States in sappressing the late rebellion. Washington, Feb. &- The White contested election case was the subject of earnest debate in the House Saturday, but a vote was not reached. Mr. Moore (Tex), a, member of the majority of the Committee on Elections, contended that the contestee (Mr. White) had failed utterly to make proof of his naturalization. Mr. Rowell (HL) presented the case of the contestee, and argued that he had conipletely proved his citizenship. liourke Cockran (Dem. ), of New York, spoke for Mr. White. He Bald: " The questlon is whether Mr. White is eligible to a seat to which he has undoubtedly been elected. Mr. White stood betore the House upon his oath declaring that in 1865 he went beiore the court in Allen County, Indiana, compamed by witnesses, and complied with all the provisions of law, and that a certiflcate of naturalizaron was issued to him. Holding the views he (Cookran) did, there was nothing left for him to decide but the question whether he would believe the sworn statement of a member of the House, corroborated by a character against which not one word had been uttered, in this debate. He believed either that Mr. White was naturalized in Indiana or that he had committed perjury. This man," said Mr. Cockran, " came before the House with thirty years of honorable Ufe to give weight to tais statement ; he came here with a history which is part of the history of his country. He had held important offices; he had discharged the duties of citizenship; he had shed his blood for his country, and he (Cockran) would not cast a vote which would raake the wcunds he rcceived in honorable service bleed afresh by reason of ta ingralitude of his associmes. It would rullier I be hi- pride, as he hoped it would be iii his power, to cast a vote to show that he wbo risked his life in defense of this litnd merited a reward whieh served him like an armor, invincible to the shafts of tbc cnemj when in the course of h s career he had to derfend his character aguinst ussault." In conclusión Mr. Cock ran said : " Believing as I do, while that flag which Captain White and his associates have kept Hoating alott in pride over every part of this country fioats over my bead; whüe I ff el deeply gratefv.1 to the héroes who preserved in i cernented with their blood this Union un3er which we live. I shall not cast a vote which rould be treason to my constituency and which would pronounce u soldier of the Union guilty of perjury and unworthy of the associatioa of nonorable men.1' Washington,; Feb. 7.- In the House yesterday Speakm Curlisle resutned his dutíes. The Lovrcy-White contest was decided in favor oí White, the sitting member, by a vote of 1S7 to 105, forty-seven Democrats voting whh the Kepubíicans. Bills were ntroduced to refund United States 4 per cent bonds i uto 2 12 per cent bonds; to divide the surplus money in the Treasury on the lst oí J;nuary, 1888, among the several States and Territories, to be used in akl of tiie common schools; to extend the conunerce of the United States, andto provide a f uil reciprocity between the United Stiltes and the Dominion of Canada; to protect tne consumere of butter, by requiring Wholesale dealers to pay an annual tax of $500 and retal dealers to pay au annual tax of one dollar. Also to repeal the oleoruargarine tax Washington, Feb. 8.- In the House yesterday the D plomatic and Consular bilí, appropriating $1,403,867, was reported; aleo a bilí to provide tor a Fourth Assistant Postmaster General. Bills were introduced to limit the honrs of labor of lettercarriers; to settle and adjust the claims of any State for expenses incurred by it in defense of the United States; to dispense with proof of loyalty for bounty for wars prior to 1861. Bills were passed providing for the punishment of bank examiners for making f Ise reporte or suppressing facts in their r.'ports; to amend the law prescri bing the death X)enalty for willfully casting away vessels so as to allow punishment by fine or imprisouinent )f there is no loss of life. OTHEll NOTBS. Washington, Feb. '2. - The ma jority in the Waya md Means Committee have substantially agretd utoii the Tariff Kcduction bilL Id provides lor a total cut of more than $80,000,000, possibly $85,000,000. The followingis an outline of the bil!: Free list- Wool, salt, lumber, 150 cbemicals, and numerous raw materials of) no great ïmportauce. Metal schedule- Steel rails to 91 1 or f 13 per ton; pig-iron to & per ton; tln-plate I about 30 per cent. Reductions are also provided for in about all the articles entering into agricultural implements and tools. Sugar, aü per cent. ; tobáceo, fit per ceDt. ; fruit, brandjes free: glass, amount not vet decided on. Washington. Feb. 3. - The reunión and banquet of the snrvayors of the Thirtyfourth Congress took place yesterday. The reception of the veteran legislators was largely attended, and before they separated they gave a sitting to Brady, the photog I rapher, who succeeded in getting a group of excellent likenesses, which will be added to his historical collection. Washington, Feb. 4 -The President signed a number of bilis Thursday imoruing, among them the urgent üeüciency and the act making an appropriation for the establishment of experimental agricuitural stations in connection with colleges throughout the Union. Washington, Feb. 6.- The Post-office Department is to arm all of the postal employés in charge of mail matter on exposed Western routes, the object being to put a stop to mail robberies. Washington, Feb. 8.- The House Committee on Territories yesterday reported a bilí forming ihe Territory ot üklahoma out of the public-lund strip and all that part of the Indian Territory not actually occupied by the five eivilized tribes.