The Week In Congress

Washington City, March 8.- The senate Wednesday struck out of the urgent deficiency bill the house provision requiring the public printer to rigidly enforce the eight-hour law the vote being 32 to 20. An amendment to appropriate $60,000 for the pay of public building employees all over the country, many of whom have been discharged for lack of money to pay them, was rejected. The bill then went over, and it was agreed that a final vote be taken on the dependent pensions bill Thursday. The senate then held an executive session and adjourned when the doors reopened. 

A resolution was adopted by the house requesting the president to transmit the documents and correspondence relating to the Anglo-Venezuelan imbroglio. A bill providing for the payment of the Union Pacific railway debt was reported favorably. It is the Outhwaite bill changed in a few particulars, and gives the railway fifty years to settle. Bills were reported providing pensions for ex-prisoners of war and creating a department of agriculture and labor. A bill was passed for a puc building at Sedalia, Mo., appropriating $50,000. In committee of the whole the house then agreed to the bill ratifying the agreement with the Gros Ventre and other Indians in Montana, by which they give up their reservations and taken lands in severalty and a money payment of $465,000 per year for ten years. The bill to divide the great Sioux reservation was also agreed to, with an amendment forfeiting all lands given the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and Dakota Central railways if the roads are not built through the reservation in three years. The Indians take lands in severalty and  get besides $1,000,000 as a permanent fund, the interest to be used in educating them. The two bills were passed in the house after the committee rose, and the house adjourned. 

Washington City, March 9 - From thirty-three states and territories, and asserted to be signed by 102,000 people, a petition was presented in the senate Thursday protesting against the admission of Utah as a state so long as it is under the control of the latter day saints. A bill was reported providing for the celebration of the constitutional centennial by the republics of the American continents. Stewart spoke in review of the financial legislation of the time that the silver dollar was dropped from the coinage. The dependent pensions bill was taken up, Wilson's amendment adding "the infirmities of age" rejected, and the bill reported to the senate. Call's amendment making the bill applicable to Mexican and Indian war veterans was also rejected, as was the motion to strike out the word "totally" before "incapacitated." The bill was then passed - yeas, 44: nays, 16. Blair introduced his service pension bill. The bill applying the eight hour law to letter-carriers was favorably reported and the senate adjourned until Monday. 

The house passed the bill appropriating $10,000 for the purchase of Gen. Shield's swords. The bill to enable communities to elect postmasters was reported adversely. Rayner reported the postal telegraph bill. In committee of the whole the house considered without action the bill to give California 5 per cent of the sales of public lands in her borders. A bill to allot lands in severalty to certain Indians in Minnesota, and to open their reservations to settlement was passed, and the house adjourned. 

Washington City, March 10. - The question of paying the Episcopal Theological seminary of Virginia, $20,000 for the occupancy by the government during the rebellion of its building was debated in the house Friday upon resumption of the omnibus war claim bill, coming over from last week. The Republicans generally opposed, on the ground that with such a precedent it would be in order to file claims for the rent of fields occupied during a battle, and tho Democrats insisted that the college was in loyal territory and the claim should be paid. The claim was finally agreed to- 130 to 90, and the bill passed- 105 to 100. Private bills were then considered until recess, and at 7:30 the house in evening session considered pension bills. Thirty-four were passed, including one increasing the pension of Gen. Robert Anderson"s widow to $100 per month. Gen. Anderson was in command of Ft. Sumter in 1861. The Mrs. Logan and Mrs. Blair pensions were made the special order for March 23. 

Washington City, March 12.- The house Saturday received the dependent pension bill from the senate and appropriately referred it. A motion to reconsider the vote by which March 23 was set apart for consideration of the Mrs. Logan and Mrs. Blair pension bills was entered by Tarsney. The Indian affairs committee then took the floor and a bill to restore part of the Uintah reservation in Utah to the public domain was passed. Also a bill prescribing a penalty for unlawful cutting of timber on Indian reservations. The bill alloting land in severalty to the United Peoria and Miami Indians in Indian territory was debated without action until adjournment. 

Washington City, March 13.- Dolph reintroduced in the senate Monday his bill appropriating $122,000,000 for coast defenses. Colquitt spoke in support of the president's message, and Dolph urged a reduction of internal revenue taxes, while Teller gave notice that he would continue the subject Thursday, and Brown also announced that on Wednesday he would talk tariff. The senate then held an executive session, and when the doors reopened adjourned. 

The house passed a bill appropriating $120,000 for enlargement of the Atlanta. Ga., public building. A resolution was offered restricting the rights of aliens in regard to ownership of lands in this country. Bayne offered a resolution requiring the committee on rules to inquire into the refusal of the ways and means committee to hear interested parties on the subject of the proposed tariff bill. He claimed the resolution as a privileged question, but the speaker pro tem. decided that it was not, and an appeal sustained the chair. The resolution was referred to the committee on rules. Randall introduced his tariff and internal revenue bill, and after the consideration of District business for a time the house adjourned.

Washington City, March 14.- The senate Tuesday adopted a resolution providing for a special investigation into the condition of the civil service. Beek then took the floor to advocate his bill for the retirement of legal tenders and national bank-notes of small denominations and their replacement by "coin" certificates, instead of gold certificates. He again charged that the silver dollar was dropped from the coinage surreptitiously, which Sherman again denied, and said he could show by original senate records that Beek was wrong. At the conclusion of the debate the senate adjourned. 

The bill providing that the Fifty-first congress shall begin on March 4, 1889, was reported adversely to the house. Bills were reported: For the erection of an army gun factory: to provide for public defenses ; for the admission as states of Dakota, Montana, Washington and New Mexico: for public buildings at Galesburg, Ills., and Davenport. Ia. ; appropriating $250,000 for a plain but fire-proof building at Chicago to be used as an appraiser's warehouse. The resolution to inquire whether any unofficial matter had been incorporated in the rebellion record was adopted, the bill allotting lands in severalty to the United Peoria and Miami Indians passed, and the house adjourned.