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Show H ASlfll.NGTO.V Wal,ii:gtor., 11. Tne hr.a-e com-' mitit-e on war claims, to-day, at; reed to report the bill appropriating about j i'5uu,(A.'U to pay the claims approved i by the accounting otlicers of the trnsiiry under the art of July 4ih, Ittil. Toe prospects for an eitra session of congress, though heretofore considered con-sidered Blight, bavH to-day taken a Very delimit) nliapt, and from the prtsfcut oullcok the ili-mocralio caucus iletermiuatioH to demand repeal ot the leJeral et-tion Uw seems to b a ci-rt mi nrecureor ot a deadlock between tne tioue an i j tho senate, or at least of such prolonged debate as will cause la failure of one or more, if necessary of the annual appropriation billa for I want of time during the present session, ses-sion, if fvir no Diner reason. Tne republicans are uot inclined to make a united eland aainal Lite repeal of the test oath iaws, hut, i s waa stated by Hale in the house, ulso by a number num-ber of the republican senators in caucus cau-cus to day; the proposed repeal ot the taction law, wnich tm-y declare was euaoted by a republican congress for the prolectiOT ot voters in every state, will be resisted to the lattt extremity, and liking this position, together with t:ie ground that no such sweep ing legislation bhould ha grafted upon any appropriation bill, the intend to : throw t.'.e responsibility for an extra Bo-sion wholly upon lha democrat!. 1 In the house, to-day. while the ex ecutive, judicial and legislative appro priation bill wan uuder discussion, the fjliowiug cullcquy occurred. Page opposed the transfer provision of Ihe bill, which h stated w:.s being urgv-d by a strong !oh' y. About iiuO sections of the Revised Statutes relating to public lands, would be repealed by that provision. pro-vision. Wiggintun favored the transfer trans-fer and various provisions ot the hill pertaining thereto. Toe ro was no necessity for retaining; an office of surveyors general in the several slates and hu was glad they wero abolished by the bill, but the bill should have gone further and abolished the lical I And office. Patterson inquired if the buoincas ol the people would he facilitated facili-tated by removing sixteen locel officers and concentrating their duties in one head. Wigginton replied that it would. Tho local surveyors general were a hinderauce rather than a help to the people. MaginnU of Montanathought that the gentleman from California (Wigginton) was the only representative representa-tive of the tar west who waa in favor of a change. The legislatures ol the western section, ou the contrary, had memorialized congress in favor of a continuance ol the present system. The bill would virtually repeal the homestead and preemption laws. The national conference of colored citizens will be held at Nashville, May Gib. The object ol the conference is to consider the situation of the colored j people in the Eouth relative to the' enjoyment of life, liberty and property; prop-erty; also their educational, moral, Bocial and political condition and the question of emigration. The debate in the house, today, concerning the sections ol the appropriation appro-priation bill which provide for the consolidation of all public land surveys and the abolition of the surveyor general's office, waa spirited , and it now aeems doubtful whether tho appropriation committee will be sustained in their recommendations, j Page made a fifteen minutea'j speech earnestly opposing them on1 the ground th:it their enactment would cause extreme contusion, ! delay, expense, incouvenieuce and , other hardships to settlers on all public pub-lic lands in the states, and especially , in California, owing to its gieat dis- , tance from Washington, to which point all records and all official responsibility re-sponsibility would be removed, He i argued that the enactment of the sec tions proposed by the committee would repeal the present system with' out making any adequate provision in ite-slead for readily obtaining tho title to mining claims, for taking testimony respecting the character ot lands claimed as mineral or swamp, or, in short, for the prompt adjudica tion of controversies of any description. descrip-tion. Wellington, in some brio! remarks, re-marks, took a precisely opposite view of all the quettions involved and broadly asserlfd lhat not only thesur veyor general, but all local land othces should ba abolished as harmful rather then helpful to honrst settlers. Thus far Wiggingion is the only representative of a public land state who has spoken in favor of the committee's com-mittee's project. Aa Boon as he cm obtain the floor to-morrow, alter the expiration of the morning hour, Sargent will move that the bouse bill f,r the restriction ol Chinese immigration be takfn up for debate aud action by the senate. 'Ihe bill to provide accommr d Uion for the national library comes up aa uulln iahed busine-s immediately after the morning hour, but it is not likely to consume much more time, and although al-though Dorsey, in charge ol tbe post-office post-office appropriation bill, uow intends to ask for the consideration of that measure to moirow, Blaine and several other friends ot the Brazilian mail service propost tion ojntained in that measure, on which an extended debate is expected ex-pected to occur, wil assist in arranging arrang-ing that it be kepi back until a fair chance is given to the Pacifij coast senators to ob ain action ou the Chinese bill. The bill reported by Renaier Patter-sou, Patter-sou, from tho committee on territories, terri-tories, to establish United Butes courts in tbe Indian territory and for other purpnaeo, provides for regulating regulat-ing the administration of justice in the territoiy, and for making citizens of the white, colored and Indian residents. resi-dents. The unanimous report of the committee, accompanying the bill, includes an elaborate review of the condition of the territory. The river and harbor appropi iation bill reported to the house to-day contains con-tains the following appropriations for the Pacific const: Oakland, $00,000; Wilmington, $1 ;,000; Willemette nd Columbia river, 45.000; Oiso bay, Oregon, $i0,000; Upper Columbia river, S10.01H); canal at, the cascades of the Columbia river, $50,000. |
