OCR Text |
Show GENERAL. CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS ... . i CONTIHL'ED FROM FIRST PAGE. SEX ATE. Bills were introduced and referred as follows: Kelly, from committee on railroads, reported, with an amendment, the ' senate bill to extend the time for construction and completion of the Northern Pacitio railroad. He asked that the amendments be printed and bill and amendments be recommitted. So ordered. Buutwell presented a petition of citizens of Massac h use Its, asking the passugeof a law making every member mem-ber of congress directly responsible to the eletors ol his district, the majority of whom, if he does not meet their expectalions or justify their confidence, confi-dence, may at any time recall him and appoint a successor. Judiciary. Sherman submitted a concurred resolution proposing a common unil of money for United States and Great Britain. Finance. The resolution requests the president to propose a treaty convention between the two countries to establish tho dollar as the money ol account in both of them. It is to be represented by coin formed r,f Bnfl.iMl (r.ili! 3 111 noro mprnl ftnfi 1.10 copper, or copper and silver alloy. al-loy. Five of these new dollars are lo be the equivalent of 1 sterling. Gold coins of various denominations conforming to this standard, are to be issued aud be legal lenders in each country. Hamlin called up the resolution of Edmunds, reported favorably on by the committee on rules, which provides pro-vides that the joint rules in force at the last session of congress shall be , the joint rules for the government of the two houses during the present; session. The question being on the amendment amend-ment ot Morton to except the twenty-second twenty-second joint rule in relation to counting count-ing the votes lor president and vice president of the United States, the morning hour having expired the cnair announced that the resolution would be laid over. Boutwell said the officers of the treasury department were preparing a statement in answer to the points made by the senator from West Virginia Vir-ginia (Davis) on Thursday last and it would not bo ready for the use of the senate until to-morrow. The senate then resumed the consideration con-sideration of the resolution in regard to the joint rules. After debate the senate, without action upon the resolution, reso-lution, went into executive tension and soon after adjourned. Booth's bill in relation to lands heretofore granted to railroad companies com-panies provides that all such lands on either side of any portion ot a road accepted by government as completed shall be subject to local taxation aud requires the commissioner of the general gen-eral land office to prepare and deliver without delay patents for all lands thus earned, if free troin conflicting claims and clearly within the limits of the grant. If costs of survey, etc. ,are not paid by the railroad company they may be paid by any purchaser at a tax sale of such lands and constitute a lien upon the patent which shall then be issued to the company. The bill also requires the Pacific railroad companies to sell any land oot disposed of within three years Uter the completion of any road to the first settlers, upon compliance with the terms of the preemption laws. Sargent, a bill to amend the laws relating to silver coin, proposes to make tho trade dollar a legal tender at its nominal value for amounts not exceeding 20 in any one payment and silver half dollsrs legal tenders lor amounts up to $10. Senator West's bill amendatory of the Pacific raUroad acts of July 1st. 1G4, proposes to repeal so much ol the existing laws as provide that only one half ot the compensation for the services rendered for the government by the Pacific railroad companies shall be required to be applied to the payment of the government bonds issued to aid ihe construction of their roads. The bill then provides that trom and after its enactment all compensation com-pensation for services rendered for the government by the Pacific railroad companies shail be applied to the payment of the bonds issued to and the interest paid and to be paid for said companies until the whole amount shall be fully reimbursed to Hie United States. iiolsi:. Holm an moved to suspend the rules and adopt a resolution" declaring it unwise and inexpedient at this time, that a specific arbitrary period should be prescribed by law at which legal tender dollars of the United Slates should be paid in coin by t'ie secretary secre-tary of the treasury, and that therefore there-fore the act entitled an act to provide lor the resumption of specie payment, approved January 14, 1S75, ought to be repealed; and instructing the committee com-mittee on banking and currency, at Ms early a period as practicable, to report re-port to the house a bill for that purpose. pur-pose. The rules were- not suspended: yews, 112; nays, 15S. Cox, from the committee on rules, reported back the proposition introduced intro-duced some weeks since by Holman, to amend the rule eoveminetheofler- ing of amendment to the genera appropriation bills so as to make the rule read: "No resolution shall be reported re-ported in such general appropriation bill, or be in order as an amendmenl thereto for any expenditure not previously pre-viously authorized by law, except in continuation of the appropriation for such public works and objects as are already in progress; nor shall any provision in any such bill or amendment amend-ment thereto changing an existing law be in order, except such as being germane to the subject matter of the bill, ahull retrench the expenditures." A long discussion ensueil on the proposed change, which was opposed on tho republican side by Banks, GarGald, Hale and Xasson, on the plea that it would enable the com-millee com-millee 01 appropriations to con tract pifttijally all departments of government; govern-ment; and was del'eudtil on the democratic dem-ocratic aide by Cox, Holman and Randall,, on the plea that it only placed propositions lo reduce the expenditures ex-penditures on the Bit me looting as a proposition '.o increase, and it gave no additional power lo the committee ou appropriations, insomuch that its Action could be only recommendatory. re-commendatory. In course of the diacuviiou, Randall having spoken of Ihe desire of the committee on appropriations appro-priations to push into the way of re-treuchmcntr re-treuchmcntr he was told by Banks, 1 "we, tho republicans, will puih you i inlo it, even lo the extent of cutting down the salaries of members;" to which Randall replied that "wo, the ! democrats, will come to that at ihe j proper time." Tho new rule was adopted yeas 1-jG, nays 102; nearly a party vote. I After remarks by Hardeuhurgh in favor of the bill, U10 committee roue I wiliiout action. Morrison oflercd a resolution calling call-ing on tho president for ap:e$) of all correspondence with Spain in reference refer-ence to the island! Cuba. Adopted, f Wood offered a resolution instruct- j ing the committee on ways and means to inquire whether the lease of; the United Slates to the Alaska commercial com-mercial company of the right to take j furaeals in Alaska, was made audi executed in pursuance of law and to the best advantage .of tho United States; also whether the interests of the United Stales had been properly protected; whether tho Alaska commercial com-mercial company has complied with its terms and conditions. Adopted. Wood ofiered a resolution instructing instruct-ing the committee on mditary affairs to enquire whether since the rebellion any army officer on the active list has held or exercised the functions of a civil officer, either in the diplomatic or consular service; or to carry on any negotiations or arrangements with any foreign government or people; or as clerk or secretary of the president; or to perforin any civil duiies in or about the executive office; uudcr what authority, and what legislation is necessary to prevent pre-vent such assignments. Adopted. Hendee introduced a bill for printing print-ing of speeches delivered in congress in the language in which they are delivered. de-livered. Kef erred. New introduced a constitutional amendment to limit the presidential term to four years. Referred. Tho house adjourned. |