WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.--The House to-day was very dull, the members themselves manifesting little interest in the proceedings. There was a little wrangle between the friends of free trade and the advocates of a high tariff upon going into Comittee of the Whole on the tariff bill. After the struggle, in which each party in turn seemed to have the advantage, the tariff men finally succeeded and took up on Committee of the Whole the small tariff and debated it for a while when a motion for the committee to rise prevailed. The House then passed to regular business, but had not proceeded far when a motion to again go into committee was made and carried, and the discussion was resumed till the hour of adjournment without any vote being reached.
    In the Senate, Senator Morton reported from the Military Committee the bill repealing the present Southern militia law, which prohibits the organization of militia in the rebellious States. Discussion ensued, participated in by Fessenden, Edmunds, Hendricks, Buckalew, Garrett Davis, Rice, Warner and Sawyer. The new Senators spoke in favor of the bill, which finally passed without a division.
    Mr. Stewart's bill imposing a penalty for the crime of holding office in violation of the 14th Amendment, was then taken up. Senator Ferry spoke in support of his proposition for removing all disabilities of holding office or voting, and earnestly favoring universal amnesty.
    A resolution was adopted calling on the Secretary of the Treasury for information in relation to the present condition of the fur interest in Alaska.
    Maj. E. W. Wynkoop, former agent of the Cheyenne and Arrapahoe Indians, will be here to-morrow to appear before the Senate Indian Committee, now considering the bill to transfer the Indian Bureau to the War Department. It is alleged he will testify that the Indians slaughtered by Gen. Custar were friendly and peaceable, and that he will also bring up many other cases where friendly Indians have been driven into hostilities by the military.
    A bill has been prepared, which will probably be introduced in Congrets [sic] in a day or two, which will provide for the redemption of the present nickel coinage at the office of the Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer of the United States, its place to be supplied by a new series of smaller coin.
    The Senate Finance Committee have postponed their action on the House copper-tariff bill to allow the opposite interests to be heard.

Source:

Unknown, "9,000 Indians on Reservation," Quincy Daily Whig, Quincy, Illinois, Wednesday, 16 December, 1868, page 1.