Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-09
THURSDAY. May 9.

|
more relating to a ship channel at Charleston
haroOr: Referred to committee OH commerce.
M Mr.; HANSON presented several petitions from
ten per cent. tax on State bank circulation.
| Referred to committee or finance
MI Mr. Dorsey presented a memorial from
ngton, praying for the enactment of law to
secure secure iuii weight to purchasers of coal Re-
| felled 70 the District committee.
| MI. Anthony from the committee on print
| ing, reported bill for the printing of 100000
copies OF the agricultural report for 1877. with
an amendment reducing the number to 2OO, 600,
instead OF 800, as provided by the House. Or
dered printed and placed on the calendar.
TOOK up the bill to provide for the distribution
| OF the awards made under the convention be
tween ,oen the United States and Mexico, of July
Mr.. voorhees, opposed the passage of the
| DILL at this time, as by the fifth section the
claims Oh Benjamin We'll and the lie Abra
aiming company were suspended. This, he
| claimed, was an injustice to these claimants
| whose claims had been as fairly awarded as
any other claims before the commission.
Whlle the bill was under consideration the
! Senate, on motion of Mr.. Edmunds, at 12:i5 p
| H.. Went into secret session.
| The doors were opened at 1.55 D. nl.. and the
Senate proceeded publicly with business.
Mr.. ingalls, introduced bill to regulate the
railway mail service. Referred to committee
on post Offices and post roads.
Mr: Burnside presented an invitation to the
| Senate to participate in the memorial services,
under the auspices of the Department of the
Potomac, G; A. r.: at Arlington, on May 80,
Decoration Day. Laid on the table.
-. On motion OF Mr. Whyte, the House reSolu
| tlon authorizing Lieut.. L. b. M. Mason, I. S.
navy, TO accept medal conferred by the king
! OF Italy for eNtlnguiShing fire on a powder
| ship, was passed
~, Mr.: Dorsey introduced a bill to regulate
| Relerred to the committee on the District.
=, The Indian appropriation bill came up aS
f rea" hr GPdf the fer III 9neSS9h ion
| sections of the bill permitting money appro-
priated tor certain specific objects not re
| qulred by the Indians to be applied to such
| other purposes as the Commissioner of Indian
Afalrs, with the consent of the Indians, may
| deem proper.
The substitute adopted is as follows:-That
| the, several appropriations herein made for
millers black Smiths engineers, carpenters
physicians and other persons, and for various
articles provided for by treaty StipuIatiOnS for
| the several Indian tribes, may be diverted to
| other uses for the benefit of the said tribes
| respectively, within the discretion of the Pres
ident, and with the consent of the said tribes,
| expressed in the usual manner, and that he
| cause report to be made to Congress at its
next session thereafter of his action under
| this provision.
/ HOUSE.-Mr. GOOde, from committee on
education and lai or reported joint reSolu
ton to provide for the enforcement of the
eight hour law. 1.-THE joint resolution declares
| that according to the true, intent and mean
ing of the act OF Congress, approved June 18th,
1868. entitled, An act, constituting eight
| hours a legal days work for all laborers,
mechanics and wOrkmen in the employ of the
| United States" eight hours constitutes a legal
| days work for ali such laborers, mechanics
and WOrkmen, and that no reduction of the
amount paid by the government shall be made
| on account of the reduction of such hours of
! labor.
| Mr.. Cox, (N. W moved to add as follows:
| " l. hat all heads OF departments, officers and
agents of the government, are hereby directed
to enforce said law as long as the same re-
| mains unrepealed"
| Mr.. G0Ode accepted the amendment.
MI. Eden inquired why the law cid not ap-
| pytO all la bOrerS and mechanics.
| MI. GOode replied that Congress had no
| real control over any labOrerS except such as
| were in the employ of the government. This
| bill was framed in accordance with petitions
,;n 2i "oikfInigmen f .i which came up from all sec
Mr.. Eden still thought it should apply to all
and not tOa few Of the favOrites in the gov
Mr.. Goode replied again that Congress had
r0 control over our private workshops.
| Mr. Beebe wanted to know the necessity for
| This act II there was a law on the statute book
! now.
Mr.. Goode said that in this form it would be
more rigidily enforced. He referred to the
| history OF the paSSage of the eight hour law i'm
1868 and said the discussion of that day would
| show that while some held that it would cause
reduction Of wages the great majority held that
| argued also that the bill should pass on the
ground that the development of the brain and
| lnllScle anu iutelleCludl power, Dy reason OF
the reduction of the hours of la Dor, would more
| than compensate for any loss of time.
Mr.; Cox SN;i;l said the departments wanted
enforce it as twas interpreted by Congress.
The proposition now pending would Indicate
the original purpose and intent of the law of
labor there would be an opportunity for the
| employment of one fifth more men, and Con.
gress, therefore, could not perform more
Mr.. Butler said that he had voted for the
| original law when it was before Congress- and
upon this theory The question that was
country was whether eight hours was not as
| long as men could work attending machinery
and at the same time keep up their health and
spirits. That experiment could not be tried in
| private Establishments, Oh account of cOmpe-
| tltlon. But the government could make the
investigation, and had in some instances ex-
| peIimented to see whether as much work
| could be done in eight hours as in ten The
House has never called for the reports on these
he believed that within a slight per centage it
would be shown that as much work had been
done in eight hours as in ten.
| Mr. Dunnell inquired what was the necessity
| of this act if the law had been enforced.
MI Butler said that it had been enforced in
some eases, but not in all; He would keep the
insist upon its rigid enforcement. There was
too much disregard of law. He would not only
| pass this bill, but would like to impose pen
atty upon any officer who would not carry out
Mr.. Banks said the reason why the bill did
| not apply to all WOrkmen, was because we
have no jurisdiction over private establish
ments. But If the law was enforced upon
government work, it would soon affect ali
| other work. In 1S46, the President of the
| United States of his own vOlition, and with.
| out any act of Congress, issued prOclama-
| tion declaring ten hours days work in all
| government workshops, and the example was
| speedily followed and adopted by private
| establishments. II this eight hour law proves
| advantageous to the government, it will be
| followed out in private employ. But the law
| must be enforced. We have heard much
| about the wOrkmen and labOrers of the cOun
| try diSregardng law, and we are setting a
most .pernicious example if we fail to insist
| upon the enforcement of this act. When the
| law was passed it was never intended that
| the reduction of the hours of labor should
| affect the rules of wages, and it was of the
utmost Importance that the law should either
| be enforced or repealed.
| After further discussion, the bill was passed
| as amended
The House then resumed as the regular
| order the consideration of the bill to regulate
Interstate cOmmeFse.
MIR. Reagan said he had proposition to
ma ke. The bill was now in the morning hour
committees. His proposition was that the
House consent that the bill be made the spe.
cial order for Saturday after the reading of
the journal. He would call the previous aIles-
tion at half past three. The morning hour