The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-03-03
xLyTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION
SENATE
The Legislative Appropriation and the
River and HarbOr Bill Passed

River and Harbor Bill Passed.
WASHINGTON, March l,
The sundry appropriation bill was resumed
Senator Hoar moved to lay on the table the
amendment appropriating $780, 900 for the pay.
ment of arrears Of army transportation. Rejected
yeas 20, nays %.
The Senate by yeas 20 to nays 80 refused to agree
to the amendment of the sundry civil bill, appro-
priating $4,000 to purchase Mrs Fassetts picture
of the electoral commission.
Resolve appropriating $4,000 for fire proofng
the Natural Statuary Hall in the Capital and
providing that no work of art or man ufacture not
the property of the United States shall be exhibited
in National Statuary Hall or rotunda or corridors of
the Capital was agreed to.
The Senate also appropriated $25O,OOO for the
National Museum building adjoining the Smith.
sonian Institution, and $4,000 for he Washington
monument.
WASHINGTON, March Q.
The Senate remained in continuous session from 10
o'clock Saturday morning to o'clock Sunday morn
ing.
The legislative appropriation bill was taken up
after midnight and passed just prior to the adjourn
ments with unimportant changes.
The Senate reassembled at o'clock.
MIR. Butler presented the credentials Of Wade
Hampton, United States Senator from South
Carolina for six years from March A, 1879. Filed.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
river and harbor bill. The five minute rule was
applied to discussion on amendments Amendments
reported by the commerce committee were agreed to,
including the following for Maine: Increasing the
appropriation for improving the Penobscot river
from $1,000 to $4,000.
Bill as it came from the House appropriated So
100000 largo number of additional appropriations
for the South and West and Pacific slope covered by
this total were agreed to.
Amendments of the committee were also agree tc'
A large number of amendments then offered by the
Senators were agreed to-
All amendments to the river and harbor bill made
in committee of the whole were concurred in.
Mr.. Dorsey reported that the conference committee
on the post Office bill unable 10 agree ON four or
five important points, including the Brazilian mali
service, railway transportation and classification OF
| mail matter. He moved that the Senate insist on
amendments and ask further conference. Agreed to-
| Mr.. Edmunds said that if their was one thing
which could be delayed without iDjuryto the pnblic
interest than another it the work OF inter-
nal improvement. He thought work could be par r
TALLY suspended in this time of distress and scarcity
of money. He therefore moved TO strike out out all
after the enacting clause Of the bill, and insert ST.
100000 to be appropriated for the fiscal year ending
ten of such works on rivers and harbors will be
most serviceabe to the interest of commerce to be
expended under the direction Of the Secretary OF
War; who is required to report all expenditures in
detail at the next session of Congress.
After debate Mr.. Edmunds' substitute was
rejected
The Senate then passed the river and harbor bill.
The Senate took up the motion heretofore made
to reconsider the vote by which the bill making APP
preparation to pay arrears of pensions was passed.
Mr.Windom said the best estimates he could obtain
showed that the amendment so generously adopted
at the instance of Senator Shields, placing soldiers
and sailors of the Mexican on the same footing
of those of the of 1872 TO pensions. would take
from $50 900 600 to $40,OOO,000 from the treasury
The subject of such munifcent donation could be
considered in separate bill. Senate reconsidered
the vote by which the bill passed and then reconsid
the vote by which Shields amendment was agreed.
HOUSE.
The Chinese Bill Passed.
The yeas and nays were called for on motion Of
MIR. Rice of Massachusetts to take up the Senate bill
to extend the the time for the completion of the
Northern Pacific railroad.
House n0n-concurred in the Senate amendments
to the deficiency bill and ordered conference
House passed the bill to furnish trusses to disabled
soldiers.
House took up the sugar bill and after Mr.. Burch-
ard had spoken in favor thereof it was withdrawn,
not to be again brought before this Congress.
The Speaker lsid before the House the Presidents
veto of the anti Chinese bill and the clerk proceeded
to read it. At first it listened with to close atten-
ton. but before the clerk got through halt the docu
ment all interest vanished. The question then pu
sha the bill pass the objections Of the President
to the contrary Notwithstanding Vote resulted
yeas 109 nays 95. There not being two-thrds in the
affirmative the bill was rejected. The most of the
negative votes came from the Republican side, but
considerable number came also from the Democratic
side.
House met at 80 O'Clock Sunday in continuance
OF Saturdays session.
After receiving the snndry civil bill from the SEN
ate, the House nou-concurred in the Senate amend-
ments and appointed conference committee and
took further recess until evening.
House reassembed at O'clock when a message
from the Senate announced that conference com
mittee the postofice bill did not all aSzesand
recess was taken for 15 minutes.
Mr. Hewitt, from the conference committee on the
army appropriation bill, reported that the commits
tee was not able to agree. Further conference was
ordered and another taken for half an hour.
When the House reassembled no conference re-
ports ready and another short recess was taken
At 1l.15 MIR. Atkins reported that the conference
committee on the legislative bill were not able to
agree and he moved that the House insist upon its
disagreement and asked for another conference COM
mittee.