River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-04-08
THE XLyI CONGRESS-.

MONDAY, March 29-Senate Several
bills were introduced. Considerable
time was spent in discussing the bill to
provide for an international exhibition
in 1888. The senate then took up the
Geneva award bill
MONDAY, March 9.-Hoase.-After a
large number of bills had been intro
duced the house went into the committee
of the whole, Converse in the chair, on
the consular and diplomatic appropria-
ton bill. The pending amendment strik-
ing out the clause appropriating $4,000
for charge d. affaires and diplomatic Of
ficers abroad, was defeated. Mr.. Black
burn offered an amendment providing
that any envoy extraordinary, minister
plenipotentiary or minister resident who
shall be absent from his post for the
space of forr months or more in any
one year the salary of such officer shall
be 80 per cent. of the amount appropri-
ated, the other so per cent to be covered
into the treasury. Rejected; yeas 80 +;
nays 20. Mr.. Blackburn moved TO de-
crease the appropriation for the salary of
the secretary of the legation at China
from 5000 to $4,000. Rejected. Mr.
Blackburn offered an amendment pro.
viding that no diplomatic officer not
mentioned in this bill shall be entitled to
any salary or compensation of any kind
whatever, and repeating the laws author
izing the payment of any salary or
compensation to such officer. Rejected.
Mr. Neal took occasion to withdraw the
remarks he made in the forty.fifth con-
gress, in which he had defended Bailey,
formerly the consulgeneral at Shanghai,
from the charges which he then believed
to be false, but which he had since dis
covered to have been true. Without dis
posing of the bill, the committee rose
and the house adjourned.
TUESDAY, March 80 -Seadte. The
senate took up the immediate deficiency
appropriation bill, and adopted an amend
nent reducing the appropriation for
public printing from 100000 to $780,.
900. After brief debate the bill was
laii aside. Senator Logan, from the
committee on military affairs, reported
adversely on the joint resolution author
izing the secretary of war to furnish tents,
etc., to the grand army of the republic OF
Wisconsin, there being no tents available
for the purpose Placed on the calendar
The senate then proceeded to consider
the calendar, tde unfinished business
being the bill for the centennial exhibit
ton in New York in 1888. The bill was
opposed by Carpenter and Eaton as un-
constitutional, and advocated by Herman
and Wallace. Pending debate, the morn
ing hour expired, and the bill went over.
Adjourned.
TUESDAY, March, -House-The
morning hour having been dispensed
wit hnnGa m Of
the whole on the consular diplomatic
bill. The bill passed with
out amendment. The contested election
case of Bradley VS.. SIemcns, from the
Second district of Arkansas, was then
taken up Mr. j. II. Bradley, contestant
in the case, was perNitted TO take the
floor and make an argument IN his own
behalf. Slemons, contestee, followed
with speech in support of his claims.
Mr., Weaver spoke in support of the
claims of the contestant, and Sawyer sus-
tanned the majority report. During the
speeches of Weaver and Sawyer the
house occasionally manifested its impa-
tience by shouts of ",vote," "vote'"
Neither of the speakers, however,
abridged their remarks, and finally the
house adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, March 31-lSenate-The
bill providing for an international exhi-
bition in New York, in 1888, was passed
after discussion, by vote of 26 to 81.
The bill introduced by Sen. Paddock, to
equalize homesteads by allowing loca-
tions in more than one place where
necessary to make up 100 acres, passed.
The morning hour having passed, the
immediate deficiency bill was taken up.
Several amendments were adopted by a
party vote. After quite a long discuss
ion, participated in by Davis wv. Va. J,
Blaine, Edmunds and Carpenter, Ed
munds moved to strike out the clause
relating to appointment and T ay of spe-
cial deputy marshals, leaving the appro-
priation intact Rejected %, nays
81. The bill was then read third time.
Yeas 30, nays "a, Edmunds calling for
yeas and nays Both of these were strict
party votes. After executive session,
WEDNESDAY, March 31.-HouSe. Mr..
Money, chairman of the committee on
postoffices and post roads, reported back
the post route bill, and it passed. Con-
sideration was resumed of the contested
election case of Bradley VS.. Slemons, of
a speech by Sawyer in behalf of the con.
testee, vote was taken on the minority
resolution reported by Weaver, declar-
ing the seat vacant. 1t was defeated by
a vote of 80 to 1j2. The question then
required on the majority resolution de-
clarlng William +. S!emons, contestee,
entitled to the seat Adopted; 149 to 81.
After some time spent in discussing the
star service deficiency bill the house ad-
journed.
THURSDAY, April l. SeHdte.-Tho bill
the secretary of war to &C
quire for the United States title to the
site of Fort Stockton, Texas, was passed.
On motion of Gamer on, (Pa.) the bill
the secretary of war to ap-
ply the proceeds of the military prison
of Fort Leavenworth to the support of
the institution, was taken up and pissed.
A bill granting pension to Jesse F..
Rhares, a scout, was under discussion
when the morning hour expired, and the
deficiency bill was taken up.
Sen. Edmunds opposed the final passage
of the bill in a long speech. The bill
was, after further debate, passed, Conk-
ling calling for yeas and nays-the vote
being, yeas 80, nays 81, a party vote.
On motion of Sen. Mcdonald, the &c
neva award bill was formally taken up,
thus restoring it to the condition OF I'M
finished business. He then consented to
lay it aside informally, and on motion of
Coke the bill ratifying the agreement
with the Ute Indians was taken up after
the bill and report of the committee
on Indian affairs, together with letter
from Secretary Schurz showing urgent
necessity for the passage of such a bill,
had been read by the clerk, Coke yielded
TO the motion for executive session which
prevailed. When the doors reopened
the senate adjourned.
THURSDAY, April 1.-H0uSe-Mr
Singleton, miss. } chairman of the COM
mittee on printing, reported resolution
for printing 5000 copies of the report of
the select committee on the depression of
labor and upon the subject of Chinese
This was objected to by
several members. Mr. Reed moved to
lay the resolution on table; defeated, yeas
%, nays 149. The resolution was then
agreed to. The morning hour was dis
pensed with and the house proceeded to
the consideration OF the senate bill to
amend the census act and amendments
of the house committee on census there
to. All the amendments were adopted
and the bill passed. The amendments
strike out of the senate bill the following
sections: Sec. 2, which strikes out of
the census act SO much as provided for
inquiries as to the naturalization of
foreign born persons, and as to
ownership of the public debt,