Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-21
FORTY.SIXTH CONGRESS.
TUESDAY, December 81.


on the civil service committee
Mr. Morrill,, from the committee on finance.
reported favOrably Senate bill remtting duties
Oh objects OF art awarded by the Berlin fishery
exhibition TO Hon. Spencer F. Baird. The bill
was taken up and passed.
Bills were introduced and referred as follows:
By MIR. Beck-TO authorize the issue OF legal
tender notes OF the United States upon the de-
posts OF gold. Also. a bill to repeal laws which
impose taxes On the capital OF or deposits with
banks and bankers and on bank checks.
BY Mr. Ingalls-For the admission OF New Mex
leo as state. BY Mr.. Brown-Bills for the i'm
pIoyement OF the Savannah Oconee, Ocmulgee
Alhamaha aud other rivers and Brunswick har-
Dor, Georgia By Mr.. Whyte-Joint resolution
proposing an amendment to the Federal Con-
stftuiion permanently fixing the number OF
Judges Of the Supreme Court OF the United
THE proposed amendment makes the Su-
preme Court consist OF lone chief justice and
. associate justices, OF whom justices shall
form quorum" y
Mr. Whyte spoke upon bis resolution. The
Constitution does not fix the number OF judges
OF the court. It would have been difficult to so
TX IT before 1t was known that the amount OF
Its labors was to be. Mr.. Whyte dwelt upon
the necessity Of keeping the Judiciary entirely
independent of the legislative and executive
Departments of the government. He showed
thaI since 1919 the number OF Judges had some
times been increased, sometimes diminished
There was possibility In such changes OF
dangerous usurpation. II should be puJ beyond
the power OF ony political party to increase the
number OF Judges ia It's interest. The fiXedneSs
Of our area now made it possible TO settle for
ever the number OF the supreme Court. In
crease in population can be met by changes In
the system OF Circuit and District Courts, but
the great supreme Court of the country should
te placed beyond political manipulation. The
resolution was referred TO the judiciary CON-
mittee
on motion of Mr.. Garland, the bill reportet
by him this morning, amending section 1o52,
Revised Statutes. was taken up and passed. Il
extends the sessions OF the territorial leglsia-
lures 10 sixty days instead or forty days.
Inc wee President submitted letter from
the Secretary OF the INTERIOR enclosing a CON-
municau0n from the Commissioner OF Pensions
setting forth the necessity Tor additional ap.
propriatons for the payment OF pensions for
the current fiscal ear. The additional amount
required is about SIS 100000.
ON motion OF Mr. Hereford, Senate bill paying
verdict OF $, ,563 found III ls4, 10 the heirs or
MchaId Call. receiver OF public moneys in
Florida. was taken up
The morning hour was chiefly occupied In the
discussion OF this bill.
The Senate then resumed consideration OF the
bill relieving the secretary OF the Treasury
from the amounts deposited with the states
In 1886 ard charged against him.
on motion OF Mr.. voorhees, the House bill au-
propriating s., 900 to increase the height OF the
pedestal OF the Farragut monument In Wash
lpgton, and authorizing the Secretary OF the
Navy to use ordnance to ornament the pedestal.
was taken up ana passed
At 2:l0 pm, on motion OF Mr.. Ednunds the
Senate went into executive session.
HOUSE.-Mr. Hawley stated that the general
assembly OF CT. had transmitted TO the House OF
Representatives an Oil painting Of Jonathan
Trumbull, formerly Speaker of the House;
and. On motion of Mr. Burrows. the painting
was accepted and the thanks of the House teno
dered to the assembly OF Connecticut for the
gift.
MI Hunton asked leave to offer resolution
appropriating $40 COO for draining and nlllng up
the grounds south Of the Capitol
MI Fort objected.
A motion to dispense with the morning hour
II nj
sary two-thirds vote-and the Speaker pro-
ceeded to call committees for reports.
Mr. Field presented the majority report Of the
committee on elections In the cases Of Holmes
VS.. Sapp, from the Sth, and Wilson VS.. Carpen-
ter, from the 9th. congressional districts OF
Iowa. 1t grants leave TO the contestants to
Withdraw their petitions. Ordered Printed.
Mr.. Weaver submitted the minority report OF
the same committee In the case OF Boynt0n vs.,
LofiDg, from the 9th congressional district OF
Massachusetts. 1t declares the contestant en-
titled TO the seat.
MI. Sparks, from the committee on military
affairs, reported back adversely bill providing
for an assistant secretary or war. Laid on
table.
Mr. Caldwell, from the committee on private
land claims, reported back adversely bill to as
certain the title TO the tract OF land known as
the Rancho Panoche Grande, in California. Re
ferred to private calendar.
Mr.. RoBEsON's QUESTION OF PRIyuEGE-THE
ELECTORAL. COUNT.
The morning hour having expired. Mr. F.
Wood IN. " moved that the House 90 into
committee on the fundlng bill, and that all
general debate close in one hour, pending
which
Mr. Robson rose to a question of privilege,
and offered the following resolution:
Resolred. That the two houses will assemble
In the chamber of the House OF Representatives
on the second Wednesday in February. 1ssi. at
- o'clock, and the President OF The Senate shall
be the presiding officer; that two persons shall
senate 'as and on on tas as part part Of # the the
House OF Representatives to make
i t OF the votes as they shall be declared; that
the result shall be delivered to the president Of
the Senate who shall announce the state OF the
vote and the persons elected to the two Houses
as Sembled as aforesaid. which announcement
together With a list of the votes shall be en-
tered Oh the journals OF the two houses
TIE Speaker decided that the resolution pre-
sented question OF privilege whereupon Mr..
+. Wood rsised the question OF consideration.
Mr. RCbeson thought that Congress would
enjoy the holidays better after haWn prepared
to Go its constitutional duty. He desired to be
heard on the question OF consideration
The Speaker.-That is not debatable.
Notwithstanding this statement and cries OF
"order" from the democratic side, Mr. Robson
which every President was counted in ND to the
time OF Abraham Lincoln.
Mr. Townshend QlL)-Does the gentleman
want to antagon1Ze the funding bill?
Mr.. RObeson.-I desire to antagoniZe every
bill until my high constitutional duty is dis
charged.
consideration. -
The House-yeas 81, nays 96-refused to con.
slider Mr.. Robeson's resolution. This was a
strict party vote: the republicans voting in the
affirmative and the democrats In the negatfye
The greenbackers. With the exception Of MT.
Ladd, voted with the republicans.
The House then went in committee of the
Whole on the funding bill, all attempts made
by Mr.. +. Wood to limit debate being votei
down amid good deal OF confusion.
In committee OF the whole an exciting opp,
s1tlon was manifested to the funding bill
Messrs. Weaver, Bland and Mills spoke
strongly In opposition to considering the bill
before the holidays. and stated that they would
oppose ITS passage by every parliamentary
means In their power.
NOMINATIONS To-DAY.-The President sent the
following nominations to the Senate to-day
Rodney W. Daniels, collector OF customs at
6unalo, New York; Allen T. Wikon. pension
agent, columbus, Ohio; United States consuls-
Joln L. Nanfngen, to be United States consul
at Ialcahnano; Harry B. Dill, Of Maine. at Ft-
Erie, Canada Postmasters-Wm. Fl. Haskell,