Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-05
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
WHAT WAS DONE IN CONGRESS-
YESTERDAY.
The Missing Steamer Jeannette-An
Arctic Exploring ExpedItiOn-The
River and HarbOr BilI-ApprOprIa-
tfons for the SOuth-The Funding
Bill,
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.

Messrs. Wallace, Beck and Window were
constituted the Senate conference commit
tee on the Indian appropriation bill.
Messrs. Window, Davis of West Virginia,
! and Withers were constituted eonferees on
the naval appropriation bill.
The Vice President submitted from the
War Department an abstract of the militia
! force in the United States. Tabled.
The District appropriation bill was read
from the House, aud referred to the Com
mittee on Appropriations.
| Mr. Bayard, from the Committee on Fl
nance, reported the refunding bill with
! amendments. He said that in view not only
Of the importance Of the subject, but Of the
necessity of prompt action upon it, he pro-
posed to call up the bill at an early day next
week. The bill was ordered printed and
placed on the calendar.
Mr. Pendleton, from the select committee
on the subject, reported favorably, with
amendments, the Senate bill to allow the
| principal officers Of the executive depart
ments to occupy seats on the floor
/ of the Senate and House. The amend
ment permits either house to dis
! pense, by standing orders, with the
attendance of one more of said officers on
either OF the days respectively assigned for
their attendance. The bill was accompanied
by an elaborate report, and Mr.. Pendleton
! gave notice of his intention to call 1t up on
the first favorable opportunity.
Mr. Mcpherson moved to take MP the bill
appropriating 100000 to be used under d.
rection of the Navy Department. to prosecute
! the search for the steamer Jeanette, OF the
Arctic Exploring Expedition. Mr. Nc
/ PherSon urged his motion in the interest of
humanity. He said the Jeanette, which
/ had been fitted out by Mr.. James Gordon
Bennett, whose progressive spirit in that
matter was worthy of all commentator, had
not been seen since September, 1879, and
| grave doubts were entertained Of
| her safety. Referring to the necessity Of
! prompt action by the governmental any
action was to be taken by it-as indispensa-
BILE, he remarked that IL the Sir John Frank
| lin Relief Expedition had been one year
] earlier in its search it would have saved two
1 hundred souls. The motion was then agreed
to. The bill being before the Senate
Mr.. Mcpherson submitted a substitute
appropriating Sl75,000, or so much thereof
! as was needed, to be applied under direc
tion OF the Secretary of the Navy to the i'm
mediate charter or purchase, equipment and
supply Of vessel to prosecute the search
for the Jeanette and such other vessels as
may be found during the cruise to need as
| sstance.
Mr.. McPherson's substitute was then
adopted, and the bill, as thus amended, was
passed finally.
After voting down motions to take up
the Grant retirement bill, aud the franking
privilege resolution, the Senate resumed
consideration Of Mr.. Morgdn's resolution
denying the right of the President of the
Senate to make the electoral count
Mr.. Edmunds spoke at some length, ex-
Y1laininop hts nnpne{tinn m h0
measure. and In order, as he said, to test
the question whether the resolution was to
be an absolutely void edict or an expression
of opinion, he moved an amendment to
make the resolution read "That IN the
opinion of the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatiVes, the President of the Senate is not
invested" etc.
MIR. Morgan defended the resolution as
distinct and clear in It's meaning. He bad
intended 1t as a simple expression of Opin-
ion, and while not in terms obligatory upon
the President of the Senate, he failed to see
how that officer could evade 1t as an order
of the Senate.
After further discussion, Mr.. Edmunds'
amendment was rejected-syes %, nays 80
"a party vote, except that Mr.. Hampton,
Mr.. Jones of Florida, and Mr. Whyte, with
Mr.. Davis OF Illinois, voted aye with the
Republicans.
Mr.. Hoar moved an amendment adding to
the resolution the words, "and that 1t is the
duty of Congress, without delay, to insti-
tute measures to execute the due and or
derly performance Of said duty in the fu-
ture, )" which was adopted on a ViVG V0ce vote.
Mr.. Morgan's resolution, as thus amend
ed was then agreed to-ayes AZ, with one
vote (Mr. Whyte) in the negative. The
af1l native vote Included, with the Demo-
Gratis, Messrs. Allison, Blair, Booth, Conk-
ling, Davis of Illinois, HoRr and Jones of
Nevada.
The Indian land In severalty bill, which
was the regular order, was then informally
laid aside, and the Senate resumed consid-
Grafton of the pension appropriation bill,
the question being on Mr.. Withers' amend
menG inserting the provisions of the "sixty
surgeons" bill. After long s@eech by Mr..
Logan in opposition to the amendment, the
Senate, without action on 1t, adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, the Committee on Naval
Affairs had under consideration this morn
lug the message of the President rela-
tive to the establishment Of coaling
stations on the American isthmus, and
instructed Representative Whitthorne to
request the Appropriation Committee to
include in the sundrY civil appropriation
bill an appropriation of 100000 for that
purpose.
The House, at the conclusion of the
morning hour, resumed consideration of
the bill coming over from the previous FRI
day, providing for the sale of certain New
York Indian lands in Kansas, which, after
some discussion, was passed.
The House then went into committee OF
the whole on the private calendar. The first
bill considered was the pension BILL to which
there was some objection, Mr.. Atkins, of
Tennessee, asserting that the arrearages
OF pensions would already amount to $780,
600, 600.
Messrs. Coffroth and Updegraff insisted
that they would not exceed $244, ,000, 900.
After some discussion the bill was laid aside
for favorable recommendation.
At o'clock the committee rose and o
number of bills coming over from the pre-
vious Friday were passed.
When the bill for the relief of Mrs. E. P.
Page was reached, Mr.. Goode, Of Virginia,
said that since the discussion which had
taken place upon this bill on last Friday he
had received letter from the widow Of
Captain Hugh n. Page, in which she
instructed bin peremptorily to
to consult his own feelings he would with
out hesitation press this bill to final vote,
but in this matter he felt constrained to
obey the instructions which he had received
from the petitioner. Her feelings had been
80 wounded by the fierce assault made upon
the memory of her dead husband
that she was not willing to furnish
a pretext for a renewal of that as
sault. The petition would not have
been presented il the humble petitioner
had foreseen that it would have been taken
as pretext on which to attack rudely the
cherished memory of her honored dead and
to comment uncharitably upon the charsc-
ter of the Southern people. He said he had
been accused OF desire in presenting this
petition to establish a precedent for the
payment of Southern war claims.
No charge could have been more unjust or
more bsseless. He wished to repeat what
he had frequently said-that the people at
the South had never expected and did Dot
now expect that the losses incurred by indi-
viduals, as a necessary incident OF the war,
would ever be reimbursed to them. They
had gone into the war with their-eyes wide
open, had staked everything they possessed
upon the issue Of the gigantic struggle, and
they had lost and were prepared manfully
to accept it as the fate Of war.
Mr.. Conger, of Michigan, moved to re-
commit the bill, with instructions to the
Committee on Naval Affairs to report it,
with full statement of the facts of the
case, pending which, on motion of MIR.
Goode, the bill was laid upon the table.
The Speaker laid before the House a mes
sage from the President, transmitting COM
munication from the Secretary of the Navy
with reference to the dispatch of vessel
for the relief OF the Jeanette Expedition,
and commencing the recommendations of
the Secretary to the favorable action of
Congress. Referred.
L L II