The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-14
cIIARAcrER or rlIR pILIs.

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tlons,
CHARACTER OF TIE BILLS,
Tho majority OF the bills were printed
and came up like the candidates for tho
clerkShip, ready for the berths out o.
which they have been turned by a chang
in party power, Private bills, "pct meas
ures, "steals, "old jobs, ""crank projects,
"schemes for making rivers out of brook
lets" "ior making basins out Of lakes,
"iQr paying A for something lie had never
owned, and for doing something he ought
not 10 have DONE" "ior erecting q monu'
ment to some hero" whose name the
author of the bill had forgotten; for build
ing free bridge over some torrent whose
bed lay half tho year dusty; bills for
subsidies, reIiefs, pensions, expenses,
salaries, costs, fees, and hundreds OF pre-.
jeCts for drawing money from the treasury
and not u solitary measure for increasing
that within, except one bill to increase the
coinage OF silver. The private bills were
overwhelmingly in tho majority, and the
number OF fraud grabs and steals that mas
queraded under the compassionate words
"ior the roliefof," are beyond computation.
AN ICE COLD CLAIMANT rOR A SEAT.
Mr.. Page, Of California, startled the
House by presenting certificate OF cleo
ton Of one Ball, as delegate from Alaska,
Ball Is an cx!Trcasury agent, who was late
ly located in Alaska, and who wants to
make that country territory that he may
secure the position Of delegate, tho mile
agc Of which would satisfy any modest
man for life. Ball has been in the city for
some time exhibiting his certificate and
detailing tho woes that Alaska Americans
arc compelled to undergo from tho lack oi
representation, AS there are about 800
white people in the whole country, the OBJ
lection was made to Mr.. Balls entreaties
that u hard winter might depopulate the
country and leave the representative with
out votes enough to elect him.
The Speaker ruled that there were few
things that couldn't be run in under the
head Of introduction Of bills, and that Mr..
Balls certificate came under that category,
METHOD OF PAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE
LATE PRESIDENTS ILLNESS,
A resolution introduced by Judge Tay.
lor, Of Ohio, to-day, to provide for a
committee, to consist Of eleven members,
to audit the bills incurred by the illness oI
the late President Garfield, was unani.
mously adopted'by the House to-day, and
II Is looked upon rs much more proper
method OF conducting the business than
that proposed by Mr.. Edmunds in the
Senate. The latter simply authorizes the
Treasury officials TO pay out what they
think proper in the case the amount moi
10 exceed 100000.
Judge Taylor proposes to thoroughly in.
vcstigate all the bills and see that no exor.
bitant charges are made. Judge Taylor's
chief object, however, in providing this
commission is to protect Mrs. Garfield from
being over run with people seeking co M
pensation for little iavors, alleged to have
been performed, and provide some tribu'
nal for the auditing Of the bills, toward
which she can turn all opportunities oil
this kind for consideration. He also pro.
poses that the commission shall con.
slider the extraordinary expense oi
running the White House with score OF
more attendants and visitors, and reim'
burse Mrs. Garfield to the amount charged
to the private expenses OF the President
The commission will also consider the sub
iect Of the amount OF pension and allowance
OF salary 10 be given Mrs. Garfield. All
these matters are OF course unprovided fol
by Mr. Edmunds' measure. The members
to constitute the commission will Id ap
pointed on Friday next
DAVIS ISLAND DAM.
Representative shallenberger will intro
duce n bill in day or two to inquire from
the Secretary Of War the cost Of completing
Davis Island ddm and making full ap
preparation therefor.
CtAiRM ASsnlr FOR CONGRESSMAN urDEdRArl
Congressman UpdeeraiT, Of Ohio, Is likel!
to be Chairman Of the Committee on Ag
riCulture.
CONGRESS-.
sYnopsis Of the Proceedings OF III,
House and senate.
WAsHtSsroS, December 13.-1n the Sen
ate to-day, Messrs. Ntaxey, Vest Groom
and Ferry presented petition for the pro
blbttion Of unjust discrimination in rail
road charges.
Mr. 1toar, from the Committee on Rules
rOno,ted back the resolution for q ssleC