Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-11

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.-In the Senate.
the petition of the tobacco dealers and
manufacturers for rebate equal to anv re-
duction that may be made in the tax on
tobacco were presented by Messrs. Hale.
Miller OF New York, and Edmunds.
Mr.. Hoar asked Mr.. Pendleton when he
intended to call up his civil service bill.
Mr.. Pendleton, in reply, asked unani-
nous consent to take up the bill for the
purpose of making it the special order for
Monday next.
Mr.. Voorhees, said there were so many
more important measures awaiting the
action of the Senate that he was COM
PEELED to object.
Mr.. Pendleton then gave notice that as
soon as the bankruptcy bill was disposed
of he would move to take up the civil SER
vice bill.
Mr.. Vance offered a resolution which
was agreed to directing the Secretary of
the Treasury to furnish as soon as pOssi-
ble-a detailed statement showing the cost
of collecting the internal revenue in each
collection district, the number of employees
in each district, and the percentage of
cost upon the sums collected in each dis
trict.
The President submitted a communica-
tiOn from the Secretary of War; transmit
ting, in compliance with a resolution
adopted on motion of Mr.. Jonas, estimates
of the Mississippi River Commission for
the fiscal year ending June 80 1884.
The discussion of the question of refer
ence of this communication to the Com
merce Committee or the Mississippi River
! Committee brought on a renewal of the
debate on the river and harbOr bill of last
session, the point of attack being the use
! of public money to construct and repair
the Mississippi levees.
Pending discussion at the close of the
morning hour, Mr.. Beck called up his
resolution for an investigation of political
| assessments.
Mr.. Voorhees, addressed the Senate, CON
! graduating the country upon the wonder
! fui change of heart on this subject among
/ Republican Senators since the discussion
! last suGnmer.
In the course of the discussion Mr.. Hale
read circular calling meeting of the
liquor dealers of Dayton, Ohio, to aid in
defeating the fanatics and prOhibitionists,
and said he wished the investigating com
mittee to summon Edward Cooper and
ask him how much money the Democratic
Committee in New York collected from
the liquor dealers there.
At two O'Clock, without acting on Mr..
Beck's resolution, the Senate resumed con-
bankruptcy bill.
Mr.. Hoar continued his speech in ad
vOcacy of the Lowell bill, and when he
concluded, Mr.. Brown said he had listened
to the speeches Of Messrs. Ingalls, and
Hoar, and each had succeeded in con-
/ Yincing him that the bill of the other was
wrong. He thought before devOting more
time to the discussion of details it would
be well to ascertain whether the Senate
of flan hot
! law was required. He therefore moved
to indefinitely postpone the subject.
After some discussion it was agreed to
dispose of the bill on Monday.
Mr.. HaWley introduced a bill to prevent
officers of the United States from collect
! ing subscriptions or assessments from
each other. Referred to the Civil Service
Reform Committee. The bill is a complete
omnibus bill in its enumeration of parties
embraced in the prohibition, and of the
methods of assessment and collection
which are prohibited. No person of high
or low degree receiving compensation
f;Om the public treasury for any service
is permitted under this bill to pay or re-
ceive from another public servant money
for political purposes, and an infractiOn
of this law is made misdemeanOr, pun
ishable by maximum fine of $1,000 or a
maximum imprisonment of three years,
or bOth at the discretion of the court.
After a brief executive session, the Sem
ate adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, Mr.. Page, of California,
Chairman of the Committee on Commerce,
reported a resolution calling on the Secre-
| tary of War for information as to whether
any moneys appropriated by the last river
and harbor bill were appropriated for
works or objects that are not in the in
terest of and ~ not benefit commerce and
navigation, and if so, the names of such
works and objects, and the respective
amounts so appropriated; whether any of
the money has been used on works not in
the interest of commerce and navigation,
and if so, the names of such works;
whether the expenditure of any money
authorized by that act has been with
held or stopped, and if so, how
much and for what cause; the
amount likely to be on hand at the close
of the current fiscal year, and how much
of such balance comprises money which
has been carried over from year to year
from noncompliance with the conditions
of the law making such appropriations,
and to furnish the estimates Of the Engi-
neer's Department for the year 1884, which
have not been transmitted by the
Secretary Of the Treasury in con-
formity with section 1868 of the
Revised Statutes. This resolution at once
pIuuS6u IlG IlOltSc IllO Il Ledl6u anu GA-
citing debate upon the river and harbOr
bill, which was an exaggerated counter
part of the debate progressing in the Sem
ate at the same time. Messrs. McLane, of
Maryland, and Robson, of New JERSEY.
made strong speeches in favor of that bill,
Mr.. Robson attributing the opposition to
it from the metropolitan newspapers as
being in the interest Of the aggregated
capital employed on railroads.
Messrs. Cox and KassOn renewed their
opposition to the bill, and the members of
the House surrounded the speakers, and
several times interrupted them with
laughter and applause.
The House finally adopted the resOlu-
tion, and after the introduction and refer
ence of bills to promote telegraphic COM
municatiOn with Europe, and apprOpria-
ting $1,25Q,O00 for the purchase of real
estate i'll New York city for customs pur-
poses, at l 40 O'CLOCK proceeded to the con-
sideration of the consular appropriation
bill, which was passed, and the House
adjourned.
SENATOR MORGAN'S AMENDMENT TO THE
BANKRUPTCY BILL.
Senator MOrgan's amendment to the
bankruptcy bill, which was adopted last
evening, makes certain additions to the
list of acts already enumerated in the bill,
which constitute the ground for invOlun-
FPtNy PAONNOStA AiiC AS<At VI
the amendment is as follows: Cor shall
after the passage of the act sell or agree
to sell for delivery at a future time
any stocks, bonds or other securities, or
any grain, food, provisions, proYender or
cotton, sugar or salt or tobacco, without
being at the time of making such con-
tract, the owner or assignee, or trustee of
the property sold or agreed to be
sold, or the authorized agent
of such owner, assignee or trustee" In
connection with the amendment Mr.. Nor
gan said: 1.-THE substance of this amend
ment ] have taken from the statutes
of Massachusetts, which, one of the
honorable Senators from that State has
informed me, by mere declaration Of null
lity of such contracts has had the effect
of suppressing the evil within that State.
| congratulate Massachusetts upon her
success. / wish that some law had been
passed by my own State three years ago,
so that in an interior city in the State of
Alabama sixty thousand dollars would
have been saved to some of the very best
people in that city, its wives and children.
which were squandered in a single season
in betting on futures in cotton,'
THE ESTIMATES FOR THE MISSISSIPPI
-"' IMPROVEMENTS.
In reply to the resolution of Senator
Jonas, calling upon the Secretary of War
for the estimates of the Mississippi River
Commission, the estimates We're to-day