Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-31
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
SATURDAY IN THE SENATE.
The DeusIer hmm g ration Bill Pass
ed-The Naval Bill Under Con-
sIdeFaiiOn-The River and HsrbOr
BiIEs Chances with the President
-NOminssiOns-The Coming Week
In Congress.

WASHINGTON, July 30.-In the Senate to-
morrow morning, Immediately after the
reading of the journal, the naval appro-
p istion bill is to be taken up, and It's con-
sideration will be continued until three
O'Clock under the ive-minu;e rule. A. that
hour, according TO the unanimous agree
ment effected yesterday, the Senate will
proceed to vote (without further debate) on
all amendments then pending or which
may thereafter be offered, and then
upon the bin itself. 1t will therefore un-
doubtedly be passed tomorrow afternoon
in time to take up The sundry civil appro-
priation bill before adjournment. and unless
the Senate determines TO go into executive
session for the remainder OF the dsv. the
consideration of the last named measure
may be sufficiently advanced to warrant the
expectation Of completing It by Tuesday
evening. There is no doubt, however, that
this appropriation bill, the last OF the regu-
lar annual series, will be disposed of BY the
Senate not later than Wednesday.
1t appears now to be conceded on all
hands that the tax and tariff reduction bin
will go over to the next session. and the
only apprehensiOns Of any serious difficulty
In terminating the present session of Con
gress by or before the end of this week are
those which grow out of the feeling of nm
certainty IS to the action OF President Ar
thur on the river and harbor bill, and the
still greater uncertainty in regard to the
action OF Congress on this subject
in case the bill be absoluteIv
vetoed. Several of the most prominent ad-
vocates of the bill now in the hands of the
President express very strong indfsposi-
tion to favor the preparation of an7 other
measure 10 take its place In the event of a
veto, and 1t is also doubtful whether any at
tempt OF his sort would be made. or
whether If made, the necessary number of
votes could be mustered in the present de-
pleted House of Representatives to mass
bill which would provide onlv
for such objects as are universally admitted
to be OF national importance and leave out
smaller items, in regard to which the Presi-
dent may indicate his own disapprovaI.
1t is also very doubtful whether a PROPOSE
tion to confer express authority upon
the President for an exercise of executive
discretion in the matter of Withholding the
expenditure of some of the appropriations
could be enacted at the present session.
and If any such proposition comes before
the Senate for debate, 1t may possibly have
the effect OF delaying adjournment until
next week.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS
WASHINGTON, July 20 In the Senate,
Mr.. Allison, Chairman of. the Committee on
Appropriations, reported back the sundry
civil appropriation bill, with amendments.
Placed on the calendar.
On motion of Mr.. Conger, the House bill,
known as the Deuster bill, to regulate the
carriage of passengers by sea, was passed.
On motion of Mr.. Miller, OF New York,
the House bill to regulate immigration was
passed.
The Senate then resumed consideration
of the naval appropriation bill, the clause
under discussion being that referring to
double turretted monitors.
Mr.. Beck offered the amendment of which
he gave notice yesterday, reducing from
81 100000 to 100000 the amount appro-
priated for completing the MiantonOmah
and launching the other four monitors;
prohibiting the completion of those four
vessels until further order OF Congress, and
directing the Naval Advisory Board to re-
port as to the sdvisability of their compile
ton.
Mr.. Beck advocated his amendment,
stating that 1t would only delay the decis.
ion OF the question OF completing the moni-
tors until next December, when Con-
gress would be in possession of all the in
formation obtained by the Naval Advisory
Board. Unless the amendment was
adopted he believed the old contracts of 1877
would be resffirmed. The Secretary of the
Navy had stated to the Committee on Ap-
preparations that he was suncertainwhether he
would submit the old contracts to the
Attorney General to decide on their legality,
but that II he thought them legal he would
take the responsibility of affirming them
himself. He (Mr. Beck) did not want any
executive officer to decide whether these
contracts were legal or illegal before the
report of the whole matter was made to
Congress. The amendment was adopted
yeas 33, NAYS 19.
The clause relating to the monitors was
temporarily laid aside.
Mr.. Miller, of California, moved to strike
out the clause of the bill abolishing the
grade OF Commodore, and to insert q pro-
vision for board OF commissioners to con-
slider all matterSrelating to proper reduc-
tion OF the official list OF the navy and the
adjustment OF the several corps thereof.
The provision was ruled out on a point of
order, but the first part of the motion, to
wit : to strike out the clause abolishing the
grade OF Commodore, prevailed-Yeas q,
nays %.
On motion of Mr.. Butler, of South Caro-
lima, an amendment was adopted striking
out the clause providing for Condemnation
and sale OF such stores and supplies be-
longing to the several bureaus of the navy
as shall be unserviceable, and inserting
clause directing the Secretary of the Navy
10 make report of such stores and supplies
to Congress.
After coming to an arrangement that a
vote should be taken on the bill at 8 o'clock
on Monday, the Senate, without further ac-
tion, at 6:15 p. m. adjourned.
THE APPROPRIATION BILLS.
The sundry civil appropriation bill,
which was reported to the Senate to-day, |
aggregates $25, ,764, 900, an increase over the
House bill Of 81, ,7SS, 600.
Opinions are pretty nearly evenly divided
as to whether the President will veto or
approve the river and harbor bill. What
ever preponderance of opinion exists is on
the side of approving the bill, because 1t is
known that the President strongly favors
the Mississippi river improvement, and the
reclamation Of the Potomac flats in front Of
Washington, and the appropriations for
these purposes form two of the principal
items in the bill.
NOMINATIONS.
The President to-day nominated Albert
Fl. Leonard to be United States Attorney
for the Second district of Louisiana; and
the following to be Postmasters: VIM.
McKenna at Shreveport, La; Julius Enni
moser at Monroe, La; j. G. Hatchell at