Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-05
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
The Senate To-day.
THE MERCHANT MARINE OF THE COUNTRY AN


The Senate To-day.
| THE MERCHANT MARINE OF THE COUNTRY AN
ORPHAN.
Mr.. Frye to-day presented to the Senate petit
'lon from citizens of Bath Me-, in behalf OF COM
mission to consider the merchant marine. He said
| he did not know where to send the petition, as
| there was 10 committee OF either house o; Con-
gress that took the slightest interest in tle mSr
chant marine; there was no head of any depart
| ment who had any jurisdiction over the subject.
| The merchant marine was an orphan, without an
| orphans court; waif without home: a tramp
| n whom nobody took any interest. But, Mr.. Frye
| added, the time would come when Congress would
! be compelled to take this matter into consdera-
TOMAS there ought to be commission to consider
this Whole subject. The petition was sent to the
| commerce committee.
The House bills appropriating s75 900 for pub
| lie building at Dallas, Texas, and granting con-
| demned cannon to Grand Army Republic posts at
| Chicopee, Mass, and Ottawa, Kansas, were re-
| ported and passed.
Mr. Cameron, Of Pa introduced bill amending
schedule OF title 33 of the Revised Statutes, so
as to levy upon all manufactures, etc, made from
| hoop, band or scroll iron, or OF which hoop band
chief value, the same duty that is imposed on the
hoop, band or scroll iron from which the manufac-
| lures are made etc. Referred to finance com
| mittee
Mr. Cameron Of Wisconsin, moved to dispense
With the calendar for the purpose of taking up the
caused some debate. Messrs. Hoar, Ingalls, and
HoT HoThees urging immediate consideration Of the
!
| opposed its consideration. The motion was agreed
to by vote Of 81 to "a.
IN Messrs.s Mcmillan, Plumb, Morrill, and Davis
| tl) voted no with the democrats. MeSSrS. Cor
| man, jackson, Jones (Fla.) Morgan and voorhees,
voted aye with the republicans. Motions to post
BIN, headed by Messrs I cockreIi, Plumb and md
| Butler.
The Senate this afternoon voted to postpone till
december next the consideration Of q national
| bankrupt law.
House of Representatives.
The motion made last Monday by Mr.. Blanchard,
OF Louisiana, to suspend the rules and pass Senate
Dill appropriatng 100000 for public building at
| Shreveport, La, was taken up and discussed for
| thirty minutes. In the course of the discussion
Mr. Burrows, of Michigan, stated, as proof OF the
| little need OF courthouse there, that there had
| been no criminal business there at the last July
session OF the United States court, and not enough
OF jurors; and Mr. Ellis, OF Louisiana, replied that
that fact spoke well for the virtue and morals OF
| the western district OF Louisiana. The
motion was adOpted-113 to &c.
MT Aldrich of Illinois, introduced bill to repeal
dne d1,e, act OF 1872 adding @ per cent to the
uuty On sugar and mOlaSSeS Referred.
THE NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL.
The House then, at IL O'Clock, went into commit
tee OF the whole, (Mr Page, of CAL In the chair)
and res umed consideration OF the naval approprl-
alton Dill-the pending question being the amend
| ment offered by Mr. Reed to the paragraph for the
| bureau OF construction and repair. The amend
100000 the amount to be applied to the repair OF
wooden shtpS alSO to make the clause read so that
the expense OF such epair shall not exceed 30 per
cent. OF the estimated cost OF new vessel OF the
| same size and like material. The amendment was
MI Atkins moved to reduce the amount for the
bureau OF construction and repair from 81 100000
to 81. 500 Coo The latter sum was the same as the
! appropriation Of last year. The increase was
based on the idea Of the construction OF one or two
| new vessels. But the reorganization OF the navy
was question of too great Importance to be dis
IL. md
this was proposition to commence the rebuilding
Mr. Whitthorne made an argument in the same
line. This was neither the time nor the occasion
to consider deliberately what the character of the
| Mr. Harris (Mass.) argued against the amend
ment, ana expressed ms own opinion In favor OF an
Mr. Talbot also argued against the amendment,
and reminded the gentlemen from Tennessee that
they had voted against proposition to set day
TOR the consideration of a report from the naval
committee looking to a reconstruction OF the navy
The subject ought to be considered by the commit
| Mr.. Robson also opposed the amendment. Its
adoption would be declaration that the United
states should nave no navy to protect its COM
merce Or vindica te It's honor. ~. ,. -,
| Mr.. Atkins expressed the hope that the gentle
man would not say that the country had no navy
| now.
| Mr.. Robson replied that the report OF the naval
| committee showed that it now had no navy at all,
present navy of wood, and it required as large
yearly expenditure to keep it In repair as it
would M ESt cost 10 co Ma building new navy
| have no .ron-cladS?'
Mr. Kobeson-.Thers are ID iron-clads, but they
! are not cruising ships"
| Mr.. Flount, of Georgia, commented on the enor-
NOUS expenditure which would be necessary to
| build up a navy that would compare with the
navles Of European powers WIN '''
Mr. Harris, of New Jersey, spoke in favor OF a
| reorganization OF the navy.
! The debate was in progress when our repOrt
| closed.
| The Distsict in Congress.
The bill to refund the NJ. G. Emery assessments,
which has passed the House, has been referred by
| the Senate District committee to Senator Aidrch
| OF Rhode Island
! THE NEXT DISTRICT IN THE HOUSE
On Monday next, the House District OF Columbia
committee will have the floor again after the
morning hour. AS yet no business has been
mapped out Chairman Neal is growing resttve
| over the delay in the Senate in taking action on
the Potomac flats bill, and If something is not
| done by that body meanwhile, he may again cali
| up the flats bill in the House.
! THE WATER SUPPLY BILL.
| Mr.. Neal is still Withholding the District water
| supply bill until the House bill is dsposed or
There is desire to dispose of the naval bill as
| early as possible, SO that the Senate appropria-
tfonS committee may have an appropriation bill to
work upon. 1t is quite likely that the naval bill
Will be disposed of some time to-day. In such
event Mr. Neal Will at once call up the water bill.
| IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS TO THE GENERAL DErI-
| CIENCY APPROPRIATION BILL.
An amendment was inserted by the Senate in
the general deficiency bill, appropriating $! 3 to
| enable the District Commissioners to pay the Jan
itors OF the Franklin, Seaton, Curtis, Randall Alb
| bott and j. F. Cook school buildings the amounts
| withheld from the pay OF such janitors during the
1881. Also for the purpose OF enabling the
Commissioners to complete the investment Of ten
per cent retained under the contract for the con-
structton OF the first section OF the Boundary street
| sewer, sufficient sum is transferred from the
| money paid at the Treasury for the year 1881 and
| made applicable to the year 1879. An amendment
| was also adopted as folOws:-"And the remainder
| OF the unexpended balance in the Treasury to the
credit OF the District OF Columbia for the year 1881
IS made available for the expenses OF the District
| for the year ending June 30 1882, provided there
| snail be paid from the Treasury OF the United
States to the Commissioners under section of the
| act approved March 3, 1881, a sum equal to the
amount OF all general taxes paid ON drawback GER
| tificates." In explaining the amendment Mr.. IN
gals said. This does not result from any ex-
| from any unwarranted expenditures, but merely
| from the fact that in consequence OF ccnstruc-
ton that has been placed by the controller OF the
/ Treasury upon section OF statute previously
passed In regard to the payment OF taxes by what
| are known as drawback certificates, the income OF
| the District has been reduced"
BILL TO PUNISH HOUSEKEEPING.
The Senate, on motion OF Mr.. Harris, to-day took