Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-21
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CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, d. O., December 90
At the close of the morning hour,
Senator Allison called up the consul
lar and diplomatic appropriation bill,
and the Senate proceeded to consider
il.
The amendments reported by the
committee on appropriations were
agreed to, except the provision, that
nothing in the act shall be construed
to extend the time within which the
French and American claims CONS
mission shall make it's final report
and expire.
On motion of Senator Pendleton,
with the approval of. the committee
on foreign relations, the amendment
was added appropriating $4,000 to-
enable the President to extend di-
plomatic relations with the govern
ments of eastern Asia.
The bill was then passed.
Senator Jones,of Florida, offered
resolution, which was agreed to, di-
recting the Secretary of the Navy, to
inform the Senate whether, in his
judgment, any further appropriations
are necessary to put the Pensacola
Navy Yard in state of efficiency, and
what is the condition of the dry-dock
there, and whether it is in condition
to be used for the purposes for which
it was constructed.
Senator Jones said that he had
observed that the Pensacola Navy
Yard was one of those that the Sec
retary of the Navy thought should
be abolished, and he made a brief
argument to show that this yard,
the only one in the Gulf of Mexico,
''our great Mediterranean Sea- was
of great Importance, and ought to
be maintained for the protection OF
the Gulf, and of the Mississippi
Valley, having its outlet there.
The civil service bill being under
consideration, Senator Pendleton Of
fered an amendment striking out the
provision that the original entrance
to the service shall be in the lowest
grade, and providing that appoint-
ments in the departments shall be
apportioned as nearly as possible
among the States and Territories and
the District Of Columbia, upon a
basis of population. A long Discus
sion ensued.
The Senate at 4:55, went into ex~
exutive session. and when the doors
were reopened, adjourned.
WASHINGTON, December 20.-Mr.
Browne, of Indiana, called up his
motion to reconsider the vote by
which the bill permitting retired
army officers to hold civil Offices in
the Territories, was Indefinitely post
poned.
The motion prevailed, and the mos
ton to postpone was withdrawn.
The bill passed.
The House, at 1:25, went into a
committee of the whole, Mr.. Reed,
of Maine, in the chair, on the post>
Office appropriation bull
Mr.. Robson, of New Jersey, cons
tinued his argument III support OF his
pending amendment fixing the com
pensation OF the land grant and bond
subsidy railroads for carrying the
mails. The amendment was agreed
to after being SO modified as to pros
vide that the compensation paid to
subsidized roads shall be fixed by the
Postmaster General at rate not ex
ceeding that fixed by him or allowed
by law to other companies of the
same class, to which the United
States have furnished aid by the
grant OF land, right OF way or other
wise. e.
The question then recurred on Mr..
Holman amendment, which fixes the
compensation for carrying the mails
by the land grant railroads, which
have received over $4,000 per mile,
at per cent of the rate allowed to
other railroads. Lost.
On motion of Mr. Mills, of Texas,
the amendment was adopted directs
ing the Postmaster General to make
a thorough investigation into the
railway mail service of the United
States and report to the next ses-
sion of Congress what is the reason
able value of the transportation of
mails and what difference there is
between the cost of transportation
of freight for private parties and the
cost of transport of mails.
The committee rose and reported
the bill to the House, and it was
passed.
Mr.. Butterworth gave notice that
be would ask the consideration of
the army appropriation bill TO-
morrow. - r
Mr.. Lynch, of Mississippi, offered
q resolution making it in order to
offer an amendment to the pension
appropriation bill extending the
provisions of the act, and placing
enlisted colored persons on the same
footing as other soldiers as to pen
slons and bounty to such persons.
Referred.
The House, at 4:40, adjourned.
Fined $1,000 for Collecting Po-
litical ssas syo oapts