The National tribune., 1883-03-08
HOESE.
WEDNESDAYS PROCEEDINGS.

WEDNESDAYS 5 PROCEEDINGS.
| In the House, on Wednesday, the 23th ult,
/ Mr. Randall Pa asked to be excused from
! serving on the committee of conference on the
/ tariff and internel revenue bill.
/ The Chair then successively appointed Mr.
! Morrison, of Illinois, and Mr.. Tucker of Vir-
/ ginia, but these gentlemen declined. He after
wards appointed Mr. Speer, of Georgia.
The river and harbOr bill was taken up, and
Mr. McLane Md spoke in support of the bill.
| Mr.. Cox, On. W in q five-minute speech, Op-
| posed the bill, and expressed his wonder at
| how it managed always to get through. 1t
! reminded him of the bill mentioned in IOlan-
the" Though your fury it arOuses, it shall
| be passed by both your houses"
| Mr.. Butterworth (O) expressed his disbelief
| in the idea that the waters of the Mississippi
| could be confined by mud walls without a COM
promise with mu5krats or a truce with mole5
| "a, Mr.. Ellis (La.l spoke in favor of the leyee
fsystem
The bill was then read by paragraphs for
amendments.
THURSDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, on Thursday, the 1st inst. Mr..
Forney (Ala.) presented the conference report
on the fOrtifcatiOn appropriation bill, and it
was agreed to. The bill appropriates S670,00O,
being $295, 900 more than when it passed the
Housed
The House then-yeas 124, nays 107-ordered
that the consideration of the river and harbOr
bill should be resumed, and Immediately went
into committee on that bill.
At this point Il message was received from
the Senate announcing the appointment of
Senators Malone and McDill as conferees on
the internal revenue bill to fill the vacancies
Occasi0ned by the declination of Senators Bay
ard and Beck, an announcement that was
ceived with laughter by the Democratic side.
The item relative to the Mississippi River hay-
ing been reached, Mr.. Robinson offered an
tIOn or repair of leyeeS except In the perform
ance of existing contracts. After debate the
amendment was defeated.
The clause as finally agreed to is as follows:
Improving Mississippi River.-That the sum of
one million five hundred thousand dollars be and
is hereby appropriated, or so much thereof as may
be necessary, out ofany money in the Treasury not
otherwise appropriated for the improvement of
the Mississippi River from the head of the passes
to Cairo, including the harbOrs of New Orleans,
Ndtchez, Nicksburg, Memphis, and the reaches at
Plum Point and Lake Providence, and the defee-
ton OF the waters of tho Red and Mississippi Rivers
from the Atchafiilaya River; five hundred thousand
dollars from Cairo TO the Illinois River, including
Alton harbor and one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars from the Illinois River to the Des Moines
Rapids, including improvement of Quincy Bay,
which said sums shall be expended under the di-
rectiOn of the Secretary War in accordance with
the plans, specifications, estimates, and recommen-
dationS of the Mississippi River commission, pro-
vided that no portion OF the money hereby aPpro-
priaed shall be expended at any other points than
those herein specified.
The committee then rose.
The Speaker announced the appointment of
Messrs. Steele, Ind,) Townsend, (O.,) and
Sparks (lll.) as members Of the board of visitors
to West Point, and of Messrs. Harmer, Pa.)
Updegratf, Ia.,) and Mills Tex as members
of similar board to Annapolis.
Mr. Moore Tenn offered a resolution call
ing on the Secretary of the Interior for infOr-
nation as to the amount of Indian trust funds
invested in Tennessee bonds, and whether Ten
nessee has made any proposition looking to
their settlement. Referred.
At the evening session the deficiency ap-
preparation bill was called up and passed, and
the House resumed consideration of the river
and harbor bill. The item for the apprOpria-
tion for the Improvement of the Sacramento
River led to a violent attack by Mr.. Van FOOr
his, of New York, on Mr.. Page, of California
who reported the bill Mr. McLaue MD |
made a motion TO eXpel Mr.. Van N0Orhis for
unparliamentary language, but the offending
member withdrew the Objectionable words, and
the excitement quieted down.
FRIDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, on Friday, the I'd inst. Mr.. /
Carpenter, Ia.,) under instruction from the |
Committee on Education and Labor, called |
up Senate bill amending the act granting pub |
lie lands to the several States and Territories |
which may provide colleges for the benefit of |
agriculture and the mechanic arts. Passed.
At the conclusion of the hour the Senate |
amendments to the sundry civil appropriation |
bill were non cOncurred in.
The conference report on the District of /
Columbia appropriation bill was agreed to.
Mr. Caswell MOI submitted the conference /
report on the post-oilice appropriation bill, |
which states continued disagreement on the !
items providing for special mail facilities and |
limiting the compensation to be paid to Subsi- |
died railroads
Mr. Robinson moved that the House re-
cede from its disagreement to the two amend
mentS and agree to the same. Agreed to.
[The effect of this vote is to pass the bill re-
tanning the appropriation of $1S5000 for special
mail facilities, and without the clause limiting
the compensation to be paid TO subsidized rail-
roads for mail transportation
The House then took up the Mississippi con-
tested case of Buchanan VS.. Manning. The |
resolution which grants the contestant leave to
withdraw papers without rGiudice was adopted.
This confirms the right of Mr. Manning 10 the
seat.
Mr.. Bingham (Pa) moved to suspend the
rules and pass bill to adjust the salaries of post
masters. Mr. Bingham explained that the OBJ
ject OF the bill was to adjust the salaries of
47,000 postmasters. This had been rendered
necessary by the actionOf Congress in reducing
the rates of postage, to take effect on October
next. The bill retained the present classifCa-
tiOn of pOstmasters. As to the first class of
postmasteys the bill carried 5l2, 900 additional
compensation. The salary of the postmasteTs
at st. Louis, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia
was increased from $1,000 to $4,000, and at Gin
cinnati, Baltimore San Francisco and Washing
ton from $1,000 to $1,000 The compensation
to second and third-class postmasters remained
as at present. The rate OF commission granted
to fourth-claSs postinasters had been changed
so that they would receive about the same com
pensation under the two-cent law as they did
under the three-cent law.
The motion was agreed to-152 to Gland
the bin passed.
Mr.. Flower IN. " moved to suspend the