Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-25
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
A QUIET DAY IN THE TWO
HOUSES.

The Naval Bill-The Unfinished Moni-
tors-New Steel Cruisers-The Senate
and the Tariff-The Duties on Iron
Ore and Steel-Mississippi Improve
ment.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-In the Senate.
at the close Of the morning business. the
tarln bill was brought up, the pending ques-
tion being on Mr.. Camden's amendment TO
make the duty on iron ore go cents per ton.
Mr.. Miller, of New York, addressed the
Senate and read letter from Jas. Burden,
OF the Troy Iron Works, stating that New
York is a greater iron State than Penn
sylvania, that New York ores are well
adapted to the production of Bessemer
steel without being mixed with foreign
ores, and that the duty on foreign ores
ought to be increased.
Mr.. Camden's amendment making the
DUTY 6O cents per ton, was defeated.
MIR. Aldrlch's amendment, offered from
the committee on Finance yesterday, re-
duclng the duty on pyrites containing not
over o1z per cent. of copper to 80 cents
per ton, with 21z cents per pound addi-
tlonal for copper in ore containing more
than 81 per cent, was agreed to unani-
mOusly.
The pig and scrap iron section was
taken up, and several amendments in
creasing the duties were voted down.
Several amendments We're then adopted
slightly reducing the duties on steel in its
various crude forms, and on steel railway
bars.
Adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
On motion of Mr.. Oates, of Alabama,
Saturday, February Sd, at O'Clock, was
for fhn
tion of appropriate resolutions on the
death of w. NJ. Lowe, of Alabama
The House, at 10, went into commit
tee of the whole { Mr.. Page, of California.
in the chair) on the naval appropriation
bill, the pending paragraph being that
making appropriations for the Bureau of
Construction and Repair.
This section was passed without amend
ment. The next clause was that proVid-
ing for the completion of one of the double
turreted monitors. This was amended
so as to provide that the contract for the
completion of either of these vessels must
be approved by the naval advisory board
instead of by the new board, as provided
| by the bill. Another amendment was
adopted striking out the proviso
for the completion of the moni-
tor by contract and inserting the
| clause, sit shall be completed in a
| government navy yard, under direction
| of the Navy Department, by officers and
employees of the government and not by
contract, with the prOvisO that the Secre-
| tary of the Navy can do the work in a
navy yard as cheaply and with as much
| advantage to the government; provides
| also, that if the Secretary of the Navy
| shall not decide to do this work in navy
| yard of the United States, he shall then
| invite proposals from all ship builders,
| whose yards are fully equipped for repair
| ing or building IRON or steel ships.
The section providing for the cOnstruc-
| tiOn of new steel cruising vessels was
| amended so as to provide that they shall
be built by contract, under proper safe
| guards.
The committee then rose and reported
/ the bill to the House, and the previous
! question was ordered on the bill and
amendments. The amendments were
adopted in bulk, except that providing
that the chiefs of bureaus shall receive no
additional pay, and that relating to the
| appropriation for tOrpedOes. Pending
action on these amendments, the House
| adjourned.
MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENT.
Captain Carter, of st. Louis, testified
before the special Mississippi river COM
mittee this morning. approving the plans
of the Mississippi River Commission, and
expressed the opinion that it is the duty
of the government to protect the lands of
the lower valley from encroachments by
overflow.