Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-24
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
YESTERDAYS WORK IN THE
TWO HOUSES.


The Duties on Sugar and Iron Ore
The Cotton ExpositiOn-Torpedo Ex-
periments-The Civil Rights, Cases
Mississippi ImProvement-A House
Official Under Fire.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22.-In the Senate.
Mr.. Morrill, at 80 moved to proceed to
the consideration of the tariff bill. saving
that If the motion was agreed to he would
assume that the Senate preferred to take
up the bill early each day rather than to
hold evening sessions. The motion was
adopted without opposition, and the
Senate began the consideration of schedule
c, metals.
Mr.. Frye gave notice of an amendment
to the sugar schedule, providing in lieu of
the present rate duty of % per cent. ad
Yalorem on mOlasSes, melado, cOncen-
trated melado, tank bottoms, syrup of
sugar, cane juice, concentrated mOlasses
and sugar not above No. 3 ID. s., and 30
per cent. ad YalOrem on all above this
standard, and providing further, that
these rates shall take effect on the passage
of this bill, and shall be collected on all
such goods which may be in the public
stores or bonded warehouses at that time.
The entire session was devoted to dis
cussing the duty on iron ore, and amend
ment after amendment was voted down
fixing the duty at various figures from
81 per ton down to 81 cents.
Without dispOsing of the iron ore, the
Senate went into executive session and
then adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, Mr.. Ranney, of Massachu-
setts, from the Committee on Elections,
reported a resolution in the Jones-Shelley
Alabama contested election case, direct
ing a special committee, composed of three
members of the Committee on Elections,
to proceed to the Fourth Congressional
district of Alabama and there take evil
dence in the matter of the pending con-
test. The resolution was ordered printed
and went over as unfinished business.
Mr.. AthertOn, of Ohio, obtained leave
to file minority report.
The Committee on Naval Affairs report
ed a bill to place Robert Smalls, of South
Carolina, on the retired list of the navy
with the rank of Captain. Ordered print
ed and recOmmitted.
The House, at IL 80, went into commit
tee of the whole on the naval apprOpria-
tion bill, the pending amendments being
those for the gradual abolition of the pay
corps of the army.
After fifteen minutes discussion an
amendment offered by NJ. Callzins was
adopted, which is as follows:
provided, that when vacancies occur
hereafter in the Paymaster's corps, there
shall be no original Appointments to fill
such vacancies, but promotions may be
made according to existing regulations
from those remaining in said corps. Off
GERS in the line shall be detailed to per-
form the duties of Paymasters under the
same rules and regulations as are now
required of Paymasters, but such officers
shall not be entitled to increased cOmpen-
satlOn in consequence of performing such
duties"
The retirement clause was amended in
various ways and then stricken out en-
tirely. When the clause apprOpriating
one hundred thousand dollars for the pur-
chase and manufacture of tOrpedOes was
reached, an amendment offered by Mr..
Harris, of Massachusetts, was adopted,
providing that they should be of Ameri-
can manufacture. The entire clause was
then stricken cut, and on motion of Mr..
Harris, another was inserted appropriate
ing one hundred thousand dollars for the
purchase or manufacture, after eXamina-
tiOn of tOrpedOes, the invention of citizens
of the United States, provided, that fifty
thousand dollars of this sum shall be paid
Asa Weeks when he shall execute and
deliver to the United States a release, in
writing, of all claims for the present or
future. usefOf all his inventions in tOrpe-
does.
Messrs. Harris, of Massachusetts,, and
WhitthOTne, of Tennessee, bore testimony
to the superiority of the tOrpedoes of Asa
Weeks.
Mr.. Ellis, of Louisiana, offered an amend
ment authorizing the Secretary of the
Navy, in his discretion, to constitute and
introduce as part of the equipment of the
navy the life saving dress adopted by the
Life Saving Service, Adopted,
After completing the consideration of IA
of the 28 pages of the bill, the committee
rose, and the House adjourned.
THE COTTON EXPOSITION BILL.
Mr.. Garland's bill, introduced in the
Senate this morning, to encourage the
holding of a cotton exposition in 1884, pro-
yides that an exposition shall be had
at time and place to be designated by
the executive committee of the National
Cotton Growers Association, under the
management of a board of thirteen per-
sons, to be appointed by the President on
the recommendation of the association,
and subscribers to the expenses of the eX-
position, who are to cooperate with the
board of commissioners, consisting of one
from each State and Territory, to be ap-
pointed by the President on the recon-
mendatiOn of the Governors of the State
or Territory. The title of the exhibition
is to be 'The Worlds Industrial and Cot
ton Centennial Exposition"
CHIEF CLERK BAILEY's CASE.
Charges have been preferred that John
Bailey, Chief Clerk of the House of Repre-
sentatiYes, has been kept in his position
several years through the influence of the
Washington Gas Company for the pur-
pose of influencing legislation in their in
terest. A special committee is investi-
eating these charges. John Harmon, a
lobbyist for forty years, testified before
the Investigating committee this morning
that he was paid 1000 by the Gas Com
pany for work done by him in defeating
legislation adverse to the company be-
tween the years 1875 and 1878, and he
further testified that the money was paid
him at the house of Jno. Bailey, the party
under investigatiO n.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS CASES.
The section of the Revised Statutes
which was declared unconstitutional by
the Supreme Court yesterday was Sec
ton Of an act passed in 1871, which at
tempted to give United States courts
jurisdiction oyer crimes properly punish
able by the States. The remaining cases
referred to yesterday as forming portions
of what are known as the ''ciFil rights
cases" are all brought under the civil
rights bill proper. They are cases in
vOlving the infringement of the rights of
colOred people to equality with the whites
as citizens.
REPORT ON WAR CLAIMS.
The House Committee on War Claims
to-day directed Representative Houk to
report a bill authorizing the payment Of
certain claims reported by the accounting
officers of the Treasury Department under
the Fourth of July claims act. The bill
includes LAT claims, aggTegating $685.
S49, ,0G5, of which sum the citizens of Ten
nessee receive $19,OO6,S17, Kentucky
SO, ,326, ,421, Indiana 81 ,9S7, ,294, West Vir-
ginia 1851, ,292, and Maryland 81, ,S51, ,S26.
THE MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENT.
The Gpecial committee on the improve
ment Of The 4Iissfssippi river completed
this morning the hearing of Capt. LenoX,
of st. Louis, and also that of Capt, Cow
den on his outlet system. Capt. LenOX did
not in his testimony indorse all the work
of the River Commission, though he was
in favor of much that is being done under
its direction. Tomorrow Capt. Carlen, of
Louisville, KY, will be heard. The TAX
ing of testimony will be closed on Thurs
day.
CRASH IN CHICAGO.