Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-15
SATURDAY IN CONGRESS.
TACKLING THE TRANSPORTA-
TION PROBLEM.

TION PROBLEM.
A Railway Commission PropOsed-The
Gigantic Pension SwindIe Rushed
Through the HOuse-The Ways and
Means Committees Tariff Bill Com
pleted-The Mississippi Improvement.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.-In the Senate,
Mr.. Ingalls, introduced a bill to provide
for the appointment of a commission to
consider the subject of railroad transpor-
tatiOn. 1t provides that the President,
with the advice and consent of the
Senate, shall appoint seven commits
sioners from civil life whose duty
it shall be to consider and investigate
the subject of railroad transportation
in its relations to the agricultural, COM
mercial and industrial interests of the
United States. The commission is to in
quire generally into conditions affecting
| commerce among States, grounds of COM
plant existing against railroad
corporations resulting from un-
just discrimination, eXOrbitant or
unequal rates, insufficient facilities
| for traffic or unlawf.a combinations, in
what manner existing evils can be RENE
| died by legislation, and to report their
recommendations and the results of their
inquiry W NOuSI66S uOI ldltT, i1du JUc uTSL
Monday in December, 1888. The second
section provides for the compensation of
| the commissioners at $40 per day and rea-
SOnable expenses, and authorizes them to
visit such portions of the country as they
may deem advisable in the performanceO of
| their duties.
| No other legislative business was trans
acted. After struggle for precedence of
| bills, the Senate, at 2:25, went INTO
| executive session. At $3.50 p. m. the doors
were reOpened, aud the Senate adjourned.
| The executive session was devoted to
the discussion Of the Weil-La Abra MeXi-
can treaty. No conclusion was reached
| upon it, and it went over for cOnsidera-
ton at the next executive session.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
Immediately after reading the journal
the House went into committee of the
whole Mr.. Reed, of Maine, in the chair)
on the pension appropriation bill. 1t APP
prOpriates $81, ,575, 900 as follows: For
| army pensions, $S0,000,000; for navy PEN
sions, $1,0O0,0 900; for fees and expenses of
| examining surgeons, $275, 900; for pay and
| allowance of pension agents, $29O,000; for
| contingent expenses, $4,000.
Mr.. O'Neill, of Pennsylvania, under au-
thOrity of the Committee on Appropria-
tiOns, moved to increase the apprOpria-
tions for army pensions to $S5,000,O0
Mr.. ONeill explained that at the close of
the present fiscal year there would be an
uneXpended balance to the credit of the
Pension Bureau of $15,800,000, which
would bring the appropriation up to the
estimate of the department, $101, 900.
The amendment was adopted. The COM
mittee then rose and reported the bill to
the House, when it was passed.
The House then again went into COM
mittee of the whole ON the fertilization
bill. The bill makes the following appro-
priatiOns: For the protection, preserva-
tiOn and repair of Notifications and other
works of defense $175, 900; for the arma-
ment of seacOast Notifications, including
heavy guns and howitzers for flank de-
tense, etc., including conversion of smooth
bore cannon into rifles, $l00, 900; for tor
pedoes for harbOr defense and the preser-
vatiOn of the same, $4,000; total $685., 900.
The bill was discussed briefly, reported to
the House without amendment and pass
ed.
The House then passed several bills re-
lating to pensions, bounty and back pay
OF soldiers and sallOrs-amOng them one
authorizing the Secretary of the Interior,
in the adjudication of pension claims, to
require declarations that have been Yeri-
fled before any officer authorized to adj
minister oaths, whose signature shall
be certified before the Court of Record.
as if it had been verified before a court of
record by others. The bills were adopted.
The pension for total blindness was placed
at $50 per month"; for blindness of one eye
at $12, and for degrees of blindness an
equitable proportion. For total deafness
a pension of $25 a month is granted, with
a propOrtionate pension for impairment of
hearing. Adjourned.
THE TARIFF BILL COMPLETED.
The Ways and Means Committee COM
pleted to-day their revision of the tariff
q indr Inn, foNrf
changes. Most of the work done consist
ed of changing the phraseology, and in
some instances making the duty specific
instead of ad valorem without really
changing the rate. The bill will be Onece
more looked over by the committee and
then reported at the earliest opportunity
to the House.
The committee this afternoon agreed to
recommend that the duty on salt be in
creased from the rate previously agreed
upon and left as fixed by the existing
law.
MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENT.
AT meeting of the Special Committee
on the Improvement of the Mississippi
River, last night, Il. S. Taylor, of the Com
mission, gave full Endorsement to the
work in progress, to its practicability so
far as prosecuted, and to the levee system
as a valuable and necessary part of it.
this morning. Judge Taylor will be re-
called on Monday, and it is hoped by the
chairman that the taking of testimony can
be closed next week, and that the report
to the House can be made in a few
days after.
THE TREATY WITH MEXICO.
General CanedO, one of the two Com
missioners appointed by the republic of
Mexico to negotiate commercial treaty
wit NlO TNNfN 4
ington last evening, and is the guest of
the Mexican Minister. A formal meeting
of the commission will be held on Monday
at O'Clock in the reception room of the
State Department,
TIE COMING WEEK IN CONGRESS.
Mondays session of the House of
Representatives, after the regular call of
States for Introduction of bills, will be de-
voted to call of committees for motions
to suspend the rules. The only special
orders for the week are Mr.. CulbersOn's
bill to regulate the removal of
cases from State to Federal courts
"a continuing Order) and the
steamboat bill, which is set down
for Wednesday. Neither of these meas
ures, if taken up, is likely to occupy much
times There are no appropriation bills
pending, but the naval bill will be re-
ported early in the week and called up for
The Ways and Means Committee hope TO |
report their tariff bill this week, but the |
date of its completion is uncertain,
and there is not much probability |
that they will move in the matter of the |
tobacco bill until after they are released |
from their present labor on the tariff |
schedules.
On Tuesday, at the termination of the |
morning hour, Representative Butter |
worth will submit motion to proceed to |
business on the Speakers table, for the |
purpose of reaching the Senate bonded |
whisky bill, which under the rules must |
be sent to the committee of the whole |
Friday will probably be devoted to pri- |
vate relief bills.
The unfinished business to be laid be- |
fore the Senate tomorrow after the MORN
ing hour is the bill to reduce internal |
taxation and amend the tariff laws. The |
continued consideration of this volumi-
nous measure will doubtless be the main |
feature of the Senate's proceedings |
throughout the week.
Jersey CitY's Broken Bank.
JERSEY CITY, Jan. 13.-Edward E.
Shaw, cashier of the broken City Bank,