Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-03
THE LAST DAY BUT ONE.
HOW IT WAS SPENT BY BOTH
HOUSES OF CONGRESS.

Session of the HOuSe-Edmunds for
President Pro TRANSFORMATIONS and
Reflections.
AsHINGTON, March 2.-The confer
ence committee on the tax and tariff bill
reached complete agreement about half
past twelve this afternoon, and forthwith
sent their report to the Government
Printing Office, in order to be
able to present it to both houses
OF Congress in printed form
before adjournment to-day. The report
VIII recommend the adoption of thesSen-
ate bill, with but very few changes of
general Importance except in the metal
schedule, in which the committee recon-
mend some increase of rates, especially in
regard to steel.
The committee make no change from
the rates proposed by the Senate bill
for cotton ties, wire rods, or for any other
important articles which have
been subjects of controversy
in the metal schedule. The
conference committee recommend ONLY
one change in the sugar schedule-name-
1y-;-An- increase to 2s4c. pound on
sugars graded above No. 13, and not above
No. l6, Dutch standard. The Senate fixed
TINS duty at 212c. per pound. Some minor
changes OF classification are made in the
cotton schedule, but none in any of the
rates. The only change in the wooden
schedule is to impose a dnty of 10 cents
per pound and 40 per cent. adyoIorem
upon WOOlen cloaks.
The changes agreed upon under the
heading of steel fix the rates as follows A.:
On steel valued at &c. per pound or less
40 per cent. ad yalOrem; on steel valued
above 4c., and not above &c. per pound, a
SPECIFIC duty of &c. per pound; on steel
valued at not less than &c. and not more
than lie. per pound, a specific duty of
2a4c. per pound; and a specific duty of
354c. per pound on steel rails. The con-
ference committee recommend a duty of
SII per ton on iron ore, and ON
pig iron 3-1Oc. per pound.
or $6 y per ton, the rate proposed by the
Tariff Commission. In the glass and
earthenware schedule, the committee pro-
pose a specific duty of 1c. per pound on
glass bottles, and transfer printed and
painted crockery to the china clause,
thereby increasing the duty from 80 per
cent. ad yalorem to 60 per cent. The con-
Terence committee recommend that the
provisions of the bill reducing internal
revenue taxes on snuff, tobacco and ci-
gars shall go into effect on May 1st, in
stead of July lst, as provided in the
Senate bill.
PRESIDENT PRO TEN.
The Republican members of the Senate
held a caucus this morning and selected
Mr.. Edmunds as their candidate for Pres
ident pro tenn. to succeed David Davis.
There was no opposition.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
In the Senate, Mr.. Plumb presented the
conference report on the District of Co.
lumbia appropriation bill.
Mr.. Jonas, from the Committee on Epi-
demic Diseases, reported favOrably the
bill to establish floating ward in the port
OfNew Orleans.
Mr.. Plumb, from the committee of con-
ference on the post office appropriation
bill, reported that the cOnferees had failed
to agree. The report was accept% and a
new conference was ordered, with Messrs.
Plumb, Allison and Beck as the Senate
cOnferees.
The river and harbOr bill was referred
TO the Commerce Committee.
y resolution was adopted to elect a
President pro ten. at noon tomorrow,
when Mr.. Davis resigns.
The act to exclude public lands in Ala
bama from the operations of the laws re-
lating to mineral lands was taken up, and
Mr.. Morgan explained the bill.
At 2:30 the Senate went into executive
session, and the doors were reOpened at
5:45.
Messrs. Allison, Hale and Beck were
appointed cOnferees on the sundry civil
bill. The conference report on the army
appropriation bill was agreed to. The
item limiting the compensation to be
paid to subsidized railroads for army
transportation is stricken from the bill.
In speaking on the pending business,
the bill excluding public lands i'll Ala
bama frOm'the operation of the laws re-
lating to mineral lands, Mr.. Van Wyck
criticized the large compensation allowed
to special attorneys engaged in the
star route cases and the Department of
Justice in allowing such large amounts.
He had hoped that the stories which were
told at the street corners as to the eX-
travagances of the department were not
true. Taking up the vouchers of George
Bliss he ridiculed the charges made
therein, quoting such items as 30 cents
for sleeping car porter and cents for a
stamp. The vouchers showed that he was
allowed $3.50 per day and expenses. Mr.,
Merrick, another lawyer, received even
larger per diem, but as he lived in Wash
ingtOn the vouchers did not show that he
charged for board. 1t was perfectly plain
now why these suits continued as long
as they had, six months trial
an inducement TO these men to continue
the suit siz- months, and also q tempta-
tiOn TO them to hang the jury, if it was
true they did-he did not say that they
did, That the courts for the administra-
tiOn of Justice in the District of Columbia
should be occupied for SIX months in
common case was an outrage which ought
not to be tolerated. No greater disgrace
had ever been connected with the juris-
= ho hot ioh
had been exhibited in the treatment of
cases in the District Of Columbia,
Mr.. Van Wyck continued for some time
to criticize generally the management of
the Department Of Justice, but was
brought up by Messrs. Logan and Came
ron. of Pennsylvania. In reply TO a ques-
ton from these Senators, Mr.. Van Wyck
explained that the papers quoted from
were copies of documents called for by
the Senate, and his purpose was to ask to
have them referred to a committee.
Messrs. Cameron and Van Wyck were
on the verge of a quarrel, when the former
checked himself with sentence half
spoken, which apparently would have
applied an eplthet TO Van Wyck.
Mr., Logon accused Van Wyck of TAX
ing advantage of the opportunity of maxi
ing a general attack on the Attorney
Generals department without any refer
ence to any report or anything whatever
except to get this harangue before the
country. Mr.. Logan said the course of
the Senator from Nebraska was so un-
dignified and so wide departure from
the usual method of proceeding in the
Senate, that without desiring to enter
into the merits of the case, he felt justi-
fed in saving that if such a speech were
made by any man out doors while the
trial of men charged with robbing the
government was going on, the country
would understand that the speaker was
an attorney for the defendants.
Mr.. Van Wyck said there was no need
to await report from any committee, as
the documents spoke for themselves. The
country, he said, is being robbed. What
has b8eu saved through the energies of
the former Postmaster General is being
spent now by a combination OF lawyers
getting $3.50 day, ! want this extraYa-
gance TO stop. | move that these papers
be printed and referred to the Judiciary
Committee. The motion was agreed TO,
end the Senate then Cor the half dozen
who NGEe rresent) took recess for an
hour, till S:15 p. IA.
After the recess the conference report
on the legislative, executive and Judicial
and naval appropriation bills were pre-
sented aud agreed to. The naval bill is
substantially the same as il passed the
Senate, and there is no change in the
amount of the appropriation that was
made in the legislative BILL
Mr., Morrill, presented and explained
the conference report on the internal
revenue and tariff bill.
Only three changes have been made In
tbSt mart n, the bill relating to internal
revenues. The provision .>u ~ticu fePeaigu SNI
the taxes on capital and deposits OF Dan
and bankers has been changed so as to