Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-23
IN CONGRESS YESTERDAY.
THE IMPROVEMENTS IN FLOR
IDA WATERS.


be offered TO the river and harbor bill ap-
prOpriating sums for improvements in
Florida waters aggregating 1876. 900. $780,
900 of which is for the ST. Johns river.
and 100000 each for Cumberland
Sound, Pensacola harbOr and Key
West. Mr.. Calls resolution was
offered in the Senate this morning
requesting the President to institute
negotiations with the Government OF
Spain for restitution of the money unlaw-
fully taken from Captain James Mckay
and other shippers of cattle at Key West,
which relates particularly to the
alleged arbitrary and extOrtionate
head tax imposed by the
Spanish Consul at Key West on
cattle shipped to Cuba during the past
few years. This tax has proven onerous
to shippers.
Mr.. Calls bill, authorizing the Presi-
dent to adopt retaliatOry measures as a
remedy for this extOrtion in future. is
pending in the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
AiilhSOudbcig dlutI lne TedulnS OF the
Journal, the Senate, on motion of Mr.. Kel-
lOgg, went into executive session and con-
firmed the nomination of AlgernOn ;.
Badger, Collector of Customs for the dis
trict of Louisiana.
MIR. Morrill, presented the remOnstrance
of certain American authors against a
reduction of the tariff on books below %
nf Z ~ =
saying ''in the absence of an international
copyright law, I am compelled to sign
this"
Mr.. Call offered a resolution, which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, relating to the eXtOrtiOns of
spanish Consuls upon American cattle
shippers elsewhere described).
Mr.. Garland called up the resolution of
fered by him yesterday for the appoint
ment of a special committee to examine
and report upon the methods of improving
the navigation of the Mississippi river be-
low Cairo, and it was adopted.
The naval appropriation bill was then
taken up.
Mr.. Mcpherson said he understood that
ii was the intention of the committee re-
porting the bill that it should not disturb
IN any way the status of any of the officers
of the navy, and asked Mr.. Hale. in charge
of the bill. whether that intention had
been embodied in the bill.
Mr.. Hale rep lied that that was the in
tentiOn OF the committee, All legislation
attempted by the House had been struck
out, leaving this clean bill containing ap-
preparations for maintaining the existing
navy and other items for the increase of
the navy standing, the items for an in
crease of the navy standing apart from
the appropriations for the different bu-
reaus. There was nothing in the bill to
disturb the status of any officer in
the navy as existing to-day. The provis-
ion that the net part of the money
appropriated for the general care,
increase and protection of the
navy in the line of construction and
repair, etc, shall be applied to the re-
pairs of any wooden ship when the esti-
mated cost of such repairs shall exceed
p per cent, OF the estimated cost of new
ship of the same size and like material
was amended so as to fix the limit at 20
per cent. of the cost OF a new vessel of
the same size and like material, and was
agreed to.
After all the other committee amend
ments were agreed to, Mr.. Rollins offered
an additional amendment providing for
the appointment of board to scrutinize
the active list of the navy, pending the
discussion of which the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, the army and fOrtification
appropriation bills, with the Senate
amendments, were received from the Sem
ate and referred to the Committee on Ap-
preparations.
Mr.. Ryan, of Kansas, submitted the
conference report on the Indian apprOpri-
alton bill, and it was agreed to. The bill
as passed apprOpriates $5,362, ,655, being
$13,600 less than it appropriated as il
passed the Senate, and 1858, 700 more than
it originally passed the House.
Mr.. Burrows, of Michigan, submitted
the conference report on the consular and
diplomatic appropriation bill, and it was
agreed to. The bill as it passed apprOpri-
ates 81, ,296, 7l5, being $4,000 greater than
it originally passed the House.
The House went into committee of the
whole on the sundry civil bill. The COM
mittee then required to the portion of the
bill relating to the survey of public lands,
which has been passed over informally.
Mr.. Pound, of Wisconsin, offered an
amendment repeating the pre-emption
laws, together with all laws authorizing
the filing of a declaratOry statement for
the entry of public lands by an agent or
attorney. Adopted.
The committee rose and the House adj
jOurned, and the Republicans Immediately
went into caucus, which lasted three
hours. A full discussion of the tariff
question was had, and the only conclusion
arrived at was that the tariff bill should
be given to- the conference committee as
the only safe way of perfecting the bill
which would satisfy the expectations of
the country.
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS ON GENERAL LEGIS-
LATION.
A caucus of Republican Senators was
held this morning for the purpose of de-
termining the order of business in regard
to matters of general legislation now
pending. The caucus committee
appointed some weeks since
reported they had considered the subject,
and that in their opinion action should be
taken at this session upon the shipping
bill. then the Dakota division bill, the
pension bill and the bankruptcy bill. This
report gave rise to considerable discus
sion, several Senators asserting
that other measures are equally
as important, and should not
be overlooked. Among these was Senator
Blair, who strongly urged the Importance
of the educational bill introduced by him,
Pending further discussion the hour lOf
adjournment arrived, and it was agreed
to hold another caucus tomorrow.
that the anti-bigamy bill, which
was taken up yesterday after
noon when. comparatively few Senators
were in attendance, should be laid aside
to-day i'm order to take up the naval apprO-
priatiOn bill, and that during the remain
der of the session precedence shall invari-
ably be given TO the regular annual apprO-
priatiOn bills, the revenue bills, and the
pension bills.
AFRAID TO DECIDE.
At the caucus of the Republican men,
bers tonight, in the final vote, it was
agreed unanimously that the Republican
members of the House should vote for nom
concurrence in the Senate amendments to
the revenue bill, which has been made the
basis of the Senate tariff bill.
A prominent member of the caucus,
upon being questioned tonight with re-
gardItO this subject, said: ''9f course the
resolution to nOn-cOncur and send it to
the conference committee, carries with
it an understanding that the rules shall
be so changed for the rest of the session
as to admit of taking the bill from the
Speakers table, and making that dispOsi-
tiOn of it,
1t is understood, however, that the fail
ure of the caucus to decide on any new
rule for the attainment of the desired
object leaves it still necessary TO canvass
the party in the House for the purpose of
ascertaining how nOn-concqrrence can be
brought about, and the Republicans at
the same time be kept together.
REPORTS ON MISSISSIPPI M
PROVEMENT.
The ma ajority report of the House spe-
ciaI committee on the improvement of the
Mississippi river was completed and read
in committee this morning, 1t excited so
much discussion that it probably will not
be presented to the House until tO-mor-
row There will he a minority report on