Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-16
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS.
ANOTHER MOVE FOR CIVIL SER
VICE REFORM.

Charleston Harbor Improvement-The
senate and the Tariff-The Bonded
whisky Extension LObby-General
Mheeler sworn Ina Panic Among the
Metal BarOns.
WAsHINGTON, Jan. 15.-In the Senate
bills were introduced as follows:
BY misunderstanding an appropriation
1or continuing the work on the ietties in
Charleston harbor.
BY Mr.. Morgan-For the relief of the
Mobile Marine Dock Company.
At the close of the morning business.
Mr.. Jones, of Nevada, moved to postpone
the calendar in order to take up the bill
for the relief of Ben Halliday.
The motion was agreed to by vote of
30 to !, and the Halliday bill was taken UP.
the question being on Mr.. Plumb's mo-
ton to substitute for it the bill to enlarge
the powers and duties of the Department
of Agriculture.
Mr.. Davis, of West Virginia, spoke in
favor OF the substitute, which consists in
engrafting the bill creating the Depart
ment OF Agriculture and making its head
a Cabinet officer upon the bill for the re-
1ef OF Ben Halliday, striking out of the
latter bill all after the enacting clause.
and inserting the agricultural bill.
MT. Morrill, followed in opposition to the
Halliday bill.
Mr.. Jonas presented the remonstrance
OF New Orleans dealers in chinaWare and
crockery against any increase of the du-
ties on such articles
Mr.. Frye introduced Joint resolution
directing the President of the United
States to give notice in July next of our
intention to terminate articles 18 to % and
article ) of the treaty of Washington re-
lating to the fisheries.
At the close Of the morning hour the tariff
Dill came up as unfinished business. The
internal revenue section of the bill having
been reserved by general consent last
week for consideration hereafter, the SEN
ate resumed consideration of the tariff
schedule. Several amendments were
adopted, the most important of which
places the duty on cotton seed oil at %
cents per gallon.
The Senate, at $50, went into executive
session.
The Senate remained in eXective ses-
sion until $50 p. m. considering the We'll
and La Abra Mexican treaty. and finally
agreed to postpone the further cOnsidera-
tlOn of 1t until after the tariff bill is dis
posed of.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House the following bills, etc.
were introduced:
by MIR. White, of Kentucky-A resOIu-
tiOn reciting the allegations that well or
ganized lobby rushed the bonded whisky
extension bill through the House on April
8, 1857, and calling on the Secretary of the
Treasury for his views as to the effect
which the passage Of that bill. as amended
by the Senate, would have on the public
revenues.
BY Mr.. Gibson, of Louisiana-A resolu-
ton to convene the FOrty-eighth Congress
on the first Monday in March, 1888: also
bill to improve the civil service.
Hon. Joseph Wheeler appeared at the
bar of the House and was sworn in as a
representative from the Eighth district of
Alabama.
The rules were suspended and a resOIu-
tiOn adopted making the bill for the sup
port of common schools the special order
for the 10th inst. Also a resolution making
the special order for February 18th the bill
granting pensions to the survivors of the
Mexican and certain Indian wars. 1t
was explained that this bill repealed the
section of the Revised Statutes which
prohibited the placing on the pension
rolls of soldiers dropped therefrom ON ac-
count of dislOyalty during the rebellion.
Adjourned,
THE MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENT.
The special committee on the improve
ment of the Mississippi river gave fur
ther hearing to Major Suter this morning.
His testimony was in the line of that pre-
viOusly given by him. He explained the
benefits of the outlet system, and de-
scribed with more minuteness the effect
of the improvement in the Missouri river
made under his supervision. In some
cases, he said, the water had washed un-
der the mattresses and destroyed their
efficiency, but, in the main, he regarded
the work of improvement on the Missouri
as permanent in effect.
THE TARIFF ON METALS.
The metal schedule as reported by the
Senate Finance Committee in their tariff
bill has provoked SO much criticism from
the various interests affected by it that to-
day by order of the committee telegram
was sent to Mr.. Oliver, the member of the
Tariff Commission. who was specially in
trusted with the preparation of this
schedule, to come on to Washington at
once and confer with the committee re-
lating to it.
ANOTHER CIVIL SERVICE REFORM MOVE.
Mr.. Gibson, of Louisiana, introduced i'm
the House to-day bill to repeal the civil
service law of 1920, and also to repeal
section 1890 of the Revised Statutes,
giving the President authority to appoint
and remove POstmasters.