The Republican journal., 1883-04-12
Maine Men in Congress.

Western men are fond of talking of what
they call the decline of New England in Con-
gress; but the Washington correspondent of the
Boston Journal says there are no traces of the
loss of influence of New England in the nation
al councils in the records of the forty-seventh
Congress which have just been closed. Last
summer the Journal published record of the
activity of the New England members at the
first session of the Forty-seventh Congress, and
it now gives in summary an outline of what
they accomplished and attempted in the second
| session of that Congress. We have reason to
feel satisfied with the record made by our
Maine delegation, reported by 'Webb" as fol-
lows:
MIR. EUGENE HALE.
Mr.. Hale was promptly in his seat at the be-
| ginning of the session, and was in constant at
! tendance to the end. He was a member of the
/ Committee on Appropriations, and Chairman
! OF the Select Committee on the Census. Repre-
sentng the latter committee he succeeded in
curing. the deficiency appropriation 50 much
needed to rescue the census from collapsed
duty which, possibly, he may be called upon
again to perform at the next Congress. The
census is Il Behem0th, the full capacity and
| measure of which has not vet been taken. Mr..
Hale introduced bills and Joint resolutions to in
crease the number of Judges of the Court of
| Alabama Claims, and to abolish compulsory pi-
| lot fees. He was member of the Conference
| Committees on the Agricultural, Deficiency,
Naval and sundry Civil Appropriation bills.
duties which were very eXactng at the close of
the session. He moved to INDEFINITELY POSTPONE
the Fitz John Porter bill. He introduced a res
| olutlon directing the Judiciary Committee to
furnish information relative to political assess
ments, and, as usual, was very active in debates.
He made speeches on the French spoliation
| claims, political assessments, the extension of
| the bonded period, holiday recess admission of
Dakota, Tariff bill, Government Printing Office,
| Capitol grounds, Court of Claims and the Vel
| lowstone Park.
WILLIAM 2. FRYE.
Mr.. Frye is Chairman of the Committee on
| Rules, a member of the Committee on Privilege
es and Elections, of the Committee on Claims
ana OF the Committee on the Improvement of
| the Mississippi River. He was not missed from
/ his seat during the session. not even leaving
when his house was destroyed by fire. He
made number of reports from the Committee
on Claims in cases involving much investiga-
| ton. lie introduced Il joint resolution provid-
ing for giving notice to terminate the fisheries
articles OF the Washington Treaty, which he
| had the satisfaction of seeing adopted, and he
introduced a resolution, which was adopte d.
authorizing the committee on rules TO revise
the Senate manual. As chairman of the COM
mitee charged with this duty. he will devote
much of the summer to it. Mr.. Frve made Il
notable speech on the French spOation claims
and 1t was mainly owing to his efforts that the
bill, which provided to refer the matter to the
Court OF Claims for adjudication us to the facts,
| passed the Senate, but, owing to the tilibuSter-
| ing in the closing days of the Congress, there
was no opportunity to bring it up for consider
alton III the House, so that the whole subject is
| 4 new one again i'll new Congress. Mr.. Frye
also made speeches on American shipping, on the
! Mississippi River Improvement. on the Ben Hal
/ lIUaV claim and he n the carr It
advocates of New Eng gland interests in the tariff
| debate. He was the most formidable antago-
INST OF the Louisiana sugar men in his efforts TO
Obtain cheaper sugar. His eulogy upon Mr..
| Orth was one of the few eloquent speeches of
the session. One of its chief characteristics was
| its reference to the Christian faith in future
| life. Is contraSted with the doubts expressed in
euogy delivered by Senator ingalls,.
THOMAS B. REED.
Mr.. Reed Of the First District continued to
hold leading rank in the House. His position
as Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary
Is one Of the most influential places in the House
and he is also Il member Of tile Committee on
Rules, and on Expenditures in the Treasury
Department. The latter committee did little
although there was a very great deal which it
might have done. Mr. Reed introduced few
! bills. lie reported from the Judiciary Com
mlttce a bill relating to the extension OF tile
| time for filing claims before the Alabama Court
which failed to pass, and the rule relative tu the
| 1arltf bill bN the adoption Of which alone the
enactment OF the Tariff law was made pos ibc.
| Ills name Is connected with resolution which
| illustrates the remarkable industry of the last
session, which oyded that the House should
| hold daily sessions until six O'clock Mr.. Reed
made speeches on nearly all the important
measures which came before Congress- among
| them the Congressional Library Building Ship
| ping bill. various Appropriation bills. charges
against John Bailey, counterfritng of foreign
securities. Bonded Spirits bill. the hours of la
| Dor N the executive departments, and the Tar
! if bill Mr.. Reed is himself convinced that
but Tor the rule. the adoption Of which was in
great part due to his influence. a Tariff bin
could not have been passed.
NELSON DINGLEY, .ui.
Mr.. Dngley of the Second District has rapn!
| lytakcn rank among the leading members of the
| House. Tie was appointed a member Of the
| Committees on Banking and Currency, on Al
/ choic Liquor Traffic, and on ShipbuiIding, and
III each one Of these relations he performed
| Very conspicuous part As Il member of the
Committee on Banking and Currency he was
noted for his aSsduOus efforts in behalf of some
| legislation which would restrict the coinage of
the silver dollar and help restore the country to
| the adoption of >ounder principles of hnancc
! And 1t was not owing to any lack of persistence
on Mr.. Dngey part that some such legislation
| was not enacted. 1t was due in the main to Mr.
| Dmglcy'> untiring and intelligent efforts also,
| that the Shipping bill, which, if enacted. would
llNt ~ llilltIl 10 fclltNt lp burdens Wilth
| now weigh 50 heavily upon New England ship
| masters and sailors, was passed through the
/ House. The fact that the bill failed to become
law must be attributed to the persistent and
mtimely objections of Mr.. Randall, and the few
| Democrats W ho seemed to think that the profits
| Of the Shipping Commissioners, and some of
4 the petty monopolles enjoyed by some Of the
! steamship companies, We're to be considered as
OF more consequence than the enactment of
| such great measure of relief. As Il member
! of the Commission on Alcoholic LIQUOR Traffic,
! Mr.. Dingley was not successful in having his
! views adopted by the House, but he. none the
less, made Il very earnest effort in behalf of the
| principle to which he is committed. Among
the bills introduced by Mr. Dingley was one re-
| Iatmg to the American merchant marine to
American shipbuildng, and one for uniform
| rate of postage on drop letters
STEPHEN u. LINDSEY.
| Mr.. Lindsey of the Third District was in poor
| health for a considerable portion of the time of
| the F0rty-seventh Congress, and for that rea-
| son was compelled to be absent good deal. He
was member Of the committees on Expendi-
| lures i'll the State Dera tment on the Library
| the Election of President and Vice President
| and on Pensions. Bounty and Back Paw He
introduced number of relief bills. and made
speech relative to the payment of Pension
agent fees III which he advocated an important
reform.
GEORGE W. LADD.
MI Itut OF lne FOuftn DISTRICT was Il menu
Der of the Committees on Public Expenditures
and on Expenditures in the Post Office Depart
ment He introduced two Pension bills and
made speech on the Shipping bill and on the
tariff.
THOMPSON II. MURCH.
Mr. Murch, of the Fifth District, was Il men,
Der of the Committee on Manufactures. He in
| froduced two Pension bills and Il bill to incor-
porate the National Trades Union in the Dis
trict of Columbia, which did not pass. He in
troduced Il resolution under which the investi-
CATION of John Bailey's relations to the WASH
lngton Gas Company was made. in which the
charges which he made, like similar charges
which he has made in other Congresses. were
not substantiated Mr.. Murch, upon being
called upon to make good his assertions was
| entirely unable to do so. He made speeches
on the Agricultural bill, Congressional Library
Building. reduction Of postage, Shipping bill,
John Bailey and the Tariff bill.
Clippings.
The Governor of Maine has had baby and a
locomotive named after him, but he cannot
claim to be famous until horse and Il hecktie
and new brand of soap have been labelled