The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-15
THE SENATE.

BY an Ingenious Ruse, Mr.. Plumb Prevents
Consideration of the Holiday Claim.
WARRINGTON, Jan. 13.-Mr. Ingalls, introduced
bill providing for the appointment of com
mission 10 consider the subject OF railroad trans
pOrtation. 1t provides for the appointment hy
the President of seven commissioners from civil
life to consider and Investigate the whole subject
and report to Congress the first Monday in De-
cember, 1888. The second section fixes the com
pensatlon of the commissioners at $40 per day
and travelling expenses.
At the close Of tho morning business. Mr.. Ed
munds moved to postpone the calendar in order
to take up the Senate bill relative to the condi-
ton of things in Utah.
Mr. George thought the bin to enlarge the
powers and duties of the Department of Agricui-
ture Of more public Importance.
ME- Blair Thought the educational bill entitled
to prompt confederation if the calendar is 10 bA
laid aside. He understood that the Utah bill
raised the question of woman suffrage, and 1t
would be idle to hope that bill dealing with that
great and growing question could pass without a
lengthy discussion. he would vote against post
pouinE the calendar.
Tbs motion to postpone was lost-yeas &c,
nays 20; and the bill on the calendar to exclude
public lands in Alabama from the operation of
the laws relating to mineral lands was taken up
Mr. Jones, of Nevada, moved to postpone the
caiendar in order to take up the bill FOR the re-
heT OF Ben Holiday. Agreed to.
Mr.. Plumb moved to strike out all after the en-
"a bll to enlarge the powers aud duties of the
Department of Agriculture" and under the
ruling OF the President addressed the Senate unon
his iHotlon discussing the merits OF the agrlcul-
tural bill.
Mr.. Plumb said there seemed to be a general
recognition OF the fact that the people are dis
satisfied and desire change Of policy, and Con-
gress could not more wisely or more gracefully
respond to this demand than by giving the
greatest and most important class of people, the
agrcutursts, AN opportunity to he represented
IN tho Cabinet. To snow that the idea of havIn 2
agriculture so represented was neither new nor
confined to this country, Mr.. Plumb sent up and
had read a letter of the late Gambetta, trans
hitting copy of the act establishing the min is
try of agriculture in France and referring TO
acrion on the same subject in Germany, Austria
Italy aud the United States; also dispatch
from London on the 22d of December last an
nouncing that the arran gemcnts for the creation
of a ministry OF agriculture in England were
almost completed, and the Right Hon. Joseph
Chamberlain would bb the first to nj the Office
Dill OF this character in the interest OF the
greatest and most important portion of the COM
muntv ought not to be pushed aside in order to
pass bill to enable claiment to take half a
million dollars out OF the treasury, which, if
passed, would be followed by a thousand other
similar claims.
Mr.. Williams, as one of the very few practical
farmers in the Senate. heartily in accord
with Mr.. Plumb in all that he had said in respect
to the Importance of the agricultural bill, and
he thanked him for his speech on his own ae-
count and in behalf of this farmers of the coun-
try. He would go as far any body to promote
the interests of the farmers of the country, and
would support Mr.. Plumb's hill when it came up
in proper way, but he would not vote to subsGi-
ture il for the one now before the Senate, the
Holiday bill.
Mr. jones' of Nevada, spoke In favor of the
Holiday bill
Mr.. George also explained and advocated the
agricultural bill.
MIR. Davis, of West virginia, took the floor to
speak in favor of the bill, but yielded, at MIR.
WINDOWS request, and the Senate then went
INFO executive session.
When the doors reopened the Senate adj
journed.
The tariff bill comes mp as unfinished business
on Monday.