Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-15
STIFF PENSION BILL.
THE ONE WHICH PASSED THE
HOUSE YESTERDAY
One Hundred and Five Million Dollars APP
propriated for the Ensuing Year-The
Senate Discusses the Proposition to Make
the Department of Agriculture Cabinet
Office.
Senate.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.-Mr. Ingalls, intro
duced bill providing for the appointment
of commission to consider the subject of
railroad transportation. 1t provides for
the appointment by the president of seven
commissioners from civil life to consider
and investigate the whole subject and re-
port to congress the first Monday of De-
cember,18 The second section fixes the
compensation of the commissioners at $40
per day and travelling expenses.
At the close of the morning business,
Mr.. Edmunds moved to postpone the cal
endar in order to take up the senate bill
relating to the condition of things in
Utah.
Mr.. George thought the bill to enlarge
the powers and duties of the department
of agriculture of more public importance.
Mr.. Blair thought the educational bill
entitled to prompt consideration if the
calendar is to be laid aside. He under
stood the question of woman suffrage, and
it would be idle to hope that a bill dealing
with that great and growing question could
pass without lengthy discussion. He
would vote against postponing the calen
dar. The motion to postpone the calendar
was lost, ayes Sc, nays 20, and the bill on
the calendar to exclude public lands of
Alabama from the operations of the law
relating to mineral lands was then taken
up.
Mr.. Jones, of Nevada, then moved to
postpone the calendar in order to take up
the bill for the relief of Ben Halliday.
Agreed to.
n l. CT, ID oil Of
the enacting clause of the Halliday bill,
and substitute bill to enlarge the powers
and duties of the department. of agricul-
ture, and under the ruling of the president
addressed the senate upon his motion, dis
cussing the merits of the agricultural bill.
Mr.. Plumb said there seemed to be
general recognition of the fact that the
people are dissatisfied and desire change
of policy, and congress, could not more
wisely or gracefully respond to this de-
mand than by giving the greatest and
most important class of people-the agri-
enthusiasm opportunity to be repre-
scented ID the cabinet. To show that the
idea of having agriculture so represented
was neither new nor confined to this coun-
try, Mr.. Plumb sent up and had
read letter of the late M.
Gambetta transmitting copy of
the act establishing the ministry of agri-
culture in France, and referring to the &C
| ton on the same subject in Germany, Au-
stralia, Italy and the United States; also a
dispatch from London on the 22d of De-
cember last announcing that arrange
ments for the creation of ministry of ag-
riculture in England were about completed
and that the Right Honorable Jos. Cham
berlain would be the first to fill the Office
| A bill of this character in the interest of
| the greatest and most important portion
of the community ought not to be pushed
aside in order to pass bill to enable a
claimant to take half a million dollars out
of the treasury, which bill, if passed, would
be followed by thousand other similar
| claims.
Mr.. Williams, as one of very few prac'
tical farmers in the senate, was heartily in
accord with Mr.. Plumb in all he had said
| in respect to the importance of the agri
cultural bill, and he thanked him fol
his speech on his own account and in
behalf of the farmers of the country, and
he would go as far as anybody to promote
| the interest of the farmers of the country
and would support the Plumb bill when il
came up in proper way, but he would
not vote to substitute it for the one now
before the senate, the Holiday bill.
Mr.. Jones, of Nevada, spoke in favor Of
Holiday.
Mr.. George also explained and advocated
the agricultural bill. Mr.. Davis, of Wes
Virginia, took the floor to speak in favor
of the bill, but yielded at Mr.. Windom's
request, and the senate then went into ex
ecutive session.
When the doors re-opened the senate
adjourned.
The tariff bill comes up as unfinished
business On Monday.