Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-11
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
DIPLOMATIC APPROPRIATIONS
STILL BEFORE THE SENATE.

The Neutrality Clause Discussed in Sc
cret SessiOn-The House Strikes Out
the Clause ApprOpriating $780, 900
for Galveston HarbOr-SI, 500, 900
Wasted in this Harbor in IL Years.
WASHINGTON, June 10.-The Chair
laid before the Senate to-day Mr.. Beck's
resolution offered yesterday directing the
Committee on Judiciaryto report back with
its recommendation the bill referred to it
in December, 1888, providing for general
relief from political disabilities under the
fourteenth amendment. Mr.. Beck ex-
planned that he was informed that the
work already before that committee was
so considerable that it would not be best
to press the resolution at this time. He
therefore withdrew il. Mr.. Garland
said that all applications for relief had
been favOTably and Unanimously reported
on by the committee.
The Mexican pensions bill was then taken
up. The amendments offered by Mr.. Harri-
son. intended to limit benefciaries of the bill
to those who had seen service, was, on motion
Of Mr.. Brown, laid on the table. The pen
sion bill was displaced by the regular order
the Utah bill, which in turn was Informally
laid aside to admit of consideration of the
consular and diplomatic appropriation bill
That bill was then taken up.
The bill WAS read by sections, and the
amendments proposed by the Senate commit
tee were agreed to with only the interposition
or occasional remarks OF inquiry and eXplana-
tiOn, except as to the provision appropriating
S250,0O 70 meet the expenses attendant upon
the execution OF the neutrality act. When
this provision was reached in its order it was
held in allegiance until the remaining pro-
visions were disposed Of. On those being
agreed to Mr.. Allison, moved that the Senate
now proceed to the consideration of the clause
referred 20, and that for this purpose the
doors Of the Senate be closed and the CALLER
les cleared, IN accordance with rule 30. In
compliance with the request Of several Sena-
tors the rule referred to was read. 1t is as fol-
lows: "On motion made and seconded to
close the doors of the Senate, for the discus
sion Of any busines which may, in the opinion
OF senator, require secrecy, the presiding
officer shall direct the galleries to be cleared,
and during the disc ussiOn Of such motion the
doors shall remain closed"
Mr.. AllisOu's motion having been seconded.
the Chair ordered the galleries to be cleared
and the doors of the Senate to be closed.
Mr.; COnger asked that the proposition upon
which 10 asked to have the doors closed
be read. The presiding officer Mr.. Harris,
said that the Senator from Michigan was out
Of order.
Mr.. Conger lappealingly)- "But, Mr. Presi-
dent
Several Senators severely)-"Order."
The presiding officer (iirmly y)-"The Senator
from Michigan is out of order"
Mr.. COnger pleasantly the Sena-
tor from Michigan will get in order"
The presiding oficer-''I hope So"
The Senate then, at 1880 O'Clock, wen into
secret session.
The deliberations continued with closed
doors until 6:l5 O'Clock, when the Senate ad-
jOurned.
During the consideration Of the bill in open
session Mr.. Mcpherson tried without objection
from Mr.. Allison to secure a transfer for the
Barbary states Consulship from $1,000 to the
$500 class. Mr.. Mcpherson said that he
could not favor parsimOny.
Mr.. Beck thought that the Senate would
have trouble enough in getting the bill passed
into a law without this change.
Mr.. Allison said that the House of Rapre-
sentatiVes had made no appropriations at all
for this COnsulship, but the Senate committee
thought IL ought not to be dispensed with and
had inserted last years figures.
Mr.. Hale said that there had been seve raj
COnsuls to the states named, but their num-
Der had been from time TO time reduced by
the House until now that body had endeav-
oTed 10 cut or the last one. This one was en-
iltled TO higher ran6 and pay than he was
getting at present, but view Of the difheul,
which would Doubtless be experienced in
agreeing on the bill after il should have passed
the Senate, Mr.. Hale thought il wiser not 10
press the increase.
Mr.. Miller, of California, was Of the same
opinion. Mr.. Mcpherson accordingly with |
drew his motion.
In the course Of the debate Of the Mexican
pension Dill, Mr.. Morgan said that he knew |
that it would take some money TO pay a ser |
vice pension TO the soldiers of the late war, |
but If he were in the Senate when it should !
be proposed TO pay such pension he would |
vote for it, The people he represented had |
had some share in making that service neces- !
sary, aud would not withhold their hand |
whenever the people OF the North concluded !
TO pay a pension for services. He thought, |
however, that the pension should be collected |
10y tax on spirits. He would be delighted to |
see the whisky tax made some resource for |
tine penslOning Of soldiers of the late war.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House to-day, Mr.. Morrison, Of Iii |
nois, Chairman of the Committee of Ways |
and Means, reported concurrent resolution |
providing for the final adjournment of Con-
Gro on MnnnQv . pf III q I a
IL was adopted without division.
Consideration of the special order, it being I
the bill for the forfeiture of the New Orleans,
Baton Rouge and Nicksburg Railroad land
grant, was postponed until tomorrow, and
the House ii: rs O'Clock went into committee
of the whole, with Mr.. WellbOrn in the
chair, on the river and harbOr appropriation
bill. Mr.. Ochiltree moved to strike out the
clause appropriating $250,000 for continuing
the Improvement of Galveston harbOr. Mr.
Wills. OF kentucky, SAID that after the bill
had been reported TO the House a request had
been made on the part of the Texas delegation
the expectation that the bill known as the
Eads bill would be pressed. The committee
did not assent to this action, but thought It
best for Galveston that the appropriation
should remain, even il it were afterwards de-
termined to adopt the Eads plan. MIR. 0chil-
tree said that, as one of the representatives
from Texas, he had been requested by its Leg
islature, and, as a representative of Calves
ton, he had been requested by nine tenths of
its inhabitants to have this item stricken out.
The people there thought that the plan of the
government engineers was radically wrong
and favored the Eads plan. In the
last twelve years more than Sl,500,000
had been absolutely wasted under the present
plan in an attempt to deepen the outer bar at
Galveston. For the last twelve years the
people of that city had been entertained with
tropical fertility of promise and Sahara ster-
ility Of performance by the government en-
gineers.
Mr.. Kelly, Of Pennsylvania, expressed his
confidence in the declaration of the engineer
corps. Progress had been made, even though
at the slow rate to which the Congressional
appropriation confined it. The Eads scheme
might be accomplished for SS,000,000 1t might
take SIS. .00G, 600, and he was not sure that Con-
gress would do any better in the way of an ap-
preparation for it than it had done for the
scheme of the engineers.
Mr.. WolfOrd. Of Kentucky, thought that the
request of the Texas delegation should be
complied with, and that the money thus saved
should be appropriated for the Improvement
of the Cumberland river. The motion to
strike out was agreed to.
A great number of amendments. providing
for new appropriations or increasing some
already in the bill, were voted down, while
the amounts for one or two rivers were
stricken out. The net result was decrease
in the amount of the bill. The committee
then rose.
The Senate amendments to the District OF
Columbia appropriation bill were nOn-cOn-
CURED in. The House, at 5 O'Clock, took a
recess until O'Clock, the evening session to
be Tor consideration of business reported from
the Indian Affairs Committee.
The House, in evening session, devoted
itself to consideration of the question of open
ing up the Red Lake reservation, in Min
nesOta, to settlement, but adjourned without
reaching action.