Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-15
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
AN UNEVENTFUL DAY IN Roth
HOUSES OF CONGRESS.

Lively Times Probable If a Caucus on
the Morrison Bill is Attempted-The
Appropriation to Stamp Out the Cattle
Plague to be Available to All Afflicted
States.
WASHINGTON, March 14.-On motion
OF Dir. Cameron, of Wisconsin, the Senate
to-day agreed that when it adjourned to-
day it be to Monday next.
Mr.. Plumb called up the joint resolution
appropriating 5000 for the eradication
OF the foot and mouth disease. Mr.. Plumb
said that it was very serious disease,
which did not affect the State of Kansas
merely, but all the States. He sent to
the desk and had read by the clerk dis
patch from the Governor of Kansas urg-
ing the Importance of immediate action.
Mr.. Sherman moved to amend by strik-
ing out the clause which provides that
money be expended in cooperation with
the authorities of the State of Kansas, as
the disease was apt to spread to other
states and affect swine and other ami
mails. The people of Illinois and other
States were becoming alarmed at the
spread of the disease and the appropri--
alton should not be confined to Kansas.
Mr.. CullOm thought that the amount
passed at once.
Mr.. Williams thought that it would be
better to take up the bill relating to con-
tagious diseases Of cattle generally. the
pleuro-pneumonia bill, which had been al
ready introduced in the Senate, and so
treat the subject as a whole.
Mr.. Pumb said that he had only the OBJ
Jectlon that notice had been given of a
prOtracted debate to come on the general
uy0c fO = 4l,I,s
and damage which would result from de-
lay that in the face of pressing and urgent
necessity for immediate action he
had introduced the present measure. He
had no objection to the amendment offered
by Mr.. Sherman.
MIR. Coke moved an amendment strik-
ing out the word ''Kansas" and inserting
the words with the consent of the State
authorities" so as to secure to each State
the same right to exercise their own ju-
rlsdlctiOn in the matter if they preferred
to do so. The original measure would
confine the aid to Kansas alone, and Mr..
Sherman's amendment would give the
Commissioner of Agriculture absolute
authority to act independently of the
state authorities, and even in despite of
them.
Mr.. Plumb's effort to secure the imme-
dlate passage of the resolution and to
avoid protracted debate, failed utterly,
Tor opposition was shown upon cOnstitu-
tional grounds, upon the ground that to
carry 1t into effect would infringe upon
States rights, and upon the ground that
no necessity existed for it.; that the State
of Kansas was abundantly able and NOR
ally bound to grapple with the evil her.
self. The matter occupied the session to
the adjournment. The Vice President
announced that he intended to be absent
three days next week, and Mr.. Sherman
was designated to act for him. The SEN
ate then adjourned till Monday.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House to-day the Speaker an
nounced the appointment of Messrs. .Keifer,
FOrney and Ellis as cOnterees on the part
OF the House on the military academy
appropriation bill.
The morning hour was dispensed with
and the House went into committee of the
whole ON the private calendar.
The bill granting pension of $4,000 a
year TO Septimlna Randolph Meikleham,
the sole surviving grandchild of Thomas
Jefferson, author of the Declaration of In
dependence, was taken up and the fayora-
bic report of the Committee on Pensions
was read. AS the clerk was reading the ma
jority report complimentary to Mr.. Jeffer-
son Mr.. BelfOrd asked: "What in the
name of God is the use of reading such a
report as thatf'
"orderw cried Mr.. O'Neill, of Pennsyl-
vania.
The minority of the committee opposed
the bill on the ground that 1t provides for
granting "civiP' ground pension, Mr..
Jel1erson's services being civil instead of
military. This report, while asserting
that it is a disgrace to the people that
this good old lady should be in want vet
contends that Congress has no authority
to vote money for charity. The minority
argued that if the pension be granted it
would be only short time before efforts
Will be made to pension the living child
ren and grandchildren Of all Presidents.
The debate which followed Was partici-
pated in by fifteen or twenty members,
but there was no division upon party
lines. Those who favored the bill did so
upon sympathetic and patriotic grounds,
and those who opposed it took the ground
that 1t would establish bad precedent;
would flood Congress with claims for
civil pensions, and that Congress had no
authority to pass such bills.
Mr.. Robinson, of New York, who opened
the debate, closed it also with an appeal
to the House not to draw the line across
the face of Thomas Jefferson.
On motion of Mr.. Hewitt, of Alabama,
the enacting clause was stricken out by a
vote OF 129 to 60. The committee then rose
and the House ratified its action. One
private relief bill was passed and the
House then took recess until 80 O'clock
this evening, the session to be for the con-
sideratiOn of pension bills.
EVENING SESSION.
The House at its evening session passed
twenty-five pension bills and then ad-
n