Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-07-04
Ihe 3rte Rrfss.
A DAY In CONGRESS.
The House Passes the POst-Oilice
Appropriation Bill,
The River and Harbor Bill Passes
the Senate.

IBy Telegraph to the Free Press and Tim

The House
[By Telegraph TO the Free T ress and Times.l
WAsnlNGToN, D. c., July Mr. Town
shend of Illinois, from the conference commit.
tee on the postoflice appropriation BILL re-
ported failure to agree en- the points reduC-
ing compensation to railroads for mail trans
portation to fifty per cent of compensation to
land grant roads for similar services and
increasing the appropriation for railway
mail clerks. After some discussion Mr.
Horn moved that the Hous recede from
disagreement to the Senate amendment,
touching the compensation of railway mail
clerks the land grant and other railroads
for transportation. Agreed to. This dis.
posed of the bill as far as the House is con
Cerned.
The fortifcation bill was taken up. Mr..
Randall Of Pennsylvania maintained that
there was no immediate or prospective
necessity for the amendment providing
for ordnance contemplated by the
majority bill that the bill involv-
cd the expenditure OF $7,000,000 and
ultimately meant the Expenditure of more
than $10,000,000. There were no guns
agreed upon that would fill the case of exist
such guns as were proposed. He therefore adj
vocated bill of the majority. Mr. ELISE Louis
iana) advocated the majority bill. He
denied that the majority bill was marked
dearture from the policy of the government,
and declared it was but return to the
splendid policy of the Democratic party be-
fore the war. The clerk then proceeded to
cad the bill by paragraphs.
Mr.. Randall offered the bill reported by
the minority of the committee on approprla-
lions as a substitute for the majority bill.
On a verbal amendment to the substitute
there was no quorum and 1t was agreed that
the substitutes should be reported to the
House aud a vote be taken on it tomorrow
morning, the committee then rose and the
House adjourned.
The Senate,
WAsHlNeIoN, d. G., July 1.-The House
bill granting pension of $50 month TO the
widow Of Gen. Jas. &. Stedman was read
the third time and passed. The Joint rcso-
luton introduced by Senator Cameron of
Pennsylvania directing the Secretary of the
Treasury to redeem $4,000, 600 worth of
trade dollars at their face value was laid be-
fore the Senate Senators Mitchell and Nc.
Pherson briefly urged the redemption of the
trade dollar as being demanded by the OBJ
legations Of honor and duty. Senator Nc
thers0n was not, however, opposed to limit
ing the redemption to $40, 900, 900. He
thought every trade dollar ought to be re-
deemed. Referred TO the committee on
finance.
The river and harbor bill was then taken
mp. On motion of Senator Ransom $40, 900
was added for the improvement of st. Johns
his efforts to increase the appropriation for
continuing the improvement of the Missis-
sippi river, and moved that the amount be
increased from S1,250,000 to S2,250000
Senator Mcpherson criticized the work Of
the committee IN preparing or amending the
bill. In looking through it he said he had
observed for the State of Michigan alone
$4,000. Michigan was an interior State
having few rivers. He did not know
whether any more rivers or harbOrs could be
found in it than were found IN the bill
Michigan, however, was represented on the
committee while New jersey was not. New
Jersey, however, had more harbors than
Michigan, and more water courses leading
to the ocean, and there was need in New
Jersey for the appropriation of 81 for every
one appropriated for Michigan lie said
without intending Otlense to anybody, that
if there ever was such Il thing as a swindle in
the country it was the river and harbor bill
of the last five or six years. He would not
characterize this one as being any worse than
its predecessors, but he could not credit it
with being any better Senator Conger de-
Tended the appropriations made for Michi-
gan and insisted that they were based on the
soundest policy.
Senator IIoar addressed the Senate
Nothing, he said, stood in the way of our
Contesting with Great Britain the supremacy
of the sea, aud taking our rightful place, and
the leading place in the markets of the
world, but the want of discreet and liberal
exercise of the power vested in Congress
We had, however, been afraid to use our
power because of public cutlery. Congress
had not dared to deal in the spirit of
true wisdom or true economy with the
questions of restoring our carrying trade and
maintaining Onr navy, Not only could we
not attack any other nation but we could
not even defend ourselves if attacked We
could not have supported the
policy Of our last Secretary of State
in regard to the American continent 1t
was doubtful if we had naval force that
could have prevented Chill from laying San
Francisco under contribution if Chill had
resented our interference. Senator Hoar
said he would not favor any policy of ex-
penditure Of public money that did not
COHulenu INC assent Oh lne people, Dut the
American people were entitled to have their
great business interests dealt with by states
men who are not constantly blenching and
cringng, who were not afraid of their
public and personal character and who
could stand against the senseless imputations
Of dishonesty. He did not complain that
we did initiate other nations, but demanded
that we should discuss and vote on the ques.
tons on its merits. He would insert in the
river and harbor bill no item the public
usefulness of which could not be made plain
to all persons who scrutinized it but if the
American Congress was to be driven from
its duty by the fear of suspicion of its in-
tegrlty, it would go far to sustain the impress
sion that such lmputation was not unmerit-
ed Senator Hoar characterized the policy
Of internal improvements as the policy OF
Massachusetts, originated by its statesmen
and pursued by its people. The bill was
then passed and the Senate adjourned