Omaha daily bee., 1884-04-10
the naval appropriation bill and Mr.. Vest

(dem., MO, continued his remarks.
Mr.. Vest (dem., Mo- made the point
that the decline of u shipping did not,
as generally supposed, begin with our
civil war. 1t began years before. 1t
decliped nearly 163 per cent between
1910 and 1860. The American ship
owner should be permitted to buy ships
wherever he chose; but this was not the
only thing. He would reform the whole
protective system, which has struck down
the American marine.
Mr.. Mcpherson (dem., N. J.) said that
while the government persisted in keep
ing the present secretary of the navy, it
could not wonder at the lack of conf
dence in the navy department.
MIR. Hale (rep., Mo- defended the
secretary of the navy.
Mr.. Vest thought the secretary unduly
influenced by a party bias, but in reply
to Hale admitted that he could not put
his finger on any one act of that officers
administration that would subject him to
criticism. Vest arraigned the republi-
can party as responsible for the non
existence of the American navy.
Mr.. Hale said that during the past
twelve years the democrats had control
of the house half the time and of the
senate part of the time.
Mr.. Vest replied that they had little
sporadic control of the senate and house
for about three months.
Mr.. Beck (dem , KY said the records
of the naval expenditures for the last two
years would prove the r~ottenness and
corruption in the administration of funds.
Mr.. Edmunds (rep., Vt stated that
he had been much interested in the ac-
counts given in the senate of the flour
ishing condition of the navy before the
war. He read a letter from James
Buchanan, dated September 1858, ad-
dressed to Hon. Henry A. Wise, Vir-
GINA. in which he said: "We Americans
boosted much of our navy, but what was
it in comparison to the navies
of England or France. Sup
pose these powers should determine
to prevent us from interfering in Cuba,
in case the time should arrive when we
ought to interfere2 They had the naval
power to carry on their determination,
we should at least have navy enough to
man our own coast" Mr. Buchanan
further recommended that part of the
surplus in the treasury should be expend.
ed in constructing a navy.
Mr.. Edmunds said that was all the
senate wanted to do. Buchanan had also
expressed the conviction that the work
had better be- put out under contract,
which, Edmunds added was what was
proposed in this instance.
After an executive session the senate
adjourned.
Mr.. Hopkins (dem., Pay offered the
following preamble and resolutions,
which were referred to the committee on
commerce.:
WHEREAS, It is charged that the present
system of transporting live stock by railroad
companies engaged in interstate ia
barbarous and destructive, that ten per cent.
of the animals perish in consequences of this
treatment and the flesh of the remainder is
unfit for human food;
WHEREAS, It is charged that the flesh OF
animals 80 treated, including that of dead and
dying, is sold to people and cannot when
dressed be distinguished from sound meats.
and is the source of many and various diseases,
and
WHEREAS, It appears by the report of the
committee on agriculture OF this house, Janu-
airy list, 1876, that the loss by shrinkage
| dlOu6 Ill IN W5iRut VI Uullildlb ubo ny shih
system of transportation amounted to the
immense sum of IS, 600, 900 on the business of
1870, and must now be nearly or quite S16,-
600, 600 per annun.; and =.
WHEREAS, It has been charged that said
railroads, bya system of favoritism, give to a
small number of persons known as the Asso.
citation of Eveners, q bonus or gift OF almost
SIS on every car load of beef cattle shipped
from the west to the east, and said sum being
no part of the actual legitimate cost of trans.
portation, but is on the contrary collected by
transporters and paid over to the so-called
Eveners as q mere g~ratuity, and,
WHEREAS, The losses and charges above
constitute in the aggregate an enormous tax on
a necessary article of food, which must be
borne by producer and consumer alike, dimin-
ishing the just profit of meat growers of the
west, and placing meat food in many in.
stances beyond the reach Of poor men in the
east, and,
WHEREAS. 1t is charged that the act of con.
gress requiring railroad companies to unload
stock in transit every twenty-eight hours is
habitually violated, therefore,
Resolved, That the committee on CONNER &c
be instructed to inquire whether those evils
do in fact exist, and to what extent they may
be remedied by law, with power to send fol
persons and papers, and with directions II
report at any time by bill or otherwise.
Then a struggle arose as to which Of
the many pending special orders should
obtain precedence of consideration.
Mr.. Dingley (rep.M Me } essayed to bring
up the shipping bill, but the effort wa
unsuccessful, the motion being defeated
by yeas, rs; nays, LOG.
Mr.. Reagan (dem., Tex met with
like fate on his motion to consider the
interstate m bill, being votec
down by yeas, 1O1; nays, 100.
The speaker ruled that the unfinished
business was the Oregon Central lane
grant bill.
Mr.. Stockslager, (dem. INDY, unde
the order made Monday, asked the hous
to consider the public building bills, IN
moved that the house go into committe
of the whole for the consideration @
such bills.
The antagonists of these measures
united in OPPOSITION to the motion, bu
they were unsuccessful, as the house, b
! q vote of 160 yeas, TO 81 nays, went int
: committee of the whole.
: The first bill called up was an sppro
+ priation for a public building at Keokuk
Iowa. The bill provides for an imme
date appropriation of $3.50, 900. 1t wa
advocated by Mr.. McCoid, (rep. Iowa,
who presented the facts which in hi
Judgment necessitated the erection G
the building.
Mr.. Holman read from an article i
I the Burlington Gazette ridiculing tn
idea that the public business at Keoku.
5 required the erection of the building, an