Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-23
HORTT-9lGnrA COyCRBSS.
WASHINGTON, April 2

inquire into and report upon the material
industrial and intellectual progress made by
the colored people of the United States since
1865; placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Plumb called up the resolution admit
ting to the floor of the Senate the commits
sioner Of agriculture.
Az amendment was offered by Mr.. Plumb
placing that officer in order of mention nex
10 the needs of the departments on the lis,
entitled to admission. The amendment wa.
agreed to, as was also one offered BY Mr.
Morrill,. giving similar right to the secre
tarv of the Smithsonian Institute.
The resolution As amended was agreed to-
The Senate at LII 2. n. went into execu
tive session.
At 3.35 P. NJ. the doors were reopened ant
pension and other bills of private interest
passed, and the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
In accordance with the resolution adopted
yesterday, the House met at l o'clock today
Mr.. Dingley of Maine asked unanimou.
consent for the present consideration of the
bill authorizing the secretary of the treasury
to invest lawful money deposited in the treas
ury by national banking associations, for the
retirement OF their circulating notes. There
was, he said. no more important measure
than this which related to the currency of the
country that could possibly be presented to
Congress. 1t was recommended by the sec
retary of the treasury and had the unanimous
approval of the banking and currency CON-
mittee Under the existing law, the nation
al banks in WITHDRAWING their bonds and
going into liquidation. were obliged to deposi,
in the treasury lawful meney, and currency
was contractedtto that extent.
Wipe out the whole system. said Mr..
Weller Il object
Mr.. Dingley hoped that the objection
would be Withdrawn because the bill was
necessary to prevent the contraction of cur
rency at the rate of two millions month.
Mr.. Weller remarked that nothing which
could be said would induce him to WITHDRAW W
his objection, and so consen: was not granted.
A resolution was adopted setting apart the
third dav of May for the consideration of the
bill amending the Chinese immigration act.
The speaker laid before the House COM
munication from the secretary of war; sub
mitting the deficiency estimate of $275, 200
for pay of the army referred
MIR. O'Neil of Pennsylvania presented a
protest for the Philadelphia board of trade.
An order was made providing for evening
sessions ,until further notice for general
debate on the tariff bill.
The House then went into committee of the
whole on the tariff bill.
Mr. Weller Of Texas spoke in favor of the
bill.
Mr.. Mckinley of Ohio followed in opposi-
ton. He said the only persons who demand
ed a reduction was the members of the free
trade club of Brooklyn and New York. Their
capital was not invested in active industry
They cut coupons and bought most of their
goods on the other side. If Congress lowered
the duties they could get their goods little
cheaper. He declared the bill was in the
interest of England.
After Az argument by Mr.. Herbert of Ala
bama in defense Of the bill, the committee
rose and the House went into committee on
the pension appropriation bill. the pending
amendment being that offered by Mr.. Rose
Grams of California, transferring the duties of
pension agents to the pay department of the
army. The amendment was lost
On motion of Mr.. Rogers of Arkansas. an
amendment was adopted providing that no
agent, attorney or other person shall demand
or receive fee for his services in cases of
pension or bounty lard claims until the al
lowance of the claim that all fees in pension
cases be paid for paying pensions out of the
first installment of the pension to the claim
ant; that no fee shall exceed $40 except in
case of special contract on file in the pension
office and approved by the commissioner of
pensions. where S25 may be charged, and
prescribing the power which the secretary of
the interior may exercise over pension attor-
neys.
The committee then rose and reported the
hill to the House and it was passed.
The House took recess till s o'clock.
Less than two dozen members were present
at the night session.
The debate cd the tariff bill was conducted
by Messrs. Eldridge of Michigan, Lanham
and Dockery of Texas, Warner of Tennessee
and Riggs of Illinois in favor of, and Evans
of Pennsylvania, Price of Wisconsin and
George eff Oregon in opposition to the meas
ure.
Adjourned.