The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-11

joint convention shall submit to the members thereof
to determine to which is the proper return and
three hours shall be allowed for debate and the joint
convention shall then proceed to vote, commencing
with the State of Alabama. and these votes shall be
counted and added the of already ascertain
ed which majority of the joint convention shall
determine to have been contained IN the proper and
legal return.
Section of the substitute provides that the joint
convention shall not be dissolved until the count of
the electoral vote is completed and the result declared
Mr. Ellis introduced a joint resolution direct
ing the Post mastergeneral to investigate and
apply the most effective means for protection
of mail on local cars from fire Referred,
Mr. Mills, from the committee on ways and
means, reported bill amending the statement
in reference to immediate transportation OF du-
table goods. Placed on the House calendar.
A Senate bill was passed to further suspend
the operation of section 1914. Revised Statutes,
in relation to the guano islands.
THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS BILL.
The contest over the public building measures
was then resumed, Mr. Stockslager moving to
go into committee for consideration of the meas
ures Owing to the early hour of meeting there
was no quorum in the House, and that point
was raised by Mr.. Warner, whereupon Mr. Bel
ford emphatically demanded a call of the House,
and served notice upon Mr. Warner that, as the
fight was begun it would be continued.
During the progress of the roll-cal which,
Mr.. Bedford declared, would show whether there
was quorom of courageous men or towards
present, many members came in. and at its con
clusion 20 representatives answering to their
names, further proceedings under the call were
dispensed with
A few minutes before u o'clock Mr.. Warner
moved to adjourn, but this being voted down,
the legislative day of Wednesday was continued.
After short skirmish, the motion of Mr..
Stockslager agreed to, and the House went
into committee of the whole, Mr.. Wellborn in
the chair.
AS indicated. Mr.. Stockslager took occasion,
during the debate on the bill appropriating $780,,
900 for public building at New Albany, Ind,
TO defend the resolution under which the com
mittee was acting contending that it was wise
public policy for the government to procure suit
able buildings in which to transact its business.
Mr. Thompson was opposing the bill in strong
terms when he was interrupted by Mr.. Bedford
with a question whether he had voted, in the
Forty-seventh Congress, against bills for the
erection of public buildings in Louisville and
Frankfort When had this conversion of heart
occurred
Mr. Thompson replied that those bills had
been meritorous and had not been passed
through by any log rolling scheme. In the
Forty sixth Congress he had objected to every
public building measure. and not one had been
passed. Could the gentleman from Colorado
point to one act in his own history where he had
ever protected the people from plumber at the
hands of anybody! There had never been a raid
organized by any ring to get money out of the
Treasury in which the gentleman had not been
found leading the vanguard in the attack.
The debate was continued by Messrs, Belford,
Tilman, Thompson, and Hatch, and the tone of
the discussion such as to arouse much mer-
riment which was increased by shouts of laugh
ter when Mr. Aiken innocently suggested that
this was an Indiana bill and sarcastically in
quired whether Mr. Holman could not find some
objection to it,
Mr. Holmans smiling reply that it was an
unusually meritorous measure only served to
redouble the merriment, and called down on
him a lecture from Mr.. Money, who twitted the
"Cerberus of the Treasury upon his sudden
access of hberality as soon as Indiana was
reached. After further debate the bill was laid
aside.
Mr. Hopkins set forth facts and figures in sup
port of the next BILL increasing to 81, 800 900 the
limit of the appropriation for the erection of q
public building at Pittsburg.
Mr.. Willis moved to amend the bill by increas-
ing the limitation of the Louisville bill to the
same amount In the course of his argument in
favor of the amendment he compared the pub
lie buildings in various cities of the Union, and
deduced from the comparison the conclusion that
if Louisville had building commensurate with
her relative importance, it would cost $l62, 800,
0O0
The amendment was ruled out, on point of
order, and the bill was laid aside informally
The next bill was the one for the erection of
building at Chattanooga, Tenn, the ultimate
cost to be 100000.
Mr. Dibrell spoke in advocacy of the bill.
Mr. Young said the Democratic majority had
been sent here, not to cut down necessary APP
preparations, but to reduce the tariff burdens
upon the people Ee would ask the gentleman
from Kentucky Mr. Thomspon whether it was
wiser to lend 0,0O0, 900 to distillers than to
appropriate 81, 000, 900 for public buildings. He
would ask the gentleman from Ohio Mr.. Warn
erl whether, on Monday last, he did not vote
for proposition which his colleague Mr.. Hurdl
declared would take $50, 600 out of the pock-
cts of laborng men.
league.
Mr.. Young-The majority of your party did.
The bill was laid aside informally.
Throughout the day there was great deal of
noise upon the floor despite numerous remon-
strances of the chairman, accompanied by some
vigorous rapping of the gavel. Much time was
expended in discussing points of order which
were finally decided by the chairman, Mr.. Well
born, in such a clear manner as to call forth
public comment from Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa
The members of the committee were in the
best humor, and although the opposition at
times made use of pretty severe language there
was no bad blood exhibited until the bill for the
erection of a building at Augusta Maine at an
Messrs. Milliken and Storm INDUCED in
"a warm colloquy Mr. Millil1en was proceeding
to present the claims of Augusta and the neces-
sity for building, when Mr. Storm interrupted
with question whether Mr.. Milliken intended
to vote for every public building on the calen
dar. Mr.. Milliken replied that he would vote
for all that he thought proper, and when Mr..
Storm insisted on q more categorical answer,
politely intimated it was none of his business.
From this answer Mr. Storm concluded, and
stated his conclusion, that this was cut and
dried matter and that Mr.. Dfilliken would not
dare strike at bill for fear he would be struck
back.
Mr. Milliken replied that if an unjust bill
came up he would strike at it,
Mr. Storm then denounced the log-rolling pol
icy which was influencing the House, and Mr.
Milliken suggested that gentleman who talked
so much about log rolling must have had some
experience of it himself. The country would
not be deceived by such talk
The controversy continued for some time,
when the debate was closed by limitation, The
bill having been laid aside informally, it, to-
gether with those previously considered was re
ported to the House. Without further action
the House adionrned