St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-24
THE SENATE.
The Senate Worries Through Another
Day Without Accomplishing
Anything.
Senator Vest Raises Quite Stir by Offering
Resolution Prohibiting Printing
Speeches not Delivered.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-In the senate to-
day Senator Jones presented memorial OF
the Joint commercial associations OF New
Orleans protesting against the ratification OF
the Spanish treaty.
Senator Vest submitted q concurrent reso-
luton providing that congressional speeches
shall be printed as delivered, with the excep
ton Of verbal amendments, and when
speeches are held for revision for more than
one week the speech shall be printed as de-
livered. Referred.
Senator Vest said the record OF what was
said and done in congress should be what It
purported TO be, instead Of being the carica-
ture it was to-day. The effect Of untruthful
representations now made could not but
have most injurious effect, especially on
the young meu Of the country, when they
learned that instead of speech being de-
livered 10 full house and in the presence OF
crowded galleries and with loud applause
and immense boquets 10 reward the orators.
that the orators did not deliver the speech
at all, but at the time of the supposed de-
livery was taking leisurely luncheon in the
congressional restaurant, or placidly smok-
ing in the cloakroom. This was becoming
SO well understood IL was touching q sense
of public honor, and the opinion OF the
country was getting TO be that congress
was nothing but a variety show,
where there WAS nothing real except the paw.
He cited as the abuses OF the printing privi-
lege the case Of a memb of congress. who
delivered ten lines of remarks, and then
printed as part Of his speech a complete
copy of the constitution OF the United States; /;
and another who printed ss a part Of his re-
marks poem Of ninety pages, entitled, 'sTo
the Immortals," and dedicated TO congress.
But even more scandalous abuse was that
shown at the last session, when a mem-
ber, after delivering few sentences Of bis
speech, supplemented them with all the
chapters on the tariff contained in Blaine's
book. aud had them thus printed at the pub
lie expense. Copies OF that speech, SeuPtor
Vest said, were sold by campaign commit
tee at ten cents a thousand, and distributed
under the frank through the mails. Another
instance cited by Senator Vest was when
ideutically the same speech appeared printed
as having been delivered by two members.
Some member OF literary bobby had sold a
copy Of the speech to two different men.
Senator Hawley remarked that any comics
of the speech sent out by the campaign com
mittee were paid for.
Senator Vest asked whether It was not true
they were franked through the mails.
Senator Hawley replied he believed II the
custom of both political parties In distribu-
ting copies of congressional speeches to
frank them.
Senator Hale called up the naval appro-
priatioD bill as reported yesterday by him
from the committee on appropriations, and
il was passed.
Senator Morgan, from the committee on
public lands, reported fayorably the suLsti-
tute for the bill TO forfeit lands granted the
New Orleans, Baton Rouge & Yieksburv
Railroad company. Placed on the calendar
The sub-com mmittee Of the house com nit
tee on judiciary agreed 10 recommend to the
full com mittee that ex-Scrgeaut Thompson
be allowed reasonable amount for expenses
incurred by him in the Hallet-Kilbourne suits.
Senator Van Wyck moved 10 make a spe
clal order for January 9 next the bill hereto
fore reported from the judiciary committee,
declaring subject to taxation lands'granted to
laid in the construction of railroad aud tele-
graph lines from the Missouri river TO the
Pacific ocean," and TO which lands the COM
panies were 10 become entitled upon paying
the cost Of surveying. Agreed TO. The sen-
ate then went into executive session and
soon adjourned.