The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-12-11
XLVIIIth CONGRESS.
A Dull Week in Both House and
Senate.

WEDNESDAY, Dec 3-Congress settled down
| to regular business to-day. From all appear
| ances it might have been in session for two
months instead of two days. In the House the
| Senate amendments to the House bill FORGETTING
| the unearned land grant to the Atlantic & Pa
| cifc Railroad Company were not concurred in
| Then the Naval appropriation bill was brought
| in. There was no discussion and no amend
ments were offered, Mr. Randall merely max
| ing a brief statement to show that the total
| appropriation for the support of the Navy
| for the current fiscal year was $15,636, 1914, a
reduction of sos, PCS from the appropriation
for the previous year. The bill was passed,
and was succeeded by an extended debate on
| the interstate commerce bill.
| A good many Members consider the time
| spent on this bill as practically wasted, mas
much as there is not even reasonable chance
of its passage through the Senate. There are
| good many Senate bills on the calendar only
awaiting the action of the House to become
| law.
| 1t was quite as dull in the Senate to-day,
| though the session was short Nothing material
was done except the adoption of the resolution
| for an investigation of Indian leases.
THURSDAY, Dec Among the bills intro
| duced in the Senate to-day was one by Dir.
| Mitchell chairman of the Pension Committee
| of the Senate, granting pension to Gen. U. S.
! Grant. Mr. Cameron, of Pennsylvania sub
mitted q resolution, which was laid over, di-
| recting the Committee on Finance to inquire
whether it would be expedient to expend the
| surplus revenue Of the United States or any
| portion thereof for the purpose of reyiving the
shipping and export trade by allowing rebate
| from tariff duties On foreign goods imported in
| ships built and owned by the United States,
| and by also allowing premium on American
grown products and articles of American ves-
sells, and report by bill or otherwise. A resolu-
ton by Mir. Hill was also laid over. It declares
| the opinion of the Senate to be that no valid
reason exists at the present time for imposing
any new and additional restrictions upon either
the coinage of silver dollars or the issue of sill
| yer certificates. Mr.. Cullom urged immediate
| consideration of the Interstate commerce bill,
| but at the instance Of Mr.. Mcpherson it was
postponed and made the special order for next
| Thursday. The Senate adjourned till Monday.
In the House number of bills were intro
duced, among them one by Mr.. Morrison au-
| thoriZing the Secretary of the Treasury to
apply the surplus revenues at any time in the
Treasury in excess of $I00,000,000 not other
| wise appropriated, to the redemption Of United
States bonds, and one by Mr.. Hopkins estab-
/ fishing the office of Government Architect j.
A. Taylor, of Ohio, introduced a bill to prohibit
1 the removal, except for specified cause, of any
ex-soldier Or sailor, or the widow or dependent
relatives of such, who may be IN the Govern
meat employ. Discussion of the Interstate
commerce bill was resumed and the subject had
not been concluded when, at 2:3O, the House
adjourned till Monday.
MONDAY, Dec. S.-In the Senate, letter
| from the Postmaster-Gcneral recommending
larger clerical force at post-offices was read.
| Mr.. Mitchell read a letter from Gen. Grant,
relating to the bill recently introduced to give
| him pension. Gen. Grant expresses the hope
that the bill would be withdrawn, as under no
circumstances could he accept pension, even
| if the bill passed both Houses and received the
| approval of the President Mr.. Mitchell stated
! that he had introduced the bill because he was
| Chairman of the Committee on Pensions, and
| the President had recommended pension for
Gen. Grant. He (Mr BIitchelD had always
| felt that Gen. Grant ought to be placed where
he was when, to accept the Presidency, he laid
down the great Office he won in the war. In
| Difference to Gen. Grants wishes, MIR. Mitchell
| withdrew the pension bill.
A bill was introduced by Mr.. Blair, of New
Hampshire, for an appropriation of $500, 900
| to promote the cOlored peoples worlds eXposi-
| ton to be held at Chicago in September, 1885.
Mr.. Dolph called up the bill reported from
| the Committee on Railroads at last session,
| providing for the incorporation Of the Spokane
Falls & C9ur d'Alene Railway Company of
| Idaho and Washington, which led to consider
able debate.
Mr. ingalls, introduced bill to make inau.
guration day legal holiday.
letter from the Postmaster General was
laid before the House asking for an appropria-
ton of 100000 for the railroad pOstal-c car
service for the remainder Of the current fiscal
year. which was referred. Mr.. Cox, of New
York, introduced joint resolution that the
sum of 100000 be appropriated to the erection
of the pedestal for the Bartholdi statue. He
also introduced a bill providing that in lieu of
the duties heretofore imposed by law on the
i'm poration of ladies' cloaks and wraps Of
and fhar al S1,,
be levied duty of so per cent. al uaiore,n, and
90 cents per pound. On all garments made
wholly of silk, or of which silk is the compo-
nent part there shall be levied duty Of 90
per cent all ualorem. On all garments manu-
featured and imported, which consist of any
than q pounds each. there shall be levied
duty of 60 per cent. dd ratorem and 65 cents
per pound.
Mr. Warner, of Ohio, introduced bill to pre-
vent the contraction of the currency; Mr..
Libbey, of Virginia, for the relief of the suffer-
ers from the loss of the Tallapoosa and Mr..
ONeill, of Pennsylvania, appropriating $780,
600 for the general improvement of Philadel-
phia harbor. Mr.. Ellis, of Louisiana, appro-
priating $4,000 for the erection of a statue in
the city of Washington to perpetuate the
memory of the Arctic heroes
Representative Buckner, of Missouri Chair
man Of the Committee on Banking and Cur
rency, introduced bill to suspend the coinage
Of the standard silver dollar for three years,
| and directing the President to open CORE
spondence with Great Britain, Germany and
the members Of the Latin Union, and urge
upon them the establishment of q common
| ratio between gold and silver. The President
| is authorized to detail three of the American
Ministers in Europe to attend the conference,
or he may appoint three Special Commissioners.
Fraternal Endorsement.
keystone (lfasonic), Philadelphia
Brother Otis p G.. Clarke, of Washington, d.
c., who has just been appointed Commissioner
of Pensions, belongs to one Of the oldest fami-