Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-04-25
FORTY-EIGHVn CONGRESS.
First session.


sen ATE.
WAsHISGroN, April "a.
The chair laid before the Senate CON-
munication from the attorney general. re-
/ questing that immediate provisions be made
by joint re solution by Congress for tine pay.
ment of jurors and witnesses for the United
States courts. The sum recommended is
100000 The attorney general states that
courts are in session all over the country.
and there is no money to pay Jurors or wit
nesses.
Mr.. Frye presented a petition from the
governor. executive council. secretary of
state and other citizens of Maine. praying
that Congress may appropriate money in aid
of the cotton exposition AT New Orleans.
Favorable reports were made from COM
mi ttees as follows:
BY Mr.. Plat, from the committee on ter
rtories, bill TO provide for the admission
of Tacoma as State; also a bill to provide
for the deposit in the treasury of receipts of
the appropriation.
BY Mr.. Frye, from the committee on COM
merce, the House bill to constitute bureau
of navigation in the treasury department
This is to take the place of the Senate bill of
like import, which, on motion of Mr.. Frye,
was indefinitely postponed.
BY Mr.. jackson, from the committee on
pensions, to amend the pension laws relating
attornies' fees.
The bill providing for the disposal of
abandoned military reservations was taken
up and passed. as was also the bill amending
the revised statutes in regard to trespassers
on Indian lands.
The chair laid before the Senate the bill
to pvoviJa fnr hpr Of ind
and the suppress of cattle diseases.
Mr.. Mcpherson thought the bill defective
and moved its recommittal
Mr.. Vest supported the bill and Mr.. Nor
gan opposed it.
Mr.. Plumb said that the recommittal would
be the destruction of the bill
After remarks by Messrs. Mcpherson and
Coke the Senate went into executive session
and later adjourned.
Mr.. Mavbury of Michigan presented an
adverse report on the woman's suffrage con-
stitutional amendment.
Mr.. Reed of Maine presented minority
report.
Mr.. Alexander of Missouri, from the COM
mittee on territories, submitted bill to rec
ognize the legislative power of Utah Terri
tory.
The House then went into committee of
the whole on the consideration of the Senate
amendments to the naval appropriation bill
The House, by a vote of ia to 80 decided
to agree to the Senate amendment to the
naval appropriation bill, which provides for
an armament for the cruisers now building
Mr.. Kasson on Wednesday yielded the
floor to MIR. Reed, who, by a skilfull process
of questioning, induded Mr.. Randall to give
h;s by fho ito
tions opposed the giving of money for the
armament of the cruisers now building, and
for the building of new vessels. In brief,
Mr.. Randalfs reasons were, first, that the
Senate has passed bill for completing these
cruisers, which bill is on the speakers table !;
and second, that the democratic party is not
responsible for the present paralyzed condi
ton of the American navy. There was abso-
lutely nothing else to Mr. Randall's explana-
ton, except the statement that the Senate
had added some six millions to the amount
appropriated by the original bill.
Mr. Reed then got the floor again. His
reply to Mr.. Randall was one of the most
scathing pieces of sarcasm ever heard in the
House of Representatives.
Mr.. Dorsheimer made an extremely vigor-
Gus and eloquent fve-minute speech, in
which he advocated the granting of money
for the armament of the new cruisers.
A number of democrats are bitterly op-
posed to the cheese-paring policy of the ap-
preparations committee in respect to the
navy.
No opposition to the recommendation of
Inconvenience was made until the amend
ment appropriating S4OO, 200 to complete the
ordnance outfit of the new cruisers was
reached. when Mr.. Blackburn of KY, moved
concurrence He would vote, he said, for
non-concurrence in the Senate amendment,
except this one.
ia to so.
Mr.. Randall gave notice that he would de-
mand the yeas and nays in the House.
O'Neil of Penn, moved to concur in the
amendment for new cruisers with the amend
ment providing that at least three of the YES
sells be constructed in United States navy
yards.
Mr.. Hewitt of N. Y, was not willing to
trust the expenditure of this money to the
present secretary of the navy. He knew
him as an able astute politician and believed
that in the expenditure of public money he
was an honest man and yet the country had
had some experience of what he would do
when placed in position of necessary.
Mr.. Hiscock Of New York inquired to what
colleague he referred.
icpicu tudt uuutf tUe navy
law of 1888, the secretary of the navy was
directed to dispose of certain ships and ordi-
nance stores and pay the proceeds into the
treasury. Under that act the secretary pro-
ceeded to have appraised and condemned a
number of vessels which were so sold in
September, and produced something like
s500,000. When the pending bill was orig
! inally before the House, he (Hewitt) went to
the treasury department to find if the money
had reached there. 1t was payable to the
| secretary within 80 days after the sale of the
material, and yet up to three weeks ago it
had not reached the treasury.
Mr.. Cannon of Illinois quoted from the
annual report of the secretary of the navy to
show that all money received from the sale
of old material had been placed on deposit
with the treasurer of the United States.
The House then took recess until 8
o'clock, the evening session to be for debate
on the tariff bill.