The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-04-29
FORTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS.
SENATE.

In the Senate today, Mr.. Cullom, from the
committee on railroads, reported an original
bill to establish commission to regulate in
terstate commerce.
The bill to consolidat, the bureau of mill
tary justice and corps Of judge advocates Of
the army was read the third time and passed
1t consolidates the corps and bureau referred tc
with the title of Judge Advocate Generals
department to consist of judge advocate
general, one assistant judge advocate general
two deputy judge advocate generals and foul
judge advocates)
The Senate then resumed consideration OF
the bill to establish bureau of animal indus
try and to extirpate congestion, the cattle
disease. The question was upon the motion
of Mr.. Mcpherson TO recommit the bill to the
committee on agriculture. The motion was
not agreed to.
Mr.. Coke moved to except the disease
known as "Texas fever from diseases intend
ed to be included within the meaning of the
act SO far as it concerned transportation tc
market. Thirty per cent. Of the cattle coming
to Chicago last year had been Texas cattle and
the testimony from the Chicago stock yards
was that there had been no disease found
among them. The amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Plumb withdrew the amendment pro-
posed By the committee which increased the
appropriation for the purposes OF the bill from
$250000 to 100000. so as to leave the amount
as it came from ths House.
Mr.. Morgan spoke in opposition to the bill
and moved to strike out the clause authorizing
payment for slaughtered cattle.
Mr.. Plumb defended the provisions of the
bill but said that he had prepared an amend
ment striking out altogether the reference to
slaughter OF animals.
Mr.. Plumb's amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Bayard thought the purposes OF the bill
mn ho frlfi HID hr of III
$4,000 instead of $250,0O0 allowed by the
House.
Mr.. Plumb had no doubt that the appro-
priation might now be reduced but not BY SO
much as Mr.. Bayard proposed. Mr.. Plumb
moved to make the appropriation $4,000.
MIR. Bayard's motion TO reduce the appropria-
ton to $4,000 was disagreed to and Mr..
Plumb's amendment making the amount $3.50,
600 was agreed to-
On motion of Mr.. Harris an amendment was
agreed to combining the operations of the bill
to cattle from which there was danger of the
disease spreading from enc State to another.
Mr.. Plumb wanted to secure unanimous
consent that debate on the bill should close at
3 tomorrow and vote be reached, but this
was not agreed to.
Adjourned.
HOUSE.
In the House a joint resolution was passed
for the appointment of I. W. Hyde, of Maine,
with others to fill vacancies existing in the
board of managers of the National Home for
disabled volunteers.
The Senate joint resolution was passed pro-
viding for the attendance of the two houses at
the unwilling Of the statue OF Chief Justice
Marahall Saturday. May 10th,
Bills were introduced as follows:
By Mr.. Curtin of Pennsylvania, comforting
Jurisdiction of federal and state courts, to take
testimony in cases pending in the same, on re-
quest of the commissioners of pensions.
By Mr.. Ermentrout, of Pennsylvania, by re-
quest. providing that the one per cent tax i'm
posed Il the circulation of notes of national
banks shall hereafter be devoted to the pay
ment of expenses incurred by the United
States, under title 81 Revised Statutes, and
the surplus remaining shall be set apart and
known as "a contingent redemption fund, and
be used for the redemption of any of the cir
cuating notes of any insolvept association.
By Mr.. Cosgrove OF Missouri, to authorize
the lighting OF the navigable rivers of the
United States by electricity.
Mr.. Ellis of Louisiana, from he committee
on appropriations, reported a bill to provide
for the celebration of the Worlds Industrial
and Cotton Centennial Exposition at New Or
leans.
Mr. Hewitt of New York, in the course of a
personal explanation, reiterated his charge
the law in not covering into the treasury the
proceeds Of the sale of condemned vessels. He
did not charge that the Secretary had acted
dishonesty, but that he had not complied with
the provisions of the act
Mr.. Calkins of Indiana, defended the Secre-
tary's action, and argued that the provisions
of the law had not been violated; that the law
required that the net proceeds of sale should
be covered into the treasury, and the net pro-
ceeds could not be obtained until all expendi-
lures had been paid for, and this had not yet
been done. His deliberate Judgment was
that every candid man would FAY that Mr..
Hewitt's performances this morning was mere
subterfuge. 1t wss shifting of position. Last
Friday the gentleman had deliberately given
the House and country 10 understand that the
Secretary of the Navy was dishonest and COR
rupt; for what could be mOIe dishonest and
corrupt than that great public officer should
take the peoples money and not turn it into
the treasury until alter political election. he
knew thar some gentlemen were so constituted
that instead of deliberately walking up and at
lacking man fairly they sprang from an alley
at dark of night, with an assaSsin's dagger in
hand. He did not like that kind of warfare,
and no man who held tho position which the
gentleman from New York occupied ought to
attack man Indirectly. Ii he did not make
a direct charge, common decency and com mon
honesty ought TO induce him to keep his
mouth closed.
Mr.. Hewitt declined to reply to Mr.. Calkins'
personal remarks; that was not in his line. He
insinuated nothing, but he charged that the
provisions of the statute had not been complied
with.
The House then proceeded to the trsnsac-
tion OF business pertaining to the District of
Columbia.
The next bill considered was one appropriat-
ing $4,000 for the completion of the sewerage
system of the District of Columbia. Several
amendments were proposed, but no Quorum