The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-04-25


| Augusta. Alternates: Hon. Luther 81. Webb
OF Skowhegan, Eben D. Healey OF Gardiner.
I The convention closed with three rousin g
cheers for James e. Blaine
FORTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS-.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, April "a.
The CkIr laid before the Senate a commu-
niGation from the Attorney General. REQUEST
| ing that immediate provision be made by Joint
| resolution of Congress for the payment Of ju-
| rors and witnesses for United States courts.
The sum recommended is $4,000. The Attor-
| ney General states that the courts are in ses-
| sion all over the country, and there is no mon.
| ey to pay the jurors or witnesses.
Mr.. Frye presented petition from the gov
ernor, executive council, secretary of state and
| other citizens of Maine, praying that Congress
may appropriate money in aid of the cotto n
| exposition at New Orleans.
| Favorable reports were made from commit
| tees as follows:
BY Mr.. Platt, from TIE committee on terri
| tories, bill to provide for the admission of
| Tacoma as State; also a bill to provide for
the deposit in the treasury of the receipts of
| the money order system and payment of ex-
| penses out of appropriations.
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, a bill to amend the pension laws re-
lating to attorneys fees.
The bill providing for the disposal of aban-
doned military reservations was then taken up,
and passed, as was also the bill amending the
Revised Statutes relating TO trespassers on In
dian lands.
The Chair then laid before the Ser ate the
bill to provide for bureau of animal industry
and to suppress cattle diseases.
Mr.. Mcpherson thought the bill detective
and moved its recommittal.
Mr.. Vest supported the bill, and Mr.. Morgan
opposed it.
Mr.. Plumb said that a recommittal would be
the destruction of the bill.
After further remarks by Messrs. McPher-
son and Cook, the Senate went into executive
session and later adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Mayberry of Michigan presented an ad-
verse report on the woman's suffrage constitu-
tional amendment. Mr.. Reed of Maine pre-
sented the minority report.
Mr.. Alexander of Missouri, from the commit
tee on territories, submitted the bill to recog-
nize the legislative power of Utah territory.
The House then went into committee for
consideration of Senate amendments to the
naval appropriation bill.
The House by vote of ia to 80 decided to
agree to the Senate amendment to the naval
appropriation bill which provides an arma-
ment for the cruisers no building.
NO opposition to inconvenience was
made until the amendment appropriate
ing $6,500,000 to complete the ordinance
outfit of the new cruisers was reached when
Mr.. Blackburn of Kentucky moved concur
renee. He would vote, he said, for nonconcur-
renee on all the Senate amendments except
this one.
Mr.. Backburn's motion was agreed IT, ia
to 81, and Mr.. Randall gave notice that he
would demand the yeas and nays in the
House.
Mr. Talbot of Maryland moved to concur in
the amendment revising the gun foundry
board.
After brief debate, in the course of which
Mr.. Cox of New York expressed his unwilling
ness in Presidential year to giving so much
money and power to the dominant party, the
motion was lost
Mr.. O'Neil of Pennsylvania moved to concur
in the amendment for additional cruisers with
an amendment providing that at least three Of
the vessels Ehall be constructed in the United
States navy yard.
Mr.. Hewitt of New York was not willing to
trust the expenditure of this money to the
present secretary of the navy. He knew him
as an able and astute politician, and he be-
lieved 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 great necessity.
Mr.. Hscock of New York inquired as to
what his colleague referred.
Mr.. Hewitt replied that under the navy law
of 1883 the secretary of the navy was directed
to dispose of certain ships and ordinance stores
and to pay the proceeds into the treasury. Un-
der that act the secretary proceeded to have
appraised and condemned o large number of
vessels which were so sold in September last
and produced something like $500 900. When
the pending bill was first before the House he
(Hewitt) went to the treasury department to
find whether the money had reached there.
1t was payable to the secretary within thirty
days after sale of the material and yet up to
three weeks ago it had not reached there. He
made no charge whatever of improper use of
that money. He did not believe the secretary
of the navy would appropriate dollar of it
bat when he left that money in the hands of
some subordinate in New York or Boston he
neglected his duty. He (Hewit@ had found
that $500, 900 had been received from the pur.
chasing agent in New York on an open
check to the secretary of the Treasu-
~. He was unable to say from what
account it came, except that it was to the cred
it of the Navy Department He would not
trust a public officer who did not see that
money which came into his custody was prop
erly placed in the treasury as the law required.
There was no obligation on the part of the
Secretary to turn in the money before election
except the obligation of the law, and with
which he had not complied three weeks ago.
Mr.. Calkins of Indiana, defended the Secre-
tary of the Navy. He (Calkins) had tele-
graphed to the Secretary to come to the Capt.
toll, and until he arrived he could not give Mr..
Chambers explanation; but in advance he
wished to say that he would vouch that that
explanation would be satisfactory to every
member of the House.
Mr.. Cannon of Illinois, quoted from the an
nual 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, subject to
check by the Secretary of the Navy, as ex-
peDses connected with the same were to be
paid out of the proceeds.
Mr.. Calkins sent to the clerks desk and had
read telegram from the Secretary, stating
that the proceeds Of the sale had been imme-
diately deposited in the Treasury and there
remained. (The reading of telegram was re-
celved with applause on the Republican side. I
Mr. Cannon, continuing, thanked God that
ne dld not belong to party that was put in
such strait that that its principal leader or
leaders were compelled for the purpose of
making party success to insinuate on false
premises against the honesty and hopor of
public officials.
Mr. O'Neil's molten was lost and the remain.
der of the amendments were non-concurred in.
The committee then rose and the House
agreed to its report, the vote on concurrence
IN the ordinance amendment being, yeas 1856,
nays 106,
MT. ha5Sou WltnureW tn6 point OF ORDER
which had sent the post office appropriation
bill and the Senate amendments to the CON-
mittees of the whole, and the House proceed
ing to their consideration /; the amendments
were non-concurred in.
The House then took recess until o'clock
the evening session to be for debate on the
tariff bill,
EVENING SESSION.
At the evening session speeches in favor OF
the Morrison bill were made by MeSsrs. Hat
sell aud Wolford of Kentucky, and in opposi.
ton by Messrs. Pettibone OF Tennessee and
kowell of Illinois. At 1880 the House ad.
| journed.
GENERAL NEWS,
Secretary Frelinghuysen has received from
prominent manufacturer of Mosaics in Venice anG