St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-20
The Interstate Commerce Bill
Under Consideration i'm Both
Houses of Congress.
Failure Of the Conference Committees
to Agree on the Naval Appro-
priation Bill.
Senator Sabin Introduces Bill for q $780,
900 Postoflee at saltwater.
Congress to Hang up its Stocking To-day
Until Monday, January 5tn, 1885.
FoRTY-EIGHrH CONGRESS.
The Senate.

The Senate.
WASHINGTON, Dec 19.-The chair laid be-
fore the senate a memorial Of the produce
exchange Of New York city urging immed-
late and definite action regarding the Spanish
treaty. Referred.
The senate passed bill making the fourth
Of March, presidential inauguration day, a
legal holiday in the district.
The following bills were introduced and
referred:
By Senator Gibson, to transfer the United
States barracks at New Orleans and the
State Agricultural college for educational pur-
poses. Also to authorize the building Of q
shell road from Baton Rouge, La, to the ma
tional cemetery.
BY Senator Sabin, TO provide 70. the cree
ton Of public building at saltwater, Mimi,
at an expenditure Of 100000.
The senate passed bill 10 accept and ratify
the treaty made in 1850 with the shoshoue,
Bannock and sheepeater tribes Of Indians, Of
the Fort Hall and Lemhi reservations, Idaho,
for the sale Of portion of their lands.
bill reported by Senator Dolph, from the
committee on public lands, was passed
granting the Lost Lake and Mount Hood
Improvement company the right Of way for
public road over the public lands Of Ore
gon.
The interstate commerce bill was then
taken up and Senator George addressed the
senate. He severely criticised the railroad
custom Of charging all that traffic will bear. :"
The people OF the south had especially suf-
fered from discriminating rates Of railroad
companies. These companies made them
selves in effect the partners Of all farmers Of
the country, retaining 10 themselves, how
ever the right to say what proportion Of the
partnership profits each partner should re-
| ceive. Senator George was particularly
| condemnatory of the pooling system,
by which, he said, railroad COM
panies were enabled to extort outrageous
charges from the people all over the country
IN order TO II axe up fort the coInpany's fratri-
cidal struggles at a few competition points
a great railroad man had been credited, SEN
ator George said, with using the expression,
damn the public" The public, on the
other hand, were continually dealing out in
definite damnation 10 the railroad com
panies, but that did not affect the companies
They could only be affected 5y a positive
legal enactment and proper government and
supervision.
Senators Allison, from the committee on
appropriations, reported favorably the house
resolution providing when the two houses
adjourn Saturday it be TO Monday, January
5th.
On Senator Hsle's suggestion 1t was laid
on the table for the present.
Senator Hale, from the conference COM
mittee on the naval appropriation bill, re-
ported that the committee was unable 10
agree. He explained that the house con-
ferees insist that that the senate must take
the house bill as it had been presented to the
senate. That being a lump appropriation
for the coming half year. The senate con-
ferees, he said. thought that method an OBJ
jectionsble method of passing appropriation
bills, and had held TO that ground.
Senator Beck said, as a member Of the
committee, he had been surprised that the
committee had not been able even to begin
work on the conference. This was owing to
the ground taken by the house conferees in
declining to take as a basis of the conference
the regular appropriation bill passed
by the house at the last session,
and which the senate had amended. He
agreed in regarding the lump appropriation
system wrong. Amy system that did not
fully show the items Of expenditure in any
department should no: be permitted TO grow
into precedent TO trouble congress here
after.
Senator Hale moved the senate insist on
its amendment.
Senator Bayard said although the appropri-
alton bills must originate in the house the
responsibility for their passage rested equally
on the senate and the house, and for the
senate TO pursue the course suggested by the
house conferees would be an abdication of its
respon sibility. He moved vote Of insis-
lance be taken by yeas and nays, and hoped
there would be an unbroken expression Of
the senate's voice on the question.
In reply to the suggestion of Senator Nc
Pherson, Senator Hale explained the sena-
tors were not by a vote of insistanee neces-
sarily committed to the approval Of all the
items of the amendment, while, II his
(Hale's) motion was not agreed TO, the par
liamentary status of the bill would be such
as TO require the work to be done over again.
A vote was taken bv yeas and nays on
Senator Hale's motion, and was unanimously
agreed to, yeas, So; nays, none.
Senator Vest submitted modification of
the resolution heretofore offered by him, re-
lating to the proposed Nicaragua canal sur
yeying expedition. The modification de-
clar es II to be mot expedient'' to send out
such an expedition. The original resolution
had declared it ''illegal'' to send 1t without
the authority Of congress. Senator Vest said
he would call the matter up tomorrow al the
conclusion of the morning business.
Senator Vest introduced bill, which was
referred to the committee on commerce, re-
pealing section 44l9 of the revised statutes,
which has permitted the government in
spector in certain cases TO take steam re-
jectors from vessels.
The senate went into executive session.
and soon adjourned.