The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-10
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.
THE SENATE.

INTRODUCED on of Petitions, and Discussion on
the Adoption or the New Rules.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-N1r. Plumb presented a
petition of 10000 ex-soldiers for tho establish
ment of a soldiers home in Kansas
Mr.. Anthony offered resolution instructing
the committee on foreign relations to inquire
into the expediency of legislation to enable the
Executive department to protect our interests
against the governments which prohibited and
restrained the importation of healthful meats
from the United States Laid over until to-lnor-
row.
Petitions were presented as follows:
By Mr.. Slater: From the citizens of Oregon,
praying that the lands granted the Oregon Cen
trail railway, which had not been earned, be re-
taken by the United States
By Mr.. Logan Praying for the passage of an
act pensioning x-prisoners of war.
Mr.. Morgan offered the following resolution,
which was agreed to:
Resolved, That the Attorney general be in
structed to transmit to the Senate copies of all
reports, with accompanying papers, made by the
different examiners of the Department of Justice
concerning the business of the courts of the
United States in Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas
and Texas, which reports relate to abuses by
officers of said courts and marshals of said dis
fees, and other abuses referred to in the report
OF Brewster Cameron, general agent of the De
partment of Justice, made Jan. ), 1854"
The bill passed for the payment of Sc 600 to
the parents OF Lieutenant Schwatka, the arctic
explorer The claim arose out of taking the
senior Schwatkas lands in 1850 by the govern
mont for military reservation.
The Senate resumed consideration of the
rules. The first question in order was the
amendment of mir. Hale to the rule referring APP
preparation bills, to strike out the clause permit
ting the reference of District of Columbia appro
priatons to the Senate committee by the Dis
trict Agreed to- p yeas, % nays
Rule No. 26 was taken up The proposed rule
provides for committee on internal improve
ments, to consist of nine Senators. to whom snail
be referred all subjects relating to the improve
ments Of rivers and harbors, also the river and
harbor bill.
Mr. Vest moved to strike out this provision.
The committee on commerce had always faith
fully performed its duties and was perfectly
competent to deal with the river and harbor bill.
The standing committees by this rule were in
creased from 81 to 49, He thought if some
of the committees were dispensed with
and greater activity required of those which re
manned the country would be better satisfied and
better served 1t looked somewhat as though
the committees were provided in order to secure
secretaries for senator's
Mr. Coke favored the amendment
Mr.. Frye, while disclaiming any reflection on
the committee of commerce as at present consti-
colorless record. during the last twenty years. in
proposing no comprehensive original measures
for the promotion or revival Of our shipping.
Mr. Frye referred to the intense activity which
characterized the public men of England in
gard to the shipping Of that country. England
had gained vietery in the shipping line over
every nation in the world, and while Mr.. Frye
could not help admiring the steady purpose and
manner with which England had gone to work
to accomplish that end, he was constrained to
say that always and everywhere, she
works for money She fought nearly
fifty years because we owned slaves, and
when the war came she promised that
slave on one hand freedom, and on the other
continued slavery. She saw her opportunity
and forgetting principle, supplied the South with
munitions Of war and arms of every kind. We
captured 763 of her blockade runners with
twenty-six million dollars worth of arms and
ammunition. She fitted out her Alabamas to
prey our shipping and joined Spain and
France in an attack on Mexico, ready to march
if occasion presenteditself, and if it had not
been for Ericsson and his ''cheese-boX' she
would probably have dismembered our country.
So England forgot and ignored all the principles
she held so dear in order to get market for her
goods and employ her ships. She built up
great business and has it yet.
Without reaching conclusion on the rule, the
Senate went into executive session and soon ad
iOuTned