National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-07

tho Texas Pacific Railroad company on lands
| granted to II by congress.
The communication was referred TO the com.
mittee on public lands.
| Mr.. Sewell, from the committee on military nf.
fairs, reported adversely the bill to increase the
pay of army chaplains. The ill was placed on
| the calendar.
The following bills were reported favorably
with amendments, and placed upon the calendar:
| BY Mr.. Miller, of New York From tho commit
tee on agriculture, bill providing means for the
| suppression and extrpatlOn of pleuro. pneumonia
and otho- contagious diseases among domestic all
| finals.
BY Mr.. Miller OF California: From the commit.
tee on foreign relations the bill to provide Tor CX
| ecuting treaty stipulatioDs relating to the Chi
nese,
Bills were introduced and appropriately referred
| as follows:
BY Mr.. Logan: 10 increase the efficiency of the
| army.
By Mr. Morrill,: To provide for the erection Of a
public building ut Montpelier, Vt.
by Mr. Allison: To provide for indemnity to
the state Of Iowa, due under various acts relating
TO swamp and overlooked LANDS.
BY Mr. Pike To provide for rebate on mate
rias imported TO be used in the construction and
equipment OF ships built for the foreign trade.
| The chair laid before the senate the resolution
offered by Mr.. Butler, requesting the President If
not Inconsistent with the public interest," TO trans
init to the senate the record of proceedings of the
| Proteus inquiry. The resolution was agreed to-
| MIR. Plumb offered a resolution, which was
agreed to, directing the secretary of war to report
to the senate the number of naystationsand duties
| OF civilian engineers employed by the govern
ment; also the stations and duties OF tue engineer
officers of tho army.
Mr.. Hill offered resolution, which was agreed
| to, authorizing the committee on postoifices aud
pOslroads to si during the sessions OF the senate.
| MIR Frye offered resolution. which was agreed
TO- directing the secretary OF the interior to report
to the senate whether or not under the act of con-
gross donating swamp lands to the state of Lou.
| isana silver creek, in Caddo parish, was in
| cludcd.
Tho senate then proceeded to the consideration
| of the unohjected cases upon its calendar, and
after disposing Of two private bills took up the
| bill reported from the committee on public build
| ings and grounds; ITO provide for the completion
OF The capitol terraces and the stairways con-
Mr.. Morrill, said that the bill approprla,os
G aSd Oa usdn Witch tue had
already been expended on the north and south
sides and the front Of the capitol When
mako all parts of the capitol grounds harmonious,
substituting amarillo way for an earth way APP
proach 70 tho capitol, aud making the base of the
capitol fit In with the appearance of the structure
and dome. Tho new arrangement would also
afford much additional accommodation now very
much needed Ten new committee rooms would
| be provided, and u large number OF other rooms
for the storage of documents, &c. Tho completion
would S be effected IN I'VE years and although
| would he required this year, II was necessary TO
make the whole appropriation new In order that
| Contracts may be made.
| Mr.. ingalls,, In tue course of some remarks on
this bill, took occasion 20 severely crtiCse some
of the work done about the capitol, and while on
| the subject, said he would inquire why 1t would
| not be practical to remove the melancholy pile of
| funereal stutuary which meets the eye at the APP.
proach to the main front of the capitol. Sorrow,
| Mr. ingalls, said, was naturally secluded. People
| did not go out Into the public ways and market
places to weep for departed friends. 1t was his
opinion that 1t would 10 a great improvement If
| that monument were removed at once to some
adjacent cemetery. Laughter 1t would be in
keeping with the fitness of things If 1t were
| situated on grassy plain, by sheet of
still water, surrounded by weeping willows and
the other appropriate SURROUNDING of sorrow.
But that this monument should stand at the prin-
cipa approach to the capitol, surrounded by To-
cent lodging houses, and amid the din and uproar
Of travel. was too much for Mr. Ingallss sense OF
| the decorum which pertained to art.
Mr.. Morrill, did not pretend, he said, to defend
the selection Of that site for the statuary referred
| to. for 1t was as obnoxious TO him (Mr. Morrill
as 70 the senator from Kansas (ir., Ingalls,.
| Neither did he deem it his duty to defend the
other defects 10 which that senator had objected.
| They had nothing to do with the matter contcm
plated by the bill under consideration. The plan
of the bill had met universal approval. II would
give the capitol the appearance of maSsiveness at
the base, which 1t so much needed to harmonic
with the proportions of the structure itself, and
the appearance of the dome.
| Mr.. voorhees, suggested that the Soldiers home
would be lifting place for the funeral monu-
ment, and suggested an amendment providing for
| its removal to that place.
MIR. Morrill, said that at the proper time he would
vote for bill providing for such removal, but
would not be willing to nave the bill under con.
sideration rendered inCongruous by an amend
ment of that character.
After some further debate the bill was pas ed
The senate then took up bill reported by Mr..
Hill. from the committee ON public lands, relating
10 the title of certain settlers TO lands upon the
| Ute reservation In Colorado, but no conclusion
| having been reached NJ 2 o'clock 1t went over,
and the chair [Mr. Shermanl laid before the senate
| the unfinished business of yesterday, being the
Mexican land grant titles bill. This was debated
at great length and several amendments were
proposed aud SO far as acted upon were rejected.
MI ingalls, objected TO the clause giving to the
! supreme court OF the United States the right as
hear 10 la "a W nj
these cases. to hear testimony for ITSELF well as
| what had been taken in the court below, and ITO
amend the proceedings OF the court below as truth
and justice might require" This would be Civ
| ing the supreme court of the United States power
absolutely to hear these cases DO noyo, aud 70
moved to strike out the clause comforting such
power.
that respect were precisely in accordance with
the power of the court In admiralty cases. II the
court should find 1t absolutely necessary, for the
cause of truth and Justice to hear facts devel-
oped after the trial below, 1t ought to have the
right which the senator from Kansas Mr. Ingalls,
was Directing To-. 1t was not compulsory on the
court to exercise that power, but should be within
its right in case 1t should become necessary to eN-
| ercisc II.
Mr. ingalls, interpreted the language of the bill
diherenty-the bill requiring that "the court
| shall retry the cause He added that the Cali
| fornia titles of character similar TO these, had
| already been all adjusted satisfactorily. and
| nearly all those of Colorado.
Mr.. Bayard said they might have been adjusted,
| but they had not been adjusted satisfactorily.
Mr.. ingalls, remarked that he was unwilling to
| cast such wholesale imputation on the upright
| ness of his countrymen us was implied in the
statement Of the senator from Delaware (Mr.
| Bayard.)
Nlr. Bsyard replied that no such imputation was
| intended by the remark. The cases were extra.
ordinarily difficult to deal with and all the more
so from want of some fair, certain, aud well de-
nned method of dealing with them. Mr.. Bayard
read from the decision Of Mr. Justice Miller of the
| supreme court in the case OF Rodriguez against
the United states, to sustain his statement as 10
the Observation-Disclosures of adjustment in the cases
TO which Mr. Ingalls, had referred.
| Mr. Ingalls, amendment was rejected.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Coke was agreed
| to, excepting from the Limitation OF the act, in
| regard TO the three years within which claims
| have to be presented all minors, married women,
| and persons non cOmpos mentis,
| Mr. CoCkrell offered an amendment autho rizing
tue attorney general, for the purpose OF correct.
! lug the boundaries of surveys where found incOr-
rect 10 use the name of the United States, rs plain
| tit in suits, and to order suits whenever he
| should find that frauds had been committed
| This amendment was not agreed TO.
| An amendment was offered by Mr.. Plumb, CIV
| ing the surveyor general OF New Mexico the right
| to hear and determine causes arising under the
| ACT and relinquishing the title OF the United
States in certain cases where occupancy had ex-
| listed for fifty years.
| Mr., Plumb spoke at some length, asserting that
| tho bill, If not amended, would ruin large num-
bers OF small settlers along the valley OF the Rio
| Grande.
Mr.. Harrison, ut O'clock, expressed the hope
that the matter would go over until tomorrow TO
anord time ~ examine the subject further.
Mr. Hoar said that about o'clock every day
mere was an amendment made TO this bill, and,
according 10 rough estimate, he should say thar
rom the time already spent on this bill, II would
ta i, ths senate about six years to get through
1 NNAa l.H . ls..a.