Omaha daily bee., 1884-12-09
HOUSE.,

WASHINGTON, December S.-keifer, of the
committee on appropriation, reported the
military academy bill. 1t was referred to the
committee on the whole. The speaker laid
before the house q letter from the postmaster
eneral asking for an appropriation ofS1OO, 900
for the railroad postal car service, for the re-
msinder OF this current fiscal year. Referred.
Bills introduced and referred: By Townsend.
proposing a constitutional amendment provid-
ing that treaties shall be made by and with
the consent of tbs house as well as the Senate.
By Ryan, to open a homestead settlement
in certain portions of the Indian territory.
A bill was introduced in the house to-day
by Beach to maintain secrecy of the ballot in
the election of representatives and delegates
in cong ess. 1t provides for n separate and
uniform ballot upon which candidates are to
be voted for. The quality of the paper and
size OF type ara specified and general provision
made thai all ballots must be the same
in outward appearance and an important
change IN the existing law is made in respect
TO what is a legal ballot. Sec. ~ of the Re
vised Statutes, provides that all votes
for representatives must be by q writ
ten or a printed ballot, and ~nullifes all votes
which are not so cast. Beaches bill permits
the ballot to be printed or written, or partly
printed or written. The bill also requires
that all representatives or delegates shalt be
y ~ atDf lNAa phiioNos iOlaLlOllb
of any provisions of the bill are declared to
be a misdemeanor, and punishable by fine or
imprisonment, or both.
Owing the crowded condition of the calen
dar the house committee on the Pacific rail.
roads informally decided to-day not to urge
the consideration of bills introduced last SEES.
sion by Representatives Sumner and Bedford,
relative to the regulation of rates of transpor-
tation on the Union Pacific and Central Pa
cific roads.
by Ellis, appropriating $4,000 for the cree.
ton OF a monument to the OIL GERS and men
who psrished in the Greedy exposition.
The house resumed consideration of the in.
~ter.state commerce.
Findley advocated the bill of the commit.
tee, especially the section providing for a com
mission.
O'Neill of Pennsylvania, said the railroad
companies desired proper legislation and had
sought it in the state legIsl ature. Various
states had laws regulating railroad transpor-
tation and he did not see why congress should
seek to bring into the hands of the national
government the control Of these CORPORATIONS.
He favored a commission only for the purpose
of Obtaiug information. Warner, of Ohio,
maintained that the time had come when the
general government should assume the regu.
lation of Interstate traffic on railroads. The
unreasonable preference TO certain shippers
and the unjust discrimination against others
was the most crying evil ever perpetratsd by
the railroad companies and steps should be
taken to eradicate that evil, Rockwell and
Rice opposed the Reagan substitute. Pend
ing further discussion, the matter went over.
The senate JOINT resolution passed, extending
until the first Monday in January the time
within which the joint committee should he
appointed to inquire into the conduct OF the
cOast and GeOdetIc surveys, sisnal office, etc,
may report. Adjourned.