Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-09
AFFAIRS AT THE CAPITOL
The New Rules Of the House.

AFFAIRS AT THE CAPITOL.
The New Rules Of the House.
THEY ARE ADOPTED AS REPORTED BY THE COMMIT
TEE WITH ONLY TWO ASgHDMKNTs-MR. REEDS
DOWN.
The report Of the committee on rules was adopted
In the House yesterday afternoon, after debate OF
two days. large number Of amendments We're
onered to the report, but they all voted down
except one of MI Coxs providing for select CON-
| mlttee on the tenth census, and one other, which
| proV1des that no ex-Representatives engaged In
promoting legislation Shall have the privileges OF
the nOOr, and retafates upon the Senate for their
action with relation to eX-Representatives by ex-
Guiding eX-Senators from the floor Of the House.
Mr. BeliOrds amendment, providing clerks for the
| members. was voted down, having the support OF
not more than two or three votes
-, me most important amendment offered was
tnat Dy MI ReeC (Me), to give the majority power
70 can up bill for consideration at any ime the
design being to facilitate the passage OF important
measures AS the rules now are It is practically
impossible to take up bill cut OF its regular order
ana Mr Reed Claims that from the very ma ure of
things the least important bills are first upon the
calenuar, because, being unimpOrtant, they are not
| discussed long in committee but are at once
passed to the calendar He claims that the calen-
ana Il eoea to sR sa iSos
| bills which should be passed promptly and which
tne as majority desire to take up The amendment
was 1ntendeGto overcome this difficulty by allow
Ing any OIL 10 Oe taken up for consideration by
| majority vote.
Mr.: Randall opposed this amendment upon the
GROUNDS That 1t would break down every restraint
between extravaganza and economy, and suggested
that the proper remedy for the trouble was through
legislation which would provide tribunal for pTi-
vaUe claims and pensions. Some opposition to the
amendment was also based upon the assumption
That 1t would enable the majority to bring party
measures to the front over the heads OF all other
DllS Inc amendment was lost by a vote Of l37 to
| 1876 ~
The necessity of taking some action by which the
pile OF bills for the relief Of" to pension &C is
recognized by every member on the floor, and
nearly all OF them have some pet scheme for the
logging" but they cannot agree upon any one
The District I'm Congress.
THE COLLATERAL LOAN AND TRUST COMPANY
Messrs. Sprtggs and Barbour, as members OF the
subcommittee Of ways and means OF the COM
mittee on the District of Columbia Of the House.
considered Thursday night, at the Capitol the bill
to establish the Collateral Loan and Trust COM
pany for the District OF Columbia. MeSsrs Snyder
and Crecy appeared In behalf of the bill, and
Robert Christy against it, 1t was developed In the
course of the discussion that the reference should
nave Deen made to the subcommittee On corpora
t1OnS and no final action was had. As the bill
mace no provision for the payment OF any license
OF other tax 1t was suggested by the members of
the committee that If the pending bill for the
aDonshment OF the laws relating TO taxation OF
personal property prevailed the stockholders would
escape taxation altogether. The subcommittee, OF
the mere suggestion Of the question was evidence
that this great issue so nearly concerning the
iut9re prosperity OF the District occupies place
IN the minds OF some members Of the committee,
clothed with much OF the "power of exclusive legs-
lation over this District" Another hearing viii be
| had next Tuesday.
The Naval Appropriation Bill.
REDUCTIONS FROM LAST YEAR-CLAUsEs AS TO NAVAL
APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS S-CIvILIAN EN-
PLOYEs, ETC.
The naval appropriation bill, reported to the
House yesterday, makes a cut in nearly every
branch OF the naval service. The appropriation for
the bureau Of navigation is cut from 100000 (last
years appropratiOn), to SIS 600; that for the bu-
reau OF ordnance is reduced from GOO to slOO OOO
that for the bureau OF equipment and recruiting Is
reduced from $500 600 to 500 OOO for the bureau of
yards and docks 900 is given in the place of the
ments are abolished For the bureau OF provision provision
the + az
tached to vessels shall have Communication for
ne Bin provides that hereafter no vacancies In
until the grade be reduced to the ~ nunbers
rails 6; commodores, 10; captains, As; commanders,
masters, Is; and ensigns. Is. There shall be no
cies in the list Of commissioned of1lcers Of the
seventy five. No officer the retired list OF the
army, navy or marine corps shall hold position
Lu GLe C!VA SERVICE ana 0raW the salary together
with his pay as retired officer. Any retired
o1cer, however, accepting position in the civil
service may at the tie elect to take the salary or
20 retain his pay as retired officer The secretary
Is required to report at the next session of Con
gress the amounts eXpendedfor civilians EMPLOYED
Gong clerical or other work other than ordinary
neCuatucS or WorKmen and to submit specific eStt-
mates for such expenditures
Capitol Topics.
THE FLOOD OF WAR CLAIMS.
The House committee on war claims, Of which
MrGeddes is chairman, has before 1t over two thou
sand bills referred from the House this session.
to cover the claims which have been passed by the
accounting Officers OF the Treasury, In accordance
WIN tne provisions OF the act of July 4th 1864 OF
MR.. HUBBARD IN FAVOR OF POSTAL TELEGRAPH
The Senate committee on post Offices and post
roads yesterday heard Mr.. Gardiner G. Hubbard in
favor OF postal telegraph system. MI. Hubbard
gave 9lstory OF the Western Union, showed how
II had absorbed rivals AMI grown into monopoly,
ana SAID This company was controlled by no law
except the interests OF its owners. He declared
tnat IL aad power to crush any portion of the
MR. VOORHEES, RESOLUTION CALLING ON TIE ATTOR-
NEY GENERAL TO EXPLAIN
In the Senate yesterday Mr.. voorhees, called up
and had read the communication submitted some
days ago from the Postmaster General relating to the
delay In the adjustment OF postmasters' salaries
under the act OF March 8, 1883, and offered resou-
tlOn calling on the Attorney General to inform the
Senate as to the cause OF delay In advising the
postmaster General as to the proper construction
OF the act. Mr.. voorhees, said that the delay ar
1ected thousands OF people and was great wrong
TO them. MI. Sherman objected to the Immediate
consideration OF the resolution, and 1t went over
THE KEIFER-BOYNToN INVESTIGATION
In the House yesterday the Speaker announced
the appointment OF Messrs Hopkins, Ward, Adams
IN. ", Poland and Wilson Qowa) as the commit
Tee TO investigate the charges against II. " BOyn-
Ton, the washington correspondent OF the
CINCINNATI Commercial Gazette. The COM
mlttee expect to begin operations next Tues
day. Gen Boynton favors an inquiry with
open doors, and it is thought the committee win
assent to this 1t is said that Gen BOyntOn will
manage his own case and will cross examine Gen.
.Keifer. NA
THE CONDITION OF TIE CoLoRED RACE
In the Senate yesterday Mr.. Logan introduced a
Dill for the creation OF commission to inquire into
the condition OF the colored race the progress has
made since emancipation, etc. The bill names
Quarles, OF New York; p. H. Clark, of Ohio; j. C.
Corbln, OF Arkansas, and II. N. Turner, of Georgia
as the commissioners
THE SENATE GOT INTO sNARL
yesterday afternoon over the bill for the relief OF
the Greely expedition. It appears that the House
acted upon the report OF their conferees The
clerk should have taken that report alone to the
Senate, but by tnadvertance he took the bin and
the report The bill, while in fact before the SEN
ate, was, In parliamentary sense, before the
House. Hence, the presiding of1icer decided that
the Senate could not act upon the bill The motion
TO take up the bill was dropped until this parlia-
mentary snarl could be Strengthened. Late In the
AFTERNOON the secretary OF the Senate and clerk of