Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-01
Forty-E Eighth ConEress-.-First Session.
WASHINGTON, January 31.

WASHINGTON, January 31.
 SENATE-A large number of petitions were presented from various sections in favor of the prohibition of the manufacture and sale of Intoxicating liquors in the District of Columbia.
 Mr. Platt introduced bill to relieve com mercial travellers from the payment of license tax.
 MT. Hale introduced a bill to authorize the retirement of officers of the navy after twenty years honorable service.
 The resolution offered by Mr. Platt relating to an inquiry as to the cost of telegraphic communication and the stock jobbing opera tions of the Western Union was passed with out debate.
 At the expiration of the morning hour the conference report on the Greedy relief expe- dition bill was taken up. Mr. Hale made strong appeal for it's passage Messrs Sauls- bury and McPherson spoke strongly against the adoption of the conference report. The report was rejected by vote of p to 27. Mir. Hale moved that another conference be ordered.
 Mir. McPherson asked if the new commit tee would have power to report limited ap- propriation.
 Mir. Hale said it's power would be limited to the subject matter of the bill.
 "For the credit of Congress-" exclaimed Mir. McPherson warmly, ''for the credit of the whole country, in the name of honesty and common justice to taxpayers, let the Senate not act supremely and at the dictation of the Secretary of the Navy, but act in justice to the people. Let well guarded measure be introduced and reported imme- diately. It can be passed in an hour by unanimous consent. Sufficient time has elapsed to get an approximate idea of the amount of money required for the expedition. I want to say calmly and delib- erately that the Secretary of the Navy does not understand that the people of the coun- try have not implicit confidence in him."
 This remark created great excitement. Mir. Allison jumped to his feet and called the attention of the Senator from New Jersey to the fact that the bill came from the popular branch of our government the House of Representatives.
 II hold commission from the people of New Jersey" replied MT. McPherson, land while I hold it I will do my duty without re- gard to what the House of Representatives may do."
 II merely call attention to the fact" said Mr. Allison, ''that the bill does not come from the Secretary of the Navy, but from the House of Representatives"
 MT. Hale emphasized this fact. s'There is nothing" he declared with some feeling, ''from the beginning to the end of this mat ter that shows that the Secretary of the Navy has any interest in the matter except as an honorable, high minded public official. "
 The Senate calmed down after this and another conference was unanimously order ed.
 Mir McPherson then introduced a joint resolution appropriating $5G0,0 900 to carry into effect the provisions of the bill for the relief of the Greedy party, which was re- ferred to the Naval committee
 The unfinished business, the bill for ascer- taining and settling private land claims in certain States and territories, was taken up and discussed.
 At the request of Mr. Hale the chair ap- pointed the new conference committee on the Greedy relief bill. Messrs. Hale, Sher- man and Salisbury were named as the com mittee.
 The Senate went into executive session at 43O and at 4 .45 adjourned until Monday.
 HoUsE-Mr. Anderson, of Kansas, from the Committee on Public Lands, reported resolution calling upon the Secretary of the Interior for the authority by which he certi- fled 1S9, 1884 acres of land on October 6, 1883, to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail way. Mir. Fl is, of Louisiana, from the Con- mittee on Appropriations, reported the bill appropriating 0,00O for the support of cer- tain destitute Indians in Montana, with recommendation that the Senate amendment increasing the amount to $1OO,O0o be non concurred in; adopted.
 MT. Reagan, from the Committee on Com merce reported a resolution calling upon the Secretary of the Treasury for such iRforma- ton as he may be able to furnish in regard to trade between the United States and Mexico and the traffic on the railroads be- tween the two countries; adopted.
 MT. Thomas, of Illinois, from the Con- mittee on Naval Affairs, reported bill to equalize the rank of graduates from the na- val academy upon their assignment to the several corps; placed on the calendar.
 The House then took up the bill declaring forfeited certain grants of land made to certain States in aid of the construction of railroads and after brief discussion the bill was passed. The bill declaring forfeited the lands granted to the Texas Pacific railroad was then taken up without reading the re- port, which was ordered printed.
 At 5:1O p. m. the House adjourned.