Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-18
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
CONTRACT LABOR BILL IN THESENATE
RIVER AND HARBOR BILL IN THE
HOUSE.
WHAT THE COMMITTEES ARE DOING

WHAT THE COMMITTEES ARE DOING
The Senate.
HALF AN HOUR wAsTfD WAITING FOR A
QUORUM.
Only three Senators were present at prayers
to-day, and a call of the Senate was ordered.
BY the time it was completed sixteen Senators
were in the chamber. Then the roll was called
lor absentees, and at Its conclusion twenty
Senators were present. Mr.. Conger inquired If
there were not enough to go on with the read
Ing OF the journal. Mr.. Hale moved that the
mafapg Teading Of the be With
chair. Senators Miller IN. " and Gibson en-
tered, and when their names were called an.
another laugh. Five minutes later Mr.. Ed
munds proclaimed a quorum present, and Or
der deIed the J0urnal read oveg half an hour was
annoyed at the dilatoriness of the Senators in
putting In an appearance ever since the order
The chair laid before the Senate memorial
OF the legislature of Maine urging the passage
by Congress of the bill to authorize the placing
Mr.. Dawes, from the committee on Indian af-
fairs, reported an original bill to enable the
creek semeIs and tSa cheroiee ntiens Of I
dians their remaining interest In the so-called
Oklahoma lands 1t was placed on the calen-
Mr.. ingalls,, from the committee on the ju-
dietary, submitted written report, as required
by the Senate, on the subject of courts-nartial,
peace.
. At 1915 a. M, on motion Of Mr.. Hoar, the
Senate went into executive session. In twenty
minutes the doors were reopened and legisla-
tive business resumed.
Mr.: Lapham continued his remarks on the
Des Moines river land titles bill.
At one o'clock Mr.. Lapham's remarks were
interrupted by the regular order, which was
THE ANTIFOREIGN CONTRACT LABOR BILL.
Mr.. Butler moved an amendment, the salient
features of which were that the alien or
foreigner coming to the United States under
punished by fine not to exceed 81 900, or i'm
prisonment not to exceed twelve months, and
fhe IN. @ persons employing % such alien Of foreigner
not to exceed $4,000, or imprisonment not to
exceed two years.
committees bill, Notwithstanding its imper @
fections. He did not believe 1t would interfere
with the farming interest, as had been feared
mainly for railroad building that the objection
able labor had been imported.
House of Representatives.
THE DISTRICT APPROPRIATION BILL.
Upon the reconvening of the House at 10
o'clock this morning In continuation Of the ses-
sion of yesterday, the conference report upon
the District of Columbia appropriation bill was
agreed to.
THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL DISCUSSED.
The House then went into committee of the
whole (N1r. Hammond, of Georgia, in the chair
on the river and harbor bill. Under an agree
ment one half an hour was divided among the
opponents of the bill.
M Baype " a opposed the Of
ground that 1t was IL blow at the engineer corps.
He favored a board to consist of four officers of
coast survey. He also opposed the appropria-
ton of S29OO,OOO for the Improvement of the
lower Mississippi. The plan of proposed inn
provement was concededly a failure, and the
money would be thrown away except SO far as
itmight be used to remove snags.
os MI III Potter N ~ opposed any appropriation
appropriations had not been made for certain
river harbOrs on the Mississippi river.
Mr.. Reed tMe.) said the Improvement of the
mississippi river if continued as proposed by
the bin would cost 81 o,O0o,OOO. That's only
the beginning of annual expenditure" ;" he con-
tinued. 'The extent of which Is not known"
Pending vote OH al amendment to the bill
providing that board should examine the pro-
posed improvement Of the Galveston harbOr
and report to the Secretary of War, the COM
mittee rose, and at 1850 the House adjourned.
prayer by Rev. j. ]. Bullock, q former chaplain
of the Senate.
senate bin was passed for the erection of a
public building at Chattanooga, Tenn, at an
ultimate cost OF 100000.
Senate bill was passed authorizing the Secre-
tary of War to adjust and settle the accounts
for arms between the state of south Carolina
and the government of the United States.
Senate bill was passed appropriating $685.
government steamer ]. Don Cameron.
Mr.. Elliott pa, from the committee on elec-
tions, submitted report on the Missouri con-
accompanied by resolution confirming the
right oil the sitting member, MIR. Broadhead, to
the sea-. Laid over for future action.
Mr.. Payson Ill9 offered an amendment to the
rule SO as to make it in order each morning to
move to take from the Speakers table House
a nr,6y
OF referring them to appropriate ccmsni tees.
Feierrei.
penons M mos 1ss sssP
a aSenate bill relating to claim agents and at
Mr.. Keifer (Ohio) made the point of order that
though the bill was privileged one SO far as
the reporting of 1t was concerned, it was not
privileged for consideration, and must be refer
red 10 the committee Of the whole.
The Speaker pro tenn. (Mr Thompsonl over
ruled the point Of order, and Mr.. Horr (Mich1
raised the question of consideration against the
The vote by tellers was announced by the
chair to be ITO in favor Of considering the bill
to 100 against, but Mr.. Horr. one Of the tellers,
challenged the correctness Of the vote, and the
yeas and nays were ordered.
,hsI The House use relpsed-yeas rs11 49, nays 134-to
House calendar.
THE VENEZUELA AWARDS.
MIR. Rice Niass.), from the committee on for
eign AFFAIRS reported the following joint resolu-
ZION IN FeiatlOu 10 tnc venezuela claims. and 1t
was placed upon the House calendar:
ResOtued, ETC., That the President be- and he
hereby Is, requested to open diplomatic cores
States of Venezuela, with view to the revival
of the general stipulations of the treaty of April
25, 1866, with said government and the ap-
pOintment hereunder of new commission to
sit in the city of Washington, with the same
duties and powers of those of the fo:mer conn
mission; which commission shall be authorized
to consider all the evidence presented before
the former commission, In respect to claims
brought before it, together with such other and
further evidence as may be offered: and
from the awards that may be made to
claimants, any money heretofore paid
by the Department of State, upon
certificates issued TO them, respectively,
upon awards made by the former commission,
shall be deducted, and such certificates deemed
cancelled; and the moneys now in the Depart
ment of State received from the government of
Venezuela on account Of said awards and all
moneys that may hereafter be paid under said
treatV, shall be distributed pro rata in payment
of such awards as may be made by the commis-
sion to be appointed In accordance with this
resolution"
Capitol Topics.
SOLDIERS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE
Representative Millard, Of the committee on
reform in the civil service, to-day submitted
minority report signed by the republican MEM
bers OF the committee in favor OF Representative
Taylor's bill to prohibit the discharge of honor.
ably discharged soldiers or sailors or dependent
relatives from any office in the civil service of
the United States except for cause, The report
says in part: "This class Of government EN-.
,IrSxyac laoxr alsasy ~