Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-18

letter from the Secretary Of the Trca-
sury recommending sn extension Of the
appropriation for the Lynchburg,s Va,
public building from ei00, 900 to ti25,-
600.
Mr.. Pendleton presented petition
from the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette
and other newspapers praying Tor re-
dnction Of postage ON second-class mail
matter. Referred.
After some unimportant routine busi-
ness calls for the regular order !"
brought up the bill TO quiet the title Of
the settlers on the Des Moines river
lands. The question being on Mr..
Morgan's motion TO indefinitely post
pone the bill, the motion was not agreed
to.
Mr.. Laphsm having had the floor yes
terday when the bill went over, stated
that he had not concluded his remarks,
and that the question had been put and
the vote taken prematurely. by unan:-
nous consent the vote was. therefore,
treated as nullity, and Mr.. Lapham
continued his remarks in opposition 20
the bill.
On the conclusion Of Mr.. Lapham's
remarks Mr.. Morgan's motion to in
definitely postpone the bill was defeat
ed--yeas, 81; nays, %.
Some amendments proposed by Mr..
I.apham were voted down. and at i
O'Clock the bill. still remaining as the
unfinished business Of the morning
hour, went over till tomorrow.
The anti-foreign contract-labor bill
was then placed before the Senate.
Mr.. Sherman said it was Mr.. Nor
rill's intention to call up and continue
the discussion of the trade-dollar bill
on the completion of the labor bill.
Mr.. Beck said he did not know how
that bill had got out Of sight.
The Chair (Mr. Hawley) said il had
gone to the calendar when the Senate
declined to proceed with it. That course
was in accordance with the Senate rules.
Mr.. Beck expressed the hope that if
1t was to be killed it would be killed
squarely, and not by indirection.
The consideration of the anti-foreign
contract-labo bill was then proceeded
with. The discussion was continued by
Mr.. Miller, of New York. and Messrs.
Morgan, Dawes, Vest, Sherman, and
others.
The vote was taken on the motion of
Mr.. Bayard TO strike out section 3,
which prcscribes penalty Of 81, 900
for violation Of the act, and the motion
was not agreed to-yeas, II; nays, 40.
Those voting TO strike out the penalty
section were Messrs. Butler, Coke.
Colquitt, Garland, Groome, Hampton.
Harris, Maxey, Morgan. Salisbury,
Slater, and Williams. The Democrats
voting with the Republicans to retain
the penalty were Messrs. Brown, Call,
Camden. Fair, George, Gibson, Jack
son, Mcpherson, Pugh, Ransom, and
Vest.
Mr.. Coke thought the bill would pre-
vent the farmers and stock-raisers of
Texas from securing sufficient labor.
He moved to amend by excluding from
the operation of the bill agricultural
laborcrs and laborers employed in
stock-raising.
Mr.. Maxey supported Mr.. Coke's
amendment.
Mr.. Miller, of New York, said the cnor-
nous farms OF the West and Southwest
could only be perpetuated by cheap
labor, and the longer we left open the
possibility of the importation of cheap
labor the longer these enormous farms
would continue. The more securely
we guarded against that class of labor
the sooner we would sec those farms
divided up into homesteads.
Mr.. Coke's amendment was reject
eG--yeas, Ia nays, 81.
Mr.. Morgan moved an amendment to
the effect that the bill should not apply
to any agent of the State, acting under
the authority of law, who should in
duce immigration, nor to any person
who in good faith should assist families
TO come to the United States.
Messrs. Morgan and George took dia-
metrically opposite views as to the ne
cessity for this amendment to the bill.
Mr.. Morgan insisted that it was neces-
sary, while Mr. George cOntended that
the bill already fully permitted the
things that Mr.. Morgan desired to pro-
vide for.
Mr.. Morgan said the bill was so i'm
perfect that the bar Of the United States
would laugh at it if it should become a
law in its present form.
Mr.. Williams opposed the bill. and
Mr.. Blair defended it.
Several motions to adjourn were
made, but without success. The vote
being taken on Mr.. Morgan's amend
ment, it was defeated.
On the suggestion of Mr.. Butler, Mr..
Blair consented not to oppose adjourn
ment if the vote could be unanimously
agreed on for 2 O'Clock tomorrow.
Consent was given, aud the Senate lat
6;20 p. NJ adjourned.
House Of Representatives.
Mr.. Hutchins, from the Committee
on Appropriations, reported the naval
appropriation bill, and gave notice that
he would ask for its consideration to-
morrow.
Onmotion of Mr.. Ellis, Senate amend
ments to the Indian appropriation bill
were non-concurredi in, and Messrs. Ellis,
Holman, and Ryan were appointed con-
! ferrees.
Under the call Of the committees the
resolution for the appointment of q
commission on the subject of alcoholic
liquor traffic was reported back adj
yersely from the committee having
charge of the matter, and was laid
upon the table.
A Joint resolution giving notice to
the North German Confederation of the
intention to terminate the treaty OF
1865 was reported from the Committee
OH Foreign Affairs and placed on the
House calendar.
The Committee on Public Health re-
ported the resolution recommending the
Appropriation Committee to insert in
an appropriation bill an item Of $780,
4 4 4 Il.