The Portland daily press., 1885-02-16
XLVIIIth Congress--2d Session
SENATE.

ALVlllLn COnSroSS-Ed Session
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. IA.
Mr. Hale, from the committee on appropriations
reported the agricultural department appropriation
bill with amendments. He said the Senate com
mittee's docket was now clear, this being the last
appropriation bill sent by the House of Represen-
tatives to the Senate. The bill was placed on the
calendar.
Mr.. Harris resolution, heretofore offered, was
agreed to- providing that House bills favorably
ported to the Senate, and now the calendar,
shall on the conclusion of morning business, daily
be taken up seriatim, and their consideration
tinued within the morning until disposed of.
The original resolution, was, however modified on
motion of Mr. Allison so that it shall not interfere
with the business now pending in the morning hour
being the bill to quit title of the Des Mcines river
settlers. That bill was then placed before the
Senate
Mr.. Lapham took the floor and continued his
speech against the BILL
AT o'clock, the matter went over till Monday
Mr.. Lapham still having the foor
The Indian appropriation bill was then taken up.
number of the Senate committees amendments
having been agreed to, some discussion arose to
proposed amendment of the committee which
would strike out clauses of the House bill involving
general legislation. The special clause on which
RSAAs
retRry of the Interior with the consent of The In
dians, to extend the time of payment for lands
forming part of the Omaha reservation authorized
by the act of August 1882, to be sold.
At the close of the discussion Mr.. Dawes sue
ceeded in getting the Senate to agree to the com
tion indicated.
The reading of the bill then proceeded, and. on
reaching the section providing for the Assinibones
Mr.. Vest moved to increase their appropriation
from $4,000 to $50 900
without action, the Senate went into executive
session, and ten minutes later adjourned till Mon
day.
When the House met at 10 O'Clock in continue
tion of Fridays session, Mr.. Willis of Kentucky
moved that the House go into committee Of the
whole on the river and harbor bill, and pending
that, moved that all debate be limited to one hour
and half. The regular order having been de-
manded, the speaker announced the regular order
to be the consideration of the pension bills coming
over from last nights session.
Mr. Willis said that it was the clear intention Of
che House yesterday to devote this mornings ses-
sion to the consideration of the river and harbor
bill, and asked unanimous consent that the regular
order be dispensed with, but MIR. Reed of Maine
objected. The bill coming over from last nights
session, which was the Senate bill, called up by
MIR. Randall of Pennsylvania granting pension
of $4,000 per aHnum to the widow of Gen. George
II. Thomas, was then considered.
Mr.. Price of Wisconsin opposed the bill as max
ing too great discrimination between general Of
fcers and privates.
MIR. Randall supported the BILL There had been
developed in the war but George II. Thomas
He did not believe that there was any part of the
american people in his section of the country who
did not desire to see that the widow Of that great
soldier should live with her pillow smoothed and
free from want for the rest of her days. (Appause
Mr.. Cutcheon OF Michigan thought that the case
of the widow of Gen. Thomas lowered so pre-emi-
nenty above all other that it ought to be made
an exception. Congress could not without disgrace
refuse to put his widow beyond want.
Mr.. Houck of Tennessee believed that to refuse
to pass this bill would be national disgrace. The
bill was passed-yeas 143, nays 81.
Mr.. Willis then renewed his notion and Mr.
Reed of Maine made the point that the post office
appropriations bill must be considered the previous
question having been ordere upon it,
The speaker overruled the point.
MIR. Kelley of Pennsylvania then made the point
of order that, under that ruling, business in
order but the consideration of pension bills.
The speaker also overruled this point of order.
Mr. Kelley appealed from the decision, and Mr..
Willis moved to lay the appeal on the table.
The latter motion was agreed to-132 to 80.
After half an hour consumed by the speaker in
afy n fftd d IA fatef ansaccess
fully, TO suppress the disorder and confusion on
the floor the question required on Mr. Willis' mo-
tion to limit debate on the pending section of the
river and harbor bill to one and one-ha hours and
it was agreed.
Then, at II45, the House went into committee
of the whole, Mr.. Hammond of Georgia in the
chair, on the bill indicated.
Mr. Iurn9r OF virginia raised q point OF order
against the Hennepin canal paragraph. He con
tended that in reporting this clause to the House.
the committee on rivers and harbors had exceeded
its jurisdiction and infringed upon Jurisdiction of
the committee railways and canals. The Henne-
pin canal clause was no more germane to the bill
than would be proposition to construct elevated
railroad from ocean to ocean or to dig the Nicar-
aqua canal. 1t also clashed with the rules in that
il changed existing law and not in the direction
of a retrenchment of expenditure.
After discussion, the chair reserved his decision
for the present.
which it was ordered that the post office appropria
tions bill should not be considered until after the
reading of the journal of Friday was reeonsidered
and the bill was taken up under the operation Of
the previous question.
The amendment increasing from S4,1oo, 600 to
$4,535O coo the appropriation for the carrier SER
vice was agreed to--yeas 161 nays 96.
The amendment increasing by $500, 900 the ap-
preparation for the star route service was agreed to
yeas l55, nay 81.
The next amendment was that striking out the
clause granting additional compensation to Am eri-
can steamships for carrying the mails 1t
to; yeas l29, nays 118
q The other amendments were agreed to without ii-
vision, and the bill was passed.
MIR. Bingham of Pennsylvania offered resolu-
ton, which was appropriately referred reciting
that sundry newspapers published notices during
the summer of 1884 concerning alleged frauds in
the supply Of official envelopes for the Postofice
Department, and requesting the Postmaster Gen
eral to communicate to the committee on postofices
all the facts, with the papers copies thereof
connected with the annuiment in August 1884 of
the contracs with L. P. Kellogg & Co., of Ssring-
held Mass. for supplying Official envelopes also to
inform the committee whether envelopes inferior to
requirements were furnished under the contract
whether any officer of the government was in fault
and what action the Postmaster General has taken
to protect the interests of the government.
The Honse then resumed the consideration of the
river and harbor bill in committee of the whole
and after an uninteresting 5-mnute debate for one
hour, rose, and at O'Clock the House went into
committee on the legislative appropriation bill.
Mr.. Gibson of West Virginia moved to strike ont
the clause which prohibits the removal of House
messengers on the soldiers roll except for a
cause stated. He did So he said for the reason
that he was opposed to making privileged class Of
ofice-holders. There good Democratic soldiers
who could ill the positions acceptaby and he could
gee no reason why Republicans should be hoisted
into positions under a Democratic administration
MIR. Holman of Indiana opposed the motion. No
man, Republican or Democrat, should be permit
ted to leave the soldiers roll with his consent.
The amendment was ruled.out on point of order,
Mr. White moved to strike out the paragraph for
the expenses of the Office of commissioner of in
ternal revenue and criticised the recent action of
the Secretary of the Treasury in extending the
bonded period of whiskey in violation and in face
OF the refusal of Congress to egaze such extension
Without disposing of the motion, the committee
rose, and the House, at p M, took recess until
Monday at 10 a. M, having disposed of 40 out of
the los pages of the bill.