Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-18


the mails and the regulation of rates of postage;
Indian affairs, relating to the regulation of
Indian tribes.
After further debate Mr.. Blount's amendment
was rejected.
Mr.. Hammond (GaD offered an amendment
providing that the committee on appropriations
shall have jurisdiction over appropriations of
revenue for support of the government, and
adding clause prohibiting general legislation
on any appropriation bill.
The District i'm Congress.
THE POTOMAC FLATS PROPERTY
On motion of MIR. Ingalls,, the Senate to-day
took up and passed the bill directing the Attor-
ney General to promptly institute suits in the
District Supreme Court, to test the validity OF
any and all claims against the Potomac flats
property.
AMENDMENTS TO THE MECHANICS LIEN LAW.
The attention of Senator Ingalls, the chair
man, and of other members OF the Senate Dis
trict committee, has been called to alleged
defects in the mechanics lien law passed by the
last Congress. 1t is complained that the pro-
visions of the bill tend to retard building 1t is
the intention OF the Senate District committee
to give early attention to this matter, and to
propose amendments to the act that will rem
edy the detects complained Of II is probable
that one of the proposed amendments will re.
quire duplicate bills of all material bought and
used in the construction of buildings to be fur
nished to the owner and the contractor. 1t is
held that such duplicate bills will advise the
owner as to the liability incurred and serve as
notice to him Of the amount, etc.
THE SENATE DISTRICT COMMITTEE
held its first meeting Of the session to-day, but
beyond talking over the business likely to be
most prominent, very little was done. The
plan of dividing the committee into srb-com-
mittees on various subjects of legislation, which
has hitherto prevailed, is TO bc dispensed with,
and, instead, bills will be referred to individual
Mr. Webb to be District Commissioner will be
favOrably reported.
THE RENTAL OF GEN. BUFFERS BUILDING.
In the Senate to-day MIR. Allison submitted a
resolution directing the payment of the rent of
the Butler building, which was rented for the
use OF Senate committee rooms, in accordance
with the terms of the contract. The resolution
directing the building 10 be procured, ordered
the sergeant-at-arms and architect of the Capt.
tol to rent it. At the special session last spring
the Senate directed that the lease be terminated
at the expiration of the first year of occupancy.
AS the rental for the entire period embraced
in the contract was not provided for, Mr.. Alli-
sons resolution was to make that provision.
Capitol Topics.
MONUMENTS ON REVOLUTIONARY BATTLE
FIELDS.
In the Senate yesterday Mr.. Sewell introduced
a bill to create the Secretaries of State and War
and the librarian of Congress board to deter
mine which battlefields Of the revolutionary
war are worthy OF cOmmemOratiOn by theerec.
ton OF monuments, and also providing that the
government will duplicate any amount raised
by any association towards the erection OF such
monuments.
MR. RANDALL IS AMUSED
at the statement that he had spent two hours
with the President yesterday evening talking
over the rules of the House, and that the Presi.
dent had set down the law for him to follow
He says the question of the House rules was not
mentioned, and 1t is ridiculous to think that he
would ask the Presidents advice about such a
matter.
Edwin L. Jewell, of the New Orleans Daily
States, has been appointed assistant index clerk
OF the House.
Henry Ballentine, son of Congressman Bal
lentine, OF Tennessee, is to succeed NJ. c. Curtis
as cashier to the Sergeant-at-arms of the House.
CONFIRMED LAST MARCH.
A press dispatch in yesterdays STAR gave
what purports to be an extract from q letter
written by Senator Logan to citizen of Da-
kota, who wrote to him complaining of Land
Commissioner Spark S rulings. In this lie ter
Senator Logan is quoted as saying: 1.-THE COM
plants against the commissioner of the general
sidered in connection with his confirmation
There will, no doubt, be a thorough investiga-
ton of the charges before action is TAKEN"
Commissioner Sparks is safe in that direc-
ton, he was confirmed last March by the
special session of the Senate.
PUBLICATION OF THE NOMINATIONS.
The Congressional Record of to-day, by order
of the Senate, begins the publication of nomi-
nations sent by the President to that body. To
days installment comprises the nominations
sent in On the 10th, the first batch sent by the
President The publication of the nominations
as stated In yesterdays STAR, Is to be continued
from day to day.
THE PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION BILL IN THE
HOUSE.
The presidential succession bill, which passed
the Senate yesterday, will not be taken up in
the House until after the holidays, as it will
have to go to the committee on election of
President and Vice President There is con-
siderable opposition on both sides of the
House to the Hoar bill, and several substitutes
Do, H.,n
Mr.. Dibble of South Carolina, will press ms
plan, and others will be brought forward as sub
stituteS.
THE HOUSE COMMITTEES
Speaker Carlisle says he will not announce
the House committees, except those on print
ing and on accounts, until after the holidays
He has not been able to consider the question
ye Se .hg he
day recess he will take the matter up, and will
be able TO announce the committees as soon as
the House meets after the 9Th Of January. The
committee on accounts and that on printing
will not be In any way affected by the new
qur s to Be performed at once they viii be-
pointed before the holiday recess is taken.
NOTES
The reporters gallery of the Senate is being
nicely carpeted and refurnished.
------->0>--
The New York Custom House.
A RESOLUTIONS FOR INVESTIGATION TO BE IN.
TRoDUcED IN THE SENATE.
A resolution Is being prepared 70 be intro
duced in the Senate authorizing q thorough in
vestigation of the New York custom house.
The resolution, it is said, will be introduced by
either Senator Miller. OF New York, or Senator
Logan. Charges against some OF the new OH
cials Of the custom house are being prepared by
MIR. s. d. Phelps, of New York, who is here for
the purpose ofhghting some of the nominations.
The PoNr NEUF IN DANGER OF DEsrRUC-
TIoN.-A sensation was caused in Paris yester-
day by the collapse Of portion OF the Point
Neuf, which connects the lie de la Cite, on
which Y the catnedrai church OF Eotre Dame,
largest bridge In Paris, and one Of the Oldest,
having been reconstructed In 1852. IN its