The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-14

House bill to prevent unlawful occupa ton
Of public lands
Mr.. Willis moved that when the House
went into Committee of the Whole on the
River and Harbor bill all debate on the
per ding action closed in an hour aud q bait
Mr.. Reed raised the point that this motion
vas not IN order, as il was not competen ut
for the House to close debate on parsgra phs
of bill not yet read In committee.
The Speaker pro TEN Blackburn said
this point would be well taken IL directe
against the general appropriation bill and
revenue bills, ond the Chair, therefore.
overruled the point OF order.
Reed appealed from the decision, an
after two hours debate, the appeal wa
laid on the table. The House thsn adjourned
and Fridays session began.
After debate, the Chair, in rendering his
decision, said that if il were proper to look
upon section 3 $40 of the Revised Statutes
So the existing law there could be no diff
cultv In ruling upon the peint of order bat
the Chair was of the opinion that, as the
pending legislation did not take effect until
the lst Of January next all questions as 70
what was the existing law must
be determined with reference TO that time.
Section % of the Dingley bill repealed sec
ton $40, 10 take effect on the lst OF April
next and the Chair would hold that the
DIngley bill was the existing Law. Tbs re-
naming statutes relating to the subject
were sections 1907, COS 900 aud OIL
The first of these sections was giving un-
limited power 10 the Postmaster General to
make contracts for carrying mails, and Sec
ton 1909 was q Limitation on that
power by providing that the compensation
should not exceed sea and inland postage.
Section 4,011 contained the provision that
the Government could at any tune deter
mine these contracts. The Chair did not
b fo Eo1 4
ing bill. All the contracts made under it
vould be subject 20 Section 4Ol1 The
Only existing law which the bill
changed was Section 4 009 and in
this change there was a retrenchment of
expenditures, inasmncb as it will further
limit the power Of the Postmaster General,
and provided he should not exceed for ocean
mail transportation the sum OF 100000
The Chair therefore overruled the point of
order. He, however, ruled out that portion
OF the paragraph which provides
that vessels engaged in this SER
vice shall be OF American register, and shall
in time OF war be liable to charter or pur-
chase by the United States at reasonable
rates.
Mr.. Holman appealed from the decision of
the Chair but the committee, by vote OF
40 to 10, sustained the. railing. Mr.. HOLMAN
then moved to strike out the paragraph and
10 insert an amendment appropristing
S425 0O0 for transportation of foreign mails
The question was discussed with great
warmth On both sides, many members par
ticipsting IN the debate.
Mr.. Holman modified his motion Sd az to
move merely to strike out the provision
without the insertion of the clause that re-
enacted sections 1876 and 4 203 OF the re-
viseG statutes.
The motion was objected to By 1O5 to o.,
amid applause on the Democratic side.
After some other amendments had been
proposed aud further debate, the committee
rose and reported the bill to the House, and
the previous question having been ordered
on the bill, the House took recess until
for an evening session for the consideration
of the Pension bill.
The House at the evening session pa sed q
number of private bills and took recess
until tomorrow.