The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-02-26
NATIONAL LAWMAKERS.
Brief SUMMARY Of the Proceed.
fngs OF Congress.


NIT the building of horse railroad over Rock
Island. TO connect with the Iowa shore. The
antI-foreign contract labor bill was taken
up. and an animated discussion ensued,
| lively passaGe-at-arms between Senators
| Sherman and Vest. The lmtter advocated
doubt OF It's conrItutionaiity II was an exer-
else OF power and right TO preserve the hferot
our institutions ana our civilization, 1t was
| from coming TO the United states. He was glad
| TO see that Mr.. Sherman and o her Republicans
favored this bill: Mr.. vest said that Mr.. shei-
man himself the father OF bill TO estab-
lish the otfios OF Commis sioner OF Immigra-
ton, one section OF which provided
repayment of PASSAGE money by intending
emigrants shall he binding here,sand be "a lien
on their wages and lands. According TO news
| paper accounts, there were 1900 men out OF
| employment in the streets OF New York. And
| this, Mr. Vest exclaimed, latter twenty four
years of Repnbcsn ascendency aud protective
| Der at this Juncture explained that the immi-
| grafton act OF 1854. TO which Senator Vest
nae Il was passed at siHe %hen
! our labor had been taken from our
homes to put down a formidable re-
| bellion. The gentleman from Missouri Vest,
| being engaged in attempting to break up the
! Governm mt. was not familiar with the motives
which influenced Congress in passing the act.
| The bill was unanimously passed, receiving the
| votes of Republicans and Democrats alike.
| Soon after the war the act was repealed. Sena-
| all measures adopted for the protection of
our labori1g classes had emanated from
the Republican party, aud that it was the
| policy OF the Republican party TO elevate the
| lhborng men or this country. Senator Vest
replied stly that, far az Senator Sherman's
pTs he %oS 20 RS
| whatever the opinion OF others In that regard
he hadno sol OF apology TO offer the Senator
condemn in toto the principle OF contract
labor" The Senator from Ohio was now
compelled to admit that that principle
party TO meet the contingencies OF the
war. The act had never been expressly repealed
either. II were merely temporary measure,
| intended for the exiQencies OF war. how did it
happen TO stand ON the statrte books until 1874,
when it was omitted in the revision? Senator
| Sherman explained that he thought the law
| had been repealed in an appropriation bill as
| early as 1885, Two amendments TO the river
and harbor bin were proposed In the Senate
mined to consider the bill in the Commerce
Committee as offered by Mr. Morgan One of
these amendments Is the Hennepin Canal pro-
vision and the other proposes TO appropr alto
$4,000 for canal from Calumet River TO Calu-
met Lake, below Chicago. The House Of Rep
resentatives passed the legislative appropriation
| bill Mr.. Dorsheimer introduced bill to regu-
late the coinage, providing for the issue of cir
culating notes redeemable IN silver dollars OF
$50 grains. A bill was passed for the erection OF
public buifding at Wichita, Kansas, at a cost
OF $4,000.
THE AntkForeign Contract Labor bin
passed the Senate Feb. 1s, by vote of so to 81
Briefly summed mp, the measure forbids the i'm
portation of aliens into the United States on
contract to perform labor. All such contracts
| are declared nu and void, and punishment 10
provided for vio.at on OF the law embodied in
| the bill. Exceptions are made in ia
vor OF artists. actors. lecturers. sing
Introduced 0" to set t''"u aside the b' ST.
Clair Oats in Michigan as a hunting and fishing
reserve. The Committee on Indian Affairs re-
| foI 70 anah tha Droa TO-
tiate for the opening of Oklahoma, providing a
| penalty OF fine and imprisonment for entering
Van Wyck introduced bill to appropriate
: 0.O00 sor the improvement OF the Mis-
souri, River opposite Nebraska City. Emery
| Speer, OF Georgia. was confirmed United
States District Judge of that State
| by a vote OF 26 yeas to IS nays All the
Republicans except Mr. Hale of Maine voted for
| him and all the Democrats except Mr.. Brown OF
Georgia voted against him. The House of Rep
resentatives passed the Senate bill for the cree
ton at Chattanooga OF public building to cost
S0o,cg Considerat on OF the river and har-
Dor bill was resumed. MIR Potter opposed the
Hennepin Canal provision on the ground that it
would benefit the State of Illinois alone. Mr..
Reed spoke against the Mississippi River APP
preparation. He said that the improvements.
II carried out on the plan proposed would cost
as substitute for the Galveston harbor
paragraph was ADOPTED. 1t appropri-
ates 10000 for the Improvement Of
the harbor and directs the harbor board TO
examine the plans and specifications for the
proposed improvements and report to the Sec
rotary of War. report was submitted to the
| House by the Elections Committee on the Mis-
| souri, contested election of Mclean va.
Broadhead, accompanied by resolution con-
firmng the right OF the sitting member, Broad
head. 10 his seat
THE House bill FORGETTING lands granted to
the Texas Pacific Road passed the Senate Feb.
10. Fifty-six Senators voted for and only two
Blair and Bowen-against 10. Despite the
efforts OF the obstructionists, all amendments
which initiated against the effectiveness OF the
bill were voted down. 1t declares forfeited
all lands granted to the Texas Pacific Rail-
road Company under the act Of 1871, and re-
SETTLERS 'n within railroad limits. While While the
bill was under discussion there was sharp inter-
change OF amenities between Senator's Beck and
Morgan. Mr.. Beck made SOME severe remarks
about the difficulty of getting any legislation
inimical tothc railroads through the Senate, and
reflected particularly upon Senator'S on the
Democratic side. Mr. Morgan took this as per-
sonal TO himself, and replied that he had always
tried to do his duty unawed by public camor.
hs had not cd to earn sap%ns by
every question. regardless of right and
wrong, and. as he had been Democrat longer
than the Senator from Kentucky had enjoyed
the privileges OF American citizenship he did
not intend TO take any lessons in Democracy
from that gentleman. The Scotch have often
been accused OF intellectual inertia, and MIR.
Beck took this allusion to his being natural
lied citizen as an afront There Is no doubt
Mr. Beck IL proud OF cakes and brithei
|
reverse, for he excused himself for icing
born in Scotland by saying that he had
no chance TO exercise his choice in regard to the
place of his nativity. and he declared that Mr..
Morgan's allusion 10 his birth in Scotland was
very unworthy OF him and unworthy OF the
Senate. He added, loftily, that In whaf he had
said before he had no thought of the Senator
| from Alabama He did not think the Senator
from Alabama was important a person
as that gentleman thought that he was
In the House of Representatives Speak
er Carlisle took the chair for the first
time since his recent sickness He was well
| coined back with hearty applause Considera-
ton of the river and harbor bill being resumed
an amendment was adopted increasing
the appropriation for the improvement
OF the Mississippi River, between the Illinois
| and Ohio Rivers from 100000 TO s6On,OO0 An
| amendment also agreed to providing that
| no portion of the Mississippi appropriation shall
| be expended in repairing or building lcvecs, un-
less for the purpose of benefting navigation.
Several hours were spent in COMMITTEES of the
| whole on the naval appropriation bill