Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-03-04
FORTY-ElGHTH CONGRESS-.
Second seea1on
sen ATE.
WASHINGTON, March Z

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, March 8.
The sundry civil bill was read the third
time and passed as amended, in the enutinuad
session of Monday.
Mr.. Conger gave notice that on Tuesday at
as early as practicable, ne would call up the
river and harbor bill
Mr.. Dawes submitted conference report
on the Indian appropriation bill. The report
dlscloses continued disagreement, but ow ing
to the lateness Of the hour, 2.O5 A. NJ, Mr..
Dawes did not ask for a further conference
On motion of Mr.. Allison, the Senate at
2.3o A. NJ, took a recess until 9 o'clock this
morning.
TUESDAYS SESSION.
The Senate was called to order at nine
o'clock.
quorum not being present, Mr.. Dawes
moved the call of the roll. This showed 25
present, being IA short of a quorum
80 the chair declared quorum present.
Mr. Dawes called up the conference report
on the Indian bill. The two Houses, he
said, had agreed on the bill so far as properly
pertaining to the appropriation bills were
concerned. The Senate had struck out all
items OF general legislation and all items for
depreciation claims. Upon these, however.
the House insisted. Since the bill has
passed, he added, the Senate seemed to have
weakened on its position as to general legis-
lation. Some provisions of the Indian ap-
preparation bill were open to violation of our
treaty obligations as well as unconstitutional.
Mr.. Sherman said if the Senate regarded
the House legislation as wise, the Senate
rule should not interfere with il. 1t unwise
and unsound, the Senate should not recede,
no matter what the consequences.
MIR. Plumb said: We were confronted
with possibility. to say nothing more, of an
extra session of Congress, growing out of the
action of the House. The course of that
body had shown the magnificent will power
of one man to produce such result pregnant,
with the gravest consequences to the people
of the United States. The exceedingly de-
fective form of legislation found in the appro-
priation bills tended to make him (Plumb)
immovably opposed to yielding, so far, at
least, as related to important legislation. No
more gross confession of legislative incom-
potency had ever been seen than had been
manifested within stones throw of the Sem
ate chamber within 80 days. Bills appropri-
ating millions of dollars had been passed
without consideration, and then sent to the
Senate within two days of the close of the
session.
Mr.. Plumb characterized the river and
harbor lump appropriation as a criminal
waste of the peoples money.
Mr.. Ingalls-By democratic secretary of
war.
Mr.. Plumb would not give the debate
political turn, but the question was becoming
serious, not only as to the present. but the
future.
In order to bring the question to point
and get the understanding of the Senate Mr..
Dawes moved, though he said he would vote
against his own motion, that the Senate re.
cede as to the provision of the bill relating to
legal jurisdiction and procedure in the cases
of crimes committed by the Indians.
The Senate refused to recede.
A message from the House announced a
disagreement with the Senate on the snndry
civil bill.
The Senate, on motion of Mr.. Dawes, in
sisted on its amendments, and the chair ap-
pointed a conference.
The matter of the Indian conference re-
port was taken up.
Mr.. Dawes moved that the Senate insists
on the remaining amendments.
Mr.. Manderson moved the Senate recede
as to the amendment extending the time for
the payment for Indian lands.
MIR. Vest hoped the Senate would agree
with the House provision regarding the
Oklahoma matter, ans moved that it recede
from its amendments.
The Senate refused to reconsider.
The Senate by vote insisted on the amend
ment, and the chair appointed committee
of conference.
Mr.. Allison submitted a conference report
on the general pension bill. No action was
taken on it for the present.
Mr.. Hale from the committee on approp-
riations submitted the deficiency bill. He
said it ought to be considered as soon as
possible IN order to go back to the House,
and asked unanimous consent to have the
bill at once taken up.
Mr.. Conger called attention to the rive-
and harbor BILL which he said he had yester-
day notified the Senate would be called up
today.
MIR. Hale understood that Mr.. Conger
would antagonize the river and harbor bill
with "conjectural" river and habor bill.
He, Mr. Hale, had grave doubts of the
possibility of Congress getting through its
necessary business without an extra session,
and this added amazingly to the doubt that
the appropriation committee had done its
very best to get the bills before he Senate
The Senate must now take the responsibility
of the situation from this time till tomorrow
noon.
The hour of having arrived, Mr.. Copger
renewed the motion to adjourn.
Mr.. Hale thought the new legislative day
would involve delay, owing to the necessary
formalties. The Senate agreed to Mr. Con-
gers motion, and at l.03 p. NJ. adjourned to
March 3, the Senators remaining in their
places.
The Senate, at four minutes past one, was
called to order.
Prayer was offered and the journal read
Several requests were made for unanimous
consent to dispense with the reading
of the journal, and met by the uni
form response of Mr.. Ingalls, al call for
the regular order" The credentials of Le-
land Stanford, Senator elect from California,
and those of j. G. Eustis, Senator elect from
Louisiana, were submitted and read
Mr.. lIawley then submitted verbal re-
port of the work done by the special commit
tee to investigate the steel producing capacity
of the United States. Such investigations
had not been completed for want of time
The committee was continued during the re-
cess. and are requested to report next De-
cember.
Mr.. Hale called up the general deficiency
appropriation bill, and its reading was pro-
ceeded with.
The House provision abolishing the office
of 10th census was stricken out.
Mr.. Miller of New Yosk offered an amend
ment appropriating Sl00 600 to complete the