Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-17
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
PERONAL EXPLANATIONS IN THE HOUSE.
ANOTHER DULL DAY IN THE SENATE.
The Senate.

mlttng, In compliance with the Hawley resou-
tlon, the communication Of Gen. Sherman to the
secretary OF War, regarding the policy of The con-
federate executive Department. II was laid on the
table,
Among the bills introduced and appropriately re-
ferred was one by Mr.. Erye-For The encourage
Inent or the American merchant marine and TO
promote postal and commercial relations with for
elgn countries. The Senate proceeded to the con-
slderatlon OF the bills upon its calendar
DeDate was resumed on the bill for the relief OF
the FIRST National Bank OF Newton, Mass which
was finally passed.
THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE BILL.
AT two O'Clock to-day the consideration OF the
interstate commerce bill was resumed by the Sem
ate, and MIR. Brown occupied the floor to complete
the speech he began yesterday
House of Representatives..
MR. GIBSON MAKES A PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Mr.. Gibson (W. Ea.l, rising TO personal explana-
tion, said that his attention had been called to a
newspaper paragraph charging him with having
lndulged in very harsh and unjust criticism upon
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. RandalD.
luis paragraph had reference to conference be-
tween himself and some friends In Wheeling. At
that conference the tariff had been spoken OF and
OF course, Mr. Rsndalls name had been mentioned.
so 1ar from making any unknd alluSion TO
that gentleman he had declared that, while he
might differ from him on some subjects, Mr.. RAN
dallS long record had taught him to respect his
capacity and integrity.
CoNFEREES APPOINTED
The Speaker appointed Messrs. Cobb, Henley and
Payson as conferees on the oregon Central land
grant bill.
LETTER CARRIERS AND THE EIGET-HoUR LAW.
Mr.. Hopkins [Pa), from the committee on labor
reported a resolution directing the Postmaster
General to ask the Attorney General for his opinion
as to whether the eight-hour law applies to letter
carriers Adopted.
Mr.. YOUNG RISES TO PERSONAL EXPLANATION AND
DENIES NEWSPAPER STATEMENT,
Mr.. Young (Tenn.), rising to personal explana-
ton, sent to the clerks desk and had read an art-
Gle published IN Washington paper yesterday,
critcsing the expenditures Of the contingent rund
OF the House. and making the statement that MIR.
4oungS expenses during the Hot Springs investi-
CATION amounted to s125 He declared that there
was nothing connected with the Hot Springs in
veSt1gatfon which authorized any such statement.
On motion OF Mr.. Keifer (OhiO) the Senate
amendments to the military academy bill were
non-cOncurred In.
THE CONSULAR AND DIPLOMATIC A PRECIPITATION
BILL.
The morning hour having been dispensed with,
the House at one O'Clock went into mmittee of
the whole (Mr. Wilson, of Iowa, in the chair, on
the consular and diplomatic appropriation bill.
MI: Townshend Qll) offered an amendment re-
queStlng the President to invite the cooperation OF
the governments OF the American nations In secur-
ing the establishment OF commercial league by
and between said nations to be known as the .Cus-
toms Union OF America"
Mr. Randall (Pa.) raised point of order against
the amendment The object of it might be very
proper one, but the Senate had advised the House
that 1t would agree to no legislation appropria-
tion bills; and the adoption OF the amendment
would only bring on controversy, which ought TO
Mr.. Townshend said that the proposition
made would obtain an extended foreign market for
the products OF the country much more efectually
than could be done by reciprocity treaties
The clIalr sustained the point OF order, and the
amendment was not received.
Mr. Cox (N. " regretted that Mr.. FOwnshend's
amendment had been ruled out. 1t was about time
that Congress should understand one thing-tnat
times were hard, and that even the best-protected
industries like that OF iron, were going down, and
the best judgment OF the best men in the country
was that the times would become worse. What
was the remedy? Reciprocity. Not lop-Sded re-
ciprocty, but real reciprocity, with the republics
of our own hemisphere.
FREE TRADE
Mr.. Dorsheimer thought that the most important
gift which it was in the power Of the government
to give to the people was freer trade with foreign
countries.
The District in Congress-.
PETITION IN FAVOR OF THE GLENwooD CEMETERY
RAILROAD.
Mr.. ingalls, presented In the Senate to-day q
petition from residents of the District Of Columbia
praying for the Incorporation OF the North Capitol
and GlenwoOd cemetery horse railroad company.
The petition had upwards OF 200 signatures.
Capitol Topics.
THE RIVER AND HARBdR BILL
The House committee on rivers and harbors to-
day completed consideration of the river and har-
bor appropriation bill for the next fiscal year. The
bill appropriates s1 200 The estimates as pre-
pared by the engineers in charge of the various
amounted to s34 ,5O7, $780, Among the
SIS 900; Breton Bay, 200; Choptank s2,5OO Sus-
quehanna, $500. District OF Coumb1a-Potomac
anG sn and
$50 900; Appomattox, S12 OOO James, sl5O0o0: Mat,
taporie, $500; Rappahannock. s12,50O; staunton,
river, s35 600; .Hennepin canal
$500 OO0 reservoir on Mississippi river S350O0 Mis-
sssippl from St Paul to Des Molnes rapids $500 200;
dry dock at Des MoineS rapids, S65, ,009 Mississippi
from DeS MoineS rapids to Illinois river, s2oO 600:
Mississippi from Illinois river to Cairo. s4O0OGO;
survey Of the Mississippi $4,000; removal OF snags
In the Mississippi, $4,000; hitting up snagboat,
$4,000; gauging water of Mississippi, 5000;
souri,, s50,00O; Missouri at Leavenworth, $4,000
No appropriation has yet been made for the i'm
proveme1t OF Galveston harbor, as proposed by
Capt EadS. The matter will be considered the
early part OF next week. The bill provides for the
appointment OF commission to consist OF seven
whose duty it shall be to examine the
various river and harbor Improvements and report
to Congress within year. 1t also provides for a
consulting engineer for the Mississippi river COM
mission and recommends the appointment OF Capt.
Eads at salary OF $500 per year. The appoint
ment OF a superintendent OF New York harbor is
neer corps. His duty win be to prevent the dump
ing OF anything in the harbor that may tend 10
p0liute The water.
THE NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL
The subcommittee of the House committee on
appropriations having IN charge the naval appro-
prtation bill has agreed upon bill making the
regular appropriations for that branch OF the gov
ernment. 1t will probably be reported to the fun
committee Tuesday next No appropriation is
made for new cruisers. Representative Long, OF
the subcommittee, favors such an appropriation,
however, and Mr. Randall opposes it. Mr.. Hutchins,
the remaining member, has not expressed his
preference on the subject. The appropriation for
The proposed increase will be considered by the full
committee.
THE PENSION OFFECE INVESTIGATION
The House committee on pensions, bounties and
back pay have appointed Messrs. Warner, Wallace
and Whiting to investigate the workings of the
Pension ONCE, and asked for q detail OF three
Pension clerks to assist them.
NOTES.
Senator Vance, Of North Carolina, was heartily
congratulated by the Senators OF both parties to-
day on his denomination.
Only fifteen Senators were present in the cham
Der to-day when the journal Of yesterday was
read
The Navy Voucher Fraud Cases.
THE TRIAL OF KIRKwOoD AND MANN IN THE cRIMI-
NAL COURT.
The trial OF the cases of Bell Mann, of Chicago,
and Edward c. Kirkwood, indicted with Daniel
Carrgan for presenting fraudulent claims through
the bureau OF medicine and surgery, Navy depart
ment In violation OF sections 5418, q and 4S revised