Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-19
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
WHAT THE COMMITTEES ARE DOING
THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL, Etc.
The Senate.

grazing purposes.
BUST OF THE LATE SENATOR FOSTER.
Mr.. Sherman, from the library committees
| submitted a letter, which was read, from Mrs
Foster, widow of the deceased Senator from
Connecticut, presenting to the Senate q marble
bust of her husband, who was President pro
tempore of the Senate. On motion of Mr.. Sher
man, man, resolution accepting, the bust, with
suitable pedestal in the Vice Presidents room
was adopted. The bust was to-day placed tenn
| pOrarlly In rear OF the Senate chamber to the
| left OF the president pro tempore.
| POLITICAL DISABILITIES REMOVED.
! Mr.. Garland, from the committee on the
Judiciary, reported favorably, and the Senate
passed, House bills removing the political dis
gomery, both of Georgia; also Senate bill OF
| of Virginia.
| THE p. o. APPROPRIATION BILL.
! Mr. Plumb, from the committee on approprt-
ations reported the post office appropriation
DILL 1t was placed on the calendar.
| THE INAUGURATION.
Mr. Allison, from the same committee, re-
| ported, with only verbal amendments, the Joint
resolution appropriating $4,000 to defray the
| expenses of the inaugural ceremonies. The
| Joint resolution, as amended, was passed.
| TROUBLESOME BILL.
In the morning hour in the Senate to-day the
| bill to quiet the titles Of settlers on the Des
Moines river lands in Iowa was taken up.
Messrs: Lapham and Wilson made speeches ON
the bill, and then motion made by Mr.. Nc
Pherson to indefinitely postpone the bill was
| rejected by vote of 23 to 80.
! THE TEXAS PACIFIC FORFEITURE BILL.
At one o'clock the Des Moines river bill went
| over and the Texas Pacific forfeiture bill was
| taken up.
| Consideration of the forfeiture bill was then
entered upon and the committee amendments
Mr.. Morgan offered an amendment similar to
that offered by him in the case of the Atlantic
anu Paclflc bill-providing for a reference to
| the United States courts of all controversies
| concerning the rights and equities claimed by
1he United States, or by private parties, in the
| Mr.. Morgan addressed the Senate in support
| of his amendment
| House of Representatives.
The House met at ten O'Clock in continuation
of yesterdays session.
Mr.. Holman Undiana) introduced Joint res
olution requesting the President to open nego-
tiations with the government of the French
| republic with view of negotiating the estab-
lishment of another French and American
claims commission which shall have ample
jurisdiction to reopen, examine and finally de-
iermlne all claims which were filed before the
late commission under the convention of Janu-
ary 10, 1880, between the government of the
ferred.
THE RIVER AND HARBOR BILL.
The House then went into committee of the
whole (Alr. Hammond, of Georgia, in the chair
| on the river and harbor bill
On motion of MrJ D Taylor fOhio) an amend
construction Of Ice harbor at Bsaire obo .h
On motion of Mr.. Maybury Mich an amend
ment was adopted appropriating 900 for
On motion of Mr.. Clardy (A1o.) the appropria-
non Tor the Improvement of the Mississippi
river between the Illinois and Ohio rivers was
increased from 100000 to $4,000 and it
was directed that 100000 of the sum shall be
expended at Cape Giradeau
TO-DAYS SESSION.
At 11:55 the committee rose the House ad-
journed, and at - o'clock the session of Thurs
day began.
| Mr.. Bennett (N. c., from the committee on
elections submitted report in the Iowa con-
tested election case of Frederick Wilson, ac-
companied by a resolution declaring the CON
testant Frederick entitled to The seat. Laid
over for future action.
bs Bills were Passed pa aRpropriatng for
and Sl5O,OOO for one at Auburn, n. Y.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR BILL AGAIN
AT 1:45 the consideration of the river and
harbor bin was resumed in committee Of the
whole.
Mr.: Hiscock IN. " offered an amendment
prohibiting the rectification of the mouths of
the Red and Atchafaloy va rivers upon any plan
which, IN the opinion of the Mississippi river
comm on Would render it necessary to build
Atchafalaya down the Mississippi.
The District i'm Congress-.
ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST IN THE DEFICIENCY
The items of local interest in the general de-
fciency bill include an appropriation of 80, 900
of the uneXpended balance OF the public school
contingent fund for the fiscal year sS4: for rent
OF public school rooms, $780, and for the nav
ment OF lndgnents against the District Of Co
the support of the Washington asylum is reap
prOpriated and authorized to be used in com
5etng the hospta ward the work
vided $4,000 to supply deficiency in the ap-
preparation for the government insane hospital:
mans hospital and asylum, 81, 900; for ft1rni-
ture and fixtures in the National museum,
S2S91; for the preservation of fixtures in the
National museum, $500: for restoring the col
lectiOns sent to the New Orleans exposition by
the National museum, $4,000. Ex-Commis-
sioner Phelps is reimbursed for moneys exneni
ed by him in defending the District government
in the courts. The sum of &c. Ala is reappropri-
ated for labor and material on the Bound
airy sewer under the contract of May 12 1882
for the payment Of six members of the police
force detailed for special service in the detection
| expenses OF assessing real estate, $5,1O4
Capitol Topics,
PACIFIC RAILROAD FUNDING BILL.
| Senator Mcpherson to-day introduced the fol-
| lowing as an amendment to the Pacific railroad
| 6O-year funding bill:
"Prorided, That all bonds. stocks, and other
! securities now owned by said railroad compa-
nies as part of the assets of such company shall
| be deposited with the Secretary of the Treasury
as part of the security for the payment of the
| principal and interest of the bonds authorized
| and directed in section Of this act"
| POSTAGE ON EDUCATIONAL MATTER.
| Senator Malone to-day reported fayorab1y
| from the committee on post Offices and post
roads an amendment to the post office appro-
priation providing that reports of state boards
Of education, state superintendent of public in
tructiOn, and other books, circulars forms and
blanks, relating to education shall be transmit-
ted through the mails as secOnd-class matter
| MIR. MORGAN AMUsEs THE SENATE.
To-day in the Senate Mr.. Morgan, in making
| parliamentary inquiry, stated that the con-
ference report on the Atlantic and Pacific land
forfeiture bill though presented to the House
| had not been received in the Senate Mr.
| Edmunds called.the Senator to order He must
not refer to the other house. Mr.. Morgan said
| wanted to know whether he could do SO under
| the circumstances. The chair maintained that
1t was unparliamentary to refer to the House
F! Mr.. Morgan continued his remarks, referring to
| evade such stringent ruling, 'of course do not
mean the House" This method Of reaching
| his point amused the Senate very much,
| THE POST OFFICE APPROPRIATION BILL
| The Post Office appropriation bill, reported
from the committee on appropriations by Sem
ator Plumb to-day, appropriates $53.S19. 900,
| an increase of $500, 900 over the bill as passed
| by the House, and So, 3,279,1 less than the es-
| Inmates. The aggregate appropriated is $2,-
| 547, 1863 in excess of the estimated revenue for
| the fiscal year 1886. An increase of $3.50 600
| is made in the appropriation for TRANSPORTATION
| on railroad routes. A decrease of S16O. 600 is
| made in the appropriation for compensation of
| clerks in post offices, and decrease Of $4,000
1 in the appropriation for compensation Of letter
l and rff fIo-f