The Portland daily press., 1885-01-26
XLVIIIth Congress-2d Session
SENATE.

WASHlNGIONt Odus <f.
In the Senate today Mr.. Edmunds introduced the
following bill to prevent and punish crimes commit
ted by means of explosive compounds
SECTION L. Be it enacted etc., that, if any per-
son shall, within che United States or within any
district, State territory thereof, make buy. SELL
Manufacture or compound any metalline nitroleum
neptune powder, oriental powder, giant powder,
hercules powder scientific powder, thunder-bolt
powder, dynamite other nitro-explosve COM
pound, or shall make, buy, sell, manufacture
compound any ballistite, burnsh powder, colonia
powder, detonite, fulgarite. any other chlorate
explosive compound with intent th;t any of huch
nitro or chlorate explosive compounds shall be used
at any plaee within the United States in any for
egn country. without the Jurisdiction of the Unitod
States, for the Injury or destruction Of public er
private property or for the injury of any person
persons either in the United States iu any such
foreign country or for the purpose of ASSASSINATION
or murder, or des rnction of human lfe either in
the United States or in any such foreign country,
or knowing that such nitro or chlorate mpounds
are intended to be used by any other person per-
sons for any OK the purposes hereinbefoe named in
this section, shall be deemed guilty of felony and
upon conviction in any circuit dstl lot court of
the United States shall be punished by imprison-
ment in penitentiaTy for a term of not less than
-, nor more than years. at tile discretion Of
the court, or by fine of not less than - dollars
or both at such discretion; and all persons aiding
abetting, or in any wise assisting the manufac
ture, compounding buying selling anv Of the
nitro or chl0rate compounds mentioned in this sec
ton, either by furnishing materials Ingredients
assisting by skill or labor, or by acting as agents
for the principals or in any manner aiding as ae-
cessories before the fact, knowing that anv snch
nitro or chlorate explosive compounds arc intended
to he used by the principal or any other person or
persons for any of the purposes mentioned in this
section, shall be deemed princip AS, and may be
tried. convicted and punished in ils same manner
and TO the same extent as such principal or prlnci
pals.
SEC 2. Every person who transports or delivers
Or causes to be delivefed any OF ths nitro or chic
rate explosive compounds mentioned in the list
section of this act board aoy vessel railroad car
or vehicle whatever, employed i'll carrying passen-
gers, by land or water. between auY place 10 the
United States and place in any foreign country,
or between place in one State, territory or dis
tTiet of the United States and place in any other
State territory districs thereof or at any dcpos
wharf or warehouse withia tie United States, used
Tor the purpose OF storing or dichareing fre igbt
knowing that the same are intei 4 ID TO be used by
any person or persons for any of the purposes pro
hibted by this act shall be deemed guilty of n
misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punish
ed by fne of not more than dollars, or less
than - dollars, and every master of a vessel
freight superintendent or other officer Of railroad
authorized to receive freight and every person
having direct charge aud control of a DEPOT wharf
or warehouse. such as is contemplated by this sec
tion, who receives any of the nitro or chlorate
posive articles enumerated in the first section of
this act for transportation or for delivery knowing
that the same to be- or intended to be used by
any person persons for the purp ses prohibited
by the 1st section of the act shall be deemed guilty
OF misdemeanor, and. upon conviction, shall be
less than - dollars; and on all convictions under
this section it shall be competent for the court
its discretion to order that the party so cor ycted
shall be imprisoned until the fine is paid.
SEC. 3. All prosecutions under this act shall be
by Indictment and it Is hereby made the duty Of
all judges of the circuit and district courts OF the
UAied States to bring its provisions to the special
notice of grand juries, and to epjoin upon such
Juries the Importance of their making full and
careful inquiry into any violations of its prov isions
which may properly be brought or may come to
their notice.
u.
Quoted by the district attorney of the United
States for the district in which the offence is COM
mitted or the accused party indicted but prose-
cutlon under tho 1st section, where the attGrney
general deems the case of special i'm poTtance he
may, under direction of the President, retain such
additional special counsel as sha be necessary aud
essential to the interests of the government.
The Dill was referred to the judiciary committee.
The military academy appropriation bin pas sed by
the House was laid before the Senate and referred
TO lhe committee on appropriations.
The Senale closed its doors at II 30 o'clock, aud
Senator Edmunds continued his speech in fave2 of
the ratification OF the Nicaras uan treaty Upon its
conclusion desultory debate of an hour took
place, during which members of the foreign rea
tions committee were questioned by others for in
formation respecting the treaty and the relations
OF tue Clayton-Bulwer treaty to the subject. No
action OF any kind was reached. During the pro
gress of the debate the Associated Press dispatches
about the London expl0 ions were read for infor-
nation, and the following resolution, offered by
Senator Bayard, was the result of the informal
talk upon ths floor:
ResotUed, That the Senate of the United States
has heard with indignation and profound sorrow of
the attempt to destroy the houses of Parliament
and other public buildings in London, and hereby
expresses it's horror and detestation of sucn mon
strous crimes against civilization.
Consideration of the resolution postponed
until Monday to enable the Senate to fuller
information upon the subject matter.
At 4.30 O'Clock the doors reopened and the
Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
The speaker laid before the House a message from
the President transmitting report from the Sec
retary of State, asking appropriation to enable
the State Department to cause preliminary
search to be made of the records of the French
prize court, in order to aid that department to
ry out the provisions of the French spoliatiou act
Referred.
Mr.. Follett of Ohio, from the committee on appro-
priat,onS. reported the District of Columbia appro
priation BILL and it was referred TO the committee
of the whole.
On melton of Mr. Dibrell of Tennessee, the House.
at 2.05 o'clock, went into committee on the agri-
cultural appropriation bill An amendment was
adopted apropriatng $4,000 for the cultivation and
distribution of the tea plant on the government
farm. The committee then rose, and the bill was
passed
Mr.. Townshend of Illinois made an effort 10 call
up the Mexican pension BILL but Mr. Mills of Texas
moved to adjourn, and this being lost--1O2 TO 109-
moved that the House take recess This motion
met with a similar fate, but at 430 O'Clock mo-
tion to adjourn was carried-yeas, 101; nays 100,
the speaker casting the deciding vote.