The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-01-01
CONGRESSIONAL.
The Work Of the Senate and House
of Representatives.

TIE bill providing for tho appointment of
a commission to examine into the liquor ques-
ton passed the Senate on Dec. -. for the fifth
time. The measure provides for a commission
OF seven me nbcrs appon ed by the President,
not more than four of whom shall belong to
tha same political party or be advocates OF pro-
hibition. Their term OF office Is not to exceed
two " ars The. duties are rather formidable,
aud consist OF an Investigation OF the alcoholic
liquor trditc, iJs relation 10 revenue and taxa
ton, AID ITS general economic criminal, moral,
and scientific aspects In connection with pau
perism, crime. social Woe. the public health ana
quire az to the practical results OF license and
rrohibitory legislation for the prevention OF in
temperance in the several States of the Union
Ten thousand dollars are provided for expenses
Mr.. Hale reported the Hcuse bill making tenn
porary provision for the naval service. which
was so modified as TO cover tho rema ming half OF
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1885. The House
was not in session.
THE naval appropriation bill, as reported
by the Committee on Appropriations, was passed
by the Senate on Dec 30. The House resolution
for u holiday recess was amended by fixing Dec
"a "a the date for its commencement. Mr..
jonas presented protests from the commercial
associations of New Orleans against the ratif-
ton OF the treaty with Spain Mr.. Vest, In Offer
ing concurrent resolution AZ to-the printing Of
speeches In the Record, opened mp a discus
sion on the abuse OF Conversational privileges.
Mr. Vest said the record of whatiwas said and
done in CONGRESS should be what IL purported to
be- instead OF being the caricatpre 1t was to-day
The effect Of the untruthful reIfresentations now
made could not but have the most Injurious
effect, especially on the young men OF the
country, when they learned that. instead of
speech being delivered to the tull house and In
the presence OF crowded galleries and with loud
applause and immense bouquets to reward tho
orator, that orator did not deliver the speech At
all, but at the time of the supposed delivery was
taking a leisurely luncheon In the Congressional
restaurant or plaidly smoking In the cloak
room. This was becoming so we'll understood
that u was touching the sense of the public
humor. and the opinion OF the country was
getting to be that Congress was nothing but q
variety show, where there was nothing real
except the pay. He cited as abuses Of
the printing privilege the case Of q mem
Der Of Congress who delivered ten lines OF re-
complete CODY of the Constitution of the United
States, and another who printed as, a part OF his
remarks poem of ninety pages entitled TO the
Immortals, and dedicated to Congress. But even
more scandalous abuse was shown last session,
when member. after delivering a few sentences
OF speech, supplemented them with all the chap
tiers on the tariff contained In Mr.. Blaine's book,
and had them printed at the pubic expense
Copies of that speech, Mr.. Vest said, were sold
by the Campaign Committee ct 10 cents a
thousand and distributed under frank through
the mails. Another instance cited by Mr..
Vest was when identically the same speech
appeared printed as having been de-
of the literary lobby had sold the copy Of
the speech TO two different men. Mr.. Hawley
remarked that any copies OF speeches sent out
by the campaign committee were paid for. Mr.
Vest asked whether it was not true that they
were franked through the mails. Mr.. Hawley
replied that he believed it was the custom of
both political parties, In distributing copies Of
Congressional speeches. to frank them.
A BILL to repay China the remain der Of
the Chinese indemnity fund. now in the possess
sion of the State Department., was favorably
reported in the Senate by the Foreign Affairs
Committee on Dec. "a. In the report on
the bill the committee says the amount
paid by China was largely In excess of all just
demands against that Government, and every
administration since this fact ascertained
has earnestly recommended the repayment,o f
that excess. The committee concurs in this
view, and says: 1T believes the wisest
pol cy on the part OF this Government Is
to deal with transparent justice and even liber-
atty in its intercourse with all nations, especi-
ally with those of another race and
civilization" In the House, the
Speaker announced the following committee as
signments: Elections, Smith, of Iowa; mill
tary affairs, Connolly; public lands, Campbell,
of Ohio: Territories, Hill education and labor,
O'Farrell: revision of laws, Garrison: expendi-
lures in the Treasury Department, Wallace:
printing. Bratton. pensions, bounty. and back
pay, Wallace: alcoholic liquor traffic, English.
Both houses adjourned until jan s.