Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-20
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
THE PROPOSED ALASKA IN
VESTIGATION.
SENATOR VAN WICK SPEAKS ABOUT
JUNKETING EXPEDITIONS.
NOMINATIONS BY THE PRESIDENT.
The Senate.

The Senate.
The chair laid before the Senate several me-
| MORALS, among them one from the legislature
| OF Maine relating to the settlement Of interna-
| tional differences by a high court of arbitra-
| ton.
THE PROPOSED ALASKA INVESTIGATION.
The resolution offered yesterday by Mr.. Man.
derson, providing for the appointment of a
committee of five Senators to proceed to Alaska
| TO investigate matters relating to the govern
ment OF the Territory, was laid before the
Mr.. Manderson moved that it be referred to
| the committee on territories.
that this committee should be appointed by the
committee on territories.
Mr Harrison chairman Of the committee on
territories, SAID he was not consulted with ref
erence 70 the matter, and referred the question
duced in compliance with the suggestions of a
number of gentlemen, some of them members
| OF the Senate. He had but recently become
member of the Senate and was not sure that
the resolution was worded in accordance with
usual Precedents. He said that when the bill,
providing for a civil government for Alaska,
was passed by a former Congress, lamentable
ignorance had been shown in regard to the con-
d1tion OF things in Alaska, and the gentlemen
10 whom ne referred thought it important that
information should be obtained. The purpose
of the proposition to have the committee ap-
have it made of members of that committee, if
SO many could be found who were willing to
devote several weeks to this arduOus duty.
MIR. VAN wYCK ON JUNKETING EXPEDITIONS.
Mr.. Van Wyck said that lamentable ignor-
ance was usually found to exist with regard to
bills which passed the Senate after the bills
were passed. He did not know whether the
committee on territories was aware of the ex-
pence which this committee would entail upon
the government. The Senate had recently been
passing resolutions to authorize committees
which had nothing to do, to sit during the re-
cess, and now we were asked to send a COM
| mittee to Alaska, the furthest place in which
we had any interest, except, perhaps, in the
north pole. The expedition would probably
not be any more expensive than the commits
sion to Central and South America. He referred
to this so that the Senate might not in this mat
ter be subjected to the criticism Of lamentable
ignorance. The commission was appointed on
the 7th day of January. They reported for duty
t% IN Getoberathis commission to Central and
New Mexico, then to New Orleans
With ar hs
The commission consisted of two men and
boy.for its chairman remained in Albany.
was to hire palace car at $50 day, for which
the total payment Was S1,447 before they got
New Then they furnished them
boldly charged for lager beer and wine. This
commission charged only for supplies, which
doubtless included liquids and solids. Mr. Van
Wyck said that the expense of the commission
from October to January amounted to over
1000; that much , W was s expended before the
expenses were since the commission reached
South America the Senator could not say, but
ne was Sat1Sned 1t was enormous Mr.. Van
Wyck said that what made it worse, the out
rageous bills of that commission had been ap-
proved and paid. He denounced this as worse
than highway robbery. He said the man who
enters a house at night and robs a safe is honor
able in comparison with those who robbed the
Treasury by such expenditures he had de-
scribed. 1t is worse he said, than stealing the
public lands and here he referred to the Back
bone patents as a robbery ofseven million acres
a riv1tr fN haS SNt1fh cf
can commission, Mr.. Van Wyck said the chair
man of it never even appeared with the COM
mission. He remained all the winter in Albany,
but ne was paid his salary until he resigned in
February. amounting to $4,679.16. The six
teen teen cents, cen ne supposed, was put on to show
thought it was about time for a change in the
government, unless the democrats should do
worse, and he hoped some democrat would 90 to
the Secretary of State and urge him not
to approve such bills as those which had hith-
erto been allowed the South American com
mission. MIR. Van Wyck said that the men who
thus travelled in palace cars were using reck-
lessly the money wrung from the pockets of
people, many OF whom are not able to pay So a
day for travel riding in Pullman cars
MR.. VAN WICK CHARGED WITH INCoNsISr.
ENCY.
Mr.. Manderson defended the Alaska resolu-
tion and charged that Mr. Van Wyck had pro-
cured the passage of resolution which would
continue the pay of his committee clerk during
Mr.. Harrison said that Mr.. Van wyck was
not consistent in his advocacy of retrenchment,
as he had procured recess clerk, which he
Wan Wyck) had said was not necessary.
Mr.. Harrison offered a resolution to rescind
the resolution continuing Mr. Van Wyck's
Mr.. Van Wyck retorted that Mr.. Harrison
had managed to secure a clerk for the recess
paid out OF the public money, and as numerous
others had done the same thing he Wan Wyck)
fell in and had his clerk continued.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
On motion of Mr.. Miller, of California, the
90 ;r,fr>
sion. 1t was agreed yesterday TO take up and
go on with the remaining treaties-the Belgian
treaty, the new Hawaiian reciprocity treaty and
the international patent right treaty.
Nominations To-day.
A NEW ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE AND
NEW INDIAN COMMISSIONER.
The President sent the following nominations
o the Senate to-day:
James D. Porter, of Tennessee to be an assist
ant Secretary of State.
John D. c. Atkins, of Tennessee, to be Com
missioner of Indian Affairs.
I'd Lieut.. Samuel W. Miller, 9Th infantry, to
I'd Lieut.. VIM. Black, Oath infantry, to be 1st
Revenue Marine service-Henry T. Blake. of
New York, to be captain.
Samuel E. Mcguire, Of Louisiana, to be 1st
Orin D. Myrick, of Massachusetts, TO be I'd
lieutenant.
Capitol Topics.
THE TREATY WITH EGYPT AND MEXICO
was ratified by the Senate Wednesday, extends
to the United States the commercial privileges
enjoyed by Great Britain by virtue of the treaty
between Egypt and Greece, made about year
ago. The treaty with Mexico recognizes the
principles of international law in the settle-
ment OF disputes which may occur over the
changing of the bed of The Rio Grande river,
which stream forms portion of the boundary
between the United States and Mexico.
---<O>-
A kentucky Office Seeker.
MAN WHO WANTED SEE 40" BLACK
BURN-HE CAME HERE TO GET POST OFFICE
Yesterday a six-fOot Kentuckian, with big
boots and a butternut suit on, strobe up to q
doorkeeper Of the Senate and said: II want to
see 10 Blackburn"
sYou'n have to go round to the other door and
send in your card, ;" said the doorkeeper
The Kentuckian went to the door pointed out.
got hold of card and pencil and with no little
difficulty, scrawled his name upon it. After ex-
amining the bit of pastebOard for moment, he
| handed it to dGorkeeper, saying: 'Take that
| thar ter 10 Blackburn
The senate employe entered the chamber
| bearing the card, and after a few moments re-
| appeared With the information that Senator
| Blackburn was asleep and couldn't be dis
turbed.
"Can't be disturbed, heye" queried the Ken
| tuckian in q stentOrian voice. "Well want
| ter see him. I've come hyar to cit a post
Office, and here's my pertishun. Look at it,
| ent sizes aud varieties, pasted together and
covered with ink blotches and massive looking
chirography): II, It's !. got over twelve hundred
| He slowly rolled up his mammoth petition,
apparently meditating at the same time, and