The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-20

taken from them, but the morning hour ex-
pired before vote could be taken, and the
Texas Pacific land grant forfeiture hill
came up.
Morgan believed the grant should be for
feited, but thought the courts the proper
place to settle the question, and moved an
amendment to that effect.
In the house Wednesday the river and har-
Dor bill was considered and an amendment
appropriating $500, 900 for improvement of
Galveston harbor adopted. The appropria-
ton for the harbors at Superior bay and
st, Louis bay, Wis, was increased to SIS, 900.
Thursday, the house, in continuation of
Wednesdays session went into committee
on the river and harbor bill, and the entire
bill, with the exception of that portion in
cluding the Hennepn canal and the lower
Mississippi river Improvement, was read
through without material change, when at
II 80 the house ad journed, and was again
called to order for the session of Thursday.
After some miscellaneous business had
been transacted the house again went into
| committee on the river and harbor bill and
an amendment was adopted providing that
leyeas should not be constructed to protect
private property.
Prohibiting Foreign Contract Labor.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb 20.-The bill
| to prohibit the importation of foreign con-
| tract labor as passed by the senate, provides
| that it shall be unlawful for any person, or
| company III any manner to assist or encour-
| age the importation Of any foreigner
| into any part of the United States
| under any contract or agreement, ex-
| pressed or implied to perform labor Of any
kind in this country, and that all such con-
| tracts are null and void, and of no effect
| The penalty for violation of this law is a
| fine Of 81 600 for each oifense, to be paid to
the person who shall first bring action there
| for, and the United States attorneys are to
| prosecute the suits at the expense of the
| United States in tho national courts.
| The bill prohibits masters of vessels
| bringing any persons to this country under
contract to labor and the penalty, in case
of violation, is 500 for each person SO
brought From the provisions of the bill
the following are excepted: private secre-
taries, servants or domestics of aliens
temporarily residing in this country;
skilled labor, where such labor cannot be
otherwise obtained, and professional actors,
artists, lecturers, OF singers nor to persons
employed strictly as personal or domestic
| servants; AMI provhlca, that nothing in this
act shall he constructed as prohibiting any
| individual from assisting any memLer Of HI
family or any relative or personal friend tt
migrate from any foreign country TO the
United States for the purpose Of settlement
here.
The Pension Office Inquiry.
WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. 20-George W
Evans the discussing clerk Of the interior
department, was before the house committee
on pensions, bounty ami back pay, and ex
hibited his books il testimony, showing that
all of the regular and special employees Of tbs
pension Office were regularly ana continu
ously paid during the recent presidential
campaign, The clerk having i'll charge thC
per diem and expense accounts Of specia
and other employees has been subpUnae1 {,
appear before the committee with his
records 1t Is the intention of the com
mittee to ascertain if money was paid on ex
penses or per diem to any of the employs
while they were engaged in politics Chief
Comstock, OF the western division, of the
pension Office, testified before the committe
that lie had not given instructions to specia
examiners 10 defer making reflections o
claims for pensions until after the elections
as has been stated by witnesses before tn
committee. He denied all the charges whicl
have been preferred to the effect that th
Office was used to promote the interests 0
the Republican candidates.
Expenses of Election Deputies.
7 WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. 20.-From th
statement of expenses incurred under tn
law providing for the appointment of spacia
deputy marshals, supervisors, and chic
supervisors of elections, sent to the house c
representatives Wednesday, it appears tha
of the 81, 973, 9l6 which have been applied t
that purpose, there was expended in til
state OF New York $3.50. 7SS or )
per cent. of the whole amount Seventee
; per cent went to two Pennsylvania di:
. tricts Massachusetts, $4,000, 0
which $2G. .3324 was used at the last election
No portion of the money was used in Cor
, necticut Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesots
! Nebraska Nevada, New Hampshire, Mort
r Carolina Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont c
9 Wisconsin. There was used in Colorado g
: in 1882, and $40 in Arkansas in 1851
"a,