The Portland daily press., 1885-02-13
XLVIIIth COngress--2d Session
SENATE.

ALVlllth C0ngreSS--2d Session
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 70.
The chair laid before the Senate the House CON
current resolution providing for j,int committee
of three members of the House and Senate to no.
tify Messrs. Cleveland and Hendricks of their cleo
tion. Referred to the committee on privileges and
elections.
The Senate passed the original joint resolution
authorizing the President to return to the govern
ment of Great Britain the steamer Alert with the
thanks of the United States
The resolutions offered yesterday by Messrs. In
gals and Hoar relating to the electoral vote were
referred without comment to the committee on
privileges and elections.
resolution was adopted authorizing the presi-
dent OF the Senate to appoint committee to make
the necessary arrangements for the inaugur aion of
the President-elect on the 4th of March.
by unanimous consent the bill to forfeit the Tex
as faclnc land grant was restored to its place
arleng the special orders.
Nj. Wilson took the floor and spoke at some
length upon the bill to quit the titles of the Des
Moines river settlers.
The chair announced the committee this morn
ing authorized to be appointed to make arrange
ments tor inauguration as follows: Messrs. Sher-
man, Hawley, and Ransom.
At one O'Clock the Des Mones river titles bill was
timber culture laws
Mr.. Vest felt warranted in declaring that there
had been stupendous speculation in public lands
on the part OF men who hoped to come in ard pose
as innocent purchasers in the passage of bill
like that now before the Senate.
Mr. Palmer said no doubt spectators and lum-
bermen had invested in these lands but those were
not the men that he [dr. Palmer) was seeking to
relleve. Inc men he wanted to help were poor
lands.
Mr.. Vest said he could not vote for bill that
would INCLUDE in its measures of relief men who
had banded together and massed their capital to
buy public lands upon speculation Titles Of spec
ulators acquired in contravention of law ought to
be confirmed.
Pending debate on an amendm ent offered bv Mr.
Morgan joint resolution was submitted by Mr..
Van Wyck for reference to the committee on pub
lie lands providing that it shall be unlawful for
any railroad company claiming interest in any grant
of land from the United States to sell or offer to
SELL er mortgage, or pledge any of such lands while
the bill for forfeiture of the same is pending in
either House of Congress or before the patent in
conformity with law shan have issued for the same
and any person or persons selling offering sell
or mortgage, or pledge such lands shall be guilty Of
a msdemeanor and on conviction shall be fined in
sum not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment not more
than one year.
The resolution was referred as suggested by Mr.
Van Wyck.
The bill to repeal the preemption and timber
culture laws was then on motion of Mr.. Allison
temporarily laid aside and the army appropriation
bill taken up. The bill was read by sections and
the Senate committees amendments were adopted
The Chair laid before the Senate the unfinished
business, being the bill for repeal of the preemptioR
and timber culture laws.
Amendments to the bill being completed it was
read the third time and passed-yea 26, nays 90
Mr.. Edmunds voting with the Democrats against
the bill, and Mr.. Brown with the Republicans
for it.
The Chair then laid before the Senate the bill to
forfeit the Texas Pacific land grant.
DIR. Blair attempted to bring up the anti foreign
contract labor bill, but on learning that this would
displace the forfeiture bill Mr.. Van Wyck de-
clined to yield. :
On motiod of MIR. Harrison the Senate at $50
went into executive session and five minutes later
adjourned.
HOUSE.
In the opening prayer this morning the chaplain
Of the Honse invoked divine protection upon him
who has been elected President and beseeched God
to direct him in ways of wisdom.
A resolution providing that on and after Monday
next the House will meet at eleven O'Clock was
adopted.
The Senate amendments to the consular and Dip
lomatic appropriation bill we're non-concurred in.
On motion Of Mr.. Hancock of Texas, the Senate
amendments to the pension appropriation bill were
in.
The House then proceeded to consideration of bus
mess under the special rules.
AT the expiration of the hour, allowed under the
special rule, Nathan f. Dixon Of Rhode Island ap-
peared at the bar of the House and took the oath of
Office representative to succeed Jonathan Chace,
resigned
Mr.. Tucker of Virginia. from the committee on
judiciary, reported bill providing for payment of
the judgment rendered by the Supreme Court of the
District OF Columbia in the case Of Hallett Kill
bourne. against j. G. Thompson. Referred to the
committee of the whole.
A motion that at the close of today's proceedings
the House shall take recess until 10 o'clock to-
morrow was agreed to.
The House then at I.50 p. M went into commit
tee of the whole on the post Office bill.
After some debate new legislation concerning
railroad mail compensation was stricken from the
bill.
Pending debate on an amendment by Mr.. Horr Of
Michigan that gentleman took occasion to say that
the President, who had been elected for the next
four yea RS had not called upon him for advice to
his administration or as to the composition of his
cabinet. but If he were called upon he would be
able to say TO Mr.. Cleveland there was one man in
the Democratic party (referring to Mr.. Morey of
MississippD, who understood this post office bust.
ness and had shown that fact in the debate. He
(Mr.s Horr), was glad to find one Democrat who
not only understood it but who willing to stand
up and say SO to the House.
MIR. Bayne of Pennsylvania arraigned the Demo-
Gratis for their deliberate attempts to force an extra
session by proposing new legislation the appro-
priation bill when the Senate had already given mo-
tlce that 1t would strike it out. Why it done?
He could not see any other purpose than that the
Democratic members of the House should be here
when the President took his seat in order that they
might make an application for an. office and thus OBJ
homes.
After further debate Mr.. Horr's amendment
which was that the appropriation for inland mail
transportation be fixed at $14 Ole, 900, and that
81 600 be appropriated for the railway post Of
lice car-service was adopted.
An amendment by MIR. Nichols of Georgia, ap-
proprating S266, ,7o4 for necessary and special IA
cihties on trunk lines was adopted.s
On motion of MIR. Horr of Michigan, the appro-
praon for the Star Route service was increased by
100000 and the appropriation for railway post Of
flee clerks by 100000.
Mr. deTov
amendments he would demand yea and nay vote
in the House.
Mr.. Townshend offered an amendment providing
that upon all publications of the second class when
sent by publishers thereof from the Office of pub
cation TO bonatide subscribers or from news agen-
cies to actual subscribers shall after July l. 1885,
be entitled to transmission through the mails at
one cent per pound or fractions thereof. Agreed to-
MIR. Long of Massachusetts, offered amend
ment providing that any article or item in any
newspaper or other publications may be marked for
observation without increase Iof postage. Agreed
to-
Pending further action the sommitte rose and at
BOO O'Clock thelHouse took recess until o'clock.
EVENING SESSION.
There were not more than two dozen members
present when the House met at o'clock and pro-
ceeded in committee of the whole to the further
consideration OF the post office appropriation bill.
Mr.. Holman of Indiana raised point of order
against the paragraph allowing additional compen-
sation for transportation of ocean mails in Ameri-
can steamships.
Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvania said that no man
could say truthfully that this provision did not
greatly increase the expenditure of the public
money.
Mr.. Dingley of Maine thought it made little diff
ference whether the repeating portions of the ship
ping act were in force not because the post
master general was authorized to contract with
owners OF American steamships to carry the mail
with the only limitation that he shall not exceed
the sea ana island postage. The revenue from this
postage was $2,174, 900 while the pending provi-
sion limited the expenditure to 5000 900. He had
no doubt that the provision was clearly in order.
Pending decision the committee arose and the
House took recess until 10 o'clock tomorrow
forenoon.
Duty ON Tobacco.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. 12-The ways and
means committee, today, decided to report a bill
providing that the duty on leaf tobacco of the
requisite size and of the necessary hneness OF
texture to be suitable for wrappers and of which
more than 100 leaves are required to weigh q
pound and leaf tobacco the growth of different
countries shall be when enclosed together in bale
or other package if not stemmed 70 cents per
pound and ii stemmed 81 per pound, and SO much
OF any package of such tobacco as may not be
suitable for wrappers shall pay duty of 80 cents
per pound.
GENERAL NEWS.
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