The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-16

be consideration OF pension bills coming
over from last nights session.
Mr.. Wills said il was clear that it was the
intention Of the House yesterday to devote
this mornings session TO consideration OF
the River and HaTbor Dill, aud asked unani-
mons consent that the regular order be dis
pensec with, but Mr.. Reed objected.
The first bill coming over was one grant
ing a pension CT $1,000 pr anDum TO the
widow OF General Georg H Thomas, and
after debs'e it was passed-yeas l43, maya o.
Mr.. Willis thsn renewed his motion, and
Mr.. Reed made the point that TIE Postofice
Appropriation bin must be considered. the
previous question having been ordered
uDon 10
The Speaker overruled thu point on the
ground that it was understood that the
bill should not come up until after the read
ing OF Fridays journal, and held that this
OTnipg's session was but proiong2tiOn Of
LAST nights session.
Mr.. Kelly then D4ade point OF order that
under that ruling no business was n order
but consideration OF DenoiOn bills.
TIE Speaker oV6rfUl5d the point O. order.
TIE House had dis posed 4 ali bnsiness com
iTp yer from last night and 10 Was nav
compe,snt ior il to proceed TO o.hsr bust
/ esa
Mr. Kelly appealed from the dec sion. aud
Mr.. Willis moved 10 lay the appeal on the
table. The latter motion was agreed TO, 132
to32
After half an hour consumed by the
SPEAKER in ruling upon the points Of order,
answering parliamentary inquiries, and en-
6esvoIing, rather unnecessarily, to suppress
disorder and confusion on the floor, the
question recurled on Mr.. Willis motion to
limit debate on the pending section of the
River ana HarbOr bill to one honr and "a
half srd It was agreed to, and then the
House vent into Committee on the Whole,
Mr.. he nmond in the Chair, on the bill in
dioateC.
Ate eading of the pending section by
the Gle < a discuss on arose as to how the
hour half allowed Tor debate should
be dis ributed. and no arrangement was ar
riyee It, and power of recognition was left
| entirely with the Chair
Mr.. Turner, Of Georgia. raised q point OF
order against the HenBepin Canal paragraph.
he contended that in reporting this clause
| 70 the House the Committee on Rivers and
HsIbors had exceeded its jurisdiction and
infringed upon jurisdiction Of the Commit.
| tee on Railways and Canals. The Hennepin
Canal clause was no more germane 20 the
bill than would be q proposition 20 coa-
| struct an elevated railroad from ocean to
ocean or TO dig the NicaTaguan Canal. Il
also cleshed with the rules IA that 1t changed
| tue existing law and was not in the diTsc
! ton Of retIenchment Of expenditure.
Mr. Henderson, OF Illinois, argued that il
there was any force at all in the objection
that the Committee on Rivers and HarbGrs
/ had no jurisdiction over the subject, that
objection was waived by the House when it
referred the bill TO the Committee OF the
| Whole.
There was not a canal N the country
which bad been constructed by the General
Government that had not been provided for
! by the River and Hsrbor bill. This very
| point had been overruIed last session by the
| Chairman of the Committee of the Whole
| (Mr. Wellborn) on the express ground that
- 81 a.. 81 IA
a waiver of any objection which might be
raised to the jurisdiction Of the Committee
/ on Rivers and Harbors.
! hr. Oates said that the decision had been
based en- the fact that at the time of refer
enee the points OF order had not been re-
/ served against the bill, which was not the
case with the present bill.
Mr. Murphy argued that the Committee
/ on Rivers and Harbors had proper jarisdic-
/ ton over the subject, he himself having re-
| ferTsd numerous petitions asking for this
legislation to that committee. IL the Hen
nepin Canal was an improvement in the in
/ teTstt CT commerce. IL was entitled TO legiti.
nste consideration at the hands Of the
I committee.
Alter further debate the Chair reserved
decision on the point OF order Tor the pres
ent
The Committee then rose. The vote by
| which il was ordered that the POstOffice
until sfler residing of the journal on Friday
| vas Ieconsidered and the bill was tageu up
under operation OF the previous question.
y he first amendment on which separate
vote was demanded was that increasing
| from 81 1OO, 600 to s., 535, 600 the appropria-
ton for the letter carrier service. Agreed to
| yeas. Isl; nays, 96. The amendment in
creasing By 100000 the appropriation for
the Star route service was agreed to-yeas
1875; nays, 81.
The next amendment was that striking
out the clause granting additional compen-
sstion to American steamships for carrying
mails. 1t was agreed to--yeas, 100; NAYS, 113.
Other amendments were agreed without
division and the bill was passed. Mr.. Bing-
hs m offered resolution, which was appro-
pliately referred, recitiDg that sundry news
papers published notices during the summer
Of 1884 concerning alleged frauds in the sup
ply of official envelopes for the Postoffice De-
psrtment, and requesting the Postmaster
General 70 communicate TO the Commit zee
on POetCffces and POast Roads sll the facGs
with papers or copies thereof, connected
with the snnulment IN August, 1884, of the
contract with T. z. kellogg & Co., of Spring
field Mass, for supplying official envslops
also to inform the committee whether en-.
vslopes inferior TO requirements were
| furnished under that contract; whether any
officer of the Government was IN fault, aud
what action the Postmaster General has
taken 10 pIoteCt the INTERESTS OF the 0oVeIn-
| meIt.
The House then resumed consideration of
the River a. q Hsrbor bill in committse of
the whole, and after sn undressing i've
minute debate for one hour, rose, aud he
House went into committee of the whole,
Mr.. McMillin in the Chair on the Legisls.
tive Appropriation bill. There was no gen.
eTal debate, and The bill was Immediately
read by paragraphs tor amendments.
Mr.. Gibson moved to strike out the clause
which prohibits removal of House messen-
gers On the soldiers roll, except for cause
stated. He did so, he said. for the reason
that he was opposed TO making privileged
class OF ofice-holders.
There were good Democratic soldiers who
could 81 the positions acceptably, and he
could see no reason why Repu olicans should
be foisfed into POSITIONS undar q DamOcratic