Morning journal and courier., 1886-03-09
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
wAsHINaToN March 8. 1886

WASHINGTON, March 8, 1886.
 SENATE.-Among petitions presented wer
 a large number from local assemblies O
 Knights of Labor favoring the building O | the Hennepin canal.
 his own request was laid on the table, direct 1 ing the Committee on Civil Service Reform 1 to report forthwith the bill providing for the repeal of the civil service law. Mir. Vance said he would soon address the Senate on ths l subject matter of the resolution. At o'clock MT. Bowen obtained unani l nous consent to address the Senate in sup port of his bill providing a new basis for ma | tional bank circulation. He argued that ( new basis made up of gold, silver and bonds ] must be provided, pointed out what he con- sidered dangerous powers that the national banks under existing laws have over our fl. 1 nances and criticised Secretary Manning's ar gument in his letter urging the suspension oi silver coinage. Mir. Bowen continued In fla vor of continued coinage of silver. At 2:30 MT. Bowen, who was reading his speech, came to the end of the last page of a | role of manuscript. It was the second in stallment of type writer copy which he had read and everyone supposed he had closed his speech. But as he deliberately lifted the corner of his desk and produced a third in stallment the people in the galleries burst out with laughter and clapping their hands. ] HIS OI course WAS suppressed DJ Guo IeIlpo' rary chairman, MT. Miller of New York, and the usual threat of clearing the galleries was made from the chair and MT. Hoar, who had not been listening closely to the speech and who did not comprehend clearly the situa- tion of affairs, supposing MT. Bowen had finished his speech, created little confusion and again broke the decorum of the chamber by moving to lay aside the unfinished busi- ness and to take up the electoral commission bill.
 "But Pm not through yet" said Ar. Bowen.
 "Oh!" said Mr. Hoar, and withdrew his motion.
 MT. Bowen when quiet was restored pro- ceeded. His first words he gave utterance to were: '1 am confident" This was too much for the weary walters in the gallery, many of whom had been seated for two and half hours, and suppressed but audible murmur of applause greeted the speaker. MT. Bowen closed his speech at 3:20 p. m.
 Mr. Stanford then arose and formally an nounced to the Senate the intelligence of the death of his colleague, MT. Miller, and the Senate at once, on motion of Mr. Stanford, :, adjourned.
 Few, if any of the audience knew that MT. Edmunds had abandoned his intention of calling up the Judiciary committee resolu- tions and the galleries were crowded up to the hour of adjournment with people anx- iously waiting for Mir. Bowen to get to the end of his speech and expecting that Nr. Edmunds would then take the first step ih the big battle of words which sooner or later is sure to follow the discussion of this question.
 HoUsE.-Hon. Thomas R. Hudd, member elect om the fifth district of Wisconsin to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Hon. Joseph Rankin, was sworn in.
 MT. Blanchard, Of Louisiana, as a question nf T11-i oH hSt ho had haaY, arrested in Louisiana in 1874 by order of Ma jor Merrill, who was recently nominated for promotion and whose nomination was subse- quently withdrawn. Mir Blanchard said the charge to that effect in the Indianapolis Journal, together with the statement that he (Blanchard) had been instrumental in caus ing the withdrawal of the nomination, were untrue. He had never been arrested upon Major MerIills order and had nothing to do with the withdrawal of Merrills nomination.
 After a short debate the House rejected bill increasing from $25 to $50 month the pension of the widow of Major Mitchell.
 The call of States for the introduction of bills and resolutions was then proceeded with. Mir. T. J. Campbell, of New York, introduced bill authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase by private sale or condemnation suitable property for the erec- tion of building or buildings for govern ment in New York city.
 
 MT. Belmont, of New York, to reform the organization, regulate the salaries and in- crease the efficiency of the consular service; to limit the exaction of fees, for the verifca- tion of invoices and to regulate the use of the official seal and the collection of fees thereon in legations and consulates of the United States. I It provides among other things that after the commencement of the next fiscal year the consular service shall be divided into five parts, viz: Consuls gener- al, vice consuls general, consuls, vice consuls, and consular clerks. The existing office of commercial agent, whether compensated by direct salary or fees, is abolished, as are also consular agencies, and in lieu thereof where the importance of the post warrants full salaried consulate is created a vice con sulate is established in the minor positions.
 By MT. Bennett, of North Carolina. re- pealing the civil service bill referred to the Committee the Revision of the Laws. Mir. Bennett wished the bill thus referred so he would be likely to get report upon it, which he said he could not expect from the Committee on Civil Service Reform.
 MT. Reagan of Texas, from the Committee on Commerce, reported back the interstate commerce bill and it was placed on the cal endar. Mir. O'Neil, of Pennsylvania, was granted leave to file minority report on the bill.
 In the morning the House passed bill increasing to $500, 900 the limit of cost of the public building at Rochester, N. Y.
 In behalf of the Committee on Railroads MT. Crisp, of Georgia, called up and ex- plained the bills requiring Pacific railroads to pay the cost of survey of the lands grant ed to them by the general government and to take out patents for the land. At the conclusion of his remarks the morn ing hour expired.
 MT. Sumner, of California, then arose and said: s'The melancholy duty devolves on me to announce the death of. Senator John F. Miller of California, who died in this city to day after prolonged illness. Congress will undoubtedly set apart some day hereaf- ter for the purpose of giving expression to the sentiments entertained for the character and great public services of Senator Miller. I offer the following:
 Resolved, That the House has received with profound sorrow the intelligence of the death of Senator John F. Miller, of California.
 Resolved, That out of respect tohis memory that the House now adjourn" "
 The resolutions were unanimously adopted and at 4:50 D. m. the House adjourned.
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