Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-12
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
TROUBLESOME CHINESE PROBLEMS.
The Subject Up in Senate and House
The Rock Springs Massacre Discussed.
The Senate.
THE CHINESE OH EGTIAN &C

| q concurrent resolution expressing tt to be the
| sense of Congress that negotiations should be
entered into between the United States and
Chinese governments with view to securing
| such modification of the present treaty with
China as may result in stopping the coming of
Chinese to this country except in the case OF
diplomats and their servants, and except also
| In the case OF persons at sea driven TO seek q
place of shelter. The concurrent resolution was
referred to the committee Oh foreign relations.
| MIR. Stanford gave notice that on the 9th
! instant he would submit resolutions in respect
! TO the death of his late colleague, Mr.. Miller.
| THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE BILL.
| Consideration of the interstate commerce bill
| was then resumed.
! The bill having been completed as in COM
mittee of the whole, the question was on agree
ing in the Senate to the amendments agreed to
| in committee.
| protracted debate arose on the various
! amendments, especially the amendments to
the long and short haul clause. In the course
of the debate Mr.. Ingalls, said the bill was be-
| coming more and more metaphysical as 1t pro-
| cecded.
Mr.. Miller remarked that it would not be
! metaphysical to practical railroad men.
Mr.. ingalls, replied that the trouble was that
| Senators We're not practical railroad men, but
| were dealing with practical railroad questions
House Of Representatives.
The messages from the President yesterday
presented to the Senate were to-day submitted
to the House and appropriately referred.
! The Speaker laid before the House n commu-
nication from the Grand Army of the Republic,
! inviting the members of the House to attend
the Decoration Day ceremonies at Arlington.
Also, a communication from the 5th army
| corps of the Army OF the Potomac, inviting the
| House to visit the battlefields of South Noun
tain and Antietam on the 18th aud 18th insts.
/ Referred.
| Mr.. Collins (Mass) from the committee on
the Judiciary, reported bill extending the
| of patents and patented inventions against the
| United states. House calendar.
] MIR. Hammond (Ga.}, from the same commit
| tee, reported bill TO simplify the pleadings
| and procedure in criminal cases in the courts of
| the United states and the District Of Columbia.
| House calendar.
| CHINESE INDEMNITY FOR THE ROCK SPRINGS
| MASSACRE.
| In the morning hour Mr.. Belmont On. ", on
behalf OF the committee on foreign affairs,
called up the joint resolution providing an In
| demnity to certain Chinese subjects for losses
sustained within the jurisdiction of the United
| States.
The resolution was considered in committee
| of the whole.
| inassacres at Rock Springs, Wyoming. None
OF the persons engaged in the outrage appeared
! sisted OF two settlements; one inhabited chiefly
| by Welshmen and Swedes, the other by
Chinese, all receiving the same rate of pay. For
eight years the white and Chinese miners had
| lived peaceably. Last summer a strike was at
tempted to be organized by the white
miners in which the Chinese refused to
satisfactory that no other cause OF onense was
| given. On the I'd September the white miners
! rifles and made an attack on the defencelcss
Chinese, killing %, wounding many others ana
burning and plundering their quarters. By the
passage OF this resolution the United States
| would express its sympathy with the victims
of a wrong that the United States could not
prevent nor ioresee. 1t must be clear that the
| result of mob violence had only TO be made
| known to the House to meet with the con-
deEnatIon which it merited: All considera-
10 pf fha fnf1or
ernment in its relations to state and territorial
Jurisdiction should be waived in the perform.
Mr.. FELTON, Cali thought that if the commit
| tee OH foreign affairs had expended Its time in
examining the causes under which these out
RACES arose, if it had looked to the history of
| the past, it would have found that these out
RACES were the natural result of Chinese immi-
| grafton. The committee should have addressed
| Its attention to remedying the evil rather than
| 10 pal!iating and paying for scenes like this.
-, Mr. Morrow (Cal) said that, standing alone,
| considering the relations between China and
| the United States and the necessity for further
legislation and further treaty stipulation abso-
iuiely prohibiting the immigration OF Chinese
that the ' benevoenc sp0Sea Of oon selak
Mnoe affair at Rock sppngs haa Been The
graceful i'll the extreme, and could not be ex-
| cused nor Ignored. The most that could be
| had been engaged in the massacre, but this did
not right the wrong that had been committed
| n IL. n
volved. The question arose why did the fed
eral government assume the obligations of a
! local and territorial community. The answer
| was that no local obligations were assumed, but
that because the local authorities had failed to
| enforce the law the United States would under
| the peculiar circumstances of the case and "a
an act of beneVOlence satisfy the claimants
The people of the United States, and especially
the people OF the Pacific coast, were deeply CON
| cerned in the relations between the United
| States and China and the Pacific coast de-
manded that the immigration of Chinese labor
crs should , absolutely cease He was in favor OF
| Executive in an attempt to secure the consent
| OF China TO put stop to immigration.
| the outrage perpetrated at Rock Springs. The
] House in its excited sympathy was apt to con-
| slider as "mean" a refusal to indemnify the
| victims. But it was not clear to him that an
| outbreak OF race antipathies in which no
Americans participated, Notwithstanding 1t
any claim upon the consideration of Congress.
| The grOaning calendars of the House should ad-
monish members that there were other uses for
| the STAT, 900 than bestowing it in benevolence
| or squandering 1t in romantic and snowy
! comfy.
Mr.. Rice (Mass.) was unwilling that the i'm
| Ing this resolution as an act OF benevolence or
| ANYTHING else than an act Of international obi
CATION.
| THE ARMY APPROPRIATION BILL.
| Pending further discussion the morning hour
expired the committee rose, and the House
again went into committee (Mr. Springer of
Illinois in the chair) on the army appropriation
bill.
The District I'm Congress-.
A HALF MILLION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE
| POTOMAC
III the Senate to-day Mr.. Ransom submitted
the following amendment to be proposed to
| the river and harbor bill: 'For continuing the
| Improvement of the Potomac river in the vi
| entity of Washington, with reference to the
| Improvement In navigation, the establishment
OF harbor lines, and the raising OF the flats
under the direction OF the Secretary of War,
| anu In accordance with existing plans, five
| hundred thousand dollars. Provided, that no
| part OF the sum hereby appropriated shall be
| expended upon or with reference to any place
! In respect of which the title of the United
States Is in doubt, or in any respect of which
| any claim adverse to the United States has
| been made"
| THE WATER WORKS EXTENSION TUNNEL.
The House subcommittee having in charge
| the appropriation tor tire Washington water
| work extension met to-day and further pressed
| their inquiry as to the best method OF conduct
| Ing the work. Major Ludlow was before them.
| he pretty generally approved Of the method In
| WMch the work has been done, and preferred
| brick to concrete lining.
| BILLS REPORTED TO THE HOUSE.
The bill to prohibit any but skilled and IL
| censed engineers from being placed in charge
| OF steam engines In the District OF Columbia
! was reported TO the House yesterday. The Dis
| trict knights OF Labor have petitioned In favor
OF It's passage. bill to enable foreign execa-
| tors ana administrators to sue In the courts of