The Portland daily press., 1886-03-26

Mr. Call followed in opposition to the ma
Jority report Mr.. EvartS's speech, he said,
had placed this subject on new and differ
ent ground. That was, that we should mea-
sure the constitutional duties of the Senate
by the propositions which the President
might make in regard to the subject. Mr..
Burnett was not to be confirmed because
Duskin's removal had been placed on inn
proper grounds. Mr.. Call implied that Mr..
Evarts was not consistent in his statements
as to the constitutionality of the tenure of
office bill, and quoted from the proceedings
of the impeachment trial of President john
son in support of his view.
Mr.. ingalls, then obtained the floor, but
gave way for motion to go into executive
session.
Before the doors were closed Mr. Edmunds
intimated that so far as was in his power he
should insist on vote on the resolutions be-
fore adjournment tomorrow.
The Senate then, at 400 p. M, went into
executive session, and twenty minutes later,
the doors being reopened, adjourned.
The discussion will be resumed shortly
after II o'clock tomorrow.
HOUSE.
In the House this morning, Mr.. Hill of
Ohio, from the committee on Territories, re-
ported bill to provide for the organization
of the Territory of Oklahoma. Printed and
recommitted.
Mr.. Dunn of Arkansas, from the shipping
cOmmitte, reported the free ship bill and 1t
was placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Dingley of Maine presented the mi
n0rity report.
The House then went into committee of
the whole on the post office appropriation
bill.
Mr. Doekery of Missouri, in speaking of
the foreign mail service of the Post Office
Department. said the law gave the Post
master General authority to advertise for the
letting of contracts to American steamships
but there was nothing mandatory in the act.
1t rested in him the exercise of a just and
wise discretion In support of his position
that the law was not mandatory, Mr.. Dock
cry quoted from speeches delivered during
the course of the debates lastyear by Messrs
Dingley of Maine and Horr of Michigan, to
the effect that under it the Postmaster Cen
eral would not be obliged to pay single dol
lar to an American line of steamships. He
wanted and the Democratic party wanted,
to give an adequate and liberal compensa-
tion to American steamships for carrying
the mails. If the present law did not make
sufficient provision he would favor any law
that did, But speaking from business
standpoint he would never favor any meas
ure which proposed to subsidize an Amer
lean line of steamships for the purpose of
aiding commerce. The gentleman from
Michigan (A1r. Burrows had said good
deal about the decay of American commerce.
That gentleman's party had been in power
during the last Twenty-Five years, and II the
laws had operated harshly ON American
steamers and driven them from the sea,
the Republican party, and not the Demo-
cratic party, was responsible for 1t. Only 10
per cent. of the commerce of the country
was now carried in American bottoms and
95 per cent. of all the sailors in our merchant
service were foreigners
Mr.. Peters of Kansas laid the responsible
ity for the present condition of the merchant
marine upon the shoulders of the Democratic
party, and then made strong appeal to the
committee to do an act of justice to the rail-
way postal clerks by giving them the full
salary allowed by law
Mr.. Guenther of Michigan made a spirited
speech in opposition to subsidies, and said in
conclusion that if grasping corporations, in
their greed for gold, came to the Congress OF
the United States posing in the role of dis
interested patriots, singing their plausible
song of revival of American shipping, and
asking subsidies and expecting $40 for every
ST. of service performed, do not be deceived
but tear the mask from their faces and show
their Shylock countenances to the country.
(Applause)
The committee then rose and the House at
$40 o'clock took recess to 7.3Q.
The evening session was devoted to the
consideration of resolutions expressive of the
sorrow of that body at the death of Joseph
Rankin, late representative from the State
of Wisconsin, and to the delivery of eulo-
CYSTIC addresses. Resolutions were unani-
mously adopted, and as mark of respect to
the memory of deceased the House at $50
o'clock adjourned.