Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-14
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY,
A SENATE MYSTERY.
Debate ON Open Executive Sessions.
THE HOUSE ELECTION CONTEST

| The Senate.
The chair laid before the Senate letter from
senator jackson, saying that he had accepted
| the United States judgeship the sixth circuit
| That his seat in the United States Senate had
| therefore become vacant, and requesting the
| PRESIDENT pro tenn. of the Senate to SO inform
| the executive of Tennessee. The chair said in
formation would be accordingly sent to the
| governor of Tennessee
morlai OF the wool growers convention, held a,
place wool on the free list Referred.
MT German reported favorably from the com
| mlttee on commerce a bill to construct q first
class light-ship and establish it off the entrance
10 Chesapeake bay. The cost of the ship is not te
| exceed $6O,OOO; to have a steam fog signal and
| 10 De Quilt In an American ship yard. On mo
! ton OF Mr.. German the bill was at once passed
AN IMPORTANT MATTER.
MIR. Morgan said he had been instructed by
the committee on foreign relations to give no
tlce that tomorrow at two o'clock or as soon
| thereafter as practicable he would ask the Sen.
ate TO go into executive session for the consider
| ation OF an important matter.
MT Doiph gave notice that on Friday he
| would ask consent to address the Senate on the
Indian depredations.
OPEN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
| Mr.. Butler then addressed the Senate on the
| subject of open executive sessions He had
examined with care, he said, the subject under
| oSAoIio1s duO utu come 10 the conclusion
| tnat the rules providing for secret sessions
ought to be abrOgated. There never was a time
when the necessity for the abrogation of these
rules was maze SO plain as at present
Nominations To-day.
The President sent the following nominations
! to the Senate to-day:
Postmasters-James P. Owen, at Camden,
n. Y; Francis G. Boswell. at Phelps
| \. Y; James F. Robertson, at Culpeper, Va.
Frederick A. Ross, at Tuscumbia, Ala: Philiu
Is. Spence, at Newport, XIV: w H Camn al
Guthrie Center, Iowa; John Shaw, at Vanwert
R RndG; JaGo5 +: Rerin, at Warren, Ill; VIM: B.
Rapids, Oak.
House Of Representatives.
Mr.. Morrison Qll), from the committee on
rules, reported a resolution granting leave to
the committee on public lands, at any time
during the present session, after the morning
hour, to call up for consideration bills reported
from that committee for the forfeiture of land
grants to railroads and other corporations. to
prevent speculation in the public lands and fol
the reservation of the public lands for the ben.
10 interfere with prior special orders or with
revenue and appropriation bills.
me House then resumed consideration OF
Inc duro-homers contested election case.
NO LEGAL ELECTION.
Mr.. Hall Qa.) thought that as far the charge
OF bribery made by the contestant was con.
cerned, the verdict to be arrived at from study
Of the evidence must be the Scotch verdict OF
mot proven;' but as it was clearly shown that
IN one or two precincts the laws of Ohio had
Deen violated, and in one instance intimidation
had been resorted to on behalf OF Romeis, he
mad come to the conclusion that there had been
no legal election in the tenth district of Ohio
Mr.. Ely (Mass.) supported the claims of Ro-
mels, and his speech was supplemented by Mr..
his remarks to a denunciaIion OF the Republican
side OF the House for deciding election cases on
party grounds.
Capitol Topics.
INCREASE OF PENSIONS.
Senator Miller introduced proposed amend
ment to the bill increasing the rate of pension
for the loss of an arm or leg, recently reported
from the Senate committee on pensions, to
increase the rate Of pension to $40 month for
the loss OF leg so near the hip joint as to pre-
vent the use OF an artificial limb.
JUDGE JACKsoN's SUCCESSORS IN THE SENATE
COMMITTEES.
Ihe democratic caucus committee have de-
termfned to await the appointment of Judge
Jackson's successor before filling vacancies in
the minority of the committees The indica-
TO the Judiciary in place of Mr.. Jackson, and
mat the successor of the latter will be placed
upon pension, census and If lawyer upon
claims. Senators Morgan, Eustis and George
are aspirants for the judiciary committee va
cancy, but 1t now looks as if an amicable ar
rangement will be made to give it to Mr. George.
1t is said that Mr.. Gray will be assigned to
naval affairs in place of Senator Jones. of
Florida, during the latters absence
OPEN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
Friends of the resolution to consider nomina-
lions In open session estimate that as the ques-
ton stands it lacks about half dozen votes of
enough to carry it, but as it grows in favor thew
nope to gain these by the time the vote is taken,
HOUSE VENTILATION.
Inc House committee on ventilation and
acoustics will recommend the closing of the
apertures in the floor of the House beneath the
desks, and the substitution of system of venti-
omen windows a ho -, ~
Capitol.
THE VOTE ON SENATOR FRYE's FISHERY REso-
LUTON.
In the Senate yesterday afternoon Mr.. Frve's
resolution, declaring it the sense of that BODY
that Congress should not provide for any Joint
question, was agreed to by a vote of 80 yeas to
10 nays. The affirmative vote was cast by 26
republicans and the following democrats:
Mcpherson, Maxey, Morgan and Payne The
negative vote consisted Of Messrs. Cali. Cock
T Vadr Gose CoqHitt Eqstis Gray Pugh, Vance,
NOMINATIONS CONFIRMED.
The Senate in executive session Yesterday
confirmed the nomination Of Gen. John A. Nc
Clernand for member of the board of Utah
commissioners; A. E. Gordon, marshal of New
Jersey; Frank j. Parke, of West Virginia. prin-
register Of the land office al Natchitoches f.a:
N. G. Barney, receiver public moneys at
Spokane Falls, w. T.; M. L. Mccormick secre-
tary of Dakota Territory; Robert j.. owen In.
dian agent at Union Agency, Indian Territory.
Mark ID. Baldwin, Indian agent at BIackfeef
agency, Montana. Also, q number of naval
promotions and postmasters.
THE PHILADELPHIA POSTMASTER
In the case of the nomination of Mr.. Harrftv
for postmaster at Philadelphia, Senator Ma
hone, to whom 1t was referred, will report the
facts without recommendation. But as Sena-
Tor cameron favOrs confirmation, Mr. Harritv
1t Is believed, will be confirmed.
ALLOTMENT OF LANDS TO INDIANS
The House committee ON Indian affairs has
agreed to favorably report ON the bill intro
duced in the Senate by Senator Dawes to pro
vide for the allotment of lands in severaltv tn
Indians. The committee has amended the bill
by providing for the issue OF indfvidnal in
stead OF tribal patents in all cases.
THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL Committees
At meeting ofthe democratic Congressional
committee last night, Mr.. Lawrence Gardner
was chosen to represent the District of Column.
bia. A subcommittee, consisting of Mr.. VII.
kins, OF ONO; Mr.. Lore, OF Delaware, and Mr..
Murphy, OF Iowa, was appointed to nominate
on the committee from those
states ana territories which have no democratfc
Representatives in Congress.
PATENT SUITS BY THE CONVENIENT.
A minority report of the COMMITTEES on the
judiciary, submitted to the House Yesterday.
II