The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-24
THE PORrY-NINTH CONGRESS.
Ihe Bill Prohibiting Congressman Working
for Land-Grant Railways Reconsidered.

n
Ihe Bill Prohibiting Congressman Working
for Land-Grant Railways Reconsidered.
WASHINGTON, June 23.-Mr. Frye. from ths
leommittee on commerce, reported favorabiy .
Dill to amend the laws relating to the inspection
Of steam vessels. The bill provides for the pay
mens, out Of the Treasury, of the expenses OF
steamboat inspectors. Mr.. Frye said the bill
was in answer to a Recommendation of the Presi
Dent. The vessel owners of the country. Mr.
Frye added, were under obligations to the Presi
dent for his approval Of the shipping bill, and
for his recommendation for supplementary iegis
iation to provide for the expenses OF the steaH-
boat inspection. Congress ought at once 10 pro-
vide the legislation.
The bill was passed without debate
The Hawley motion was then taken up, to re-
aonsider the vote by which the Senate passed
the bill prohibiting members OF Congress from
acting as attorneys of land grant railroads.
Mr Beck resumed the floor, and continued his
remarks against consideration. He denied that
be had intended to iniure anybody by the intro
auction of the bill If the Senate should agree
10 the motion to reconsider. that would be the
last of the bill Mr. Beck read Mr.. Mitchelis
amendment, proposing to forbid members of
Congress from doing law business for men who
were managers of banks. or importers of for
eign goods, or who manufactured butter, cleo
margarine, tobacco or whisky. IF that is not
taking lick at creation" exclaimed Mr.. Beck
He deprecated that sort of amendment but
added that he had often heard the fable of the
ndvice given to all foxes by the fox whose tail
had been cut of. The advice was that they
5hould all have their tails cut off because his had
been cut off. He thought the fable illustrated
the case of this amendment 1t would be as rea-
Bonable to say that because man was punished
for criminally killing another man, therefore he
should be punished for killing mouse, or for
taking life of any kind Mr. Beck did not know
whether Mr.. Mitchell was the attorney of the
Northern Pacific railroad or not. Mr.. Beck had
beer. informed that he was He believed that
Mr. Mitchell had right to be such. Railroad
companies sought the best lawyers. and had a
right to them.
Mr.. Mitchell warmly replied that he was the
attorney of no railroad. He desired the gentle
man from Kentucky Mr.. Beck to understand
that he Mr. MITCHELL had never, while in the
Senate, bsen employed by any railroad company
TO argue any case, in court or out He was not
Aow and had not been for over q year, the at
torney OF any corporation whatever. He was
representing no corporation here. Ii a bill were
30 be passed on the idea that every member of
Congress who was lawyer was dishonest. with
the view of making him honest, then the bill
should be made to include the matters indicated
IN Mr.. MitchelPs suggested amendment. Mr..
Mitchell asked Mr.. Beck when anybody had told
him that he mr.. MITCHELL had been attorney for
Mr. Beck said he had been told; the time
did not matter. He was glad to hear the Sen
Ator confess that he had resigned as attorney
when elected to the Senate.
Mr. Mitchell said he was not in the confes
Bional, but he had resigned eight months before
bis election. He Mr. MITCHELL remembered a
time when it had been said in the newspapers
that certain members of Congress very
kealous in regard to certain whisky matters.
Mr.. Beck-Oh, well, that was just simply a
hes that's all there is about that Laughter
Mr.. Mitchell had no doubt of that
Mr.. Evarts noticed that no disability had been
applied by Mr.. Beck to any other profession
than the law. He characterized as .'uniaterap
lawyers the lawyers who would be Disseminated
against: they could only take a case from the
side opposed to the railroad.
Mr.. Beck said he was himself lawyer, and
would not place any indignity on the profession
Of the law When elected to Congress. how
over, he found that his public duties required
all his time, not being possessed of the trans
eendental abilities that the Senator from New
York perhaps possessed. The country believed
that the S., 900 year received by Senators and
Representatives in Congress entitled the people
TO their whole services, and If Senators or Rep
rssentatives could not live on that compensation
they had no right to supplement by taking fees
from corporations whose interests were adverse
TO those Of the people. Mr.. Beck did not know
what ''urilaterap lawyer was; he supposed
that it was one-sided lawyer, such as the Sen
e6OF from NEW Ork supposed nlInSelI TO De.
Mr. Sherman, taking the floor, said the uni
versa rule of the Senate was to grant q recon
Bideration, almost as a matter of course, when
ever asked for. Even when the Senate was
almost a unit against bill, the vote for its re-
consideration had often been unanimous. This
bill met his hearty approval. The criticisms
made against ii were rather too fine.
The motion to reconsider having been brought
to vote, was agreed to-yeas. 81; nays, 81
The only Republican voting in the negative was
Mr. Van Wyck. The Democrats voting in the
affirmative were Messrs Call. Gray, Payne
Mr.. Hawley then moved to refer the bill to the
Judiciary committee.
Mr.. Vance called for the reading Of tho BILL by
way of final farewell to it. Laughter
The bill having been read, Mr. Edmuuds as
sured Mr.. Vance he should have the pleasure of
seeing the bill back in the Senate within eight
days.
Mr.. Maxey [sotto voce] -With an adverse re-
port
The bill was then referred to the judiciary
committee by vote of 30 to q.
A number of veto messages received from the
President were read and laid on the table, MIR
Logan remarking as to one of them that he had
never before known such a construction as that
. soldier on Through was not in the line of duty
Mr.. Blair said the President seemed to find it
q congenial duty to express himself in the most
extraordinary terms respecting the two houses
of Congress. That however was a matter OF
official propriety. as to which every man must
Judge for himself. Mr.. Blair defended Congress
from the criticisms made ty the President, and
stated that some of the Presidents statements
were entire Misrepresentation OF the facts. Dir.
Blair gave instances to support his own asser-
tiOn. He charged that the Pension Office. as or
eanized was organized to rejoct claims when
evor that could be done. 1t had come to be a
court of chancery. Some of the statements made
about the action of Congress regarding pensions
were petty, trihing and contemptible.'
The bill to repeal the presumption and timber
culture laws was then placed before the Senate
and was debated till adjournment In the course
Of some remarks on the bill Mr.. Plumb said that if
there was not some change in the methods of the
management of the General Land Office the lit
igation that would ensue would outlast the life
time of every man who heard him, and would
exhaust the entire value Of the lands. The ma
lcious, interested and careless Investigations of
special agents would ruin thousands of persons
who had never had a thought Of wronging the
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