The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-03
THE SENATE AND HOUSE.
Government Employees Ask Pay for Over
time-Soldiers' Widows Pensions.

tssftrnlneub Employees ASK ray TOT ONef-
time-soidiers' Widows Pensions.
WASHINGTON CITY, March 3-Tuesday
Hoar presented in the senate petition from
workingmen in government workshops since
the enactment of the eight-hour law, asking
compensation for overtime, or reference OF
their claims to some competent tribunal
Hoar favored the petition, and it was ap
propriately referred.
Edmunds from the judiciary committee
reported adversely the bill providing for tn
collection of marriage and divorce statistics.
He said that while the committee favored
the oh iect of the bill, they believed the bu-
reau of statistics already had authority
to make such collection. The bill was in
definitely postponed
Van Wyck, from the pensions committee,
reported with an amendment the house bill
to increase the pensions TO widows and de-
pendent relatives of deceased soldiers and
sailors. The amendment provides for the
increase of pensions to minor children from
81 the amount fixed in the house bill to 81
per month
At | o'clock consideration of the edu-
cational bill was resumed Call addressed
the senate in opposition to Mr.. Allison's
amendment
In the house Morrill, of Kansas, from the
committee on invalid pensions reported a
bill extending to July |, 1888, the time
within which applications for arrears of pen
sions may be filed, and providing that the
fact OF enlistment be accepted as prima facie
evidence Of soundness
Belmont from the committee on foreign
affairs, submitted the diplomatic and consu-
lar appropriation bill with an accompany
ing report The amount appropriated is
81, PSI, AS. The committee incr, ase the ap-
preparation for contingent expenses of the
diplomatic service S30G0l, which is to in
clude the purchase of furniture for United
Stat IS legations An increase of S20,00) is
made in contingentexpensesof United States
consulates, and the discontinuance of the
appropriation of $4,000 for an agent in the
Congo country is recommended In other
respects the appropriations of last year re
main substantially unchanged. IN closing
his report, Chairman Belmont says that the
consular service is unsatisfactory
and not what is needed in the
interests Ct tie country. There
should be a Redistribution of fees, as in
some instances the most important consul
ties are paid for inadequately, while III i'm
portant ones are bonanzas to those who bold
them He added that the committee would
soon submit bill for the Reorganization Of
the service
Townshend of Illinois tried to have the
morning hour dispensed with to have the
pension bill considered but Bland objected
Wise of Virginia, i'll behalf of the com.
mittee on manufactures, called up the bill
authorizing the president 10 appoint com
mission of seven experts to execute tests and
experiments in iron and steel and other ma
| terial used in the construction of bridges,
| buildings and mechanical structures, and de-
| duce useful rues therefrom A long argum-
ment ensuei in which Campbell of Penn
| sylvanie, Hewitt of New York, and others
warmly advocated the bill, urging the i'm
| portance of it in the interests of public
| safety and economy and the need of correct
knowledge on such subjects Anderson of
Kansas said he would rather give Sl3 per
month TO the soldiers widow than S25, 900
for this purpose, Pending the debate the
/ house went into committee on the pension
appropriation