The Portland daily press., 1886-01-28
FROM WASHINGTON.
For Improvement of Maine Harbors.
Especial to the PreSS.)

Especial to the Press@
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.-Mr Reed ap-
peared before the river and harbor COM
mittee of the House this morning and pre-
sented arguments favoring appropriations
for improving the harbors of Portland, York
and Saco.
Mr.. BouteiIe Misrepresented.
Mr.. Boutelle raised a question of privilege
in the House this morning, and claimed that
Mr.. Wise in his speech Friday misrepre-
sented him and placed him in the position
before the country of trifing with the House
in offering the resolutions on the Norfolk
navy yard. He asked to have the proofs OF
his allegations printed in the Record.
Messrs. Herbert of Alabama and Hammond
of Georgia made the point of order that it
was no question of privilege, and much ex-
citement ensued. The Speaker ruled the
point was well taken, but Mr.. Boutelle said
enough to establish the truth of his charges.
Coast Defenses.
The House subcommittee on fortifcations
of the appropriations committee is making
quite careful study of the subject of coast
defenses. 1t is said, however, that the
ODIulOuS pIGStubcu bllC iCbtCl VI blC Od5C
of Gramercy Park" will not have much
weight with them, and they will not be like
ly to make the liberal appropriations recon-
mended in that letter and asked for by the
army engineers.
In recent interview General Forney the
chairman of the subcommittee said that
there would not be a large appropriation
made for Notifications this session. He
claims that there is no need of Notifications
now, that what we want is guns equal to
those in use by the powers Of Europe. He
thinks that government gun foundry for
the manufacture of 10, u and Is inch guns
will soon be established here in Washington,
as the country must have some modern guns.
From this statement it does not seem prob
able that an appropriation for the defenses
at the mouth of the Kennebec will be voted
at present.
The Fisheries,
Senator Frye is devoting all his time at
present to the preparation of the American
side of the fishery controversy. He has been
in consultation with several authorities on
the subject from New England, and when
the matter comes again before the Senate
the friends of the commission and of free
fish will find him loaded on the question.
In the House Messrs. Reed, Dingley and
the New England members in general are
equally watchful. and it will be found diff
cult to pass anything detrimental to New
England interests.
Friday morning hearing by the committee
on fisheries will be given on Mr.. Frye's reso-
luton. Messrs. Woodbury. and Trescott of
Massachusetts will argue in favor of the
resolution and against a commission.
Concerning the Tariff.
On the question of the tariff no one seems
to know just what to expect. 1t is quite
certain, however, that no action of any kind
will be taken until quite late in the session.
Mr.. Morrison will try hard to obtain the con-
sent Of the majority of his party to the
passage of bill making some reduction in
the present tariff, but he will not be likely
to attempt anything like the horizontal re-
duction of his last bill. Taking everything
into consideration, it is doubtful if any bill
can pass this Congress.
International Copyright Question.
On Thursday the Senate committee on
patents will give hearing upon the inter-
national copyright question, and quite a
number of prominent literary men are ex-
peeted to argue in its favor. Mark Twain,
Geo. VIM. Curtis and James Russell Lowell
are among those expected. Two bills have
been introduced in the Senate, one by Sem
ator Hawley of Connecticut, and one by
Senator Chase of Rhode Island. They differ
but little in their purposes, the Chase bill
of If ic 1ilyp1yr
| that one or the other of them will be passed
Another Maine Postmaster.
Isaac H. Richardson has been appointed
postmaster at Steep Falls
Fitz John Porter.
| The House committee on military affairs
| today instructed Mr.. Wheeler to report
| favorably the bill introduced by him to
| authorize the President to restore officers to
| the army in certain cases. This is the Fitz
| John Porter bill. ~
The Silver Questions.
| The House committee on coinage to-day
| begun consideration of the silver question.
| The discussion took very wide range. Mr..
| Lanham during the session offered a resolu3
| tion to the effect that the committee should
| report bill looking to the free coinage of
| standard silver dollars.
| Mr. Scott of Pennsylvania introduced a
substitute to the erect that the DeSt interests
| of the country connot be promoted by any
| bill now before the committee looking to the
| free coinage of silver Mr. Bynum of In
| diana introduced resolution providing for
| the retirement of gold and silver certificates
| and for the issue of coin certificates in their
stead. No action was however taken upon
any of these resolutions, and it was resolved
that the question should be further discussed
until Feb. 10th when the committee will pro-
| ceed to consider the distinct propositions
| now before them.
| The Grant Monument.
The House committee on military affairs
today instructed Mr. Viele to report favora-
| bly, to the House the bill introduced by Mr..
| Dowdney for the erection of a monument in
New York city to the memory of General
| Grant. The bill appropriates $500,000 for
| the purpose of erecting the monument on
| the ground to be donated by the city. 1t is
| provided, however, that no part of the mon
| ey so appropriated shall be expended or
drawn from the treasury of the United
States until the sum of $250,000 shall have
| been subscribed and paid into the funds of
| the Grant monument association and is avail
| able for the purpose of erecting the monu-
ment.
XLIXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.