The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-28

XLlXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
Sc NATE.

WASHINGTON, May 81.
In the Senate today, a resolution was Of
fered by Mr.. Wilson of Iowa, which was Or
dered to lie over one day, providing for an
investigation of the appointment of Indian
traders by the commissioner of Indian af-
fairs.
On motion of Mr.. Dolph, the Senate took
up the bill restoring to the United States
certain Of the lands granted to the Northern
Pacific railroad company.
Mr.. Beck offered an amendment providing
that the passage of the committee bill should
not be taken as waiver by Congress of the
right to forfeit any other unearned lands of
the same company hereafter, if Congress
should see proper to forfeit such lands The
amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Van Wyck withdrew his amendment
and offered instead one providing for the
forfeiting of such eportions of land as were
cOterminouS with part of the main line and
branches, not exempt at the time of the pas
sage of the act
After some debate, and the hour of 2
o'clock arriving, the bill went over.
Mr.. Miller submitted the conference report
on the bill "abolishing certain fees,' etc, in
connection with American shipping This
is the bill containing Mr.. Frye's amendment
authorizing the President to deny by procla-
nation to vessels of foreign countries such
privileges as are denied to American vessels
concurred in. Mr.. Miller explained that the
bill as agreed to in the conference was sub
stantially as it was passed by the Senate.
Mr.. Stanford then called up the resolution
introduced by him, expressing the sorrow of
the Senate at the death of the late Senator
John f. Miller of California. The resolu-
tions having been read, Mr.: Stanford ad-
dressed the Senate in eulOgy of Mr. Miller.
Speeches in eulogy of the late senator were
also made by Messrs. Edmunds, Voorhees,
Logan, Fair, Morrison and Hearst The
resolutions were agreed to, and in further
respect for the deceased the Senate then ad-
journed till tomorrow.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Dingley of Maine, from the committee
of conference, submitted the report of that
committee on the shipping bill.
Mr.. Breckenridge of Kentucky thought
that consideration of the report should be
poisoned until the members of the House
had opportunity to examine the provisions
of the bill carefully. The question involved
in the Frye amendment was broader than at
first blush it might appear to be. 1t not
only conferred the privilege but imposed the
duty upon the President to withdraw from
foreign vessels certain commercial privi-
leges, when these privileges had been denied
to American vessels in the country to which
such foreign vessels belonged. The sup
posed need for the provision arose out of the
recent troubles with Canada, but there was
not word in this bill about fishing vessels.
There was no hurry for the passage OF this
bill, and it could be considered more fully at
some future day than it could now. There
was no danger of war, and the executive
had under consideration the settlem ent OF
the Canadian fishery trouble.
Mr.. Dunn of Arkansas said that the pro-
vision did not apply to the fishery question.
Mr.. Breckenridge thought that II tnat were
true, there was less necessity for naste In
passing the bill, because there was no other