Omaha daily bee., 1886-06-17
THE NATIONAL LEGISLATURE.
The Two Houses Succeed in Passing Three
Appropriation Bills.
SOME TALK ON THE FISHERIES
The Legislative Appropriation Bill
Leads to an Amusing Discus
sion i'm the House and a Re
fighting of the War.


WASHINGTON, June 16.-Almost imme-
diately after the opening of the senate Mr..
Edmunds moved an executive session, but
yielded to a request for the transaction of
morning business.
Mr.. Dawes presented memorial of the
Massachusetts legislature, which was read
The memorial recited that the general court
of Massachusetts views with deep concern
the recent interference of the government of
Canada with the rights of fishermen of the
United States, and urges congress to secure
immediate relief for that class of citizens.
Mr.. Ioar remarked that there was a very
natural feeling of uneasness op the part OF
the fishermen of Massachusetts over the pres
ent conduct of the Dominion government.
Mr. Hoar was sure, however, that the com
mittce on foreign affairs of the senate was
fully alive and alert in regard to the neces-
sty of preserving the dignity and
honor of the United States and the rights
and interests of its citizens. There was
no class of our citizens whose wrosgs would
excite in the senate more instant sympathy
and desire to redress than would those of the
American sailors. Mr.. lloar was sure that,
under the lead of the junior senator from
Maine ,(Frye), who, he supposed, knew as
much about this subject as any man in the
United States, that everything that legisla..
ton could accomplish would be accomplished
to maintain the position OF the United
DltttS III tnlS controversy. NIL l1OdT WfSlltu,
however, to add that in his judgment it
would be necessary to enlarge somewhat the
scope of legislation already adopted from the
amendment to the shipping. bill, and to put
mercal privileges, were denied to United
States vessels in foreign ports, to retaliate,
not merely by denying like privii-
GeSes Gsnt but by the pres
commercial privileges in United States ports
to vessels of the powers so denying, or to YES
sells of any province, colony or dependency
of such power.
The senate then, at 12:3O p. M, on motion
of Mr. Edmunds, went into executive ses-
sion.
At LIS the doors reopened, and on motion
of Mr.. Dolph the senate took up the house
bill providing for the repeal of the pre-emp-
tion, timber culture and desert land acts.
Mr. Wilson of Iowa obtained leave, pend
ing the regular order, to address the senate
on the bill making the rate of postage on
fourth.class mail matter cents per ounce.
Mr. Wilson gave way. however, for the con-
sideration of the invalid pension appropria-
tion bill, which was reported by Mr.. Logan
and at one passed by the senate committee
on appropriations.
The military academy appropriation bill
was then taken up. On the passage of the
blu MI, Plumb called for the yeas and nays.
He said he would vote against AL appropria-
tions for West Point academy till such time
as a change was made in the law which
would allow at least half of the appointments
He believed that in the eXclusiveness which
we were creating in the army we were build
ing up an aristocratic and unrepublcan in
stitution which would some day return to
plague us. The vote resulted: Yeas, AZ;
6 Mr.. Wilson addressed the senate on the
postal bill. Figures; he said, showed that a
package carried over two hundred miles by
| mail at the present rates Brought loss to the
| government. AT the same time it tended to
| destroy the business Of local dealers all over
| the country. Mr.. Wilson therefore advo-
Gated the passage of the bill increasing the
| rate of postage on merchandise. If con-
| gress, he added, was not ready to pass it, the
time would come when the disturbance to
business of the country by the present sys-
TEN would compel the increase of the rate.
The senate then proceeded to the cOnsidera-
ton of the house bill repeating the pre-
| The senate committee on public lands have
| amended the house bill by substituting the
| provisions of the senate bill.
| Mr.. Blair offered an amendment providing,
| i'm effect as to desert lands, that on the eX-
| penditure of $3 for improvements, the gov
| ernment should part with the title, and that
none of the land should be held in larger
bodies than $40 acres in single ownership.
when our supply Ofarable public lands should
| be exhausted we would postpone the time of
being brought face to face with the prop
| OsitiOn whether we should restrict immi-
| consideration, whether we should enter on a
new career of conquest for the purpose of
acquiring in the north or in the south. new
territory over which our surplus population
| might spread.
Mr. Plumb did not agree that there had
| been such gross frauds as had been generally
| supposed with regard to desert lands, or any
| other form of public lands.
| After further debate the senate adjourned
without action on the bill or the pending
l. amendment