The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-22
XLlXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, May 2.

w A0HINOIO Dldy
On motion of Mr. Hoar the Senate took up
the bill providing for the closing business of
Alabama claims.
After some debate the bill was passed as it
came from the House, years 20, nays 13.
The urgent deficiency bill being reported
by Mr.. Allison from the committee on appro-
priations it was passed without debate.
Mr. Plumb moved that the Senate insist
upon its amendments to the post office ap-
propriation bin The Senate agreed to the
motion and the chair appointed MeSsrs
Plumb, Malone and Call as the conference
committee.
On motion of Mr.. Dolph, bill was passed
providing for the forfeiture of the wagon
road land grants in Oregon.
On motion of Mr.. Conger, the House bill
was passed establishing life saving stations at
the following places among others, ,Allerton,
Mass, one between Parmel River life station
and the south end of Nansett Beach, Cape
Cod. Mass; one at Cape Poge, Mass; one
on the northwest side of Block Island, Il. |. :;
one between Point Judith and Watch Hill,
r. |.
The Senate then proceeded to considera-
tion of the favorably reported pension bills
standing on the calendar. After the passage
of a number of such bills Mr.. Beck suggested
that once in a While it might be well to have
the committee report bearing on the case
read just to show that somebody had looked
at the case, as the expression read the third
time and passed gave very little information,
suggestions that nobody knew anything
about. What was being done? He (Mr.
Beck certainly did not know and he did not
believe any member of the Senate did.
Mr.. Blair replied that there was a full and
carefully printed report on file of each Sena-
tor, showing the facts of each case. These
reports had been there month and the Sem
ators who wanted information had but to
read them.
Mr.. Beck understood from the Presidents
xroto !, bo had oil cnyara1 hills f0 hn-
come laws without being able to ascertain
whether they were right or not. Could the
Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Blair
tell the Senate now, without reference to the
report, whether the case just presented to
the Senate was proper one or not?
Mr.. Blair replied that he could not That
bill had been reported not by himself (Mr.
Blair but by another Senator,
A very lengthy debate then followed,
which was at last brought to a close by an
interchange of compliments between Messrs.
Blair and Riddleberger.
The Senate then, at 5.10, went into eXecu-
tive session, and at 5.55 O'Clock, the doors
having been reopened,s adjourned till Mon
day.
Mr.. Herbert of Alabama, from the COM
mittee ON naval affairs reported the naval
appropriation bill and it was referred to the
committee of the whole.
The House then resumed consideration of
the bill prohibiting the. importation of
mackerel during the spawning season.
Mr.. Reed of Maine said the mackerel fish
cry had been very important to the people
in times past and could be made of equal
Importance in times to come if judicially at
tended to. There had been of late years a
great falling off in the character and nature
of the fisheries. This he attributed to the
practice of net fishing during the spawning
period. All the men engaged in the mack
erel fishery condemned this practice and
| urged that its continuation would result in
the destruction of the fisheries. The only
protest against the bill came from the fish
mongers' association. and was based on the
ground that its passage would prevent the
people from getting cheap food. But people
wanted not only cheap food but good food,
and mackerel caught in the spawning period
were not good. The bill would have the
effect of improving the character of the fish
provided for the American people.
Mr.. Hewitt of New York. in opposing the
bill, said there were three results that would
follow from its passage. First, it would de-
prive a very large number of people of cheap
and nutritious food; second, it would de-
| priye more than 1000 fishermen of employ
ment between April and June; and third, it
would confine mackerel fishing to the States
of Massachusetts and Maine.
Mr.. MilliKen of Maine supported the bill.
The same argument that was made against
| it had been made against the proposition to
| restrict the catching of menhaden. 1t had
been said that menhaden could not be de-
stroyed by man, but for the past few years
menhaden had been so scarce off the coast OF
| Maine that fishermen could not catch enough
| for bait, and the same was true With the
| lobster fishery. When he was boy he used to
| catch plenty of Holsters one and half and
| two feet long, but today they were not only
scarce but so small that they seemed to
have hardly left off their swaddling before
they were caught People were as much
| interested in having closed period Tor fresn
nackerel as for fresh water fish, and TINS
question presented was whether Congress
would permit the killing of the goose that
laid the golden egg or would protect the 1sn
and allow them to perpetuate their species;
Mr.. Stone of Massachusetts argued that the
effect of the bill would be to improve the
character of the fish and eventually cause
the people at large to have a better supply
of mackerel. Prof. Bayard had told him
of stopping the catch during the spawning
season was well worth the trying.
Mr.. Breckenridge of Arkansas closed the
| debate in support of the bill and cited author
| tiles to show that mackerel caught after the
spawning period were much superior to those
caught during that period. The bill, he MAIN
| tained was in the interest of cheap food ana
| better food and mere of it.
Mr. Buchanan'S amendment was Silgntly
| modified and as so modified was agreed to.
On motion of Mr.. Reed of Maine the sec
| ton was stricken out which PROVIDES thal
nothing in this act shall be construed as con-
filetng with existing treaties.
The bill was passed, yeas 120, nays S0.
AS passed the bill prohibits for period OF
| five years from the 1st of March, 1887, the