, 1886-08-03
Senate Proceedings.

WASHINGTON. Aug. MIR. Allison,
from the conference committee on the
sundry civil Appropriation bill, reported
that the committee had been unable to
agree. The conference had gone over
every item in the bill with great care.
There we're certain points on which the
house conferees were to ask instructions
from that body, and in which the senate
conferees desired the judgment of the sem
ate. The first difficulty related to appro-
priations Tor the coast survey. The house
provision had reduced the appropriations
for coast survey about $780, 900 below the
appropriations of last year, and made
practically a new arrangement and adj
justment with reference to the official force
OF the survey, creating new off
ces, abolishing old ones, changing
the compensation of the field force
by allowing its reduction from
sixty four to seventy-two as vacancies
should occur. The house conierees in.
sisted that the new adjustment should be
made in the bill. The answer of the sen
ate conferees was that the coast survey
had been, since August, 1885, practically
without a scientific head, and that when
the office had a responsible head, with sci
entlfic knowledge, the question could be
carefully taken up and considered. The
next items of difference were in relation to
the enlargement Of the new pension build
ing, to the survey of the public lands. to
the Yellowstone park, to the erection OF a
hospital adjacent to the insane asylum)
for insane ~convicts and homicidal patients,
to stenographers for the chief justice and
justices of the supreme court, and to the
item of $4,000 to be expended by the
library committee for works of art.
In reier,n to the Yellowstone park
item. Mr.. Plumb declared it was in the
hands of a monopoly. Mr.. Vest said the
statement was incorrect. He had been
notified time and again that unless he
withdrew his opposition to the scheme to
build a railroad through the park, the
PARK would be broken up. This railroad
company had a lobby in Washington com
posed Of newspaper correspondents and
Others who were engaged in assailing sena
tors and attacking their characters.
After further discussion the senate on
motion of MIR. Vest, insisted especially on
its disagreement to the Yellowstone park
items and ION motion of Mr.. Allison) in
sisted generally on its disagreements to
other items, and a further conference was
ordered.
The chair presented a resolution offered
by MIR. Evarts on Saturday last, request.
ing the president to open correspondence
with foreign powers on the subject of sill
yer. Mr.. Evarts advocated the resolu-
ton. but did not define his position on the
silver question. The resolution went over
until to morrow.
The senate hen took up the house bill
to the taxation of fractional parts
Of a gallon of distilled spirits. amended it
by making the time when it goes into
effect 1.-THE second Monday succeeding the
month in which this act is approved"
and by extending the act of March 3,
1871, relating to fruit brandy, passed it,
and asked a conference.
The senate took up the bill reported
from the finance committee to provide for
the inspection of tobacco, cigars and snuff
providing for their expectation to foreign
without the payment of taxes
under the rules and regulations Of the
treasury department. Ii was passed and
the senate adjourned.
The senate in secret session to day re-
iected the nomination of Dement, to
be surveyor general of Utah without divi
sion. Fitz John Porter was confirmed
without debate, and the nominations of
Z. H. Potter, to be Indian agent for the
and Winnebago agency, and f.
II. KInman to be postmaster at Jackson
will, Ills. were rejected. Senator Sher-
man tried to call up the ratification treaty
Great Britain, favorably reported
from the committee on foreign relatio IS,
but the proposition was voted down by a
n majority, which made it seem improb-
able that any action will be reached this
session.