Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-04-01
CONGRESSIONAL.
The Work of the Senate and House
Of Representatives

THE bill confirming public-land entries here
tofore made In accordance with the rulings OF
the Land office I'm force at the time the en-
tries were made and the bill pensioning the
widow OF Gen. Hancock, were passed by the
Senate the 23d OF March. Senator George
spoke in opposition to the Edmunds resolu-
tions The Logan army bill came up In
the Senate, and Senator Manderson sup
ported the proposition to increase the force TO
10000 enlisted men. He read from testimony
given and letters written by Gems. Schoneld,
Pope, and others, to show the inadequacy OF the
present force Of 5000. Senator Beck thought
that large standing army was not necessary
He had seen enough volunteer soldiers on Penn
sylvania avenue, Washington, when President
Cleveland was inaugurated, to carry on an
Indian war. There were many persons, he
said who wanted a large standing army-cnp-
italists who had designs uIon the people. Sen
ator Logan said he would not use the word dem
agogsm in regard TO the arguments made
in the Senate but he would repel any insnua-
tion that the increase proposed was for the pur
pose OF using the army against the people. Re-
forring to Senator Hale, who was opposing the
bill Senator Logan said that his friend from
Maine had been encouraged from the start to
make war on this BILL He (senator Logan knew
where IL came from, and before the matter
closed he would have something more TO say.
In the House Mr.. Reagan, OF Texas. from the
Committee ON Commerce, favorably reported the
Senate bill to establish a national livestock
highway, and promote commerce in live stock
between the States. Mr.. Anderson's bill, for the
forfeiture Of unearned land grants In the state
House. Mr.. Richardson, OF Tennessee, on
behalf OF tho Committee on War Claims,
called up, and the House passed, the Fourth OF
July claims bill The amount involved in the
bill is S236, 900, Mr.. Davis, OF Massachusetts,,
from the same committee, reported bill to pre-
vent the introduction Of contagious and infeo-
tious diseases into the United States, and to es-
tablish bureau Of public health. Mr.. Dockery,
OF Missouri, from the Committee ON Postofiices
and Post Roads, reported back bill to extend
the system for the Immediate delivery of letters.
Mr.. McRae, OF Arkansas, from the Committee
ON Public Lands, reported a bill to repeal the
presumption laws Mr.; Forney, OF Alabama,
tho uniform instruction Of State militia.
Mr. LOGAN explained in the Senate, ON the
2lth inst. that under the present laws
there were but 23,62J effective men in
the army, and that under the proposed
increase to $4,000 there would probably be only
the increase. 1t was claimed by friends OF the
bill that the increase was needed for a specific
purpose-to guard against Indian troubles;
but he saw no reason in the Indian question
for an increase in the effective force OF
the army Mr., Platt favored the proposed In
crease. He said we had no army. 1t was mis-
nomer to call IL the present skeleton" an army.
The argument that we had no immediate need
for IN army was like arguing that because it
was not raining to-day it would never rain. The
house passed the Indian appropriation bill, and
then took up the postofice appropriation meas
ure. Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, addressed the
Senate ON the Duskin resolutions While he
concurred in the majority report in so far as it
asserted that IL was the duty Of the executive
officers to furnish when called upon by the Sem
ate papers relating TO the administration OF an
office, he would not insist he said, that the
presence of such papers in the Senate was alb
solutely necessary to the discharge by the
Senate Of its constitutional duty in ad-
vising and consenting to proposed removals from
office. He believed the Attorney General plainly
in error in refusing TO furnish the papers called
for. But, il called on to vote on the series
of the majority resolutions as a whole he would
do SO reluctantly and under positive protest.
While the resolution asserting that the absence
of the papers called for would be ground suffi-
the nominations referred to, his vote, IL
oeet toS- tbA rseFolntia's' uasa "dtuee ,ael6btI
protest, and he would reserve the right
TO exercise his own Judgment as to the confrma-
ton OF nominations. He asserted il to be the
duty OF the Senate TO perform its own proper
functions whether papers were furnished or not
and in the light of such information or evidence
as it might have before II, or might be able to
obtain. Prior to the speech of Senator Mitchell,
argument in support of the minority report. The
House proceedings were brief and unimportant.
SENATOR VOORHEES, addressed the Senate
March 25 in opposition to the majority report on
the Duskin resolutions. He criticised the Senate
for dallying with such subject while great
public questions were pressing for attention,
and the flesh and blood OF men and women were
being ground in the massive hoppers OF great
corporations Referring TO Senator Wilson's
Characterization Of the Democratic party
it was fortunate for the Democracy that
the colOred people had not been told before
election that tie Democratic party was
a protoplasm II, instead OF the word itself,
the Senator from Iowa had used its
definition as given by Webster-@the viscid,
nitrogenous material in vegetable cells, by
which the process OF nutrition and growth goes
forward"-the speakers imagination shrank
from contemplation OF the probable results.
lRenswed laughter. II it had been understood
sas RSny OF was @nyhas luxe
substance Senator Voorhees, had not the
slightest doubt that that party would have been
counted out in New York. ILaughter.l The
Senator from Iowa ought to have denounced
the Democratic party as an hypothenuse or
rectangular parallelogram. Laughter
Senator Evarts addressed the Senate in sup
port Of the majority report, The doctrine that
the President had the right to say whether the
papers called for related to subject with which
Congress had a right TO deal was inadmissible,
because, under it, the President could refuse
papers affecting his own conduct When the
President made announcement that a place was
not to be vacated for political reasons, ard then
asked the Senate to concur in the appointment
OF the successor OF suspended official, SEN
ator Evarts thought that the Senate ought not
to lie left in the dark concerning the
grounds for the suspension of that official.
When the Rostofiice appropriation bill came
up in the House Mr.. Dockery, OF Missouri,
defended the Postmaster General from the at
tack made upon him by Mr. Burrows, of Michi-
gan. In the course Of his speech he declared
that when the Democratic party left the coatrol
Of the Government it left the Republican parAy
in the possession Of a splendid merchant
marine, manned Ivy American sailors and car.
rying American commerce. Mr. Brumm, Of
PennsylvaniG dnterruptng)-And you gave us
the Alabama and the Shenandoah to
drive it from the sea, Mr. Dockery
oh, know 1t hurts. When wo
come again 20 our fathers house find that
only Is per cent Of the commerce Of this great
country is carried in American vessels; and
these vessels are manned by whom2 American
soamen? No; 95 per cent. OF the sailors that
carry your flag. or what is left Of your flag, arc
foreigners, Who is responsible for that? Mr..
Brumm-Semmea was not foreigner Mr..
Dockery-The gentleman from Pennsylvania is
one of the most extreme Of the leaders who
fiaunt the bloody shirt. Mr.. Brumm-When
your party stops brandishlng the bloody dagger
we will stop waving the bloody shirt Il know
the CALLED jade winces,'" was Mr.. Dockerys |
comment, as he dismissed the subject.
AN interesting experiment, showing
the influence of electricity on The |
growth of roots, has been made in Ger
many by Prof. Hodefeiss. Plates of
conner were thrust unrioht into tho