Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-05-14
CONGRESSIONAL.
TUESDAY, MAY 4.

TUESDAY, May 4.
| SeHdte-After the passage of number
of private bills, the post office appropria-
tion bill was laid before the senate. Sen.
| Call favored the proposal to appropriate
| 100000 for the carriage af the U. S. mail
| to Central and South America, Japan,
| China, etc. He did not regard it as a sub
| sidy. Salisbury opposed the PROPOSE
| ton. Sen, Hall said that according to
! Sen. Becks explanation, given yesterday,
the post office department was more cap
able than he at first supposed, as to the
leaving at PernambucO of Il large body of
the Rio Janeiro mail. Sen. Plumb saw
that no senator had shown that the sum
per mile provided for by the amendmant
was too much. Plumb critiZied the course
of the senators who would ask for many
millions to improve the Mississippi river
for commerce but were unwilling to de-
vote anything to develope commerce from
the mouth of the Mississippi to other
lands. The debate then closed and vot-
ing began. A number of the amendments
were offered, some of which were agreed
to.
House Mr.. Hall called upon the Camp
belI-Weaver election case, and after some
opposition ii was proceeded with. After
an hour and a half debate the resolution
of the majority of the committee on cleo
tions was adopted confirming the right of
the sitting member to his seat. The res
olution was advocated by Green. Turner,
Lowry and Hall. 1t was opposed by Hop
kins, Ely, Powell and Spooner, who
claimed that the contestant had aban-
doned his contest unconditionally and
that it should not now be re-opened. As
a substitute for the resolution SpOOner
offered resolution giving Pierce forty
days within which th cross examine the
witnesses and Page ten days thereafter to
take evidence in the rgbuttal. Rejected.
Yeas 80; nays, 129. The resolution re-
ported from the committee of election
was then adopted. Yeas, 11S; nays, 50.
WEDNESDAY, May >
Senate inter-stat commerce bill
was laid before the senate. The pending
amendment was that of Camden, being
on the absolute long and short haul clause
applied to each railroad separately.
Sen. Spooner opposed the amendment,
because it would strike at the interests of
the producers of the west, and because it
was vicious in principle. 1t would result
not in reduction of through rates, but
in an increase of local rates. 1t would
in ure the farmers of the west, while not
benefiting the farmers who depended on
Iacal rates. The amendment sought ta
deprive Chicago of its natural advantages
for competition, and would put on the
statute books legaliZed discrimination,
worse than any railroad companies had
pCrpatratcd. The west. SpoOner said
could not ship its wheat to New York, Bal
timore, Philadelphia or Boston, if the
through rates were increased under the
Camden amendment, but would have to
ship by way of Montreal. The presen was
no time, Spooner thought, for the people
of this country to indulge i'll radical ex-
periments A vote being taken on the
Camden amendment it was agreed to.
Yeas. %; nays, "a. The technical
form of Sen. Camden's amendment
thus agreed to. is to strike out
from the long and short haul clause
of the committees bill the words, from
| the same original point of departure"
The only republicans voting in the
affirmative were Senators Conger, Malone,
Morrill,, Riddleberger and Sherman. The
only democrats voting in the negative
were Senators Brown and Mcpherson.
After executive session the senate ad
iourned.
House Mr.. Frederick of Iowa, from
the committee on alcoholic liquor
traffic, reported adversely the senate
! bill providing for commission on the
| subject of liquor traffic. Referred to
committee of the whole. Mr.. Morrison of
| Illinois, from the committee on ways and
means, reported the bill repeating so
! much of section 1914 revised statutes as al
| lows to collectors of internal revenue,
| commissions on taxes collected on distill-
| ed spirits. Placed on the house calendar.
| The day being set aside for the consid-
| Grafton of business reported from the
| committee on military affairs the first
| bill called up, which was considered in
! committee of the whole, was one for the
/ relief of certain officers of the volunteer
| army. lit provides that all soldiers of
| the late war who re-enlisted as veteran
| volunteers and afterwards were discharg
| ed TO receive promotion, and also to re-
| ceive commissions as officers in the army,
| shall be paid all the installments of vete
| ran bounty which were withheld from
| them on account of their being so com
| miSSioned and mustered. the same as they
| would have been entitled to receive had
they completed their term of enlistment
| without promotion, and received an honor
able discharge.) At the evening session,
| bill to increase the efficiency of the army
was called up and made the special order for
| the first day which Is not yet set apart for
| the consideration of other measure. The
| house then resumed, as committee of the
| whole, the consideration of the
| bill for the relief of certain officers
of the volunteer army. An hour or
more was consumed in the call of
the roll and in the reception of
excuses for absentees. A long time was
then consumed in voting upon the dila-
tory motions and finally becoming
wearied of the struggle which merely be
come n test of obstinacy the house at
+:10 a. m. adjourned.
| THURSDAY, May 6.
| HOuSe-In the morning hour Hatch
| called up the bill TO create a depart
ment of agriculture and labor. The
house then went into committee of
the whole on the river and harbor bill.
Mr.. Everhart PENN and Stone Mo-
opposed the bill. The committee then
rose and reported the bill to the house.
The only amendment reported from the
| committee upon which a separate vote
was demanded was that directing the sec
retary of war to negotiate for the pur-
chase of the Monongahela Naviga-
ticn company. Agreed 10, 124 to -.
Mr. Hepburn also offered an amend
ment providing that the Improvement OF
the Missouri river. from its mouth to Sioux
| City. be conducted without the inter
yention of the Missouri river commission
Agreed TO by a vote of 96 to IL. The bill
was then passed: yeas 143, nays 1o2. An
unsuccessful attempt was then made to
| bring up the electoral count bill, after