The Indianapolis journal., 1886-06-19
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-
hr. Beck's Bill Prohibiting congressman
Working for Land-Grant Railways.
Mr. Hepburn Defends Edwin nj. Stanton's
Memory, and Mr.. Kelley Reads Another
Letter of the Great War Secretary.
THE SENATE.

Beck's Bill Affecting Congressman - The
Postal Department and Claim Agents.
WASHINGTON. June 18-After morning onsl-
ness Mr. Beck desired to call up the Hawley
motion to reconsider the vote by which the Sen
ate passed the bill prohibiting members of Con-
gress from accepting fees or employment from
railroad companies that have received govern
ment aid.
ar Ingalls, thought his resolution Of yester-
day. requesting the President to furnish infor-
nation as to appointments and removals under
the civil-service law. had precedence.
The Chair so decided, and the resolution was
placed before the Senate
Mr. Vance offered an amendment requesting
information as to appointments made within the
scope of the civil-service act, between Jan. 16,
1883, when the act passed, and July 10, 1883,
when it went into effect The resolution as
amended was agreed to.
Mr.. Beck said he had been trying for ten days
TO get up the Hawey resolution to reconsider the
bill already referred to by him. The bill was
passed by vote Of 81 to IL. There must be
some means of getting up such motion, other
wise one man could tie up bill indefinitely
Mr.. Hawley said he was prepared to take it up
st any time, and that the propositions for delay
had come from Mr.. Beck.
Mr.. Beck said he had waited to see whether
the committee on rules would so report as to per-
NIT debate explanations to motions to re-
consider He was now willing to let the matter
20 over till next Tuesday, in order to hear from
the committee.
Mr.. Hoar asked unanimous consent that
whenever this motion to reconsider should come
up, it should be debatable
& Mr. Ingalls, objected.
Mr.. Beck then said he would call it upon on
Tuesday next.
Mr.. ingalls, entered motion to reconsider the
eill passed yesterday, securing the Cherokee
freedmen their proportion of the proceeds of
lands sold under the act of March 3, 1888
resolution offered by Mr.. Sawyer was agreed
to, calling on the Secretary of the Treasury to
furnish to the Senate information as to claims
Tor adjustment of postmasters salaries not here
tofore reported.
Mr. Chace offered resolution calling on the
Postmaster general for information as to the
amount of additional compensation said to be
due pOstmasters under the act of March 3, 1883
In offering the resolution Mr.. Chace said he had
reason to believe that the statements made yes
terday by the Senator from Kansas Mr. Ingalls,
were correct; that the accounts referred TO were
adjusted, and the information called for by the
Senate required merely transcript from the
books of the department. Mr.. Chace added that
some correspondence placed in his hands be-
tween certain claim agents in Washington and
claimants outside pointed very strongly to the
suspicion that there might possibly be some col
lusion between parties in the Postoffice Depart
ment and certain claim agents in Washington,
particularly one such agent who assumed to be
above not only the department. but Congress it.
self, and who dictated to claimants what proper
hon of their claims they should pay him. That
agent had even gone so far as to give his own
name to an act of Congress passed i'll relation to
che claims in question. Mr. Chace believed the
department TO take such action as should relieve
the department from the grave suspicion that
rested on it in connection with those claims
Mr.. Chase did not charge-he could not charge
Uecause ne was not prepared to proye-that any
body in the department. was guilty, but he would
say the circumstances pointed to a very grave
suspicion Claims against the government, Mr.
Chase added, should need no agent for their
presentation or payment If a bill were honest
&c should be paid; and no claim agent should be
In position to say to claimant Stand and de-
liver"
Mr.. Butler said this matter of postm asters'
salaries had been before not only this admins
tration, but the last He thought it due to the
present Postmaster-general to say that claim
ants had beer repeatedly notified that no
''agents" were necessary in dealing with these
claims lie aid not think any one claim agent
had better standing in the department than any
other.
Mr.. Chace gave the name of the claim agent
referred to by him. He had not meant that any
body in the department was guilty of collusion,
but the fact that these accounts should long ago
have been adjusted, aud the other facts existing
In the case, created suspicion in the minds of
persons Ignorant as to how such things were
lone.
Mr.. Butler and Mr. Maxey agreed with Mr.
Chace, that the accounts ought long ago to have
been adjusted.
Mr.. Chace's resolution was agreed to-
The Senate then proceeded to consideration of
bills on the calendar under the five minute rule
On reaching the Fitz John Porter bill, it was
agreed that it be made special order for next
Thursday.
Mr.. Platt's resolution providing for open execu-
hive sessions was objected to, and went over
Among the bills passed were the following:
House bill reducing from s cents to cents
the fee on domestic money orders for sums not
exceeding So bill prohibiting publication of
lottery advertisements In the District of Colum-
bia and the Territories; House bill to make the
allowances for clerk-hire TO postmasters at first
and second-class postofices cover clerical labor
In the money-order business; a bill for the en-
e0uragement of the American merchant marine
and to promote postal and commercial relations
with foreign countries This is the Frye BILL
providing for 80 cents q mile for carrying the
foreign mails of the United States. The SUBJ
stance OF the bill has been already attached to
the Senate amendment to the postoffice appro-
priation bill Also, pill to provide for the
sale of the site of Fort Omaha, Neb, the
sale and removal of the improvements thereof,
and for new site and the construction of suita-
bic buildings thereon: a bill authorizing the
Secretary OF the Treasury to pay the First
National Bank Of Portland Ore $S 249, ad-
vanced by the bank to the contractor for the
construction of the United States revenue cut
ter Corwin. on the security of payments to be
made by the United States. In this case the
contractor having failed. the government itself
6pished the vessel for less money than was due
The contractor. Also bill authorizing the free
Transmission of weather reports through the
mails; a bill to increase the efficiency of the
army Of the United States. This is Mr. Lo-
gan's amended bill; the original bill provided
for an increase of the army, and this provision
gave rise to protracted debate in the Senate
some weeks ago. In its new form that feature
Of the original bill has been omitted from the
amended bill
After an executive session the Senate ad-
iourned until Mondoy.
THE HOUSE