Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-06-10
CONGRESSIONAL.
TUESDAY, June l.

Senate-On motion of Dolph the senate
resumed consideration of the Northern
Pacific land forfeiture bill. Dolph in de-
Tending the bill denied with emphasis the
suggestion made by Van Wyck that the
history of the bill showed it to be in the
interest of the railroad company. Mr.
Sherman called up the bill to indemnify
the Chinese for the losses incurred at the
riot at Rock Spring, W. T. He says that
he regarded it as poor policy, good chris
tianity, and good humanity to reimburse
the injured parties. Cockerill and Mitchell
| opposed the bill and Edmunds favored it.
| Without action upon the measure the SEN
ate adjourned.
House Weaver Of Iowa, rising to
the question of privileges, sent to the
clerks desk and had read an editorial from
an Iowa paper declaring that he had be-
trayed the interests in his constituents by
opposing the oleomargarine bill and i'm
timating the Armour's millions had their
influence in securing this opposition and
declaring that he had obtained his seat
in congress through fraud. All these
charges he denounced as untrue. He had
been and still was in favor of the oleomar-
garine bill, and it was false that he had
been Influenced in his course in regard to
this measure. Mr.. Curtin presented the
protest of the trades assembly of Penn
sylvan1a, representing 10000 workingmen,
against the passage of the oleomargarine
bill. Mr.. Parker protested against the
petitions presented by Messrs. Negley
and Curtin being regarded as the express
sion of sentiment of 10000 workingmen.
They were signed by officers Of the order,
not by the men themselves. Few persons
could be easily reached easily worked up
on, and easily induced to act in the mat
ter. Pending further action the commit
tee rose, and the speaker appointed
Messrs. Blount, Riggs and Bingham as
conferees on the postoffice appropriation
bill. The house then adjourned
WEDNESDAY, June 2.
Senate-After the routine business the
Northern Pacific forfeiture bill was placed
before the senate and it was then for
mally laid aside to permit Brown to speak
on the bankruptcy bill. Sen. Brown
said the bill would involve putting into
bankruptcy persons who should be thirty
days behind in their payments. What
would our country merchants say to this
for they were usually more prompt in
their payments than city merchants, yet
the country merchants were sometimes
unayoidably behind in their payments for
more than thirty days. Consideration of
the Northern forfeiture bill was then re-
sumed The question pending was on
Van Wyck's proposed amendment pro-
viding for forfeiture not of the lands of
the Wallula branch alone, but the lands
appertaining to such branches Of the road
as have not been completed at the time of
the passage of this act. Sen. Hears
amendment, heretofore submitted, was
then brought up for consideration. It
provides that not more than $40 acres of
land sold under the provisions of this act
shall be purchased by any one person, or
shall thereafter be acquired or owned,
or held in trust for any one person, or
any title or interest acquired in the viola
| ton thereof shall be forfeited to the
United States without any other act of
entry or process whatever" After debate
without action upon the amendment, the
senate went into executive session and
soon adjournsd.
HouSe-The house went into commit
! tee of the whole Springer of Illinois, in
the chair on the oleomargarine bill. On
motion of Mr.. Beach, of New York, an
amendment was adopted inserting the
word knowledge" in the clause imposing
a penalty upon every person who pur-
chased or received for sale any oleomar-
garine from any manufacturer who has
not paid the special tax. Mr.. Hammond,
of Georgia, attacked the bill, and es-
pecially the ''informer'' section. He would
not vote for the measure. Mr.. McMillen
moved to strike out the clause which pro-
vides that half of the fines and penalties
imposed by the act shall go to the infor-
mer. The house would not in his iudg-
ment do itself justice if it enacted such
an obnoxious piece of legislation. The
Motion was agreed to rs to 90. Then in