Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-05-13
CONGRESSIONAL.
FRIDAY, April 80.


Indian appropriation bill was submitted
by Sen. Dawes, and concurred in by the SEN
ate. After the passage of several private
bills, the post Office appropriation bill
was taken up, and Sen. Hale resumed his
remarks on it. A running debate fol-
lowed, during which the question was
discussed from a tariff point of view.
Sen. Plumb finally secured an under
standing that general debate on the bill
should close at 4 o'clock Monday. The
senate adjourned
House-Mr. Hatch, on behalf CT
the committee on agriculture, called
up the resolution setting apart May Is
tn, for a reconsideration of the bus
mess presented by that committee.
The house then went into committee of
the whole, Mr.. Mills in the chair, on the
river and harbor bill. Mr.. Warner, of
Ohio offered an amendment providing
that the appropriation for the improve
ment of the Mississippi river be expended
under the direction of the secretary of
war, instead of the Mississippi river COM
mission. Mr.. Hepburn, of Iowa, thought
the Mississippi river commission had
wasted enough money, and it was now
time for congress to retrace its steps.
Mr.. Warmers and various other amend
ments were rejected. number of
amendments were agreed to increasing
the number of places where preliminary
surveys may be made, and then Mr.. La
Toilette, of Wisconsin, moved to strike
out the entire section having reference to
this subject No quorum voting, the COM
mittee rose, and the house adjourned.
MONDAY, May 3.
Senate-After important business, the
appropriation bill was taken up, and
Senator Vest proceeded to speak
upon the amendment appropriating
100000 for the transportation of foreign
mails. He maintained that the provis-
ions would be destructive to the American
merchant marine. 1t was now proposed
to change the existing statute which per-
mits competition and substitute in its
place the declaration that none but Amer
lean steamships shall carry the mails,
Sen. Vest went into the subject of do
nestle manufactures of ships at consid-
cradle length, giving statistics tending to
support his position. Sens. Eustis,
Ingalls, and Colquitt also joined actively
in the debate, the latter opposing the
amendment energetically. After execu-
tive session, the senate adjourned.
House-Mr. Wellborne submitted q con-
ference report on the Indian appropria-
ton bill, and it was adopted, On motion
of Henderson of Iowa, the rules were sus-
pended and the bill passed appropriating
$4,000 for the repair and enlargement
of public buildings at Des Moines, Iowa.
Adjourned.
TUESDAY, May 4.
Co,,,to Af4or Tho ,,..,o.o &c . ~, &c
private bills, the post office appropriation
bill was laid before the senate. Sen. Call
favored the proposal to appropriate $780,
900 for the carriage of the U. S. mail to
Central and South America, Japan, China,
etc. He did not regard it as a subsidy.
Sen. Salisbury opposed the proposition.
Sen. Hall said that according to Sen.
Beck's explanation, given yesterday the
post Office department. was more capable
than he at first supposed, as to the leav
ing at Pernambuco of large body of the
Rio Janeiro mail. Sen. Plumb
saw that no senator had shown that
the sum per mile provided for by
the amendment was too much. Plumb
critized the course of the senators who
would ask for many millions to improve
the Mississippi river for commerce but
were unwilling to devote anything to de-
velOpe commerce from the mouth of
the Mississippi to other lands. The debate
then closed and voting began. number
of amendments were offered, some Of
which were agreed to.
House-Mr. Hall called up the Camp
bell Weaver election case, and after
some opposition it was proceeded
with. After an hour and half debate
the resolution of the majority of the COM
mittee on elections was adopted confirm
ing the right of the sitting member to
his seat. The resolution was advocated by
Green, Turner, Lowey and Hall. was
opposed by Hopkins, Ely, Powell
and Spooner, who claimed that
the contestant had abandoned his
contest Internationally and that it should
not now be re-opened. As a substitute
for the resolution Spooner offered res
olution giving Pierce forty days within
which to cross-examine the witnesses and
Page ten days thereafter to take evidence
in the rebuttal. Rejected. Yeas, 80;
nays, 129. The resolution reported from
the committee of election was then adopt
ed. Yeas, 11S; nays, SO.
WEDNESDAY, May 5.
Se11ate-The interstate commerce bill
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 producers of the
west, and because it was vicious in prin-
ciple. 1t would result not in a reduction
of through rates, but in an increase of
local rates. 1t would injure the farmers
of the west, while not benefting the far
mers who depend on low rates. The
amendment sought to deprive Chicago of
its natural advantages for competition,
and would put on the statute books legal
lied discrimination worse than any rail-
road companies had perpetrated. The
west, Spooner said, they could not ship it's
wheat to New York, Baltimore, Philadel-
phia or Boston, if the through rates were
increased under the Camden amendment,
but would have to ship by way of Mon
treal. The present was no time, Spooner
though, for the people of the country to
Indulge in radical experiments. vote
being taken on the Camden amendment
it was agreed to. Yeas, %; nays, "a. The
technical form of Sen. Camden's amend
ment thus agreed to, is TO strike out from