Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-28
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY
MR.. SHERMAN'S SILVER BILL,
THE SIGNAL SERVICE ACCOUNTS.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT,

THE SIGNAL SERVICE ACCOUNTS.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT.
| The Senate.
Mr.. sHERMANs SILVER BILL
| Among the bills introduced in the Senate
| to-day was one by Mr.. Sherman to discontinue
| the coinage of the silver dollar and to provide
| for the purchase of silver bullion in bars, not
| less than two million ounces, nor more than
| four million ounces, per month at its market
price, and for the issue in payment therefor, of
| $1O each, the bullion to remain In the Treas
ury as security for the payment of the certih-
| Gates.
THE CONSCIENCE FUND
resolution offered by Mr.. ingalls, was
| agreed to directing the Secretary of the Treas
what is known as the conscience fund" in the
| treasury, the amount of the same, and what
| disposition is made of it.
DRUNKEN JUDGES.
A resolution offered by Mr.. Call was, at his
| request, laid over for the present, fnstructing
the Judiciary committee of the Senate to report
| bill providing for the retirement or removal
| OF United States district and circuit judges
| when from any cause they shall become unable
70 perform the duties of their Office, discrimi-
| mating between drunkenness and other causes,
so that drunkenness may be punished by i'm.
| peachment and removal from office.
FORFEITED RAILROAD LAND GRANTS.
Another resolution, offered by the same Sen.
ator, was, on like request, similarly disposed OF,
| directing the judiciary committee to report q
bill! providing for the forfeiture and opening to
settement OF railroad land grants in cases In
which the railroads have not been built within
tie time prescribed by Congress-.
| MR.. CALLS QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE.
Mr.. Call rising to a question of privilege
read an article from a recent issue of the Louis
vile C0trter-Journal, which stated that he fMr.
CalD had introduced bill providing for the
retirement on salary OF $4,000 a year, OF
| ness. (Ihe article proceeded to say that any
young lawyer who could secure an appoint
ment a as federal judge would, by this BIZ be
year by making himself a sot, pro hac rice; that
| after securing the pension he could sober up
| and live tue remainder of his life in a proper
way at the expense of the government) Mr..
Can denied having presented any bill Of the
| character referred to.
sumed consideration Of the bill to divide the
Sioux reservation in Dakota into separate res
| ervatiOns.
| THE DAKOTA BILL.
| At ppm. the Senate resumed consideration
| OF the Dakota bill. MIR. Butler spoke in favor OF
bis substitute, to provide an enabling act for
Dakota.
| House of Representatives.
The Speaker laid before the House letter
from the Secretary of State giving a list of the
employees in the State department and setting
forth that the services of none of them can be
dispensed with.
OKLAHOMA.
| Mr.. Weaver Iowa) introduced a bill to pro-
vide for the organization of the territory of Ok
| lahoma, for the allotment of homesteads to In
dams in severalty and TO open up unoccupied
lands to actual settlers. Referred.
THE SIGNAL SERVICE EXPENDrTTrprs
Mr.. Robertson (Ky.) offered resolution recit-
| Ing that section 3,67S, Revised Statutes pro-
| hibited the diversion of appropriations, and
that representations are made that this section
| is violated in this, that certain moneys appro-
prfated by Congress for carrying on the signal
| service bureau have been misapplied, and di-
recting the committee ON expenditures in the
War department to inquire whether the statute
| is being observed, and whether or not it has
heretofore been violated, and to report such
measures as will secure its enforcement
MIR. Peters (kansas) objected to the present
consideration of the resolution, and it was re-
| ferred to the committee on expenditures in the
| War department..
STATEMENTS OF BALANCES CALLED FOR.
Mr.. Gibson (W.Va-), from the committee on
| expenditures in the Department of Justice, re-
ported resolution calling on the Secretary of
| the Treasury for report of all balances due to
and from the United States as shown by the
BOOKS 81 the offices of register and sixth auditor
The Secretary of War and Postmaster General
are also called On for astatement of balances as
SHOWN by the books OF their departments.
Adopted.
F1Tz JOHN PORTER
Mr.. Wheeler (Ala.l from the committee on
| military affairs, reported bill authorizing
the President TO restore officers to the army in
certain cases. This bill applies to the case of
Fitz John Porter, and, as it was placed upon
the public calendar, 1t may be called up for
action at any time during the morning hour,
an advantage which is not enjoyed by the spe-
cific FitZ John Porter bill. which is upon fhe
private calendar.
OBITUARY RESOLUTIONS.
Pending action the hour of o'clock arrived
and the committee having risen, the House
proceeded to the consideration of appropriate
resolutions touching the death of Representa-
tive Reuben EiiwOOd, of Illinois.
After euiogistic addresses, the House, at $50,
adjourned
The international Copyright Question.
THE HEARING TODAY BEFORE THE SENATE
COMMITTEE ON PATENTS.
The Senate committee on patents TO-DAY
gave hearing to the executive committee and
members of the American Copyright league
and others in favor of the Hawley bill, which
proposes to confer upon citizens of foreign.
countries the same rights of copyright as are
conferred by such foreign governments upon
citizens Of this country. Besides the members
of the committee and several members of the
House committee on patents, including the
Messrs. A. G. Sedgwick, Howard Crosby. E. c.
Stedmon, ]. B. Glider and Geo. w. Green, of
the Copyright league; Mr.. Henry Holt, OF New
uel L. Clemens Mark Twain), Horace e. Scud-
der, OF Cambridge, and others.
MIR. Sedgwick submitted reasons Why the
bill should pass and Mr.. Henry Holt urged the
enactment of the proposed law. He said the
cheap publications of the present day are ruin
ing the book trade; that authors to compete
with these publications are compelled to seek
publishers who ignore the rights of foreign
authors: that publishers who endeavOr to re-
spect these rights cannot realize profit.
Speaking of the condition of the book trade,
Mr.. Holt says he is frequently compelled to re-
tect meritortous manuscripts because he cannot
case In which he published q book that was well
received by the critics. and he said it was one of
the best American works of fiction published
but 1t was a financial failure.
MI. George Mckner Curtis, Mr.. Green, Mr..
Scudder and Others spoke in favor of the bill.
MIR. Clemens (Matk Twain) while he favored
the bill, thought 1t should require that foreign
Authors have their books printed in this coun-
try. MI. Clemens said that men who have In
vested money in establishments for publishing
cheap books have vested rights, and he wanted
law that would not interfere with such
rights.
Mr.. Green stated that ex.U. s. Minister Lowell
expected TO be present at IL O'Clock, but had
heard tomorrow. which was agreed to. 1t was
also announced that Librarian Spofford will be
asked TO give the committee information at its
meeting tomorrow morning on the subject OF
international copyright The committee ad-
1ournoo until tomorrow morning.