The Portland daily press., 1886-05-18
XLIXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.


up the House shipping bill. This is the bill
passed by the House of Representatives in
February last, abolishing fees for measuring
tonnage, for issuing licenses, registry certlfl-
Gates and great variety, OF other fees. Inc
bill having been read, Mr.. Frye moved
to add to it, as new section, the
provisions of the bill recently report
ed by him from the commerce COM
mlttee, authorizing the President to is
sue probation whenever he may deem it
proper, denying to vessels of foreign coun-
tries such privileges as are denied in such
foreign countries to vessels of the United
States. The provisions of Mr.. Frye's bill is
not confined to Canada, but is made general,
so as to apply to all foreign countries After
some inquiry by Messrs. Mcpherson and
Vest the amendment was agreed to without
debate. The bill as amended by the Senate
was then passed, and on motion Of Mr.. Frye
a committee of conference was ordered on
the disagreeing votes of the two houses
upon the bill.
Proceeding to the calendar the Senate
passed several bills. The chair then ap-
pointed as a conference committee on the
shipping bill passed this morning, Messrs
Miller, Dolph and Vest. (Mr. Frye had an
nounced that he was obliged to be absent
from the Senate for an indefinite time.)
At o'clock the pension bill was laid be-
fore the Senate. The pending amendment
Wyck, providing that no soldier under this
act shall receive less than So per month.
Mr.. Blair moved to amend the amendment
by substituting 81 for $S.
Mr.. Blair's amendment and also one Of
fered by Mr.. Logan that all pensions here
tofore granted under $8 be increased to IS
per month, were rejected.
Mr.. Blair moved as substitute for the
pending amendment a proviso that no pen
sion hereafter to be paid under any law to
any soldier shall be rated at less than 81
month.
Mr. Butler submitted an amendment to be
proposed by him at the sproper time proyid-
ing for a pension of $S month to each sur
viVing soldier of the Mexican war.
Without further action the Senate at 4: 40
went into executive session. AT 5.55 the
doors were reopened and the Senate ad-
journed.
Under the call of States a number of bills
were introduced and referred, among them
one by Mr.. Boutelle, of Maine, appropriating
$50. 600 for erecting in Washington bronze
monument to the late Edwin NJ Stanton.
The Honse then went into committee OF
the whole on the urgent deficiency bill.
The bill was considered briefly, and having
been reported te the House, it was passed.
On call of the committee for motions to
suspend the rules resting with the committee
nessee, ne on behalf of the committee, Withdrew
the motion made by him month ago, re-
quiring the Northern Pacific to pay the cost
of conveying and surveying its land grant,
rules and adopt a resolution setting apart the
5th and Sth of June, for consideration of the
business reported by that committee Mr..
Richardson explained that the more import
ant measures that would be called were the
joint resolutions providing for an investiga-
tion of the accounts of the Pacific Railroad
and the bill providing for the funding OF the
debt of these roads,
Mr.. Crisp Of Georgia, said the action OF the
committee in reporting the funding bill had
been grossly miSrepresented in some quar-
ters for some purposes. At the present time
the Pacific Companies owed the government
$102, ,000 but the debt would not be due
until 1898. The debt was growing at the rate
of 81, GOO, 900 year and in 1898 would amount
to $12S, 100000. Before the government could
be paid the companies must pay their out
standing debt, which was prior lien, and
which added to the government debt would
amount to 93,000,0O0. The property, from
the best information the committee could get,
could be built today for one-haH the money
If there was default in the payment Of their
first mortgage bonds what would be the re-
suit? The franchise would be sold and the
government would get literally nothing.
Something must be done to protect the gov
ernment. The committee had thought the
first thing to do was to try to benefit the gov
ernment security. The committee had pro
vided that this debt which would be due in
1898 should be divided into 140 parts, two. OF
which should be paid each year beginning
Immediately. This was II years before the
government would receive anything under
| the existing law, land under this plan Gnstead
of waiting IL years before receiving dollar9
| the government would begin at once reeeiv-
| ing $3, 500, 900, and before 1S9SlSthe govern
| ment would have received about $41 ,00O, 900.
| The bill also provided for partial extension
and partial anticipation of the debt. Ii the
companies refused to accept the provisions
of the act, Mr.. Thurman'S act would be SO
amended as to increase from % per cent to
40 per cent the amount required to be paid
| into the sinking fund.
A motion to suspend the rules and adopt
| the resolution was agreed to without diyls-
| ion.
On motion of Mr.. O'Donnell of Michigan,
| from the committee on education, the rules
were suspended and the House passed, yeas
203, nays g. the Senate bill to provide for a
study of the nature of alcoholic drinks and
narcotics, and of their effects upon the hu,;
man system in connection with the several
divisions of the subject of physiology, and
hygenie. by pupils in the public. schools OF
| the territories and of the District of Column
bia, and in the military and naval academies
| and Indian and colored schools in the terri
| tories of the United States.
The House at 4.25 adjourned