The Portland daily press., 1886-05-14
a Gigantic Lockout.
XLlXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.

MIR. Frye called up the cLaIen lSlanu DrluSe
bill, but the Senate decided instead to pro-
ceed to bills on the calendar in their order.
The Senate then passed a number OF meas
ureS among them being one providing that
the marble busts of the Vice Presidents may
be placed in the vacant inches OF the Senate !;
also one creating new judicial circuit OF tne
United States. Under this bill the eighth
circuit is made to include Nebraska, Kansas,
Arkansas and Colorado; the ninth to in
clude Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri; the
tenth to include California, Oregon and Ne
vada. The bill also provides that the present
stitnted (being California, Oregon and
Neyada) shall be the judge of the new tenth
circuit, and the President shall appoint
Judge for the new ninth circuit.
The chair laid before the committee let
ter from the Secretary of the Interior trans
mitting the first annual report of the COM
missioner of the labor bureau.
At o'clock the general pension bill was
placed before the Senate. Mr.. Blair
explained that it was intended to provide
for those disabled Union soldiers OF the late
war who had found it difficult or impossible
without their own fault whether by loss OF
papers or of the death of the witness) to
prove their cases under the existing law. He
said it provided aid for all soldiers who,
having served six months or more, had be-
come disabled since their service from any
cause not due to their own vicious conduct
and who were now dependent for support
on their own manual labor or on the contri-
buttons of others not legally liable for their
support. The highest pension under the
bill, Mr.. Blair added, would be $24 month
for total helplessness, and proportionately
less for less disability. In discussing the
general question of pensions Mr. Blair said
a pensioner or one entitled to become Sucn
should not be regarded as debtor but as a.
creditor of the country, and preferred cred
itor at that
Messrs. Berry and Logan spoke upon the
bill at considerable length.
Mr.. Vest then obtained the floor and will
speak tomorrow.
A number of amendments were submitted
to be printed.
At 4.50 D. m. the Senate went into execu-
tive session, but within fifteen minutes the
doors were reopened and the Senate
adjourned.
Mr.. Rice of Massachusetts,, from the COM
mittee on foreign affairs, reported back the
resolution requesting the President to inform
the House what steps have been taken by
him to have the seizure of the David j. al
ans" investigated and communicate at the
earliest possible day what were the cireum-
stances under which the seizure was made.
In the morning hour the House in commit
tee of the whole resumed consideration OF
the Chinese indemnity resolution, ana MI:
Rice of Massachusetts, argued in support OF
the proposition contending that the oDllga-
tion of this government to pay the damage
rested not on good will or a spirit of be-
nevolence but upon international law.
There were many precedents for his propo-
sition. In 1647 England had compelled the
Greeks to pay indemnity for the i'll treatment
of Jew, Dan Pacifco,. in Athens Lord
Palmerston had been called to account for
the position he had taken on the ground of
that there was no international law to sus-
tain it; but after long debate the principal
maintained by him had been fixed In Eng
lish methods so firmly that it had never since
been shaken. The United States itself had
demanded indemnity from China for violence
done to its citizens by mob, and an arma-
ment of England bombarded Chinese cities.
China had paid the bills, though some OF the
damages had been done by the armed forces
of England. When England, through her
carelessness let loose cruisers which drove
our commerce from the sea, the United
States had exacted indemnity, and lfe trust
ed that there would be now an arm as long
and a voice as strong to exact indemnity
from England for the injuries her subjects
were now perpetrating and seeking to perpe-
trate upon American fishermen. (Applause.l
The President has assured Congress that
the outrages at Rock Springs were commit
ted by aliens, as were the OutrageS IN Chlca-
go, which had been shocking the country
and he (Mr. Rice) hoped that the murderers
in Chicago would be visited with the pun
ishment which had not yet been visited upon
their fellow asSassinS in Wyoming.
The resolution was relegated to its place
upon the calendar, and the House went into
committee of the whole on the diplomatic
and consular appropriation bill.
Mr.. Belmont of New York, moved to in
crease from $130,000 to $150000 the appro-
priation for contingent expenses at United
States eonsulateS.
The motion was agreed to and the bill was
reported to the House and passed.
The bill enlarging the powers and duties
of the department of agriculture was next
considered in committee of the whole, but
pending discussion the committee rose and
the House at 5 p. M, adjourned.