Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-23
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY
Matters Of Local and General Interest.

Matters Of Local and General Interest.
Prospects OF Tariff Legislation.
THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE TO PREPARE
BILL WITH GREAT CARE.
1t will be some time yet before the ways and
means committee will be prepared TO report a
tariff bill in the House. There are about a hun
dred bills referred to the committee, and they
are considering them all. with a view to getting
up general BILL The committee will give the
matter careful study before form ulating q bill,
and will have whatever the authors of the
various bills have to say. This will take up
much time, and it will probably be rather late
In the session before they make report. Some
of the members have been canvassing among
the democrats who voted against the Morrison
will vote for general tariff revision. In draw
ing up their bill the committee will take care to
word it so that it may not be stigmatized as
horizontal. They say that though the Morrison
bill was in no way horizontal, it was SO termed,
and it was impossible to correct the impression.
1t is probable that this bill will be followed in
the main, but the new bill win be carefully
wOrded, so as to preclude the possibility of
Misrepresentation. The bills now before the
entirely, to specific matters, and from the whole
mass will be extracted what appears to be the
real needs and public demands upon the ques-
and character of these bills, and from the talks
members have had with the former opponents
rally as to effect from the Morrison BILL but
differently put, can get through the House with
pretty respectable majority.
The District in Congress.
9HE LIEN LAW.
The judiciary committee Of the House Dis
trict of Columbia committee, composed of
Messrs. Heubhill, Campbell and Wadsworth,
had under consideration to-day the bill
proposing to amend the present mechanics
lien law. There was a large attendance
Der, brick.making. hardware. lime, sand,
fsmep! and Hdo,s stone masonry Interests
merits Of the Bill Without arriving at 4. an ns
conclusion the committee adjourned.
THE HOUSE DISTRICT COMMITTEE.
The judiciary subcommittee Of the House
District committee held a session to-day and
considered the several propositions referred to
them for investigation, among them Mr.. Nc
Comas' bill for a criminal code for the District
engineering in the District. They decided not
| to recommend any amendment to the present
law.
Capitol Topics.
PENSIONS TO SURVIVORS OF THE MEXICAN WAR.
The subcommittee of the House committee
on pensions decided to-day to recommend to
the whole committee a general Mexican PEN
sion bill. The bill will give pension of 50 per
month to all survivors of the Mexican war and
TO all the widows OF Mexican soldiers who were
married to them at the time of their service.
SENATOR PAYNE AND THE OHIO LEGISLA-
TURE's INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.
Senator Payne has written to the chairman
| of the committee recently appointed by the
Ohio house of representatives to investigate
| the allegations of bribery in the election of
Payne as US Senator that "as the matter is thus
raised to the plane Of Responsibility and placed
in charge of intelligent and honorable gentle
men ne Payns proposes to give 1t appropriate
and offers to place his private books and papers
before the committee. only STIMULATING that If
any testimony y given affecting him that he
PASSAGE OF THE NORFOLK NAVY YARD IN
QUERY RESOLUTION.
The Boutelle resolution Of inquiry concerning
the management at the Norfolk navy yard,
under the new administration, was passed yes
terday, with the amendment extending the in
qufry to the previous management. Only fif-
teen minutes on each side was allowed for
debate. This time was devoted to an arraign-
ment Of the democratic party by Mr.. Boutelle
and sharp reply by MIR. Wise, of Virginia.
THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SHIPPING
| heard arguments to-day from several gentle
men representing the shipping interests in va
rious parts of the country, who urged the neces-
sity OF some legislation in the interest of ship
ping. To-day the Dingley bill was considered
nouneed: On po.ase Messrs. Mis-, Cam eea aR
and WadswUrth; on shipping in the fisheries,
Holman, Bliss, FELTON,; to promote ship-buiid-
ing, McMillfn Rankin, and ROmeis on private
yachting, Bliss, Osborne; shipping laws,
Dingley, Mills and Dunn.
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS OF THE SENATE ON NOMI-
NATIONS.
There is not the remotest probability of any
action by the Senate. in the near future, look
ing to the abolition of secret consider
| alton of nominations. When the Sem
| ate SO far departed from its iron-bound
rule of Secresy as TO order all action upon DOmi-
nations to be printed in the Record, the COM
| ment was made that that might prove the
entering wedge to the final abolition OF the GUS
tom. The subject has been discussed in con-
versatiOn among Senators, and several men,
bers OF the body have expressed the opinion
that open action upon nominations would be
better than the secret plan. Senator Logan did
with open doors, but he withdrew it ut the next
executive session without any attempt to get a
the resoiuion would be @ tn re
Jected that a vote was not deemed necessary to
decide its fate.
THE NOMINATION OF JUDGE POWERS.
An attorney who represents the opposition
to the confirmation Of Judge Powers, of Utah,
applied for a hearing before the Senate judici-
airy committee, where the nomination is pend
ing. Senator Edmunds informed him that the
committee did not grant hearings under any
vised Mr.. Edmunds of the grounds of opposition
to Powers. The friends of the Judge intend to
present an answer TO the statements of the On
ponent's attorney. The judiciary committee
will probably consider the case some time
next week.
Neither house of Congress was in session to-
day.
There will be hearing on the subject of in
ternational copyright before the Senate COM
mittee on patents on Thursday, January 2Sth,
Russell Lowell, Mr.. g. L. Clemens Mark Twain)
and other American authors will appear
The House at its evening session yesterday
passed sixteen pension and two disability bills
and adjourned until Monday.
Delegates to the various conventions and as.
sOciatiOns which are now or have been in SEES
sion here were visitors to the Capitol yesterday
The bt-inetalic association, the national board
of trade, the cattle breeders the water ways
and improvements convention, the bottlers
chose wanting the tax taken OF of bOttles) and
the Indian school at Carlisle were all well rep
resented. Quite q procession of the Indian
boys and girls from Carlisle marched through
the corridors.
President Sherman, of the Senate, wants a
| new desk. The one in the Vice Presidents
room has been in constant use for many years.
Unless silver speeches interfere the bill to adj
init Dakota TO the Union will come up in the
Senate next Monday.
Senator Beck's silver speech is in such great
demand throughout the country that IT has re-
Quired the labor OF several clerks to supply the
call for them. Many applications are now being
made for copies of Senator Eustis speech.
The railroad mail clerks made an appeal to
the House post office committee yesterday in
favor Of q proposition to fix their salaries at
81 400 and 81, 200 per year instead OF $1,000
and 81, 100.