Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-09
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
PENSION VET0Es IN THE HOUSE
Criticism Of the President.
BILLS ON THE SENATE CALENDAR.
The Senate.

The Senate.
MR.. RIDDLEBERGER's RESOLUTION RULED OUT.
After the presentation OF the usual variety Of
petitions, the Senate took up Mr.. Riddleber-
gers resolution offered yesterday to have the
executive session Of to-day held with open
doors.
Mr.. Harris made the point Of order that the
resolution proposed a change of the rules, and
that proper notice of it had not been given.
MI MI: Riddleberger conceded that the point Of
to call attention to the matter and he was go
Ing to do SO on every occasion that presented
The chair sustained the point of order, and
the resolution was laid on the table.
Mr.. Sewe!i, from the committee on pensions,
presented the report in the case of the vetoed
bill granting pension to Margaret D. Mar
chand, widow of Commodore Marchand. The
committee repeats its former report in the case
and recommends passage of the bill over the
Presidents objections. Referred.
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS.
The Senate after passing private bill for the
relief of Capt. Ernest II. Wardwell, proceeded
to the calendar, and took up the bill to estab-
lish agricultural experiment stations in con-
nectiOn with agricultural colleges.
Mr.. Harrison offered an amendment extend
Ing the provisions of the bill to the territories,
provided that the average attendance of pupils
at a college for the preceding year was not
less than fifty. The amendment was agreed to-
Mr.. Hawley called attention to the TACT that
this bill would require the expenditure of
O,OOO for all time. He mentioned this not
as an objection, but to emphasize the necessity
OF giving the bill a little consideration. He
briefly sketched the history Of the Agricultural
colleges law, and stated that in many cases the
money received from the grant of land had
been not wisely managed-not to say grossly
and improperly squandered.
The chair called attention to the fact that the
Senate was acting under the tive-minute rule,
and, on the representation by Mr.. Hawley that
1t was impossible to consider Sucn an important
bill under that rule, the bill was laid over as
being objected to.
Pacific Ship Railway company (the Eads billy
and Mr.. Hoar's bill concerning federal elections
were severally objected to and went over.
COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OWNING
STOCK.
Mr.. Van Wyck's resolution Of inquiry as to
Commissioners of the District of Columbia own
ing stock in certain corporations, was objected
to by Mr.. German, and went over.
THE RIVER AND HARBoR BILL.
Mr.. Mcmillan (who has charge of the river
and harbor appropriation bilI, reviewed the
course Of the bill thus far, and gave notice that
he would ask the Senate to finish it tomorrow
He moved that the vo.e on the passage of the
bill be taken at 3 O'Clock tomorrow. Several
objections were made, and then Mr. Mcmillan
announced his intention to ask the Senate to
sit tomorrow till the bill was disposed OF.
SEIZURE OF AMERICAN VESSELS.
Mr.. Hoar offered a resolution calling ON the
President for information as to the seizure or
detention in any foreign port of any American
vessels, the pretexts or alleged causes therefor;
and what efforts have been made to provide re-
dress tor such seizures and to prevent their re-
currence. The resolution went over.
AMERICAN CITIZENS IMPRISONED IN MEXICO.
Mr.. Call offered resolution calling on the
President to direct the American representa-
tive in Mexico to investigate the truth of state
ments made in the newspapers that citizens of
the United States are confined in Mexican dun
geOns without trial for alleged offenses against
the laws of Mexico and that their final trial has
been postponed without cause, and requiring
the United States government lit such state
ments are found to be true) to demand the trial
OF such persons and their humane treatment
during confinement, and to make provision for
their defense and relief from confinement W here
no sufficient cause OF detention is found; also,
requesting the President to institute negotia-
tions with the government of Mexico for a con.
vention to secure a fair trial without unneces-
sary delay OF citizens of the United States who
may be charged with violating the laws Of
Mexico.
AS basis for the resolution Mr.. Call sent to
the clerks desk and had read a dispatch from
Chihuahua, published in the New York Herald,
stating the case OF Mr.. Merkley, station agent
OF the Mexican Central Railroad company.
The resolution went over.
EXECUTIVE SESSION.
On motion Of Mr.. Edmunds the Senate. at
12:45, went into executive session.
House Of Representatives.
Immediately after the reading OF the journal
the Speaker announced that the regular order
was the vote on the demand for the previous
question on the motion to refer to the commit
tee on invalid pensions the message of the
President vetoing the bill granting pension to
Sally Ann Bradley. Amid good deal OF con-
fusion, MIR. Burrows, of Michigan, on the part
of the republicans and Mr.. Matson, of Indiana
representing the democrats, endeavored to
the time being frittered away with roll
calls. 1t was finally agreed that the
demand for the the previous question should & be
should be allowed 15 minutes TO oppose the
motion to refer, with permission TO some demo-
crat to reply If so desired.
Mr.. Grosvenor said that he desired to heap
President for his veto messages. They were
of the President and his relations to the ad-
ministration of the government He (Mr.
Grosvenor) had read all the vetoes coming from
that prolific source of vetOes and he thought
the trouble was that the President understood
that 1T was his duty to examine carefully every
act of Congress and if he, as member of Con-
gress, would not vote for the bill he gave no
sort of consideration or weight to the TACT that
the legislative branch OF the government had
acted upon the idea that the executive had a
right and it was his duty to decide absolutely
on every question. Another idea of the Presi-
dents was that no private act should be ap-
proved unless there was law authorizing it,
wholly oblivious to the fact that Congress was
the law-making power and had right to confer
tailed the facts OF the special bill Under con-
sideratiOn and commented on the fact, as he
asserted, that the President had approved the
FitZ John Porter bill on the very day that he
had vetoed the bill granting pension to Sally
Ann Bradley, the mother Of four sons. two Of
whom had died on the battlefield, and two of
whom were in the hospital disabled. Fitz John
Porter would 60 on the pension roll, while Sally
Ann Bradley would go to the poor house, and
this was the government which undertook to
with its soldiers. The House was paralyzed and
terrified by the veto of q single mana PROPOSE
ton tyranical In the direction of absolute Gsur-
patton, in the direction of turning from its nor
NAL position, the Congress OF the United States,
and turning over the administration Of the
plause on the republican side.
MIR. MatSOn merely remarked In reply that he
had just learned that in the FOrty-seventh Con-
gress republican committee OF the Senate had
reported that the woman ought not to be PEN
stoned, for the same reasons as the President
said she ought not to be pensioned. [Applause
on the democratic side.
Mr.. Long Mass suggested that at that time
the woman had q husband living, who was in
receipt OF pension.
The bin and message were then referred
yeas 122, nays Ill.
ANOTHER HITCH.
Matters then proceeded smoothly, and the
the messages were read and referred to the ap-
propriate committees without debate or objec-
tion until the veto message on the bill granting
pension to Francis Deming, when the republi-
for debate.
ARRAIGNING THE PRESIDENT.
MI. Boutelle (Me.) arraigned the President for
the veterans Of the country. He regarded the
lit 49, A1n nl~