The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-23
TEE FIRTIETH CONGRESS-
-hs Senate Passes the Bin to Establish . De-
parsment Of Labor.


--
-hs Senate Passes the BIN to Establish q De-
parsment of Labor.
W~AsHrxeroS, May D. At the conclusion Of
the morning business the following bills were
taken from the calendar and passed:
Senate bill appropriasing $3.50 0 for . public
building in GAINESVILLE, O.; Senate bill granting
to the Milwaukee, Lake Shore g. Western Rail-
way Company the right Of way through the Lao
de Flambeau Indian reservation in Wisconsin.
The Senate then proceeded to consideration
Of executive bueinesa
The doors were re-opened ct o'clock. when
the Senate proceeded to consideration OF the nm
fnished business. being the House bill to sstab-
lish . Department of Labor, and Mr.. Reagan
addressed the Senate in opposition. His speech
was brief. and at its conclusion he moved as .
substitute a bill creating a department Of indus
try. On . vote by yeas and nays on the substt-
tute there were nine yeas and twenty-seven
nays, less than a quorum, and then Mr.. Reagan
Various amendments to the bill, principally
corrections in phraseoloRy, were offered by Mr.
Edmunds and agreed to.
The bill was then passed, Q conference CON-
mittee ordered. and Senators Blair, Wilson OF
Iowa and George were appointed conferees on
the part Of the Senate. i.
The bill provides for q Department of Labor.
the general design and duties OF which shall be
to acquire and diffuse among the people Of the
United States useful information on subjects
connected with labor in the most general and
comprehensive sense Of that word. and sspe-
clally upon its relation to capital, the hours OF
labor, the earnings Of laboring men and women,
and tbs means of promoting their material, So
cial, intellectual and moral prosperity. The
personnel is to consist of Q commissioner. to be
appointed by the President, by and with the
advice and consent Of the Senate, VINO 10 to hold
Office for four years and receive . salary OF
1000; q chief clerk. stenographer. various minor
clerks. copyists and messengers.
A message from the President, returning,
without his approval. the Senate bill for the re-
lief OF L. j. Warden, was laid befor the Senate.
The bill directs the ~llowance of $625 20 Mr.
Warden, recently postmaster at Lawrence. Kan.
for extra clerk hire from July ], 1882. to june 3.
1888. The grounds of the veto are that allow
ances to postmasters for clerk hire are fixed by
the Postof6ce Department.; that in this case 3d.
loo was allowed; that applications for additional
penses were, therefore. incurred at the post
masters own risk; and that the passage OF
special acts in such cases would have q danger
Gus tendency to encourage postmasters to sub
stitute their own judgment for that of the de-
partment and TO relax wholesome decipline.
Tho President adds that the time allowed by
the Constitution for the approval;of bills expired
In this case on the 10Th inst; that the Senate
adjourned from May IL till May 81; that the
message was drawn and engrossed on tho 18th;
that on the 10Th, the message and bill were
rendered to the Secretary OF the Senate. who
declined to receive them: that they were then
rendered to the President of the Senate. who
also declined to receive them on the ground that
they could only be presented to the Senate in
actual session; and that they were, therefore.
transmitted 40 soon as the Senate convened
yesterday-with this explanation.
Mr.. Hoar remarked that the communication
raised q very important constitutional question,
TO which the Senate should give its careful con-
sideration. He therefore moved its reference TO
the committee on privileges and elections.
Agreed to.
A committee of conference was ordered on the
pension appropriation bill, and Senators Allison,
Dawes and German were appointed.
The bill to authorize the construction of .
railroad bridge at Fort Smith, Ark, was re-
ported and placed on the calendar.
Mr.. Frye offered q resolution, which was
agreed 10, calling on the Secretary Of War for a
report as to tie probable cost Of q break-water
In the bay of Santa Monica, Cal. 50 ~ to secure
. depth of nine fathoms.
The following bills were taken from the calen-
dar and passed:
The Senate bill authorizing the construction
Nebraska City, Neb.; the Senate bill granting
the right of way to the Yankton u Missouri
Valley Railroad Company through the Yankton
Indian reservation, in Washington Territory;
the Senate bill appropriating sl2, 600 for com
Spletion OF the public building at Peoria, III; the
House bill to authorize the construction of a
bridge across the Tennessee river at Knoxville.
Tenn, with amendments; the Senate bill to
authorize the construction of bridges across the
Kentucky river and its tributaries by the Louis
VILE. Cincinnati & Virginia Railroad Company:
the Senate bill for relief of various tradesmen
and others in Portland, Ore, for labor done and
material supplied for the revenue cutter Thomas
Corwin. in 1876; the Senate bill increasing the
annpOr1rsof frp pa~ a Drklsn h~t1Asr~ ~ snn
Mimi, to $50, 600; the Senate bill to amend the
law making an annual appropriation to provide
arms and equipments for the militia Increasing
the amount to $500. 000); the Senate bill appro-
priatine 800, 600 for q public building at Vicks-
burg. Miss.; the House bill authorizing the pur-
chase Of additional ground for the public build
ing in Council Bluffs. Ia
Thu Senate then adjourned.