The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-01
A LONG TALK ON A BILL.
SUNDRY CIVIL APPROPRIATIONS
BEFORE THE SENATE


The Evils of The Policy of Inserting
Appropriations for Public Buildings
Set Forth by Mr.. Beck-The Discus
sion Drifts Into the Subject of Con-
federate Property Adversely Held.
WASHINGTON, July 3l.-The senate to-
day resumed consideration of the sundry
civil appropriation bill, the pending ques-
tion being on the amendment offered yes
terday by Mr.. Spooner, as chairman of the
committee on public buildings and grounds,
appropriating $4,000 for public building
at Atchison, Kas. Mr. Beck made point
of order on the amendment and proceeded
to argue it. If this amendment was decided
to be in order, the effect Of the decision
would be that hereafter for all
time to come, the rule Of the sem
ate would be that the senate might
attach to the sundry civil appropriation
bill appropriations for pub " buildings,
force the house to act upon them and force
the president to approve them whether he
objected to them or not.
THIS SESSIONS RECORD.
He had inquired this morning at the doc
at the present session 66 public building bills
(aggresa sating in cost 50, 728 900 had passed
the senate, only few of which. running
up to about $500 900, had passed the house.
The attachment of any of these public
building bills to a general appropriation
bill was not good legislation. 1t
tended to make divisions between
the two houses and would be re-
garded by the house as an invasion of its
right and as an attempt to coerce it into do
ing what the senate had done There was
enough of that sort OF feeling always grow
ing up between the two houses and other
legislative bodies. and it was well to avoid
it whenever that could be dooe.
DIRECT TAX REFUNDISG.
He understood that the committee on
finance intended to offer the direct tax re-
funding bill That would add $4,000, 900
more to it. The public building bills would
add $4,000, 900 more, SO that if the thing
went on, the bill would appropriate more
money than had been spent in any year of
Buchanans administration for all the pur
poses of the government. He did not believe
in APPLYING that sort of coercion TO the house
or to the President, or in saying to the Pres
ident that he must either sign the bill or al
low the wheels of the government to be
stopped.
Mr.. Spooner replied to Mr.. Beck and
dIRuSQ budD Juo dulouuul6ilb was liOJ SuDJ0Cb
to the point Of order. 1t might be, he said
that the rule ought to be amended in ac-
cordance with the views expressed by the
senator from Kentucky, but the only ques-
ton now was whether the amendment was
in order under the existing rules,
HOW THEY WERE sELEc- D.
Mr.. Dawes inquired how the committee
on public buildings and grounds had
selected the amendments TO be offered.
Mr.. Spooner replied that the committee
would simply offer amendments to public
buildings which had been referred and re-
ported back by it and had then been re-
ferred back to the committee on appropria-
tions.
The discussion was continued at much
length, and was participated in by Senators
Vest, Sherman and Reagan against the
fairness of singing out some public build
ings unless all were included, and Senators
Riddleberger and Daniel in favor of the
amendment
A TEST VOTE.
Finally MIR. Beck withdrew the point of
order as the opinion of the senators seemed
to be against it, and called for the yeas and
nays on the amendment as test question.
The vote was taken and the amendment
was rejected by vote of 81 to %.
Mr.. Spooner said, that in Difference to the
vote just had, he would offer no other pub
lie building amendments that were in the
same category as the Atchison one, but he
would offer now an amendment appropriat-
ing $50, 900 for a public building at Opelusas.
La, the circumstances being that such
bill had passed both houses, and was now
before the President, but did not contain an
appropriation clause. The amendment
was rejected by vote of 9 yeas to 80 nays.
Mr.. Spooner offered, as an amendment,
a bill to refund the direct tax.
Mr.. Harris mad the point Of order that
the amendment was general legisl alton and
not in order on an appropriation bill.
The Presiding Officer (Mr. lngalls)-The
chair has no doubt on the subject. The
point Of order is well taken.
PRIsoN-aADE SUPPLIES.
Mr.. Plumb offered an amendment provid-
ing that supplies, the result of prison labor,
shall not be purchased for use at the Ma
tional soldiers home. The amendment was
rejected without division.
Mr.. Brown offered an amendment appro-
priating $1,000 for an artesian well ut the
United States arsenal at Augusta, Ga,
which was agreed to.
Mr.. Call offered an amendment appro-
printing $4,000 to be expended at the dis
cretion of the Secretary Of the Treasury
for the recovery Of property of the United
States, now held in adverse possession to the
government
AN ILLUsrvE HOPE.
Mr.. Sherman opposed the amendment,
and spoke of the hope Of reco vering property
which had belonged to the Confederate
states as an illusive one. The debts OF those
states were lien upon their property. The
proposition was simply to give some gentle.
man pleasant trip 10 Europe The re-
covery of Confederate property by the
United States government might be at
tended with responsibility for their debts.
Mr.. Evarts also argued against the
amendment. He said that several years
ago be had been consulted and had advised
against such an attempt, and had declined
to have anything whatever to do with it,
Mr.. Call spoke in support OF the amend
ment.
Mr.. Cockrell opposed it, and spoke of the
fairy tales OF the wealth Of the defunct
confederacy as only equalled by the stories
of immense wealth stored up in England for
American heirs
AN OLD SUIT CITED.
He gave an account OF a suit brought In
the name Of the United States against
Fraser, Trenholm & Co., and read from the
report made by the Secretary OF the
Treasury to the house of representatives in
1867 on the subject of that and other SINH
lar suits. He also read and criticised II. B.
Littlepage, who was employed as a special
attorney for tho government in 1887, In re-
lation TO the recovery of confederate
property, aud said that was tho
sort OF information by which