Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-08
THE HENATION'SCAPITAL
Efforts TO Prevent a Careful Con-
Sideration Of the Mills
Bill.
Postponement Of Further Discussion on
the Pension Bill till Thursday
When a Vote will be
Taken.
rhe Amount Of the Urgent Deficiency
Bill Increased to S455,OOO.


Bill Increased to S455,ooO.
WASHINGTON, March I.
Senate
Mr.. Chandler from the committee on naval
affairs. reported bill allowing the pay of
rear r-admirais to commodores, while acting as
rear admirals. Calendar.
The Senate resumed the consideration of
the urgency deficiency bill, the question be-
ing on the striking out of the provision in
serted by the House requiring the public
printer 10 rigidly enforce the S hour law.
An additional section was inserted in the
bill, on motion of Mr.. Hale, containing a
large number of items, generally small, al
lowed by the accounting officers of the treas
ury, or by judgments of the court of claims,
since the dates covered in the bill as it came
from the House. By this amendment the
total appropriations for judgments of court
claims is increased from S263 900 to $780,
600. After discussion of various items the
bill was reported from the committee of the
whole.
On motion of Mr.. Paddock, the pension
bill went over till tomorrow with the under
standing that after the morning business it
would be taken up and discussed under the
five minute rule and final vote taken be-
fore adjoundment
The Senate then proceeded to executive
business and adjourned.
A preamble and resolution, asking for
documents relating to the question of the
disputed boundary between the British colo
ny and Venezuela was adopted.
The House went into committee of the
whole and agreed to the bill ratifying and
confirming the agreement with the Grosven-
tire. Piegan. Blackfeet and Crow indians in
Montana.
The bill to divide the great Sioux indian
reservation into several smaller reservations
was also agreed to. These bills provide for
the surrender of vast lands, the removal of
the tribes to other reservations their recon-
pense in moneys, stock, tools, etc, and the
opening of the surrendered lands to settle
ment.
The committee then rose, and the House
passed both bills and then adjourned.
General Congressional News.
The House committee on Pacific railroads
on Wednesday, unanimously agreed to the
Cultivate bill, extending the time for the
payment of the government debt by sub
sidized roads, comprised in the Union Pac-
itic system.
After considerable discussion, and some
spicy remarks between the democratic and
republican members of the House Ways
and Means committee, Wednesday morning
it was agreed ON a strict party vote that no
oral hearing be granted to those interested in
iptu uiTartaI hy fariH apI
measures, but that communications be al
lowed to be filed before the committee
The Committee on Post-ofiices and Post
roads of the Senate has lodged the issue of
postal telegraphs by reporting adversely both
bills upon the subject, one introduced by
Cullom and the other by Edmunds The
Committee reported instead of either of these
bills, substitute to provide for the regula-
tion of commerce as carried on by telegraph,
and brought down upon itself the vehement
protest of Mr.. Cullom, who claimed that his
committee, that on Interstate Commerce,
alone had jurisdiction of that subject. A
telegraph war on the floors of Congress
seems imminent.
Senator German struck the key note of the
situation when he said that the rapid trans
mission of intelligence was now in the hands
of single corporation which had wiped out
all competition heretofore attempted. The
fight was begun last week in the House on
the bill regulating the telegraph lines along
the subsidized railroads from the Missouri
river to the Pacific Ocean, and although
Deacon White of Brooklyn, argued the case
of the Western Union Company upon the
floor for two hours, he was able to secure
but four votes out 20l, in favor of his prop
osition. The vote indicates that the House
is ready to bring the telegraph business of
country under the restrictions of an an inter-
state law, and the Senate to which the con-
test is now transferred for time, will un-
doubtedly take the same stand.
In the House today, Cultivate from the
committee on Pacific railroads, reported fav-
orablya bill for the payment o. the govern
ment debt by the subsidized roads, comprised
within the Union Pacific system. Calendar.
The bill received the unanimous support of
the committees. 1t is patterned after the
original Cultivate bill. The most noticea-
BILE change is the exclusion of the Central
Pacific and Western Pacific roads from the
application of it, which is confined solely to
the Union Pacific and Central branch. This
is done because the committee intends to fit
the case of the Central and Pacific companies.
The House committee by vote of to 6,
autnorlzeu favorable report on a Dill 10
provide system of postal telegraphy, INTRO
duced by Raynor of Maryland. The bill ap-
propriates IS ,000, 900 and places the general
supervision of the system under the fourth
assistant postmaster general. The work of
establishing telegraph lines, etc, will be
done under the direction of the secretary of
war, with the approval of the President.
The rates of tariff are 30 words, l0c for 500
miles or less, and twenty cents for FIVE hun
dred to one thousand miles, with proportion
ately increased rates for longer distances.
The bill provides for telegraphic postal mon
ey orders at existing mail rates plus tele-
graph tolls, which will accompany the bill
and asserts that the service be self-sustain-
ing, and demands the governments right to
build and operate telegraph lines, and
states that in the publics good faith and JUS
tice do not require the government to pur-
chase the property and franchises of the
Western Union.