The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-26
ENABLING CONFEDERATES TO
FILL ARMY POSITIONS.
Bill for Organizing the Territory Of
Oklahoma.
The House Goes In the business of Dimin-
ishing the Surplus by ApprOpri-
atioBs for Public Buildings.

| WASHINGTON, February 25.-On mo-
| ton of Mr. Lanham, of Texas, the bill
was passed providing an additional mode
| of taking dispositions of witnesses in
| causes pending in United States courts.
1t provides that it shall be lawful to take
| depositions in the mode prescribed by
| the law of the State in which the court is
| held.
PENSION TO MRS. KIRBY.
| Mr.. Yost, of Virginia, called up the
bill granting pension of $50 a month
| with arrears from 1879 to Mary B.
Kirby, widow of Major R. NJ. Kirby,
who died in 1S42 from disease contracted
| in the Florida war.
On motion of Mr.. Mcmillan, of Ten
nessee, the arrears feature was elimina-
| ted from the bill, and Mr.. Struble, of
Iowa, moved to reduce the rate of pen
sion to $50, contending that Congress
| had made it rule not to grant pensions
| exceeding that amount to officers of the
| rank of major.
| Mr.. Yost regretted that the House had
| seen fit to strike out the arrears clause.
| The widow would have been entitled to
| pension of $71 month from the time
| of her husbands death had she made APP
| plication for it, and in justice the Gov
ernment owed her $40, 900. He trusted
| that the amount of the pension, which it
was now proposed to grant her, would
| not be reduced.
The amendment was rejected and the
bill passed.
/ BILLS FROM COMMITTEES.
Mr.. Stewart, of Georgia, from the
Committee on the Judiciary, reported
bill rendering eligible to any position in
| the army, any person who has served in
| the military, naval or civil service of the
| Confederate States. Placed ON the House
| calendar Also adversely for Furnishing
| the passing of Confederate money as
| genuine United States obligations Laid
on the table.
T.H.B. Browne, of Virginia, from
| the Committee on Commerce, Imported
the bill to establish quarantine Station
at Cape Charles, Va. Referred to the
COnlinlItee OF tne WnOie.
| THE OKLAHOMA BILL.
The bill for the organization of the
Territory of Oklahoma was considered
in Committee of the whole for an hour,
the time being chiefly occupied by Mr..
Mansur in explaining the effect of the
bill.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
! 10 .InI ,,,4 4l,
tee of the whole to the committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds.
The first bill that came up was one ap-
propriating $4,000 additional for pub
lie bridge at Chattanooga.
Mr.. Bland renewed his opposition to
what he considered a loose method of
dealing with public buildings, and finally
offered an amendment providing that
no public buildings shall hereafter be
constructed unless some one of the ex-
ecutive departments shall first certify
to Congress that no suitable accommo-
dation for the service of the Government
can be obtained in the city or town speci-
fed at less rental than $1,000 year.
The amendment was ruled out of order
and the bill was agreed to.
Upon the next bill, appropriating
$3.50, 900 for the purchase of site for
public building at Buffalo. n. Y, Mr..
Bland took occasion to renew his attacks
upon the tariff and to advocate the re-
duction of the surplus by the payment
of the bonded debt. He appealed to the
/ Unntca 10 m 10 theca
public buildings and to come down to
the Democratic doctrine of economy and
production of taxes. He referred to the
Presidents message Preference to which
was received with applause on the Dem
ocratic side). and as a Democrat de-
nounced every attempt to take the peo-
ples money from the Treasury by the
Blair Educational Bill, public building
measures and other squandering propo-
sitions.
Mr.. Dibble suggested that the gentle
man from Missouri fBlandl by his course
of action in regard to public building
! measures, was violating the spirit of the
resolution making those measures the
special order.
Mr. Bland replied that he would not
permit handful of men to sweep these
bills through in shame and scandal, but
he would avail himself of his constitu
tional right to require a quorum to vote
ON every proposition.
MIR. Cowles, Of North Carolina, wish
: ing to ask Dibbie question, the an
nouneement by the chair that ''the gen
tlernan from North Carolina desires t.
ask the gentleman from South Carolini
a question, gave rise to much laughter
and the changes were rung on the char
aoter and spirit OF the question to b,
It pronounced.
The next bill was the Senate bill ap
propriating s1,a0o,0O0 for building a
Omaha. Nebraska, with the propose,
substitute appropriating $500, 900 for tn
purchase of a site but making no appro
nriation for the building.
no VOTE OK THE BILLS.
Mr.. Bland. by offering numerou
amendments, prevented vote bein
taken on the bills, and the committe
having risen, the House. without actio
on the bills reported, at $40 adjourned