Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-18
FIFTlETH CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON. July II, 1888.
A~nnao


Among the bills reported and placed on
the calendar were the following:
senate bin for donation to Tampa, Fla,
OF Fort Brook, a military reservation at that
place.
Mr.. Wathall offered resolution (Which
was agreed to) calling on the Secretary Of the
Treasury for information as TO what steps
have been taken for the removal OF the ma
tlonal quarantine station from ship Island,
Miss.
MIR. Allison, from the Committee on Appro'
prjations, reported back the sundry civil ap-
nrepriston bill and said that be would soon
call 1t up for consideration.
The Senate then took up and, after some
discussion, passed The bill to place John {.
Fremont on the retired Inst OF the army as
major.generaI. The vote was - yeas, 20 ;
nays, ..
The Senate then resumed the consideration
OF the dill providing for an adjustment OF
the accounts OF the laborers, workmen, aud
mechanics employed by the Government
under the eight.hOur law.
hr. Reagan opposed the bill. 1t had been
claimed for il, be said, that 1t was IN the IN
terest of the aboringmen. fit wereIn the in-
terest OF all laboringmen aud involved no
imoroper principle he would vote for II, but
as III WIS III AUt lnlfItNb W itN iAboi IA
men at the expense OF many labOringmen it
would not have his support. The bill was
but one small step in The direction OF class
legislation, and he hoped that 1t would not
pass.
Mr. stewart supported the bill, ando offered
IN amendment to prohibit any officer OF the
Government making any contract or ar
raneement whereby any workman, laborer or
mechanic shall work more than eight hours a
dav, except in special emergencies.
Mir. George said that AZ a member OF the
Committee on Education and Labor he had
dissented from the report OF the bill. There
was not one scintilla OF obligation on the
part Of the Government TO these l4,OOO or
Is. 600 laborers who happened to have been
in more favorable condition than other la
borers in the United states in being employed
in Government workshops. II was mere
eift-a donation. The money in the Trea-
slry came from taxation paid by the laborers
OF the country. IL did not grow there. He
spoke OF the small compensation OF labor at
the South. The laborer who cultivated for
himself was perhaps able 10 raise I'VE bales
of cotton, winch when cleanly gathered
and ginued brought him $40 bale
at the nearest market. IL he w0rsed Tor
hire and fed himself be would not get one
hundred and seyenty-fiye dollars year. and
the man who hired him would get into
bankruptcy court. These men were entitled
to some consideration. There was no JUS
tice in taxing them In order TO make dona.
ton 10 other laborefs at the North. He
quoted from the adverse report OF the Com
miltee on Education and LABOR in 1873 on
the House Joint resolution declaring the
meaning OF the eight.bour law and from the
speeches OF Senators Burnside and Morrill,
in opposition 10 il, as being hostile to the in
teresls OF the great mass OF laboTers. He
characterized the bill as a measure which
merely proposed to make the less favored
contribute 10 make the men employed in the
Government workshops more favored than
they had been before. That was all there
was IN IT,.
Mr.. Stewards amendment was rejected
yeas, 10; nays, 30.
Mr.. Dawes moved TO amend by inserting
the words "whether engaged at a price
por day or on piece-work or task.work."
Agreed to.
Mr.. Dawes also moved 10 insert the fol-
lowing words: "Any assent or alleged
agreement 10 receive less amount or TO
work a longer time (required as condition
OF being employed) TO the contrary notwith-
standing" Reiected-yeas, 81 nays, %.
1 nc uilt Ndsttucu paSsCu- yNAS' ~, h"J't
22-as followst
Teas--siessh. Blair, Bowen, Cameron,
Chandler, CulIom. Davis, Dolph, Farwell,
Faulkner, Frye, Hale, Hawley, Hoar, kenna,
Mitchell, Palmer, sabin, Sawyer, spooner,
Stewart, Stockbridge, Teller. Turpie, Voor-
hees, and Wilson OF Iowa-25.
Nays Messrs. Bate, Beck, Berry, Blod-
gett, Brown, Butler. Call, Cockreii, Coke,
George Gibson, GRAY. Hampton, Hearst,
Jones OF Arkansas. McPherson, Pasco,
Pngh, Reagan. Vance, Vest, and Wsithall-
22.
The first section provides that whoever,
as aborer, workman, or mechanic, has been
employed by or on behalf OF the Govern
meat OF the United States since Dune %,
1868 (date OF act constituting eight hours y
days work., whether engaged at price per
day or on piece-work or tssk-work. shall be
paid for each eight hours he has been en-
pcyed AZ for a full days work, without any
reduction OF pay on account OF the redrc-
ton OF the hours OF labor.
The epe0pd <ecfioD proyldez that all claims