Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-26
FIFTrErH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON. February 25, 1888.
Senate.
The Senate was not in session to-day.
House OF Representatives.

The Senate was not in session to-day.
House OF Representatives.
On motion OF Mr. Lanham, of Texas,
the bill was passed providing for an adj
ditional mode OF taking dispositions OF
witnesses in causes pending in the United
States court. 1t provides that it shall
be lawful to take dispositions in the
mode prescribed by the law of the State
In which the court is held.
Mr.. Yost, of Virginia, called up the
bill granting a pension OF $50 month,
with arrears from 1873, to Mary B.
Kirby, widow OF Major r. M. Kirby,
who died in 1912 from a disease con-
tracted in the Florida war.
On motion of Mr.. Mcmillan, OF Ten
nessee, the arrears feature was eliminated
from the bill, and Mr.. Struble. of Iowa,
moved to reduce the rate of pension 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 81 month from the time
of her husbands death had she made ap.
plication for it, and in justice the Gov
eminent owed her $40, 900. He trusted
that the amount of pension which it was
now proposed to grant her would not be
reduced.
The amendment was rejected and the
bill passed.
Mr.. Stewart, of Georgia, from the
Committee on the Judiciary, reported a
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. House calendar.
Also, adversely, for furnishing the pass
ing of Confederate money as genuine
United States obligations. Laid ON the
table.
Mr.. I. H. B. Browne, of Virginia,
from the Committee on Commerce, re-
ported bill to establish a quarantine
station at Cape Charles, Va. Committee
of the Whole.
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.
The floor was accorded, in Commit
tee of the Whole, to the Committee
on Public Buildings and Grounds. The
first bill called up was one appropria-
ting S75, 900 additional for the public
building at Chattanooga, Tenn.
Mr.. Bland renewed his opposition to
what he considered the loose method Of
dealing with the public buildings matter,
and finally offered an amendment pro-
viding that no public building shall here
after be constructed unless some one Of
the executive departments shall first GER
tify to Congress that no suitable accom-
mediation for the service of the Govern
ment can be obtained in the city or town
specified at a less rental than $1,000 a
year.
The amendment was ruled out of or
der and the bill was agreed TO.
Upon the next bill, appropriating
S250,000 for the purchase of site for
a public building at Buffalo, N. Y, Mr..
Blsnd took occasion to renew his at
tacks upon the tariff and to advocate a
reduction of the surplus by the pay
ment of the bonded debt. lie appealed
to the House to cease to waste money on
these public buildings and to come down
to the Democratic doctrine of economy
and reduction of taxation. He referred
to the Presidents message "a reference
which was received with applause on the
Democratic side), and as a Democrat
denounced every attempt to take the
peoples money from the Treasury by
the Blair educational bill, public build
ing measures, and other squandering
propositions.
Mr.. Dibble suggested that the gentle
man from Missouri (Bland), 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 quorum to vote
on every proposition.
Mr.. Cowes, Of North Carolina (wish-
ing to ask Mr.. Dibble a question:, the
announcement by the chairman that the
gentleman from North Carolina de-
sires to ask the gentleman from South
Carolina a question, gave rise to much
laughter, and charges were rung on the
character and spirit of the question to be
propounded.
The next bill was Senate bill appro-
priating Sl,2O0.00O for a building at
Omaha, Neb., with a proposed substi-
tute appropriating $500. 900 for the pur-
chase of the site, but making no appro-
priation for the building.
Mr.. Bland, by offering numerous
amendments, prevented vote being
taken on the bills, and the committee
having risen, the House, without action
on the bills reported, at 5:lO adjourned.