Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-22

, cal commercial relations between the
United States and Mexico, Genital aud
South America, and Brazil. Calendar.
Adjourned.
;iousc Of Representation.
On motion Of Mr.. Allen, OF Mississippi
nj. the Senate bill was passed appro.
priating $40, 900 for the construction Of o
road from Corintb, Miss, TO the National
cemetery near that place.
The House then went into Committee
OF the Whole on the bill referring 10 the
Court of Claims Tor adjustment the
accounts of labOrers. workmen. and
mechanics arising under the eight-hour
law.
Mr. Tillman, of South Carolina, re-
garled tho measure as an attack upon
the Treasury. lie had carefully con-
sidcred the question in 1884, and at that
time lie had estimated that the bill would
involve the expenditure of $4,000, 900.
He declared that whenever the labor bill
was brought into the House it stampeded
members as a hawk stampcded pigeons in
the dove-cotes. The most huuIililting
thing to him in connection with his con-
gressional labors was the way members
nluttered whenever any proposition came
up relating to labor. The pending pro-
position was one to give nan ten hours
pay for eight hours labor in order to
create an aristocraey of labor and to
give to claim agents - or 30 per cent. of
the amounts they might recover.
Mr.. Taulbee, of Kentucky, declared
that the House was utterly at sea as TO
the amount involved in the bill. He adj
mitted that the question of expenditure
did not enter into the equities of the
case, but it tended to impress upon
members the importance OF an inquiry
into the bill, and he maintained that the
language of the measure was a virtual
acknowledgment on the part Of the
/ trainers that there was no existing law,
equity, or good conscience upon which
these claims could be based.
Mr. Tarsney, of Michigan, earnestly
supported the bill. He stated that the
Committee on Labor had given careful
hearing to the mechanics and labOrers
who asked that which should never be
denied in any civilized country-tbe
right to 90 into the courts of their cOun-
try and havo their rights and the duties
of the Government defined and placed
on record. He then moved that the
committee rise, stating that the intention
was to let the bill go over until April
18th, in order that gentlemen who were
shooting at bird that they didn't zee
and that wasn't there might have an OPP
portunity to examine the record and be-
come better informed as TO the merits OF
the case than their speeches to-day indi
Gated them to be. The committee then
rose, and the bill went over.
Bills were passed to prevent the pro-
duct of convict labor from being fur
nished to or for use of any department
Of the Government, and FROM beng
used in public buildings or other public
works, and to prevent the employment
of alien labor on public buildings and
other public works, and in various de-
partments Of the Government.
The House then went into Committee
Of the Whole on the bill to establish a
department Of labor.
The provision for an assistant commits |
siOner OF labor was stricken out.
Mr.. Buchanan moved to strike ont the |
clause charging the commissioner TO as /
certain, whenever industrial changes I
shall make 1t essential, the cost OF pro- |
duciug articles at the time dutiable in |
the United States in leading countries /
where such articles are produced by fully /
specified units OF production and under
classification showing the different e,e-
ments OF cost or approximate cost of such
articles OF production.
Mr. Buchanan said that the commits
sioner would he unable to gather the in
formation with The force at his disposal.
and that if the force were increased suf-
ficcntly to enable him 70 do SO the eG
pense OF the department would become so
great that he feared Congress would re-
fuse to appropriate the money.
Mr. Mills regarded the clause which it
was proposed to strike ont as the most
important feature OF the bill. Ii II were
stricken ont there would be nothing left
in the bill. The people were told that
the wages of tho laborer on the
other side of the ocean were less
than those on this side. and that
the cost of production was less
in Elrope than in America. Who
knew whether that was true or
not? He wished the commissioner to
get the information from men thoroughly
equipped for work. Then, when Con-
gTess came to legislate upon the tariff
question, gentlemen would not be able
to deceive the people, who would he
able to see for themselves what was the
labor cost of production in European
countries. Let the gentlemen come up
to the scratch and have this matter in
vestigated Gentlemen should not tell
the people that the tariff was intended
for their benefit. Every line Of it was
intended for the benefit Of trusts.
Mr. Reed expressed wonder whether
the chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee. ii he got tue information,
would allow it to be read to the commit
tee.
Mr Buchanan's amendment was re-
iected.
Mr.. Randall offered an amendment to
extend the inquiry to the amount OF
wages paid in the various industries, ac-
his amendment with the re-
mark that Owe all stand on the question
of labor.
The amendment was adopted.
Mr.. Mills offered an amendment to in :
sert the words "per diem, weekly, or
after the word wages in {
Mr.. Randal's amendment.
The amendment was adopted. !
On motion of Mr. Mckinley, an !
was adopted adding to Mr.. c
Randalls amendment the words "and =
the hours employed per day"
The following amendments extending !
he scope of the inquiry were adopted:
BY Mr. Buchanan Whether any con- !
goods are imported into this :
country and whence.
BY Mr. Bland The profits Of the manu-
acturer and producer of dutiable arti- 4
lies. \
By Mr. Washington, of Tennessee: :
The comparative cost of living in this
and Europe. r
BY Mr. Milliken: And the kind OF !.
living. ,
Mr.. Browne, OF Indiana, offered an