The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1888-02-02
WHOLE NO. lSO
WASHINGTON NOTES.
New Bills introd ,ced---The Blair Bill
Diseussed---The President Signs
two Bills.

! eWS blAS.
From Our Regular orrespondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. /, 1883.
The first two bills passed by the
present Congress TO come laws are,
the act III efrrence to printing and
writing ON second, third and fourth.
class mail matter, and the one which
amends the law in relation to the
Commissioners of Fish and Fisheries
the President having approved both
during the part week. During the
period in que ton, Congress did little
Ut importance. The Senate passed
the bill To credit and pay to the sever.
al States aud Territories all moneys
collected under the direct tax act, ap.
proved Aug, s, 1861. But the great
work of the Senate during the past
week, was the confirmation Of Mr..
Lamar, despite the treacherous oppo.
sition Of the Republicans To that
brilliant and distinguished stateman.
The Elk Secretary passed through the
Inng contest unscAIhed, and he wears
his new and cr0wning honor with he.
coming moGesty and chsrtrristic
dignity. In accordance with custom,
the new Associate Justice was assign.
I'd seat ON the extreme left Of his
fellow justices.
The Senate had under consideration
the Blair bill, hut HI usual. reached no
conclusion. Messrs Blair and Reagan
had rather II heated dircussinn over
the third question. which the for.
NOR WAS decidedly worsted. Ex.Jus-
Iice OF the Supreme Court, S'r"nv, ex-
presses the opinion that he bill is
unconstitutional. Senator HnAr has
introduced service pension hill which
Is III" most radical measure If the
kind yet presented, providing az it
does that all officers and enlisted men
who served in the army, navy, or ma.
rine corps, including regulars and vol.
unteerS at any time during the late
civil War. shall be entitled Ia u pension
If one cent fnr each days service, in
addition Ia ary pension granted for
disability Thus, in face OF the fact
that $4,000 will be spent on pensions
his year, and the further fact, that
the House Committee calls fnr $780,.
WOOO0 more for the same purpose
next YER, Comment il unnecessary.
Both the Senate aud the House
have passed the bill appropriatng the
>um # $5S5,O00 tn establisha CIRCUIT
ural experiment stations as attach
ments To- the various agricultural col
lrges throughout the country.
Owing to the absence from sickness,
IT Speaker Carlisle, and MIR. Mills,
who has succeeded Mr.. Morrison rs
the Democratic leader Of the House,
the proceedings Of that body were less
interesting than usual the past week.
Half u day WAS consumed in obstruct-
ing consideration Of the bill intro.
duced by Mr.. Wilkins, Of Ohio, to in-
crease National bank circulation, and
the balance Of the same day was
devoted to speech making over the
acceptance Of pictures Of the three
Speakers Of the House furnished by
Massachusetts, whose counterfeit pre-.
sentiments have been added to the
historical portrait gallery that gracps
the south wing Of the Capitol. The
principal orators were W. 7. &. Breok-
inridge, Of Kentucky, and Ex-Gov.
Long. nj Massachusetts, and u great
crowd packed the floor and galleries
tn ear their eloquent uttprances,
Report has it that Assistant Score.
tary Muldrnw il to he made Commits
sioner Of the General Land Office.
This would be a pr motion in one
sense, hut not in another; the salary
is five hundred dollars lpsa than that
now received by the Secretry, bnt he
would have III advantage III disppn-
sing patronage. which he has not the
power to do in his present position,