, 1888-10-11

morrow morning move to take up the bill
for consideration.
The resolution for an inquiry into the
assassination of Joseph Hoffman, a Wit
ness before the committee on privileges
aud elections Investigation into the poit
icL Disturbances ut Brenham, Texas, was
adopted.
lhe resolution offered yesterday by
Blair, calling ON the president for infor
nation in the matter of the trial. convic
tiOu and execution of Riel for high treason
| ia Canada in 1885, was taken up and q
long statement iu reference TO IL was
made by Blair. VINO based the resolution
on the ground that Riel wns n naturali1ed
American citizen, 1t was referred TO the
committee ON foreign relations.
The resolution heretofore offered by
Stewart, directing the committee on
mines and mining, to inquire and report
as to the number or aliens and foreign
| companies and corporations owning and
working miaes in territories, was adopted.
| Adjourned,
| WAsmNGrON, Oct. 0.-raylor of OHIO
| gave notice that he would raise the point
| of no quorum during the rest OF the ses-
| sion whenever II was possible, except on
| appropriation and pension bills, Mr..
| Burns of Missouri obtained unanimous
| consent To report from the committee on
| appropriations a bill appropriating sou
| 900 tor the enforcement of the Chinese
| exclusion act. ID was passed without de-
| bate. When the senate bill appToprlating
| St5 900 to secure 10 Cherokee and Freed.
| man their portion OF certain proceeds OF
lands under the act of Mhrch 3, lSs3.
came up, Mr.. kiigOrc of Texas intinated
\ that he would raise the point OF no quo
| rum on the bill. ~ will 20 further he
| s.,I sttI.u,t tlan FlpuNun from lHiO and
| declare that nothing ought to pass except
| the appropriation bills aud resolutions to
adjourn sine die" While several mem
| brrs we're aboring with bin to forego his
| intended motion the bill passed. The
| conferences reported on the bill to allow
| persons who have rclinquished homestead
entries to make another entry; also passed.
The senate bill passed to supplement to
| the act of February 3, 1857, providing for
the meeting OF presidential electors, etc.
| Ii provides that certificates sball be for
| wurded to the president OF the senate
| forthwith after the second Monday in
| January. Mr.. Barnes OF Missouri sub.
milted the conference report on the gen
erIl deficiency appropriation bill. Me-
krnnl Of California hoped that the
report would be rejected, placing his an.
talonlsm to 1t on the ground that the blll
contained an appropriation of S2I6,OOO
Tor Chinese indemnity. The bill made the
aFPEnV iatinu toe, "llimann 3 .-A-'~"1-'
lhe calendars OF the house were groan-
ing with bills which should be passed for
humane reasons and for reasons belitting
national honor. II justice we're TO be
done il should be done first at home.
On motion the house bill as to the
counting OF presidential votes was passed.
II directs that certificates ana lists OF
votes for president and Vice-presi-
l. e I H. Fp,t.str,ia, ~,
the president OF the senate forthwith after
the second Monday in January on which
the electors shall give them the votes, and
that section / II OF the revised statutes of
the United States are hereby amended so as
To read, as follows; "Whcneyer the Certit-
Gates of the votes from any state, which
have not been received at the seat OF gov.
erument Ousi ne fourth Monday OF the
month of January IN which their meeting
shall be held, the secretary Of the state
shall send special messenger to the dis
tfict Judge in which the custody of one of
the certificates of votes from that state
have been lodgeu and such judge shall
forthwith transmit that list to the seat of
government
lied the presidents message, nC-
companyiu0 his approval of the
Chinese exclusion bill, as an apology
to the Chinese for the government in APP
proving il. Burns said that the state
department was tinally of the opinion that
INSTRUMENTATION OF S276 900 should be
made as an evidence of Willingness of the
government to pay for the damages per-
petrated on the ciiizans of foreign coun.
try. On an agreement TO the report the
vote stood "a to3 and DauVherty of Flori'
da raised the point OF no q1Orum aud the
house adjourned.
WAsuNGroS, oct. 9.-..In the supreme
court to-day Judge Thurman opened the
argument on behalf OF the United States
in the case of the Government vs.. the
Bell Telephone Company. Thurman
placed his cane on the table and drawing
from his pocket the familiar old ban.
danna and snutT-bOx, he placed the latter
on the table IN front OF him and began his
argument His voice was low and husky
Mt first. but soon gathered strength and
remained clear and strong at the close OF
his forty-minute speech, His manner OF
speaking was plain and simple and direct
and in his choice OF words he used tue
homely Anglo'Saxon, as Intelligent to the
lmty present "a to the learned Justices
themselves. Standing erect and facing
the court. his right hand holding his eye
glass and his left in the pocket OF his
trousers, he spoke slowly aud distinctly
and with the absence of oratorical Hour
ishes. lie closed his argument at ten
minutes past and left the courtroom
few minutes later. After that JEFF Chand'
Ter began his speech.
The telephone case under argument to-
day grows out of suit brought 10y acting
Attorney General jerks in the circuit
court Of the United States for the district
of Massachusetts,, to have cancelled two
patents granted TO Alex Graham Bell as
inventor of the telephone. on the ground
that the patents were obtained by fraud.
The Bell company entered demurrer in
this suit in which they maintained, among
other things, that in the absence OF any
specific statute ne United States had no
power 10 maintain the bill in equity TO can
Gel the patent for an invention. The circuit
court held that this point was well taken,
but furthermore ruled that even were the
court not to 90 to this extreme length, the
demurrer must be sustained on the ground
that the main questions raised against
the validity of Bells patents could be ad-
yanced in an infringement suit, and that
the attorney.genera could not bring suit
to cancel the patent on the grounds
which constitute the defense on
tho infringement suit. The case
comes to the supreme court
on an appeal from this decision. :.
Judge Thurman, in his argument, said
that the Bell Company conceded the con-
stitutional right of the government to
enact the statute giving the attorney
general power 10 bring suit to cancel a
patent, but maintained that in the alb
sence Of such u statute the attorney gen
ernl had no such power. Judge Thurman
asserted that the constitution gave ample
| a,thotit,, for tho hrinyi no of the suit. and