The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-12
THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS.
Celebrity with Which Some Sorts of Claims
Are Pushed Through the senate.


Cured in and q conference was ordered.
Mr.. Sherman, from the committee on finance.
reported the Senate bill to declare unlawful
trusts and combinations in restraint of trade
and production. Placed on the calendar.
The House bill for the allowance Of certain
claims reported by the accounting officers of the
Treasury known as the 4th-of-J July claims) was
taken from the calendar and passed. The bill
applies to some six hundred claims, ranging In
amount between few dollars aud few hun.
dred dollars, the claimants being residents OF
the States of Tennessee, Kentucky, West Ntr-
eins, Missouri, Indiana, Maryland and Kan
sas. The only large items were two OF $50, 9b0
each, for John Reynolds and the representa-
tives OF James Reynolds, Of Mississippi, and
these were inserted as an amendment.
Mr.. Blair made q formal motion to reconsider
the vote passing the bill, and commented in a
eatirlcal manner upon the rapidity with when
CSC claims amounting to s1S0,00O) had been
passed by the Senate, occupying only fifteen
minutes by the clock He alluded to it as an
instance of 'nefarious disregard of duty on the
part of Congress" which had been properly stg-
matized by another department of the govern
ment
The amount appropriated was perhaps four
times the amount saved to the country by the
vetong OF private pension bills. Why should
not the President look into the matter ana veto
a bill by which three four times as much
money would be taken out of the treasury AS
would have been taken by the pension bills
which had been, as some thought, "brutally We
toed" by the PRESIDENT
Mr.. Vest suggested that there were none of the
items in the bill duplicates as had been the case
with several of the vetoed pension bills.
Mr.. Blair rstorted on Mr.. Vest and tbe COM
mittee of commerce tof which Mr.. Vest Ii a mem
berl by reminding him of the $4,000 approprla-
ton for the Improvement OF an Eastern hafoor
which had gone into the statutes as an anpraprl-
alton for twenty-five millions, and bad escaped
the criticism OF the committee on cominerce,
the two houses and the President. o.
Mr. Payne demonstrated against the applica-
ton of the word brutal TO the Presidents ve-
toes.
Mr.. Blair explained that he had only said that
some people had styled those vetoes brutal,
but he would withdraw that word lest his re-
mark might be regarded as an indirect indorse-'
ment of il. He had only desired, he said, to
call attention to the noDsensical and abusive
talk OIL the vetoes in the remarks OF Democratic
Senators, and in the comments OK the press,
and to show that such talk ought to be stopped
and spologized for. oq
Mr.. Cockrell said ne was glad that the night
mare had seized the Senator from New Hamp-
shire IN the day time. and not an his sleeping
moments. Referring to Mr.. Bair's allusiens TO
che President, Mr. Cockrell said: 1.-The Presi-
dent stands far above the reach of such mali
cious thrusts, beyond the reach OF such enven-
omed arrows. They fall harmless at his feet. |
will bid the Senator from New Hampshire aud
his colleagues go on, lay on. gnaw the fils to
vour hearts content The President can stand
it. The people will understand it, and will
know and appreciate the motives which inspire
such oh argos and such attacks"
DIR. Blair-The Senate or the House of Repre-
ssntatves is not in the condition OF aggresser In
dealing with these pension bills. The erisi-
cisms-the insulting criticisms-oegan with the
executive. and whom there is little disposition
to resent the impairment. and insulting, and
wholly unprecedented method of dealing with
the legislative department of the government,
and when such resentment begins 70 hurt, the
Senator from Missouri and his coadjutors and
spologists lie down and whine under IL
Mr.. Cockrel, in tone OF amazement-Lie
down aud whine under IL. Did not tell you
few minutes ago to LAY ONT
Nr. Rlair--Bus when there 10 a little "laying
on the Senator whines at il. 80
Mr. Cockreil-We are not complsing or whin-
log. say that the President has done right;
say that the insnuations that the Presidents
veto messages have been insulting, or brutal or
unjust. is without foundation. hurl back the
aspersion. But | am delighted to see you hurl-
ing such epithets OH the President II only
shows the desperation OF your position and Your
cause. when you can only benefit 1t by abuse,
and vilifca;ion. and eptbets, and making
mouths at the President That is what tire.
sults in. 81
Mr.. Harris inquired Of the chairman Of the
committee on claims as TO another OF these
claim bills passed by the House, many months
ago, and referred to that committee.
Mr.. Spoorer replied that the bill, il came
from the House. appropriated Sl55, 900, but
amendments had been offered TO il by Senators,
until now il aggregated S466, o00 The commit
tee on claims had referred the bill TO him. and
be had looked into several OF the claims In the
bill as passed upon by the Court of Claims. and
found that the findings of the court were not
sustained by the testimony. He could not re-
port such claims TO the Senate. He understood
that fourteen OF these omnibus bills had been
fAvorably reported in the House of Representa-
tives and were on the calendar, so that il be-
hooved the Senate and its committees to act
with great care such bills He had com
municatej with claimants who were ignorant of
the fact that their claims had been referred to
the court. the claim agents having. without their
knowledge, presented their cases and bad them
referred and then notified them of the fact, say
ing they would prosecute the claim for one-
fourth one-half of the amount recovered. He
had been somewhat surprised at receiving com
munications urging the passage of the bill be-
fore the committee, signed by persons whose
names did not appear In the bill, and he had
found the explanation OF il in a circular issued
by Washington claim agent, George a. King,
asking claimants to use their influence on Sem
ators to have the Oil passed, as . precedent
which would apply to their own cases lie de-
sired 20 say that such ''dragoonngr methods
must CONS TO an end because, unless otherwise
ordered by the Senate, he would proceed, as he
had been proceeding TO examine each case on
its merits, and If that examination were NOT fin-
ished until next session, the bill would not be
reported Gll next session. ras
The Senate then resumed consideration OF the
Chinese exclusion bill and was addressed by Mf.
Stewart in favor Of it
He was followed by Mr.. Teller, who criticised
the manner in which the Chinese exclusion bill
had been introduced into aud passed hurriedly
through the House of Representatives. 1t was
| open secret that the bill had originated in the
minds of persons not in the House. but outside
| of it. That matter had been adverted TO in the
| Senate, and had never been denied. lie would
| exonerste the Secretary Of State from any con-
nection with the transaction. But others had
| engaged in IT, officials non-oficials connected
with the political campaign, and the purpose for
which it was done had been plainly stated in
Democratic papers When the bill was pre-
sented in the Senate ne waited to hear the
| Senator from Alabama Mr. Morgsnl. move to
refer it to the committee on foreign re-
lations, and when that motion was not made,
| or if made was withdrawn, he himself had been
almost inclined, from proper regard for
| decency, TO make it, but he had thought that if
| the men who were supporting the administra.
ton did not do so, il WAS not for Senators from
the Pacific coast. who had been clamoriug for
sucn legislation, 10 make such a motion. He
had not been inclined TO fall into the pit pre-
pared by the Democratic party
The bill went over till tomorrow without
action.
Mr.. Plumb offered q resolution. which was
adopted, requesting the President to transmit 70
the Senate all correspondence or communica-
tons concerning the recent Chinese treaty be-
tween the State Department and our minister
to China. or any other representative or agent
of the United States in China or elsewhere
Adjourned.
PROCEEDINGS OF the House