The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-25
THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS.


| Pacific Railway Reports Referred to q Special
Commistee-The Immigration Question.
WASHINGTON. Jan. PA message from the
President, transmitting the first report of the
board Of control, as to the management of the
| industrial homes in Utah, was presented and
referred to the committee on Territories.
| Mr.. Voorhees, introduced bills for the forma-
| ton and admission of the State of Montana
| Referred.
Mr.. Hoar called up the motion made by Mr.
| Gormah. some time since, to reconsider the
vote by which the Senate had ordered a special
| committee on Pacific railroad matters He ex.
planned his motive in proposing special COM
mittee. The judiciary committee had had the
| subject under consideration for a great while
| and he should be the last Senator to question
| the capacity of that committee to deal with that
| or any other subject within its jurisdiction
| But it SO happened that it was a necessity
/ for that committee to deal with the subjects
before it without giving hearings to persons in
| terested. The pressure OF business upon il
precluded it's doing So But it was exceedingly
important that legislation this subject which
| involved dealing with amounts and figures and
the ascertain ment of what was within thu
| power of the companies to do the one side
| and what would be the most absolute security
| for the government on the other, should be con-
sidered by committee that could have before
it the representatives of the companies and the
officers of the government. The subject had
been comm tilted by Congress to special COM
mission; it had been made the object of special
executive message, and it therefore seemed
eminentlv proper that it should be referred TO a
special committee.
Mr.. German said that when he made the mo.
tion to reconsider, it simply under the gen.
eral impression that subject of such magni-
tude had better be considered by a standing
committee of the body. But for the reason
stated by the Senator from Massachusetts, and
for other reasons which had come to his knovr!-
edge. he now thought that the best disposition
of the question would be to refer it to a select
committee. He suggested however, that the
committee should consist of seven members.
Mr.. Hoar said be had objection to the pro-
posed modification.
Mr.. Edmunds said that, as chairman of the
judiciary committee, he would be exceedingly
eratfed to have that committee relieved of the
amount OF labor which had been hitherto neces-
sary in the consideration of this subject
After further discussion motion to refer the
matter to the railroad committee, made by Mr.
Davis, was rejected. The original resolution
was modified by increasing the membership of
the select committee TO seven, and it was then
adopted-yeas 81. nays Is.
The bill to authorize the construction Of rail-
road wagon and foot passenger bridge across
passed
Mr.. Palmer addressed the Senate on the sub.
9ect OF the bull introduced by him on the 18th
instant to regulate immigration. He disclairned
any intention TO prevent any capable honest
Industrious, law-a abiding person from seeking a
home on american soil If it was desired that
the American workineman should retain his
superiority over the under-paid laborer Of
Europe, such obstacles would hava To ba in+Ar
posed from time to time as would deter the in
fux OF those who would degrade American labor |
by undue competition. Much had been done |
for the United States and for American laborers |
and artisans by the duties imposed foreign |
manufactured goods, but that very process had |
stimulated immigration. and that immigration,
although in the main benefcent, now threat |
ened, if continued without selection, to agra |
vate existing evils and TO lower the standard OF |
the American people by lowering the wages of |
those who toied; so that it was absolutely es-
sential to scrutinize with care, not only the ex-
listing factors, but thoze which were being con-
stantly injected the national life. The initial
step had been taken IN excluding race not |
HOMOGENEOUS; and was it not advisable to select
the most desirable from the Aryan races in
stead of welcoming the dregs with the wiael !