The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-18
THE FIPTIETH CONGRESS.

1
THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS-
| The House Spends the Day in Vain Attempt
to Head off Mr.. Springer. of Illinois.
! WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE Blair educational
| bill was laid before the House, and referred to
the committee. education.
Mr.. Milliken, of Maine, said that the 7th
| inst. he had offered resolution directing the
| Secretary of tho Treasury to investigate the
sugar trust. in New York. The resolution had
been referred to the committee on manufactures.
but, yet, no report had been made upon it.
and he saw no prospect of such report being
made. He, therefore, moved that the committee
! be instructed to report back the resolution on
| Friday next Agreed to.
! The House then resumed consideration of the
urgency deficiency BILL the pending question be-
| ing up on the amendment (adOpted in committee
| of the whole upon motion of Mr. O'Nel, OF
| Missourl1 instructins the Public Printer to
enforce rigidly the provisions of the eight-hour
| law. The amendment was adopted-yeas l02,
| nays Sand the bill was passed
The Speaker stated the unfinished business to
be the bill coming over from last Friday for the
relief of Nathaniel Mckay and the executors of
| Donald Mckay. The bill was passsd-yeas 156,
| nays ~.
| Mr.. Stone. of Kentucky. moved to reconsider
and lay that motion on the table pending which
r.
| to the title. and upon this motion he took the
| floor in opposition to the bill
Mr. Steele-Is there no way to get rid of this
| speech of his2
| Mr. Steele. of Indiana wished to have the
amendment laid on the table. but the chairman
decided the gentleman from Illinois Mr..
| Springer was entitled to the floor.
| Mr. Springer the gentleman does not
intend to steal the floor from me Larghter
The chairman, in reply to Mr. Steele. said that
there was no way, within his knowledge, to eff
feet the result.
Mr.. Stone of Kentucky, raised the point of
order that he could not be taken off the floor
title.
The Speaker pro tenn. (Mr McMilien) said that
while the point might have been we'll taken if
it had been taken in time. it was too late to
raise it after the Debate had been progressing
for seventeen minutes
Mr.. Stone intmated his intention to appeal
from the decision but did not do so, being inf1u
enced by suggestion from Mr.. Reed. Of Maine,
that as the House had got rid of seventeen min
it might Be a IN point of sm
from Illinois to finish his speech.
Yes" interjected Mr.. Cox of New York.
s'let him work it Off"
Mr.. Springer argued against the bill, giving a
history of the accrulng of the claims of the Nc
Rays, and declaring that in various Congresses
adverse reports had been made upon the bill for
the relief of these naval contractors. and that
their claims had been examined thoroughly and
discovered to be without foundation in
law or equity. If it was right to grant re-
lief to the McKays. it was right to grant re-
lief to Secor and other contractors who had pre-
cisely similar claims-the total amount involved
being 81. TIA, 900. He quoted from speech by
Senator Grimes, of Iowa, upon bill for the re-
lief of one of these contractors in which that
gentlemen stated that if the claims against the
government which rested the same grounds
of equity the claims of the naval contractors
were paid the government would be called upon
to make an expenditure OF over $50. 100000
He appealed to the House not to pass this OBJ
noxious bill, which would be followed by others
still more obnoxious, some OF which were now
upon the calendar.
Mr.. Stone. of Kentucky. said that during his
experience in the House he had found several
gentlemen who expected to make reputation
with their constituents for the purpose of secur-
ing reelection. by producing an enormous ar
ray of figures whenever claim was presented
The gentleman from Illinois Mr.. Springerl had
sought to make it appear that tho House had
passed bill by which enormous frand would
be committed upon the government That
not true; there was not word of truth in it,
The purpose OF the gentlemans speech was to
delay the business of the House; and he had sue
ceeded in destroying another day that was al
lotted TO tho people who were poor and came to
Congress for relief The other days of the week
were taken up by tho House in attempt
discuss questions OF great national Importance,
which went down from one Congress to an
other and were never acted upon. because the
two wings of tho House did not flap together
Friday alone was devoted to private bills and
the gentleman had succeeded in consuming the
time and preventing the House from proceeding
to work upon the calendar.
Mr.. Cox. of New York, said that the gentle
man from Illinois had sought to convey the inn
preston that the Secor and other claims, which
were odious to the country, belonged to the
same category as the Mckay claim. That was
not correct Gentlemen were present to-day
and he mr.. Coxl was one of them, who had
voted all the way through against the Secor
claim, but he had never voted and he never
would vote to defeat claim against the
ernment when, in a contract for the construc-
ton of vessels. the government had changed the
plans and increased the cost to the contractors
That was the equity in the pending case. If he
were building house and changed the plan of
his parior basement, or attic-if he had one
like the gentleman from Illinois-he would not
expect the change to be made at the expense of
the builder. He would not be unconscionable
enough make the change and expect the
builder to pay for it. He would give the builder
uuid pro quo, which was Turkish for quantum
neruit.
Mr. Springers amendment to the title was re-
jected. and the motion to reconsider the vote
by which the bill passed was tabled-years, 154
nays, "a
Mr.. Steele, of Indiana, presented memorial
of the authorities of the city of Bluffton, Ind,
asking Congress to discontinue the practice of
passing appropriation bills for government
buildings. and instead thereof to pass general
appropriation bill providing for the erection of
post-ofice buildings in every town of 3, 900 in
habitants or over, the appropriation to be made
on the basis of inhabitants, say not less than
So 900 for each 900 inhabitants. The passage
of such bill. say the memoralists. would pre-
vent the present unjust discrimin alton against
the smaller cities; would save the governments
millions of dollars, and would result in the cree
ton of 1000 buildings at aggregate expendi-
ture not exceeding 500. 0O0, 600. The memorial
was referred.
Mr.. Rogers. of Arkansas, from the committee
on judiciary, reported the bill for the protection
of United States officials in the Indian Territory.
Referred to the committee of the whole.
Mr. Crisp. of Georgia. from the committee on
commerce. reported the bill extending for one
year from June 16. 1883. the time for the
petion of the bridge across Staten Island sound.
Placed on the calendar.
The House then proceeded to involve its elf in
a parliamentary tangle. Mr. Lanham of Texas.
with a view to securing tomorrow for consider
alton of private business, moved recess until
1I:30 Saturday.
MIR. Hooker. of Mississippi, called attention to
the fact that tomorrow was assigned to consd-
Grafton of business reported from the commit
tee on foreign affairs, and he moved an adjourn
ment