Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-23
Opposition to Amendments to
the River and HarbOr
Bill.
Discussion Of the Bill Providing a Depart.
ment Of Labor PrecedeS Several
Important Questions.
Proceedings OF Both Houses OF Congress
on Tuesday.
W A-HINt
Senate.

the public building at Bar Harbor, was pass
ed.
After transacting routine business the SEN
ate at |. 40 proceeded to the consideration of
executive business
| The doors were reopened at o'clock when
the Senate proceeded to the consideration of
unfinished business, being the House bill to
establish department of labor Reagan ad-
dressed the Senate in opposition and said it
was mere tub thrown to "A laboring whale.
When labor asked for bread, he would not
consent to give it stone the pending bill
proposed. He moved as substitute, a bill
creating department of industry. On
vote on the substitute there were yeas and
y nays, less than quorum, and Reagan
withdrew his substitute.
Various amendments to the bill (prinei-
pally corrections in phraseology) offered by
| Edmunds, were agreed to- Then the bill
passed and a conference committee consist
| ing of Senators Blair, Wilson and George
were appointed, The bill provides for
| Department of Labor, the general design
and duties of which shall be to acquire and
difuse among the people of the United
States useful information connected with the
subject of Labor IN the most general, compre-
hensive sense of the word. especially upon
its relation to capital, hours of labor, earn
| ings, labOring men and women, and means
promoting their material, social, intellectual
and moral prosperity. Its personnel is to
consist of "A Commissioner to be appointed
by the President by, and with the advise and
consent of the Senate to hold office for four
years, to receive salary of 5000 chief
stenographer, various minor clerks, copyists
and messengers.
After passing IA number of bills including
one to increase the appropriation for militia
arms and equipments to 200. The SEN
ate adjourned.
House.
The floor was accorded to the committee
on labor and Mr.. O'Nell of Missouri chair
man of that committee, called up the bill
to confine the sale of the products of convict |
labor to the state in which they are produced |
Majority and minority reports were read at
length and the hour was thus consumed. Mr. |
Mr.. O'Neill explained that the measure orig |
mated in visit to this city of manufacturers
from New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City, |
and other cities who appeared before the
committee and pictured the absolute ruin |
that stared them in the face from competi- |
tton of convict labor
Mr. Plumb of Illinois opposed the bill on
the ground that it was unconstitutional.
Mr. Raynor of Maryland, contended that
the bill was constitutional under the provis |
ion giving Congress the right to regulate
commerce between States.
Mr. Butterworth of Ohio. said this was the /
first time that he had ever known monopoly /
to join hands with labor to make the crimi- |
nails of the country gentlemen of elegant
leisure. There was no evidence that any
industry had been stricken down by compe- |
tition with convict labor.
Mr.. Wilson of Minnesota, and Mr.. Adams |
of Illinois, argued against the bill on consti- /
tutional grounds.
Mr.. Cannon of Illinois, unwilling that
the bill should be passed unless there was
provision Incorporated prohibiting the impor
tation of foreign goods manufactured by con !
vict labor.
Mr.. Cultivate of Ohio, was opposed to
Congress interfering with the domestic af |
fairs of States.
Mr.. Blount of Georgia, opposed the bill /
taking the ground that Congress hal no right |
to go into the several States and destroy the
system adopted under the police power to
suppress crime.
Mr.. Butterworth of Ohio, urged Mr.. /
O'Neill to postpone the consideration of the /
bill to another fixed date, to afford an oppor-
tunity for mature consideration and the cor |
rection of crudities.
Mr.. Reed of Maine, seconded the request /
Mr. O'Neill asked the consent of the |
House to postpone the bill until next Satur- |
day
An objection was made by Mr.. Lodge of
Massachusetts, who addressed the House in /
support of the bill. He said that the bill !
was not unconstitutional, nor did it seek to
enforce life long illeness upon conyicts.
Caruth of Kentucky held that the courts /
should be allowed to decide the point of un-
constitutionality.
Bound of Pennsylvania regarded the meas |
ure as for protection to the honest, labor
ing man. Cannon of Illinois Offered an |
amendment prohibiting the importation of
goods manufactured by convict labor Ad- |
opted. The previous question was then
ordered by a vote of yeas, lS7, nays, A. |
On the engrossment and third reading of the !
bill the House adjourned.
General Congressional News
The democratic members of the House |
committee on rivers and harbors are dis |
mayed by the changes made in the bill by
the Senate committee and express their in
tention to vigorously oppose most of those of
| importance. 1t is asserted that the New
England appropriations in many cases were
increased even beyond the estimates of the
engineer and officers and those submitted by
81. Il. fhn tl,.r,