Morning journal and courier., 1888-05-23
Fiftieth eongress--First Session.

4 w ASHlNGTOH, MAY
| SENATE.-The doors were reopened at
O'Clock when the Senate proceeded to the
| consideration ct unfinished business,
| being the House bill to establish a depart
ment of labor, and Mr. Reagan addressed the
Senate in opposition. He moved a substi-
| tute bill creating department offndustry.
On a vote by yeas and nays on the sub
| stitute there were nine yeas and twenty -seven
nays Cess than quorum) and then Mr.. Rea-
gan withdrew the substitute.
Various amendments to the bill, principal
~ corrections in phraseology, were offered by
Mr.. Edmunds and agreed to. The bill was
then passed and conference committee Or
dered. and Senators Blair, Wilson of Indiana
and George were appointed conferees on the
part Of the Senate.
The bill provides for department of labor,
the general design and duties of which shall
be to acquire and diffuse among the people
of the United States useful Information on
subjects connected with labor in the most
general and comprehensive sense, and espe-
cially upon its relatiC n to capital, the hours
of labor, the earnings of labor, and the
means of promoting their material, social,
intellectual and moral prosperity. The per-
sonnet is to consist of a commissioner to be
appointed by the President, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, to hold
Office for four years and receive $1,000,
chief clerk, stenographer, various minor
clerks, eopyists and messengers.
After passing u number of bills including
one to increase the appropriations for militia
arms and equipments to 100000, the Senate
at 5:1O adjourned.
HoUsE-The floor was accorded to the
committee on labor, and Mr.. O'Neil1, chair
man of that committee, called up the bill to
confne the sale Of the products of convict Ia
Dor tos3he State in which they are produced.
Mr.. O'Neill explained that the measure origi-
&al ~ cit 10 oif Ofv
from New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City,
Philadelphia and other cities, who appeared
before the committee and pictured the abso-
lutte ruin that stared them in the face from
the competition of convict labor.
Mr. Plumb, member of the labor commit
tee, opposed the bill on the ground that it
was Unconstitutional and interfered with
Interstate commerce. He said that
the committee had not properly in
vestigated the subject before acting;
that it had not availed of the opinions and
experience of experts, but had based its ac-
ton upon petitions signed by manufacturers
who in many cases sold in this country the
products of English prisoners He held that
prison labor was necessary to the reformation
of convicts, as it prepared them to re enter
society equipped with useful trades.
Mr.. Rogers, of Arkansas, addressed himself
to the constitutional principles involved in
the measure, and argued that Congress had
uOI Iu0 power To lay du oHDaISO aAu peasS q
law which provided for non intercourse be-
tween the States of the Union.
Mr.. Raynor, of Maryland. commended that
the bill was constitutional under the proyis-
ion giving Congress the right to regulate
commerce between the States. The right to
prohibit provided that the prohibition was
uniform as to all the States.
Mr.. Butterworth, of Ohio, said that this
was the first time when in the name of labor
labor was outraged upon this floor. The main
hackers of this bill were not the laboring men.
This was the first time he had ever known
monopoly to join hands with labor in order
to make the criminals of the country gentle
men of elegant leisure. Some gentlemen
seemed to feel sympathy for the criminals;he
felt little anxious about the men who bore
the burden of caring for and supporting those
criminals.
Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, offered an amend
ment prohibiting the importation for COM
mercial purposes of all goods, wares-er mer-
chandise from any foreign country to the
United States which in whole or part was
manufactured or produced by convict labor
and prescribing penalties for the violation of
this prohibition. Adopted.
The previous question was ordered-yeas
IS, nays 44-on the engrossment and third
reading, and then the hour Of o'clock hav-
ing arrived the House adjourned.