Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-21
Fiftieth congress--First Session.
WAs11seros. Feb. 20.

 SENATE.-Mr. Blair presented number oi l petitions from the Woman's Christian Tenn perance union in favor of prohibition and fol the better protection of women. In oonneo ticn with the latter petition he said the peti 1 tion had been circulated throughout the country by direction of the national conven- tlon of the Woman's Christian Temperance union aided by the Knights of Labor and that these two great organizations were acting in unison for the promotion of that great object. The civilization of the present day seemed to have developed crime almost unknown in the annals of the race, so that the crimes against girls and young women Especially in had ever been perpetrated against the women of Cireassia. He believed, in fact he knew, that the appeal thus made to Congress in favor of the womanheed of the country would not be in vain. He asked that the memorial and bill which he had prepared on the same subject be referred to the judiciary commit tee; so ordered.
 Among the bills introduced and referred were the following: By MT. Hoar, in aid of the erection of monument to the memory Of General Joseph Warren. who fell at Bun ker Hill. By Mir. Chandler, to make the commissioner of fish and fisheries an officer Of the Navy department.
 MT. Platt offered a resolution, which was agreed to, directing the Secretary of War to report information concerning the utility of a breakwater at the mouth of. the Housatonic river, Conn.
 The bill granting pensions to ex-soldiers and sailors who are incapacitated from the performance of manual labor and providing for pensions to dependent relatives of de- ceased soldiers and sailors was made the spe- cial order for tomorrow.
 The bill to incorporate the Washington Cable Electric Railway company of the Dis trict of Columbia was taken from the calen- dar for consideration and when an amend ment, reported by the committee, requiring the rails to be of American manufacture had been reached, MT. Edmunds suggested that that was in opposition to the Presidents mes sage and at variance with all the principles of the administration. It was also opposed by MT. Vance as unusual in bill of this character and altogether absurd
 MT. Edmunds, in order to have the votes of the Senators placed on record on this in direct tariff question, demanded the yeas and nays. The vote was taken and the amend ment was adopted-yeas 25, nays 17-as fol- lows:
 Yeas-Blair, Bowen, Brown, Chase Chandler, Hiscock, Hoar, Manderson, Mitchell, MorriiI Pad. dock, Palmer. Platt, Plumb, Riddleberger Spooner,
 NaysNBate, Blackburn Calf, Coke, Daniels, Eus- tis, George, Gibson Hampton. Harris Hearst, ,Pugh 1T
 Among the pairs announced were the fol- lowing: Cullom with Gray, Evarts with Nor gan, Hale with Beck.
 The half completed bill was then laid aside informally.
 The Senate at p. m. went into secret ses- sion and at 5:s0 adjourned.
 HoUsE.-Among the executive communi- cations laid before the House this morning by the Speaker was one from the Secretary of War in response to the Boutelle battle-fiag resolution. It was referred to the committee on military affairs.
 MT. Cu1bertsen of Texas, on behalf of the committee on judiciary moved to suspend the rules and place upon it's passage the Hoar joint resolution proposing a censtitu- tional amendment changing the date of inau- guration day and extending the terms of members of Congress until April 30.
 MT. Collins of Massachusetts supported the measure, the practical effect of which, he said, would be to extend the short session into long one in which the necessary busi- ness of the country could be transacted. It was important that the proposition should be acted upon immediately, as many of the month hence, and it was desirable that the next President should take his seat on the same day of the year as that On which George Washington assumed the presidency.
 MT. Grain, of Texas, opposed the resolu- tion He did not object to changing inaugu ration day, although he thought that sentf- mental reason was a poor one for changing the law of the land. The extension of the term of Congress, however, would have no effect in remedying the evils of which the people complained. The principal evil was that a representative in Congress did not take his seat until thirteen months after his election when the issue upon which he made his canvass might have been completely set- tied. Then the election came in the middle of a congressional term and member was called upon either to remain at his post of duty and have himself undermined at home or abandon his post of duty and go before his people to defend himself against the attacks of others who desired his position. He called attention to the joint resolution of which he is the author providing that the term of Congress shall begin January and end December 31, declaring that it would remedy the evil and that the member elected to the House in November would be enabled to enter upon the Guties of his office within sixty days.
 After further debate the motion to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution was lost-yeas 129, nays 128-not the necessary two-thirds in the affirmative, and the House then at 3:50 adjourned.
 The Flags Captured in the Rebellion.
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.-The Speaker laid