The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-17
THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS.
Memorials Presented and Other Routine
business Transacted in the Senate.

THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS-.
Memorials Presented and Other Routine
Business Transacted in the Senate.
WASHINGTON, Jan 16.-Mr. Blair presented
memorial and resolutions of the General As
sembly of the knights of. Labor in favor OF an
investigation into the management of the Bureau
OF Engraving and Printing, and for such legisla-
ton as will prevent the debasement of currency
notes. etc. and also for an investigation IS to
the present method of supplying postage stamps
etc. He asked that the memorial covering
twelve sheets Of type-writingl be printed in the
Record, but as Mr.. Harris objected, he proceeded
TO state the chief allegations contained in it.
The following bills were reported from COM
mittees and placed on the calendar:
House bill relating TO permissible marks,
printed and written. second, third and fourth
class mail matter: Senate bill for the extension
and enlargement of the Kansas City custom
house.
Among the bills introduced and referred were
the following:
By Mr.. Chandler: To alter the regulations
enacted by the South Carolina LEGISLATURE in re-
gard to election of Representatives in Congress.
By Mr.. Sherman lat request of colored
clergyman in North Carolina): Creating COM
mission to inquire into and report on the mate
rial. industrial and mental progress of the col
ored race since 1865.
AS soon as the morning business was all dis
hluQIeDerger
and moved that the Senate proceed to executive
business, and the motion was agreed to without
a division.
The Senate devoted three hours and a half to
executive business and then adjourned
Proceedings of the House.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-Mr. McMillin, of Ten
nessee, from the committee on merchant
marine and fisheries reported the Dngley reso-
luton calling for information relative to dis
elimination in tolls against American vessels
passing through the WeIland canal.
Mr.. Dingley, of Maine, said that the offering
of the resolution had excited some comment
In Canadian dispatch to Boston paper a
sem-oficial denial is given that any discrimina-
ton against American vessels was practiced
In this denial, said Mr.. Dingey, it was
admitted that vessels passing through
the Welland canal bound for Mont
real and foreign ports were permitted to
for the lake ports were charged a toll of twenty
cents a ton. 1t was admitted, ALSO that this
discrimination was made for the purpose of en-
couraglng the expectation OF grain by way or
Montreal; but Canadian officials claim that such
discrimination was not in violation of treaty
rights. 1t was asserted that so long as the
Canadian government did not discriminate
against American vessels as such, but only
against American ports, there such viola
tion. This ground Mr.. Dingley contended to be
untenable. He had offered the resolution in the
hope that at an early day the President would
call the attention of the British authorities to
this discrimination in violation of the treaty,
and in order that Congress mightbe informed of
the facts and take such action it might con-
slider advisable. The resolution was adopted.
Mr.. Richardson, of Tennessee, chairman OF
the committee on printing, submitted the report
of that committee on the Grosvenor resolution
directing it to inquire into the cause of the de-
lay in supplying to members copies OF the Daily
Record. The report contains letter from the
Public Printer, stating that delay has only hap
pened upon two occasions, and in each case was
caused by failure of the clerks of the House
to furnish copy until late hour. There is also
a letter from the Clerk of the House stating
that this failure due to the immense num-
Der of private bills in troduced through the petit
ton box. Assurance is given by both these
gentlemen that there will he delay in the
future in the delivery of the Record.
Mr. Hopkins, OF Illinois. moved to recommit
the report, with instructions to the committee
to extend its inquiry to the delay in the printing
of bills and other public documents.
Mr.. Springer, of Illinois. defended the Public
Printer and asserted If there was any delay III
the printing of bills 1t was due entirely TO ths
large mum Der of measures introduced. 8e9
Mr. Grosvenor, of Ohio, criticised the print
ing Office for the hardness with which the print
ing required by CONGRESS was furnished.
Mr.. Rogers, of Arkansas. regarded this c1asfes
cism part and parcel of the arraignment of
the Democratic party before 1T came into power.
Before the election the country was going TO the
..demnition bow-wows," If the Democrats were
successful But they had waeged along through
a couple of years without any serious COM
plants having been made The treasury
had not been raideG; the soldiers
had been taken of; the public
debt was being paid off. and the country seemed
to be SAFE But there was always somebody to
complain of something. IF gentlemen desired to
investigate the acts Of any public officer they
ought to ask for the investigation in manly
way.
Mr. Grosvener inquired of Mr. Springer
whether there was any truth in the remark that
he had heard that at the request of certain mem
bers the Public Printer had printed their bills
out of the regular order.
Mr.. Springer denied having any information
on the subject.
Mr.. Cox, of New York thought that the
House and its committees were largely RESPONSE
BILE for the delay in printing During the last
fiscal year the Public Printer had disposed Ola
large amount of printing ordered by previous
Con resses-most of it improvldent IS
Mr.. Henderson, of Illinois, referred to the fact
that the engineers reports were not yet printed,
and charged it either to the inefficiency of the
Public Printer or to a failure on the part of the
engineers Office to furnish the reports
Mr.. Blanchard, OF Louisiana. stated that the
delay in the printing of these reports was due to
the fact that they had not been received at the
printing Office at as early day as they should
have been.
Mr. McMillin, of Tennessee declared that it
was the custom of the Public Printer to print
bills in the regular order of their introduction.
He thought that Congress was to blame for the
delay of the printing office, because it ordered
the printing of quantities of stuff which none
but crank would write and none but fool
would read.
Mr.. Grosvenor, referring to Mr.. Rogers's re-
marks, suggested that that gentleman did not
agree with the statement made to the House
on the second day of the session, that there was
hanging the country portentous cloud
about to break in thunder-storms and earth
cakes of commercial disaster and cyclones of
ruin.
Mr.. Hopkinss motion was then defeated.
yeas 1876, nays 140-the report of the committee
on printing agreed to. and the committee dis
charged from further consideration of the sub
ject.
On motion of Mr.. Richardson, a resolution
was adopted directing the committee on print
ing to inquire what amount of de ayed work
ordered by former laws remains at the printing
office and if it is found that the work is not
worth carrying out, to report bill repeating
such former laws.
Mr.. Shaw. of Maryland chairman of the COM
mittee on accounts, reported a resolution assign
ing clerks to all the COMMITTEES of the House.