Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-01-31
THE NATIONS
Senator Frye Wants to
Size up Canada.
The Public Printer to be Given
an Investigation.
Blair and Judge Strong Disagree on the
ConStitudOnality Of the For
mef'S Bill.
The President Orders that German Ships
Shall be Exempted from Ger
tain Port Charges.
Senate.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 80

Sena{e.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 80.
Sawyer from the post office committee, re
ported back adversely the proposition to re
duce letter postage to one cent.
Frye offered a resolution, which was adop
ted, calling on the secretary of the treasur,
for information touching the transportation
of goods across the boundary line between
the United States and Canada, in bond o
otherwise, and as to what methods were takel
to protect the revenue derived from bonde,
goods passing the frontier both ways, an,
especially to enforcing the second claus,
of the sixth section of the interstate com
merce law.
Frye also offered resolution instructin,
the committee on foreign relations TO hav,
prepared a statement embracing the follow
ing points: The various political organiza
tions in Canada and the several provinces
1 (ncluding Newtoundland) and the treatie
with the United States in regard to the Do
minion and the several provinces The com
mercial status established, and the amour
and value of the commerce and trade be
tween the United States and Canada; The
! amount and value of transit rate on good
not subject to duty the area and population
of the Dominion and provinces The amount
of funded floating debts and revenues; Tn,
railroads, showing the mileage, cost, spare
capital, funded and floating debts, and the
guarantees given them by Great Britain OF
the Dominion; Their canals, showing the size
/ of locks aud the cost of canals The number
of vessels navigating them and the averag,
number of days that they are nayigable; til,
dates (for a series of years. of the opening
and closing of navi CATION on the St. Law
renee The subsidies paid to steamship anc
railroad companies.
/ Mr. Frye said that the information callet
for was exceedingly important and valuable
and the necessity for it was apparent in view
of the fact that serious questions, CONNER
cial questions, are liable to arise at any tim,
between the United States and Canada.
! The resolution was laid over.
/ The Senate then took up the Blair educa
tional bill. Morgan addressed the Senate il
opposition to it.
After Morgan had finished, Evarts took
the floor and announced his. intention to SPEAK
upon the bill tomorrow.
! Blair referred to the statement in circula
ton through the press that ex-Justice Strong
of the supreme court, had declared himself
against the constltutionaity of the bill. ii,
had taken the pains to speak to Justice Strong
personally. Mr.. Strong had not spoken witt
the members of the supreme court on tht
subject and knew nothing whatever of theil
opinions about it. After lecture Judg,
Strong had told student that he doubted it,
constitutionality.
Edmunds offered a resolution which wa,
adopted, calling on the commissioner OF
agriculture for the reports made by Prof
Swenson on the subject of sugar making
At 4.20 the Senate proceeded to eXecutiv,
business, and at 5.20 adjourned.
House.
Barry of Mississippi from the committee
on elections, submitted the majority repor
on the LowryW hite Indiana contested elec
ton case, declaring the seat to be vacant
the minority report confirming Whites title
was presented by Rowell of Illinois. Boil
reports were ordered printed. Barry gave
notice that he would ask action upon then
Thursday.
The speaker pro TEN laid before the
House a letter from the public printer in re-
sponse to a resolution, calling on him for in.
formation relating TO discharges made by
him. The public printer makes a statement
justifying and explaining them, defending
his administration of his office, emphatically
denying the charge that the congressiona
work OF the Office was largely in arrears
He calls attention to the fact that during tn,
IS days of the fiftieth Congress, the printing
ordered by Congress had increased As pei
cent. over that ordered during similar perioC
of the 49th Congress; but states that the
work has been promptly handled with work
ing force of 800 less employees than were OF
the rolls of the office at the beginning of tn,
49th Congress.
| Cutcheon of Michigan said he was the au-
thor of the resolution to which the letter reat
was an answer. He had been impelled to draw
up the resolution by story of discharged
soldier, who, with 60 other employees wer,
discharged from the printing office in the
middle of the winter, without cause, and a.
times when the printing ordered by Congress
was greatly in arrears. The public printer
letter gave information about every thine
except what Congress wanted information
upon; he would like to know why the publ,
printer took the middle of January to turr
the workingmen and women into the streets
that he might put climax to the proceeding
of the House in refusing to investigate the
/ claims of the honest workIngmar
who was contesting a seat in the House.
/ Henderson of Iowa declared his utter dis
/ belief in the statement of the public printe
that there were more Unionsoldiers employe,
| in the printing office than ever before. II,
denounced the statement as false. He sal,
that the son of a widow of dead soldier, ,hat
been dropped from the rolls and that hi
( place had been filled from that great foun
| tain of democratic officials, Baltimore
! (laughter) by one of the nimble fingers o
/ the democratic leaders of Marylan III
/ further said that the daughter of the sam
4 hoe rrn
ury department about the same time. Th
1 gentlemen who discharged her told her sh,
had no recommendations, and yet her worl
was entirely satisfactory, but that the plac
was wanted for man who could help tn
Democratic party. Those two Children
the support of their mother wer
( left without means of support in the dead o
winter He stood there, he said, to proclaim
that it was not in the power of himself o
any republican representative of the peopl'
to secure the pettiest place in Washington
even to save widow and the children of
dead union soldier from starvation.
After further debate Cutcheon offered
resolution for the appointment of a specia
committee to investigate the present admins
tration of the printing Office.
Springer denied that there was anythin
partisan in the resolution, but wanted TO in
stitute comparison between the work of tn
printing office under the present administra
ton and that under the former public printer
The substitute offered by Springer wa
agreed to.
Springer of Illinois, offered as a substitut
resolution instructing the committee o.
printing, with the addition of two new mem
bers one from each side of the House, to il
vestigate the administration of the printin
Office during the incumbency of the preser
public printer and his predecessor
Reed of Maine suggested that the invest
CATION of the man who is dead could hardl
help the members to get their document
very quick He appealed to Springer not
make partisaHthing ont of the inquiry
Hatch, of Missouri. called up the bi
making provision for agricultural experimeI