The Portland daily press., 1888-02-10
Lth CONCRESS--.FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 9.
The House bill to allow United States
patents to be signed by one of the assistant
secretaries of the interior, under the direc-
tion of the Secretary, was passed.
On motion of Senator Pasco the Senate
bill appropriating $4,000 additional for a
public building at Pensacola was taken up
Senator Hale spoke in severe condemnation
of the general practice of disregarding the
limitations put by Congress on the cost OF
public buildings and said the evil ought to be
investigated. Otherwise, Congress migat as
well fix no limits hereafter, and might as
well declare that public building should be
erected at certain place. and leave the rest
to the sweet will of the department.
Senator Vest said the committee was now
wrestling with the question and hoped to
report general bill on the subject and get
rid of all log rolling. He illustrated the sys-
tenn by imagining the Senator from Maine
who desired public building in his State,
coming to the committee on public buildings
and saying he was very much interested in
the question, and liberty would lie bleeding
in the streets if the building was not con-
structed.
Senator Hale said he was greatly pleased
with the imaginative sketch presented by
the Senator from Missouri, but he did not
want to go on record as an imposition ask
ing the committee to increase an appro-
priation for public building in Maine.
An ample appropriation had been made for O
large and suitable building iu Augusta, YET
there was now an estimate in the urgent defc-
iency bill for that building for the sum OF
S350O0, which surprised him. He did not
think such an estimate should have been
sent to Congress, and was not in the posi-
tion of urging the Senator from Missouri to
yield his virtue as member of the commit
tee on public buildings and grounds.
Senator Dawes related his experience in
regard to public buildings, mentioning the
case of the st. Louis post office where the
original limitation was 100000 and
the actual cost $3,000,000. Every
man connected with such increases Of ex-
penditure should be indicted. Until somebody
was indicated and made to realize that the
law was made to be obeyed by officials, the
evil would not cease.
The discussion was further continued by
Senators Stewart, Vest Hale, Morrill, Voor-
hees and Plumb. The Pensacola bill finally
passed.
The Senate at 4.4o proceeded to executive
business and at 8 adjourned till Monday.
HOUSE.
The House passed the bill to discontinue
the coinage of the three cent piece, also the
bill amending the laws regulating fees for
exemplifcations of land patents. The next
bill on the calendar was that requiring sub
separate telegraph lines. A majority of the
committee ON post offices believed the bill
would compel the Western Union to conduct
its business without discrimination.
Mr.. Dockery of Missouri, said, had the
pending bill been law last summer, the alb
sorption of the Baltimore & Ohio telegraph
by the Western Union would not have been
possible. One of the most pressing ques-
tions before Congress was hedging and re-
the Western Union.
Mr.. Anderson of Kansas, author of the
bill vigorously supported it. He said the
railroads had bartered away their franchises
by entering into contract with the Western
Union, by which they gave the Western I'm
ion an absolute monopoly over the western
half of the continent Through the genius
of the most INSCRIPTIONS pirate of the
country Jayhawk Gould, a monopoly had
been created. The pending bill was simply
a proposition to interject little bit of Gods
burning Justice between the people and Jay
GoulQ. lne people Oh Tie country were
pray ing for relief from 7the soulless, merci-
less grind of the most extravagant, enor-
nous, inscriptions and piratical set of in
corporated scoundrels on the continent. The
bill was a square blow between the eyes for
Gould, the Western Union monopoly and
each of the Pacific railroad companies, say
ing to them, Gentlemen, there is power In
wealth, power in combination, power in
monopoly, but there is more power in the
arm of the American people. You shall
obey the laws"
Mr.. White of New York opposed the bill
as impolitic and unconstitutional. The mat
ter then went over; the discussion will prob
ably be resumed Saturday. The House al
440 adjourned.