, 1889-01-03
CONGRESS- CONvENES
House and Senate Now Busily
at Work.
ACTION ON THE TARIFF BILL
In shs House There was IN Appropristion
wra.sls--rhs Prssidsns sabmits 3
The Chias sCorrssponasncs.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2--There was mors
ehaa quorum Of senators present this
0oeuipg.
Among the petitions and memorials pre-
sonted and referred was one By Edmunds.
fsom . branch Of the Wonlan's Relief
Board OF Bait Lake city, remoustrating n
aGuinss any action BY congress looking 70
Ne admission Of Utah - . state. Ed
nunds said be was happy to think there
was mot much danger. OF such action At this
session.
BIZ Hoar. to prohibit disfranchissmsnt
q account Of sex.
By Sherman. from the Boston board OF
trade for the suspension Of the purchase OF
silver bullion aud coinage OF silver dollars.
Hoar also introduced = resolu tion, v which
vas adopted, asking the president to
AyAnemit 70 congress- any correspondence
be has had with Great Britain concerning
the seal fisheries near Behring straits,
especially - to the SEIZURE Of any vessels
81 the United S.atea or other country. and
what regulations governing the fisheries
have been adopted BY this government.
Hoar said there bad been, and are still,
widespread complsints Of unjust discrim.
iuation made against American vessels,
take seals out at sea, which 10 perfectly
proper and right, NO interference Is made
With the operations of the vessels of other
countries, particularly those Of Great Brit
ain, and be wants to know why. The sem
ate then resumed consideration Of the tar.
IL bill.
Allison, going back to paragraph "a, as
10 chains, moved to amend it by reducing
the rate on cbains .'less than three-eiahts
Of one inch In diameter from 8 to 21f
cents per pound" He stated that this
was the rate under the existing law. The
amendment was agreed to without divis-
ion.
The bill was then taken up at the point
which had been left when last before the
senate. Schedule 1--"Cotton msnufact-
ures." the question being on the amend
mept offered by Vest to reduce the duty
on cotton thread, yarn, wraps, etc., wal
ned ut not txceeding 25 cents per pound,
from 10 cents per pound to 35 per cent. ad
valorem." Vest confessed bis objection
70 the high prots ctive tariff was the
enormous price which the people of the
West-the real pr0duceis-had to pay
under it. In order to increase the profits of
the New England manufacturers.
Stewart said be found the tariff ques-
tion 90 intimately connected with the
question Of mouey that he was unable to
seperate the two. He thereupon proceeded
eoinsgs.
At the close Of Stewards speech Jones
Of Arkansas, read from the testimony of q
cotton manufacturer in Georgia, Mr..
William II. Young, showing that bis mills
had been earning average dividerds OF IL
per cent since 1870. That the tariff was
OF no advantage TO him and If he were to
make the same class Ut coarse cotton goods
that are sold in England. he could sell
them in England, and make good profit
on them.
Aldrich OF Rhode Island, suggested that
the reason why the Southern cotton mills
paid such large dividends was that some
Of them didn't pay more than two.thirds
Of the wages paid to similar operatives in
New England.
Jones stated in reply that the testimony
Ihow ed that the Southern operatives were
content with their wages and did not go on
strikes, while strikes we're common in
New England.
Aldrich said he did not know of any cot
ION mill strikes in Rhode leland in five
vears, and that there had been very few
Itrikes there in generation.
The debate then continued at some
epRth regarding various sections of the
country, being participated in by Sauls-
bury, Morrill,, Teller, Vest, Vance, Coke,
Allison, Hoar and Chandler. Finally the
,ill was laid aside, without action. pen.
ling amendment
The presiding officer laid before the sen.
lte message from the president in regard
@ the correspondence on the subject OF
reaty with China that was pending last
September. The reading OF the message
vas interrupted by Sherman. . no suggested
hat IL be referred to an executive commit.
ZEE. Presiding Officer Ingalls, said 1t had
been sent TO the senate in legislative SEES
ion and that it would be laid on the table
or futher examination. The senate then
adjourned. :
The message mentioned above contained
nothing new, except q translation of q
.ipher message dated September 2lst,
,ayipR that China would not consent to
ratify the treaty unless further time was
.iven for discussion of the proposition
o lessen the term of restriction.
Not more than seventy.fve members
we're in attendance ut the hour OF prayer.
After reading the journal, the speaker pro.
ceeded with the call of committees for re-
ports, but none were submitted.
A bill was passed granting an annual
leave OF absence of thirty days TO employees
of the tureau of engraving and printing,
instead of fifteen days, now allowed by
law. ,.,,
Matson of Indiana called up. the bill
anyone receiving fee for Sc.
curing pension on account OF increase OF
liability for which the pension was origin.
ally granted, or for securing special act
of congress in cases where a pension might
be Obtained under the general pension
laws.
Peters of Kansas offered an amendment
providing that the applicant for pension
may contract with any person in the state
in which the applicant lives to pay not ex'