Morning journal and courier., 1889-02-07
Fiftieth Cengress-secend Session
WAsHINaroN, Feb. 6.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 6.
 SENATE.-The Senate bill granting to tn ! Big Horn Southern railroad company righ | of way across the Fort Custer military reser | vation in Montana was reported today ant passed. The resolution heretofore offered 1 by MT. Chandler instructing the conmitte. on appropriations to investigate the matter oi 1 naval officers claims, was then taken up Mir. Chandler said that before he offered the ! evil in the shape of proposed amendment to the deficiency appropriation bill, with drawing jurisdiction over such claims from the court of claims and forbidding treasury officials from going back farther than three years in the settlement of such claims. Mir. Hale said he knew something about the class of Washington claim agents and how they attempted to enlist public sympa- thy by declaring that the senator from New Hampshire proposed to interfere with the just claims of old soldiers. He asked MT. Chandler whether he desired any legislation that would interfere with the just claims of old soldiers.
 Mr. Chandler denied that his proposition had any such object. The point he wished to make was to prevent the consideration of claims of this kind, going back some of them forty years. He wished to have statute of limitation applied to them.
 The resolution went over. The conference
 
 and the senate resumed consideration of the legislative, executive and judicial appropria- ton bill, the pending question being the amendment to increase the clerical force Of the civil service commission. A long and un- interesting discussion, which turned princi- pally upon the derelictions of the postofiee department, WAS carried on by Senrtors Cockrell, Teller, Vest and Stewart. Then Mir. Daniel attacked the civil service system as un-American, un-republican and un-dem- ocratic. MT. Chandler defended his adminis- tration of the navy department from the alle- gations as to civil service matters made by Mir. Coekrell, but yielded to motion to ad- journ.
 Adjourned.
 HousE.-Frank B. Posey. who was elected to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resigna- nation of A. P. Hovey, took the oath of office in the house today.
 The consideration of the conference report on the Nicaraguan canal bill was then resum ed.
 Mir. Nelson of Minnesota thought the bill reported by the conference committee out- Heroded the original bill. By the bill as 1t came from the senate full paid-up stock could be issued for real or personal property or concessionary rights.
 The House had stricken out this provision and had adopted an amendment substantial ly requiring that all stocks should be paid for in cash. The conferees had stricken out the amendment and had gone beyond the provision of the Senate bill by authorizing the issuing of stock not only for property and concessionary rights, but for labor and material furnished. Mir. Kelly of Pennsyl- vania regarded the construction of the Mica raguan canal as essential to the maintenance of our just influence over the American con- tinent. More than that, it was necessary to true internal development of the country.
 MT. Chipman of Michigan said he had fa- vored the bill as it came from the senate, but not as it passed the house, the amendments which had been placed upon it having served to emasculate 1t. They had been incorporat- ed on the idea that the United States should be free from entangling alliances and that it should isolate itself. The day for isolation had passed. Voices from all parts of the world were warning the United States of this. The attempt to make it impracticable for American enterprise to plant itself in foreign countries was too late. The day had passed and the time had come for 8 naughty and dictatorial American policy and certainly @ wise American policy.
 MT. O'Neil of Missouri said the trouble with the American people was lack of self assertion. They were continually quibbling, afraid to do this or that on account of the consequences. The greatest nation on earth should be the first to lead in giant enter priseses, and conservative moss-back states men need not be alarmed. The people would sustain them in their action if they passed the bill
 The conference report was agreed to-yeas TIT, nays 60.
 MT. Dingley, from the committee on mer- chant marine and fisheries, reported a resolu- ton calling on the Secretary of the Treasury for information as to what orders were given to the commander of the United States revenue cutter Richard Rush in regard to the protection of seal fisheries in Behring's sea in the spring and summer Of 1888; whether those instructions differ from those given the same commander in the spring and summer of 1887, and if so what reasons exist for any material change in such instructions. In explanation of the resolution MT. Dingeley stated that the com mander of the Rush had testified before the committee that in 1887 he had seized large number of vessels for the illegal catching of seal. In 1888, notwithstanding the fact that there were vessels illegally engaged in seal ing, he had made no seizures. Being asked the reason why, he replied that his secret or ders had not permitted him to do so. The resolution wss adopted.
 Mir. Hatch of Missouri endeavored to secure the consideration of the agricultural appro- priation bill, but MT. O'Neil of Pennsylva- mia brought forward bill increasing the pension of the widow of General ". H. been ordered since June last. The House voted, yeas 105, nays 99, to consider the measure. Fillibustering followed until , o'clock, when the House took recess until 7:3o.