The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-29

The Sundry Civil Appropriation bill
occupied most of the time of The House
to-day.
The Senate bin was passed increasing
the pension of soldiers or sailors who
have lost both hands TO 800 per month
also bin granting the Mount Carmel
Development Company the privilege Of
drawing water from the Wabash river
The Senate concurrent resolution pro-
viding for the counting of the electoral
vote on Wednesday, February 18th, was
agreed 10.
The House then took up the Sundry
Civil Appropriation bill.
The pending amendment appropriate
ing S2jOOO0 for investigating the best
method of irrigating the arid region was
agrcedt0.
The clause providing for the appoint
ment of Congressional committee TO in
yestigate the condition of Alaska, was
ruled out on point of order
Mr. McCOmas, of Maryland, offered
an amendment appropriating $4,000 for
the education of children of school age
in Alaska without reference TO race, and
proceeded 10 address the House in favor
of il. He spoke Of the commercial value
of Alaska aud the ignorance that existed
there.
Last wear, he said, Russia bad given
$4,000 TO educate citizens of the United
States in Alaska and the United States
had given only $4,000. He said il was
not craftsmanship TO deprive the people
who had become civilized of educational
advantages, because of the lmmOralitles
of the abOrigines.
Mr.. Randall said that if but small
part of what was told of immortality i'm
Alaska was true, the condition of affairs
there was a disgrace to humanity. II
they were untrue, il was due to the peo-
pie of Alaska that the fact should be
known.
Mr. Dockery of Missouri, asked unan-
imous consent to offer as an amendment
the provision for a Congressional in
ouiry which had been ruled out
Mi Dunham, OF Illinois, objected,
characterizing the proposed inquiry AS a
"junketing trip"
Mr. Cannon, of Illinois, resented this
characterization, and urged the impOr
tance of Congress obtaining information
relative 10 the condition of Alaska
M Dunn. of Arkansas, chairman Of
the Committee on Merchant Marine and
Fisheries, stated that that committee had
been engaged in an inquiry as TO the seal
fisheries and would submit report in a
few days If the gentlemen read this
carefully they would know more about
Alaska than they did at present or than
they would learn By sending committee
TO Alaska. No committee could ever
penetrate into Northwest Alaska, and
its inquiry wOuld be practically con-
fined to Southeast Alaska, little strip
one hundred miles long and thirty miles
wide. which contained about all the
civilized people in Alaska. From ms
investigations he was convinced that the
condition of affairs in Alaska was not
so bad as had been represented IN the
newspapers. The state of morals there
among ihe natives was not worse than
that which existed among other Indian
tribos 4 moral condition with which
the moral condition of Alaska would
compare favorably could be found near
home.
Mr. McComas amendment was agreed
IN Several other amendments Of minor
imnortance were adopted, and, pending
final action on the bill, the committee
rose and the House, at D 7. NJ, ad-
journed.
THE SAMOAN TROUBLES.
4 report from Captain Mullen, com
manding the United States steamer
Nipsic. on the recent troubles in Samoa,
was received at the Navy Department
to-day. \ copy of the report was sent
to the State Department, and il will not
be made public for day or two, or until
given out to the press there, along with
Consul Blacklock's report on the same
subject, received at the State Depart
ment several days ago
Capt. Mullen also sent 10 the Navy
Department an account OF the loss OF The
American ship John Bryce in hurricane
near Samoa on December 18th last. The
vessel, loaded with lumber, was on her
way from San Francisco to Melbourne,
Australia, and when near Samoa was
struck by the hurricane and stranded.
One of the crew vas drowned, and the
remainder. twent three in number,
reached Apia in an open boat after seven
DAYS uerilous hardship at sea.