Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-02
AT WASHINGTON
A ShOal of Pension Bills
Pass the Senate.
THE BRAKES PUT ON WHEELER.
A Veto of President Cleveland's Sus
tanned by the House Of Rep
Pesentatives.

WASHINGTON, March LIN the Sen
ate, Sherman, from the Committee on
Foreign Relations, reported back the
Senate bill for the protection Of salmon
fisheries in Alaska, with reccmmenda.
ton that the House amen6ment, extend
ing the provisions of the bill to Behring's
Sea, be disagreed to. Tho 81 endment
was disagreed to and conference asked.
Jones, of Nevada, reported back the res.
olution, which was agreed to, authorizing
the Committee on Public Buildin gs and
Grounds to continue the Investigation Of
the office OF the Supervising Architect Of
the Treasury. Stewart offered resolu-
ton, which was agreed to, authorizing
the Committee on Mines and Mining to
continue during the session the inquiry
as to the cutting of timber on public
lands for mining and domestic pur-
poses.
All the pension bills on the calendar
(fifty-two in number, were passed.
Among them was one giving pension OF
$50 per month to the widow OF the late
General Hunt.
Blair moved to take up the joint reso-
luton proposing the liquor prohibition
amendment to the constitution. Pending
action, Rddleberger moved to proceed
with executive business. Motion agreed
| to.
When the doors re-opened, the Senate
| took a recess until P. NJ.
| In the evening session, the Deficiency
bill was taken up. Among the items in
serted were the following: $50, 900 for
the salaries and expenses of agents and
| subordinate officers of internal revenue ;
81 ,651 ,439 to pay for the findings of court
of claims in the French Spoliation cases.
THE HOUSE.
| WASHINGTON, March LIN the House
| the resolution passed to promote COM
mercial union with Canada. 1t provides
that whenever it shall be duly certified tc
the Presid ent that Canada has declared
a desire to establish commercial union
with the United States, having uniform
revenue system, like internal taxes and
like import duties, with no duties upon
trade between the United States and
Canada, he shall appoint three commits
sioners to meet those designated to rep
resent Canada to prepare plan for as
similation of import duties and internal
revenue taxes of the two countries and
an equitable division of receipts in the
commercial union.
| The conference report on the bill for
! the relief of certain volunteers and
regular soldiers OF the late war and the
war with Mexico, as to the removal OF
charges of desertion, was agreed to in
the House.
| Holmes, OF Iowa. called up the Des
Moines River Land bill with the Presi-
dents veto message thereon.
Crisp, in the interest of the California
contested election case, raised the ques-
tion of consideration.
The House determined, yeas 1876, nays
ia, to consider the vetoed bill, but its
consideration was suspended to allow
Holman, of Indiana. to present the con-
ference report on the bill for the disposal
of certain public lands of the United
States under provisions of the homestead
law. A statement accompanying the re-
port explains that the bill will only pre-
vent further sales of any public lands oi
the United States adapted to agriculture,
and provides that thess shall be disposed
of only under provisions of the home
stead law.
The bill further provides that pre-em p
tion settlers whose claims have been
heretofore initiated and are still exist
ing, may change their filings and an entry
OF homesteadwill be considered under thai
law. The right of location OF soldiers
certificates is left as under the existing
law. The report was agreed to-yeas
243, nays7
On motion of Stockdale, of Mississippi,
and after brief debate. the Senate bill
was passed for the forfeiture of certain
road grants in Oregon. The Des Noines
River Land bill was then taken up for
consideration.
Holmes urged the passage Of the bill (,
the Presidents veto to the contrary, not
withstanding. The bill sought only to
allow settlers to go into court and in
quire whether the Des Moines Naviga-
tion Company had complied with the
terms OF the grant. White, of New York,
said the argument that the bill was in
tended only to quiet titles was speeious.
The measure was legislative decree de-
| flying the decisions of the United states
Supreme Court for the past twenty years.
1t would have been easier for Cleveland
to have fallen in accord with the popular
voice and signed the bill, but the man
had shown he had conscience about
this business. All honor to the man who
dared to refuse to do popular act be-
cause he knew it was wrong. Wheeler,
OF Alabama, and Parker, of New York, /,
also opposed the bill. Gear, of Iowa,
said that the settlers had gone on the
lands in good faith. They
had gone on in their young man
hood, and to-day, in their old age, were
liable to be evicted under a decision of
the court gained, in his judgment, by a
clear case of collusion. Payson, OF Hill
nois, sent to the Clerks desk and had
read telegram which had been pub
lished in the papers, stating that 700
evictions were threatened in three coun-
ties in Iowa. He spoke he said, in be-
half of the men whose property was
being taken from them by legislative
robbery. Who spoke for the million
| aires, for the men holding the Navigation
Company's title? The paid attorneys and
lobbyists of the Navigation Company had
been heard all around this hall ever
since the tendency of this legislation.
The gentleman from Alabama (Wheeler)
had said that, 80 far as he knew, he had
never seen lobbyist against the bill.
The gentleman knew, and he (Payson),
knew that ex-members of Congress, with
the money Of the Navigation Company in
their pockets, in violation of their privi-
leges as ex-members, came on the floor
to stifie legislation, and had conferred
with the gentleman at this session to his
(Payson's) knowledge. If the gentleman
Wantad him IN mama the man who had