Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-11
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
The Senate,

The Senate.
The Vice President presided over the Senate
today.
The first part Of the republican program in
reference to providing positions on committees
for the new Senators was carried out by the
resignation Of Senators Morrill,, Hiscock,
Dawes, Hoar, Allison, Frye and Henderson Of
their positions on the committees Of the census,
irrigation, transportation routes to the sea-
board, claims, organization and conduct OF the
executive departments and on civil service and
retrerchment, respectively. Their successors
on these committees are still to be announced.
Mr.. Hale from the committee on naval affairs
reported back the bills heretofore introduced
by him to promote the efficiency OF the en-
listed force of the navy; to amend sections
1929, 1880 and 1881 Of the Revised Statutes,
relating to the navy, and for the
relief Of sufferers by the wreck Of the
United States steamers Trenton and Vandalia
and the stranding of the Nipsic at Apia, in the
Samoan Islands, and they were placed on the
calendar.
Among the bills introduced and referred
were the following:
By Mr.. Hoar-For statue and monument to
James Madison.
By Mr.. Call-Authorizing the President to
open negotiations with Spain for the acquisi-
ton Of the Island of Cuba. In connection
tives OF Cuba (now citizens of the United
States), and stated that it had been repre-
tented to him that nearly all of such persons
we're in favor OF the acquisition of the island
by the United States.
DEoAYINa DOCUMENTS.
By Mr.. Vest-Regulating the printing Of
certain public documents and largely reducing
the number of copies to be printed. He made
q statement as to the immense mass of books
nd 20 -, %loo
basement of the Capitol and of the stench::aris-
ing from such decaying matter.
Mr.. Hoar remarked that those books and
documents ought to be distributed among the
public Libraries all over the country. He de-
MED that much of the matter printed by order
OF Congress was useless On the contrary it
was needed for the making up of history in
the future. The public journals, he said,
necessarily prepared, in great haste, their ac-
counts of current public events, and nearly
all Of them seemed to indulge rather in proph
ecy than in history. When thing actually
happened it ceased to be Of large interest to
the public journals, which devoted their great
est energies to discovering what was probable.
Ae hoped that while any necessary
msns Should be to maas these SoGd aoDp
be done with great care and that 1t would also
be accompanied by some better provision than
now existed for the distribution Of the docu-
ments and Of the debate Of Congress among
public libraries.
Mr.. Manderson chairman of the committee
on printing! remarked that the difficulty Of
which MIR. Vest complained was one of dis
trlbution rather than of publication,
and that there should be dis
trlbutlng center in connection with
the printing office. The committee would take
the subject into full consideration and give
earnest thought to it.
THE MONTANA MUDDLE.
Mr.. Ingalls, called attention to the fact that q
paper purporting to be memorial or resolution
of one branch of the Legislature of Mon
tana had been presented this morning
and had been referred to the committee
on mines and mining. 1t was a matter
OF public notorlety, he said, that there was
some difficulty about the organization of the
legislature of Montana and in order to avoid
any conmittal of the Senate by the reference
to committee of resolution of either
branch of that legislature he moved that the
order OF reference be revoked and that the
paper be laid on the table. 1t was SO ordered
Mr.. ingalls, also introduced Cat the request Of
an association of soldiers of Kansas and Indi-
anal service and disability pension bill, which
was referred.
A message was received from the House to
the effect that that body was now in ses-
sion and ready to proceed with the
guration of George Washington, the first Presi-
dent of the United States, and therefore, on mo-
tion of Mr.. Ingalls,, the Senate at 1855 pro-
ceeded to the hall of the House.
House Of Representatives.
In his opening prayer Chaplain Milburn re-
ferred to the approaching ceremonies and re-
turned thanks that after 100 years the govern
ment framed by our fathers stood more firmly
compact more proudly erect, more divinely
beautiful and bountiful in all its benificepce
than ever it stood before.
Mr. Cummings (N.Y.), from the ceremonial
committee. reported the order of arrangement,
and it was adopted.
The House then, at 1920, took recess for
twenty-five minutes.
After the recess on motion of Mr. Bayne
(Pa. }, resolution was adopted directing the
clerk to inform the Senate that the House was
in session and ready to proceed with the cere-
monies.
At the request of the Speaker the members
then retired to the seats assigned to them.
The subsequent proceedings are reported
elsewhere under head of "A Hundred Years of