Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-02


ber.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-The House to-
day, by vote of 136 to ia, considered the
Presidents veto of the Des Moines river
land bill. Mr.. Holmes, of Iowa, urged the
passage of the bill, the Presidents veto to
the contrary Notwithstanding. The bill
sought only to allow the settlers to 60 into
court and inquire whether the Des Moines
Navigation Company had complied with
the terms Of the grant
Mr.. White, of New York, said that the
argument that the bill was intended only to
quiet titles was specious. The measure was
legislative decree, defying the decisions of
the United States Supreme Court for the
past 20 years. The Supreme Court had de-
cided that the title to the lands mad passed
entirely from the United States, and yet the
first phrase of the bill was one declaring the
lands to be public lands. The question was
whether the House would pass the bill over
the dignifed, carefully ly-prepared, logical
veto Of the President of the United States.
1t would have been easier for Cleveland to
have fallen in accord with the popular
voice and have signed the bill; but the man
had shown he had a conscience about this
business. All honor to the man who dared
to refuse to do a popular act because he
knew that was wrong! Grover Cleveland
had not yet gone, [applause on Demo-
cratic sidel and as long as he dared to do
an unpopular thing out of the conviction Of
his sense of duty, he would remain with the
country. He (Mr. White) honored Cleve-
land through and through because he had
done this thing.
SUSTAINED BY THE SUPREME COURT.
Mr. Wheeler, of Alabama, also opposed
the bill, and cited decisions Of the Supreme
Court to show that the United States had no
title to the lands.
Mr.. Parker, of New York, opposed the
bill as being wrong and contrary to decided
and settled law. It put the United States
in the position of the rcbber who, having
sold his property. sought to gather it back
to himself.
Mr.. Gear, of Iowa, said that the settlers
had gone on the lands in good faith. They
had gone on in their young manhood, and
to-day, in their old age, they were liable to
be evicted under the decision of a court
gained, in his judgment, by clear case of
collusion. He did not criticise the Presi-
dent for having vetoed the bill, but from
his investigation of the message, he had
concluded that the grounds stated by the
President did not warrant him in interpos-
ing his will as part of the legislative branch
of the Government
Mr.. Payson, of Illinois, sent to the Clerks
desk and had read telegram which has
been published in the papers stating that
700 evictions are threatened in three coun-
ties of Iowa. He spoke, he said. in be-
half of men whose property was being taken
from them by
LEGISLATIVE ROBBERY.
Who spoke for the millionaires, for the
men holding The Navigation Company's
title? The paid attorneys and lobbyists of
the Navigation Company had been heard
around this hall ever since the pendency of
this legislation. The gentleman from Ala
bama (Mr. Wheeler), had said that so far
as he knew he had never seen a lobbyist
against the bill. The gentleman knew and
he Mr.. Payson), knew that ex-members of
Congress, with the money of the Navigation
Company in their pockets, in violation of
their privileges as ex-members, came on the
floor to stihe legislation and had conferred
with the gentleman at this session, to his
(Mr. Payson's) knowledge. If the gentle
man wanted him to name the men who had
been violating their privileges it would af-
ford him pleasure to name them, here and
now. [Applause.]
Mr. Parker-Does the gentleman include
me IN anything he has said?
Mr.. Payson-I said ex-members of Con-
gress. 1 use words advisedly. Neither
directly nor indirectly do 1 refer to the gen.
tleman from New York. I refer to ex-mem-
bers who come here as attorneys for the
Navigation Company; and the very bill
which the gentleman from Alabama says
should have passed was drafted by an ex-
member OF Congress and presented to him
as 1 know, and as he knows that know.
Mr.. Wheeler-You say an attorney gave
me that bill?
THE ATTORNEY NAMED.
Mr.. Payson-Egbert Viele wrote that bill
and gave it to you. He told me and you
told me. Do you deny that you know
Viele? You have shown me telegram after
telegram you have received from Viele,
formerly member of the House and now
an attorney for the Navigation Company.
The House refused to pass the bill over
the Presidents veto-yeas, LAT; nays, 103-
not the required two-thirds in the affirma-
tive
Mr.. Randall was Immediately on his feet
with motion to dispense with private
business, so as to pave the way partially to
a consideration of the Cowles bill; and Mr.
Mills, in his antagonism to that measure,
called up, as question of privilege,
Presidents veto on private bill. Both
these gentlemen were sidetracked however,
by Mr. Enloe, of Tennessee, with confer
ence report on the bill to punish dealers or
pretended dealers in counterfeit money for
using the United States mails. Pending a
vote on the report, the House took recess,
the evening session to be for the considera-
ton of private pension bills.
SHORT sHRIFT IN THE SENATE.
In the Senate to-day all the pension bills
on the calendar (52) were passed. Among
them was one giving pension of $50 per
month, instead of $100, as in the bill intro
duced by Mr.. Hawley, to the widow of the |
late General Hunt.
Mr.. Blair moved to take up his joint reso-
luton proposing liquor prohibition
amendment to the Constitution. Pending |
action on that motion Mr.. Riddleberger |
moved to proceed to executive business. |
The motion was agreed to-yeas "a, nays 20.
Senators Hoar and Riddleberger voted with |
the Democrats for the motion.
DIR. TANNER ARRESTED.