Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-02
THE HOUSE LIVELY,
Scenes Before the Taking of the Vote
on the Election Bill.
ACTION UPON THE AMENDMENTS
The Senate Recedes From Its
Legislative Bill Amendments.
1T NOW GOES TO THE PRESIDENT.
SENATE.


Among the bills reported from committees
and placed on the calendar were the following:
House bill to auth orize the construction Of a
bridge across the Mississippi river at winona,
Mimi.
House bill to authorize the construction Of a
wagon bridge across the Mississippi river at
Hastings. Mimi. Senate bill for public
building at Joplin, Mo-, at a cost not exceed
ing $50,000.
Mr.. Plumb, from the committee on public
lands, reported the Senate bill to provide for
the delivery Of land patents to their rightful
owners, and asked for its immediate considera-
ton.
Statements were made by Messrs. Plumb,
Paddock and Berry to the effect that there
were some 200, 900 land patents accumulated in
the General Land Office for which those enti
tied to them had not applied; that a
thrifty firm of Washington attorneys had been
permitted to have lists made of them; that
they had then communicated with the persons
entitled to them, notifying them that they
could get their patents on the payment of q
was then made ESQ.,; that this
was an act Of collusion between the assistant
commissioner, who was then the assistant Sec
retary OF the interior acting as commissioner,
and this law firm and that the bill was designed
to Illustrate that job.
THE BILL PASSED.
The bill was then passed. 1t directs the Sec
retary of the Interior to send to the recorder of
deeds in each county in which lands so pat
ented lie lists OF the land patents in that
county that have been in the General Land
Office uncalled for for twelve months.
THE LEGISLATIVE, ETC, APPROPRIATION BILL RE-
CONSIDERED.
Mr.. Hiscock called up his motion to recon-
slider the vote by which the Senate yesterday
| refused to recede from the amendments to the
legislative appropriation bill in reference TO
| the pay OF Senators clerks and sessionsl COM
mittee clerks.
The motion was agreed to-yeas, 26; nays, 2l.
When the presiding officer was about to an
nounce the result of the VOTE which was at
that moment a tie, and therefore a rejection
OF the motion, Mr.. German, who had voted in
| the negative, changed his vote to the affirma.
tlve saying that he was unwilling that the bill
should be lost on account CT such a contro-
versy. Some additional votes were cast and
the vote was announced.
The question then required whether the
Senate should recede from its anne mendments.
Mr.. GoRMAN STICKS TO HIS CoLoRs.
Mr.. German said he did not change an iota
from the position which he had taken yester-
day that it was the right of the Senate to de-
termine for itself what officers it required and
e.
within reason. But this great bill should have
gone into operation yesterday, and he did not
believe it wise at this time to hazard its fur
ther postponement. On some other occ aston
hoped that the Senate would have the oppor-
tunity) to have the matter determined as the
Senate believed 1t ought to be.
Mr.. DoLPH ON THE sAMR SIDE
Mr.. Dolph hoped that the motion to recede
would not prevail. He regarded it as q mon
strous proposition that it was the duty Of the
Senate to recede from every amendment to
which the House did not concur. That would
give the House the right not only to originate
appropriation bills but to determine what sums
should be appropriated for every department,
| including the Senate.
Mr.. EDMUNDs ON THE OTHER SIDE
Mr.. Edmunds did not see the matter in that
light. The Senate, he said, had the same right
| to accede to the House propositions as the
House had to refuse to accede to Senate propo-
sitions. That made the equality of the two
| houses. II it should happen that, at next
session, the House should make too large
appropriations for its employees it would be the
mission OF the Senate to refuse its assent and
then the boot would be ON the other leg
Mr.. Plumb defended the action of the House
in regard to the amendments. and said that it
was not treating the Senate unfairly. 1t was
not touching the constitutional prerOgatives Of
ployes should have a fair compensation. He
warned the Senate that if the bill should fail
the new bill that would be sent over from
the House would contain no appropriation at
| all for Senators clerks.
THE SENATE RECEDEs AND THE LEGISLATION
BILL is PASSED.
The question was taken by a standing vote
and the motion to recede was agreed to-yeas
80, nays 16.
The legislative bill now goes to the President
for his signature.
PENSIONERS.
Mr.. Cockrell offered a resolution (Which was
| agreed toy calling on the Secretary of the In
terror for Information to the number of pen
sioners borne on the list of each pension agency
on the 1st OF June, 1890, and as to the amount
appropriated for clerk hire at each agency.
OUR COMMERCIAL INrEREsrs.
The Senate then proceeded TO the considers
tion Of the two Senate bills reported from the
committee on commerce-to place the American
merchant marine engaged in the foreign trade
upon equality with that of other nations and
to provide for ocean mail service between the
United States and foreign ports and to promote
commerce.
Mr.. Frye spoke as to both bills The frst. he
| said, explained itself 1t was bounty on tom
mage. 1t applied to all ships (sail or steam,
| wood, iron or steeD of q certain class, and that
1
| the bill agreed upon by the Shipping League
Association of the United States and had been
very largely and warmly.indorsed.
He had supposed that Mr.. Ihurber of the
New York and Brazilian Steamship Company
would have much preferred the postal subsidy
BILL but he had received a letter from him in
which he had given very strong reasons in favor
of both bills, but especially In favor OF the
tonnage bill
AS TO THE COST OF THE BILL,
xI-
CATION estimated it's cost for the first year as
about s3,000 900 and its cost in three or four
years at five or six millions He (Mr. Frye)
would be much disappointed il, in four or 1--WE
years. the cost would not rise to six, seven or
eight millions. The other bill was known A
THE POSTAL SUBSIDY BILL.
1t provided that the Postmaster General
should make contracts, after advertisement.
with the lowest bidder for the carrying of the
United States mails on American vessels
II provided for four classes of American
vessels. The first class of vessels vaa
to be of not less than eight thousand
tons measurement, capable Of maintaining
speed Of 20 knots an hour. No contract vas
to be made for carrying the mails between Nev
York aud Great Britain except on that class of
vessels. The English ships, he said, were not
90 well built as the American ships. The Citv
of Paris, one Of the finest in the service. con-
sumed 800 tons of coal per day and carried
150 men TO handle the coal There vas no nro-
| vicior vhok Ia n: