Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-04-25
NATIONS CAPITAL.
Bill to Amend and Supplement
Election Laws.
ReVenue Cutter ard Land Pofidtufl
Bills Before the Senate.
Appropriation Bill Causes
Sharp Discussion.

wAsHNsros. April 24.-The Senats
bill apPropFiAnng $50, 900 for an equestrian
statue at Manchester, N H., Of Msj. Gen
John Stark was taken up in the Senate and
passed; yeas 81, nays Is.
The ga,ive votes were given by Sen
ators Bste. Berry, Blackburn. Co:kreil
Coke, Hampton. Harris. Jones Of Arkansas
Moody. PAsco. Reagan. Vance, Vest. Walt
hall and Wilson Of Maryland.
The House bi | to transfer the revenue
cutter service from the Treasury Depart
meat To the Navy Department was agair
taken up for consideration.
The anne nimenis reported from the com
m ttes were agreed to.
! Hoar from the committee on privileged
and elections p ported a bill to amend and
supplement the election laws Of the United
States and provide tor more efficient en-
forcement Of such laws. Placed on the
| calendar.
Pugh, member Of the committee on priv.
ileges and elections, said the favorable re-
port Of this bill is opposed by every demo.
cratic member of the committee The
minority members Of the committee regard
the bill as revolutionary in character. 1t
substantially wipes out the regulation of
congressional election by States without
any demand fr om the people for change,
and without any public necessity for q
change. 1t appoints republ can supervis-
| ers TO oversee the State officers, thereby
| insulting and degrading these State otficers
1t prostitutes the judiciary of the
United States to political and par,i-
san uses. IL is subversive Of the
fundamental principles of local self govern
ment. II the bill becomes law its execu
ton will insure the shedding Of blood and
destruction of peace and good order in this
country. Its passage will be resisted BY
every par iamentary method allowed by the
constitution.
Hoar said This bill is, in substance, =
mod ficaton and perfection of system
which has been . law IN the United States
for many years. which has secured, in the
main, honest elections ard honest counts in
the city of New York, where, before it be-
came a law, 90 900 fraudulent nstursliza-
tion papers have gone out from two judges
vi hip thr,e days before an elect on where
well known.a most il f1uentisl person who
ruled that city as as with rod of iron,
(wm NJ. Tweed). declared he did not care
how the voting was done if he could only do
the counting. | am told on high authority
that since this system was invoked there
has / OF been even an election contest 10
any congressional district, assembly district
or senatorial district in the elect tons held
under that law in the State Of New York.
This bill is but an assertion Of the consttu
| al power, expressly asserted, that the Unit
ed States may regulate the manner Of elect
ing me mbers of its own Congress, or alter
the regulations in State.
The consideration Of the revenue cutter
bill was resumed.
Sherman addressed the Senate in opposi-
ton to it, He doubted whether there was
on the Gale. ID r bill more deeply and seri
ously affecting the public interest. 1t had
passed the House without being understood
The measure was revolution in the his
tory Of revenue marine, established as an
| adjunct to the treasury department before
the navy Organized. The bill, he said. was
bribe to every officer of the revenue
marine, largely increasing their compensa-
ton and putting many of them on the re-
tired list. He gave a list of these increases
amounting in the aggregate to $l2l 800 q
year. There were 2u7 officers in the reve-
nue. marine whom it proposed to transfer to
the navy without their being educated in
| gunnery or 9th duties of naval officers.
One OF the principal duties of the revenue
marine service was the prevention of snug
| CLING and naval Ulcers had the reputation
of be ng smugglers. lie had not concluded
his speech when at two o'clock the land for
feture bill was taken up as unfinished
business.
| The amendment reported from the com.
mit'ee on public lands was agreed to.
Waltbsll offered as an amendment, q
new section conf1ing the sales and entries
of lands on the line Of the Gulf and Ship
leland railroad. in Mississippi, providing il
that company shall reirqlsh its claims to
such lands within 60 days, the forfeiture
provided in the bill shall not apply to it un.
| til one year after the passage of the law
| Agreed to.
Ioar offered as an amendment, ne =
section where a railroad is sold or conveyed
in Alabama for State or comfy taxss, and
where the grant is forfeited The tax pur.
chssers shall have the prior right to pur.
chase such lands from the United States al
government price. After some discussion
it WAS agreed TO and (modlfisd to make the
government prices 81 90 an acre
| Berry moved to amend the first section
of the bill.
The effect of the amendment would be
not only to forfeit that portion of lands op
posite lines not row constructed but would
forfeit all lands granted to railroad com.
panies where the line.:, were not completed
within the time fixed 10 the act and in sub
sequent extensions of it. He held thai
when the railroad company failed to com
plete the road within the time fixed in the
grant, it forfeited its right to all lands with
in the grant
| The amendment was rejected. The re,
pubiicsns voted in the might've ard the
democrats Except Gibson and Walthall)
in the affirmative.
Berry moved, as an additional section, 9
provision that nothing in the act should be
construed as confirming the title to any
lands of any railroad company where this
road was not comp eted and in oper atiJr
| within the time specified in the act Of 'on
gress making the grant He said .imilal
provision vas contained in each forfeitur,
bill of the last two Congresses.
Plumb opposed the amendment, ant
novel TO lay it on the table. The motor
| WAS agreed to; yeas 25, nays %
Walthall moved TO amend by inserting
the provision that the &C, shall not be con
strued 90 as TO waive or release in any WAY
the right of the United Ststes to have th'
railroad lands forfeited for any failure, pas
or future, and to comply with the condition.
Of the grant.
! The amendment vas laid on the table
yeas 27, nays 20.
Call offered an amendment declaring for
feited the grant Of railroad lands made I,
the States of Alabama ard Florida in 1856
with 8 reservation of the rights Of bona I'D
purchasers and settlers. B fore he finish.
his speech the Senate went into An execu
tive session, and at 5 80 adjourned till to
morroE.
Legislative Appropriation Bill.