Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-28
FLAT PROCEEDINGS.
BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS HAVE A
DULL PERFORMANCE.
A Batch OF Nominations in the Senate
The Question OF Reciprocity With
Mexico-Notes.
from Our Regular Correspondent.

-
from Our Regular CorrespcndentI
WArHTyGroN, January T.--But little OF
interest to Virginia or North Carolina oc-
CURED in either branch of Congress to-day.
In the House Mr.. Wise was the only gen.
tlemnn of either delegation whointroduced
bill. That was measure providing for
the erection OF public building at Man.
chester. The House has no rules and
things are still in such a chaotic state
that no reports of bills are being made.
After the introduction. OF bills Mr..
Mckinley got thefoo and, on behalf OF the
Ways and Means Committee, got .resolu-
ton taken up. 1t was hoped that he
might have in his possession report IN re-
gard to rules, but he said not word on
that subject. Then the House took up
the bill proposing to build and operate
two United States prisons, one of which IS
to be located in the South. Mr.. Stewart,
of Georgia, is the author of the bill.
PRETTY DULL.
Over in the Senate matters were pretty
dull, too, and after the regular routine,
lasting two hours. General Walthall, of
Mississippi, took the floor and made q
strong speech on Mr.. Buffers bill TO appro-
pirate So 5,000, 600 for the transportation OF
negroes TO Africa. Only three or four Re-
publican senators remained in their seats
during the delivery of this speech, but
General Walthall had fine audience over
on the Democratic side of the chamber,
Mr.. Evarts. of New York, being so inte-
rested that he moved over where he could
hear all that was said. Some of the Demo-
cratic representatives we're also among
General Walthalls listeners, Messrs. Wise
and Lee, of the Virginia delegation, having
seats on the floor. General Walthall, who
is forcible speaker, is native OF Ricn-
mond.
NOMINATIONS.
A big batch OF nominations was sent to
the Senate to-day by the President, and lots
of new postmasters were on the list. None
for Virginia, however. The Republicans
of that State are SO torn up and divided
that General Harrison cannot make up his
mind what to do regarding selections fol-
the offices where changes are asked for.
Thomas McDermott, of Tennessee, was
| to-day nominated TO be Consul of the
United States ut st. Thomas, West Indies.
| in place of NJ. A. Turner. who has held the
Office for moro than three years MIR. Tur.
ner was appointed from Arkansas, where
he located to practic law Just afterqulttine
college in Richmond. He was reared II
| Virginia. Alexander Moore, of West Vir-
| ginia, was appointed TO succeed him about
six months ago, but declined to take the
office. and Mr.. Turner has therefore been
! holding on.
| RECIPROCITY WITH MEXICO.
The question of reciprocity with the re.
public of Mexico is undoubtedly becoming
| one of great Importance, and the nationa
lawmakers. regardless OF political affilia'
| tion. are giving it serious attention In tins
| Congress, though nothing, of course, ha:
/ tIa .,tr J,tr
| tiOn of bills. There will be some difficult
ties in the way. however, as the party
! leaders will not be able TO agree speedily
on a measure which interferes with either
party's tariff policy. The reciprocity treaty
made with the Hawaiian or Sandwich
Islands some years ago, under which sugar |.
admitted into the United States free of duty
has been jug-handled affair." most. If not
all, of the benefits going TO the sugar
planters of the Sandwich Islands. 1t wa
thought when that treaty was made that
the kingdom of Hawaii would take many
millions of dollars annually of our manu-
factured products. but it did not. and We
have been getting the worst of that bar
gain right along, and Sandwich-Island su
gar has been coming in free, while Euro
| pean and Cuban sugars have been paying
duty.
NOT FAvoBED.
The so-called reciprocity treaty will
Mexico. which has been proposed in tn
past. has never met with favor IN tn
| WAYS and Means Committee. In the For
ty-eighth and Forty-ninth Congresse
Mr.. Hewitt, of New York, was the onl,
member of that committee who fayore'
the plan Of reciprocity with Mexico and !
was charged that he and his friend
wanted it because they were selling rail
road iron TO companies building lines II
Mexico. This was q serious accusation
but it was frequently heard here.
Ex-Congressman Guenther. of Wiscon
sin, who is now here, is going to Mexico n
the Consul-General of the United States
and he has been assured that as the trad'
relations between the two countries i
growing and becoming SO important tina
the salary of the Consul-General will b.
soon increased so as TO make the office a
important as the nsul-generalshlp t
Havana Rio de Janeiro. and other places
Mr.. Guenther is popular ex-member ant
will probably have no difficulty in getting
the salary increased. He is by occupation
a druggist and is native of Germany
Three years ago Guenther failed TO get
denomination in the district III Wisconsin
! which he had represented for seyera
terms. There was, however. no disposition
on the part of any Republican TO run IL
the district formerly represented by Gene
raj Bragg and Guenther took the nomina
ton in that district. Democratic division:
were SO great that Guenther was elected
in that usually strong Democratic district
Mr.. Guenther's name was sent TO tine
Senate to-day.
THE ICE-MAN.
Congressman Turner. of New York. the
Youngest member of the House, and who
is known as the "ice-man," is already
making quite reputation as a speaker
He made a rafting five-minute speech to
day and got the attention OF the House
/ lie Is a new member.
Senator Harris, of Tennessee, to-day pre-
sented in the Senate the memorial OF the
convention held in Knoxville on the 22d Of
January, 1889. representing large portions
| of the States of tennessee, Kentucky, VIZ
ginia, Alabama. Georgia, and North Caro-
lima in behalf of the improvement OF the
| Tennessee river and its tributaries. The
memorial sets forth that the upper valley
of the Tennessee when the rivers are made
nayigable, will become one OF the greatest
| iron, coal, marble, and timber centres IL
| North America. and prays for al
appropriation TO remove obstructionS
| to the Navigation of those rivers
and to open the valley to the CON-
merce of the world. 1t Is urged that Con
| greSS make prompt ana adequate aPPfo-
/ priations for the removal of all obstructions
to the navigation OF the Tennessee river
and its tributaries as high as they can be
improved by slack-water navigation so as
to give FIVE feet of water al the yeal
around from Paducah to Chattanooga; al
least three feet of water all the year round
from Chattanooga TO Knoxville. and good
slack-water n .vigation on all the tributa
ries up TO their headwaters.
A. o. Bliss and Edward Hicks. OF Rich
mond, are registered at the National.
E.S. Simmons, q lawyer Of Washington
N. G., is at the Metropolitan.