Los Angeles herald., 1890-04-04
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
THE MONTANA CONTEST AND
OTHER MATTERS.
The Chinese Census Bill Receives Con-
siderable Attention-A Southern SEN
ator Makes Fierce Onslaught on the
Measure.

Measure.
WASHINGTON, April Sin the Senate
today it was ordered that, tomorrow
being Good Friday, adjournment shall
be till Saturday.
Blair at his own request was excused
from further service on the committee
on public lands, and Pettigrew was APP
pointed in his place.
Blair introduced bill to regulate the
compensation of laborers employed by
the Government, fixing the lowest wages
at 50 per day. Referred.
The Vice-President announced that he
expected to be absent several days next
week. Ingalls, was chosen President
pro tempore, took the oath of office and
assumed the duties of the presiding Off
GER.
The Montana Contest.
The Montana contested election case
was taken up as unfinished business.
Gray resumed his argument in support
of the Democratic claimants.
The burden of Gray's argument was
against the throwing out Of ia votes
cast in precinct "a, Silver Bow county.
To vote for the resolution of the majority
would be, he said, to violate all the most
sacred traditions of American history
and American liberty. He protested
against putting the odious mark of the
bar sinister on the State of Montana
thus early in her career.
The matter then went over until Mon
day.
Bills were passed appropriating $780,
900 for public building at Leadville,
Colorado; to reorganize and establish
the customs district of Puget sound.
That Lager Beer Bill.
Stewart, as a question of personal
privilege, said he had been credited by
the newspapers with having introduced
yesterday a bill to regulate the manu-
facture and sale of lager beer He had
introduced no such bill, and knew moth
ing about it,
[Note-The bill was introduced by
Senator Wolcott
Chinese Enumeration.
The House bill to amend the census
law, providing for the enumeration of
the Chinese population, was read with
the Senate amendment. Hale said there
was demand from the Pacific Coast that
there should be some Identification of
Cinnamon here and who had right to
remain here, against Cinnamon con-
stantly stealing into the United States.
He himself would have been willing to
go farther and stronger in the way of
Chinese exclusion than the bill went.
The amendments of the committee were
all in the direction of making the bill
less severe, and he feared the committee
had gone too far in that direction.
Eustis Antagonizes the Measure.
Eustis thought it strange that the
census committee should report bill
which had nothing to do with municipal,
police and internal obligations. The
bill provided penal statutes with refer
ence to class of people residing in the
United States by reason of treaty rights.
1t gave just cause of complaint to for
elgn government; government consid-
cred within the family of civilized ma
tions; government with which the
| Government of the United States had
solemn treaties, and a nation with which
the American people had important and
valuable commercial relations. If the
question of Chinese exclusion was to be
reopened, it should be done in the
proper way, and not under the sham
and mockery of taking the census. The
census committee had bowed down to
the House in reporting what he regarded
as the mostB outrageous bill ever sent
to- the Senate. Our trade with
China was exceedingly important, and
the United States was brought in COM
petition with Germany and England for
that trade. The Chinese Government
was engaged in vast public works, for the
contracts for which there was much COM
petition, and there was no necessity why
that Government and people should be
insulted, affronted and degraded by such
a measure.
The Object of the Bill.
Hale stated that the object of the bill
was to carry out the settled policy of the
Government, as shown by the legislation
excluding Chinese laborers from coming
into the United States hereafter. That
was the only object. Unless some such
bill was passed, hundreds and thousands
of Chinese would come from month to
month"; and from year to year, as they
were now coming The object of the bill
was to prevent them.
The matter then went ever until Mon
day. Mitchell gave notice of several
amendments which he would offer to the
bill Monday
After executive session the Senate adj
journed.