Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-08
Senators Put in a Days Work on Ap-
preparation Bills.
GEN. GRANT AND ARLINGTON.
More Discussion of the Proposed
Eight Story Post Office.
DEFICIENCY BILL IN THE HOUSE.
SENATE.

elgn relations to inquire and report such meas
ure as may be necessary for the protection of
citizens of the United States who were form
erly residents of Cuba and subjects of Spain
against prosecution by the Spanish govern
ment for offenses alleged to have been COM
mitted by them.
THE GRANT RESOLUTION AGREED TO.
The concurrent resolution heretofore offered
by Mr.. Plumb expressing the desire OF Con-
gress for the removal of the remains of .',he
illustrious soldier and statesman. Ulysses s.
Grant, to and their interment in the Arlington
National Cemetery and requesting the Presi-
dent to convey to the widow of that eminent
man such desire, rendering her on behalf of
the nation all necessary facilities for such re-
moval and lnterment, WAS taken up and
agreed to.
THE FoRTIFICATIoN BILL.
The conference report on the fortiication
bill was taken up for consideration.
CONTRACTS FOR GUNS.
Mr.. German, one of the conferees made a
statement in regard to the following provision
agreed to in conference on the subject of guns.
That contracts shall be invited by the Secre-
tary OF War by proper notice and publication
for the manufacture (tinishing and assembling
OF elght-lnch ten-inch and twelve-inch steel
coast guns from forglngs procured under for
tification act of September 22, 1883. and if pri-
vate parties shall offer to finish assemble and de-
liver any OF such guns III proper condition for use
as completed guns at price fair to the gov
ernment. the necessary contracts shall be en-
tered into by the Secretary for that purpose,
and to carry into effect this provision the sum
of $780, 600 is hereby appropriated.
Provided. that the finishing aud assembling
OF not over fifty per centum Of each caliber of
such forgings shall be thus provided for.
Provided further. that all contracts made
hereunder shall be SO made as to fully protect
the government against all loss or damage
which may result from imperfect work, the
fault of the contractor, and the work done here
under shall be subject to inspection at every
stage.
He said that it was the best compromise that
the Senate cOnferees could obtain. and that
under 1t there would be active competition be-
tween private enterprises and public work
shops
THE REPORT AGREED TO.
After some further discussion the conference
report was agreed to-
sUNDRY CIVIL BILL
The conference report on the sundry civil
appropriation bill was then taken up, and the
action of the conference committee on the sub
ject of the bridge and viaduct at Rock Island
declining to require the municipality to share
the expense and ownership was criticised and
condemned by Mr. Edmunds. who contrasted
that hberality OF the committee with its
meanness and parsimony in refusing to the
widow OF a dead chief justice the balance of
bis years salary.
MR.. GoRMAN's OBJECTION.
Mr.. German. one of the conferees. said that
there were a number of items in the report
which did not meet with his approval, but that
there was no way by which conclusion
could be reached except by each house
surrenderlnS something. He called attention
particularly to one feature of the report which
Che thought the Senate ought not to agree to.
That was III regard to the three or four items
for Payment OF arrears OF pay and bounty to
two and three years volunteers.
The bill, as it came from the House, had left
the appropriations indefinite, using the words
las much rs may be necessary" The Senate
had inserted definite amounts, AZ estimated
for. Thus it had inserted $3.50. 900 tor the first
item and Tor all the items Sis. 900.
The conference committee had struck ont
the definite appropriations leaving the amount
entirely indefinite. and he gave it as his opin-
ION that the aggregate expenditure would be
not S125,OU0. but perhaps a.. COO The only
apparent object of the House in insisting on
that point WIS, he sad, that on the face OF the
bill the total amount appropriated might an
pear SO much Jess. He thought that on that
account the conference report should be re-
jected.
He said this not as a matter of party but as
a matter of sound and orderly conduct The
mahihS OF lhuennlte appropriations was open
ing the door too wide.
OTHER OBJECTIONS.
Mr.. Call argued against the action of the
conference committee i'll striking out of the
bill all appropriations for the payment to the
families Of Senators and members of: the pay
for the balance of their years salaries. He
thought that on that ground alone the confer
ence report should be rejected.
Mr. Sherman 9 pressed his regret at the
strikin out Of the ite for the families of
deceased members and of the late Chief Justice
Waite. He would himself vote for law. gen.
eral in its character, giving to the family of
every officer OF the government who ed in
harness the balance OF his pay during
the calendar year. AS to the item for the
bridge and viaduct at Rock Island he thought
that on the whole the action of the conferees
was right. As to the indefinite appropriations
spoken of by Mr.. German he agreed with what
that Senator had said. Still as these items
were not likely to be swollen unnecessarily
there wGs no particular objection to be made
in the matter. Still he did not think it the ex-
act thing for any party to cover up an amount
appropriated by making it indefinite.
Mr.. PLUMB APPROVED 1T.
Mr.. Plumb expressed his own satisfaction
that the item as to Mrs. Waite had been struck
out Of the bill, because he did not think it
should ever have been in it. He hoped that
be regarded settling that whole matter until
some general law were passed on the subject
And about that there would be great difficulty
and embarrassment
THE CITY POST OFFICE.
Mr.. Vest addressed himself to the question
of the Washington post Office building and ex-
pressed his doubt az to the propriety Of the
requirement that the building should be not
less than eight stories high. The lot contained
10000 square feet Of ground, and if that space
were covered with building (the first story Of
granite and all the other stories OF brick) it
would be the most enormous mass Of brick to
be seen from one ocean to the other. Private
buildings would be like settlers cabins In COM
parison with ii. The Senator from Connecticut
(Mr Hawley) had spoken yesterday about its
overshadowing other buildings on Pennsyl-
vania avenue. II would overshadow them and
dwarf them until they would be more pigmies
BIO BUILDINGS HLsEwHERL
Mr.. Hale mentioned that in other cities there
were buildings Of eight and ten and twelve
stories high and even Qn New York and Chi
cago) fourteen and fifteen stories high, and he
referred to the very high building on the cor
ner Of H and 18th streets in Washington (the
Shoreham HoteD as not being 30 great blot,
so grotesque or 30 out Of proportion ~ Mr..
Vest seemed to think that the post Office build