Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-21
CAPITOL GLEANINGS,
The Etght-Hour Claims Bill-Other
Matters Before the Committees.

By vote Of Z to 8 the House committee on
labor yesterday authorized a favorable report
on the bill providing for an adjustment of the
accounts of laborers, workmen and mechanics,
under the eight-hour law. The bill provides
that any laborer, workman or mechanic who
has been employed by the government since
June %. 1858, when the eight-hour law went
into effect, shall be paid for each eight hours
he has been employed the full price Of days
work. All claims for labor performed in excess
OF eight hours per day are referred to the
Court Of Claims for adjudication upon that
basis. The bill was reported favorably during
the last Congress, but failed i'll the House.
THE TARIFF HEARING.
Claus Spreckels, the sugar king of the Pacific
coast, was the principal witness before the
House committee on ways and means yester-
day, and he went over anew his now WELL
known views upon the brilliant prospects for
the production of beet sugar in this country
upon a large scale. His chief object in APP
pearing before the committee was to protest
against reduction of the duty OH sugar. Otto
VESSEL of New York asked the committee for a
higher duty on piano actions and Theo. W..
Morris spoke for a lower duty on French plate
glass;
THE FLORIDA NOMINATIONS.
The subcommittee Of the Senate committee
on the judiciary, consisting of Senators Ed
munds, Ingalls, and Vest had before them yes
terday District Attorney STRIPPING and Marshal
MiZell of the northern district Of Florida. The
nominations of these officials have been before
the committee on the judiciary for some weeks,
the Senators from that state Directing to con-
hrmatiOn.
OFF FOR DETROIT.
The members of the Michigan delegation in
viii tua loft
Washington yesterday for Detroit to attend the
annual banquet of the Michigan club tonight
They were accompanied by Secretary Noble,
Senators Frye and Pierce and ex-senator B. X.
Bruce.
SEEKING CORDIAL RELATIONS WITH CHINA.
China for Americans and America for the
Chinese was the text of resolution presented
to the Senate yesterday by Mr.. Washburn. The
document comes from the board of trade of the
city of Minneapolis and it indorses the follow
ing resolutions: Resolved, That the President
of the United States be and he hereby is re-
spectfully requested to open negotiations with
the government of China for peaceful and
friendly adjustment OF all questions between
the two governments and for a restoration of
the cordial good feelings which have always
hitherto marked their intercourse"
PENSION FOR STATIONS MOUNTED ORDERLY.
Joseph McGuckian is an old employee in the
Office of the secretary of the Senate, but he
was a military man when the war of the re-
bellion was raging. Now he wants a pension
and yesterday Senator Sawyer, from the COM
mittee on pension, made favorable report on
his claim. The report says: The claimant at
the commencement of the war in 1861. and for
some time thereafter, was a messenger in the
War department, where, by reason of his fidel-
ity, he was often intrusted by the Secretary of
War with the performance of important du-
ties and the delivery of confidential messages
In this capacity he was employed day and
night in carrying messages to different bu-
reaus and military commanders stationed at
the capital. While he had no military appoint
ment, he was recognizedas a mounted orderly.
and on one occasion, while carrying an i'm
portant order from the Secretary of War to
the commandant at the Washington arsenal, he
was thrown from his horse at Midnight and Sc
riously injured, which fact is proved by the
statements of Gems Ramsay and Sickles and
the late Secretary Stanton. He subsequently
enlisted as sergeant to serve five years, but
Was discharged before the expiration of his
term; but he does not claim that he was injured
during his service as an enlisted man. 1t is one
of those cases in which relief can only be OBJ
tanned by special act, which, in the opinion of
the committee, Is justified by innumerable
precedents."