Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-05-09
H ACTS OF CONGRESS.
SUCCINCr SUMMARY OF A WEEKS
LEGISLATiyE WORK.

Bills and Resolutions Introduced ana Top
les Discussed by tn. National Body OF
Law Makers.
In the senate on the 2Sth in connection
with q resolution in relation to the Missis-
sippi river a discussion sprung up and was
participated in by many senators, the point
turning OF the question whether the levee
system or outlet system was a cor
rect one or whether there should
not be combination of the two. Senator
Vest said congress should adopt one sys-
TEN or the other. Senator Reagan said
his Investigations had convinced him hat
the levee system was q failure, as it had
been proved in the Yellow river of China,
where the river raised and devastating
of lives. The outlet system was
Mississippi. After further discussion
the business of the morning
hour was proceeded with. Sem
ator Blackburn introduced a bill for
the admission Of Arizona. Referred. The
land forfeiture bill was taken up and, after
some discussion, went over without action.
The senate bill Incorporating the society
of the Sons of the American Revolution
was read. Senator Plumb made some
s~atirical remarks about the efforts to en-
courage patriotism Lying around loose in
the country, and moved to amend the bill
by providing that its privileges be extended
to the Grand Army. No quorum voted,
and without action on the bill the senate
adjourned.
In the senate on the goth, after the
transaction of some routine business of
u%nimportant public importance, considera-
kio~ 30 kho lad forGo~o hs1 -on 90
sumed. Senator Plumb discussed Senator
Calls amendments as to lands in Florida.
Senator Platt i~nterruptedto offer a concur
rent resolution, which was agreed to, re-
questing tn, president to return the
Oklahoma bill. He explained that owing
to an error of his own the word west" had
been used in the place of east" in the dis
crlption of the boundaries.
Consideration of the land forfeiture bill
was resumed. On the motion to lay Sena-
tor Calls amendment OF the table no
quorum voted-yeas, 81; nays, 14-but as
call of the senate showed the presence of
fft-two members Senator Sher-
man rose and said that when
the vote did not disclose that fact he should
insist upon the sensible rule that the sena-
tors present and not voting should be
counted. After some debate n vote was
again taken and Senator Calls amendment
was laid on the table by a strict party vote
yeas, 80; nays, Is. Senator
Moody offered an amendment,
which was agreed to, declaring the act not
to be considered to confer any right on
any state, corporation OF person to the
lands accepted in the grants. The bill
then passed without division. Senator
Mcpherson introduced a bill granting a
pension of 50, 500 a year to the widow Of
Gen. Mcclellan. Referred. The senate
then proceeded to the consideration of the
Mckinley administrative customs bill,
after which the senate adjourned.
In the house on the 29th there
was o spirited and heated
skirmish when Mr.. Pierce, of Ten
nessee, rising TO q question of personal
privilege, denied the statement made
Of re 1ss as se the eject aE1 th ss there asf has
been ballot stufing in his district. The
speaker ruled that this did Iot present the
matter Us a personal privilege. This
resulted in some sharp talk,
in which the speaker was
contradicted by Pierce. and Mills, OF
Texas, accused him of fraud. The speak
er declared Mills out of order, whereupon
he responded: Il anu in order, and the
speaker is more out Of order than the gen.
tleman from Texas. The ruling is simply
an outrage" The matter was then dropped.
The senate resolution was concurred in,
concerning the irrigation of the arid lands
of the valley of the Rio Grande. The bill
removing the charge of desertion from the
record of VIM. Dawson was passed. The
senate bill passed for the disposal of the
Fort Sedgwick military reservation
in Colorado and Nebraska. The
house then went into committee of
the whole on the bill providing for the
classification of worsted cloths as woolens.
After q long discussion the committee rose
and reported the bill to the house. On
the passage of the bill no quorum voted,
and there being no quorum present Mr..
Dingley moved On adjournment, which
carried.
In the senate the committee on foreign
relations reported a concurrent resolution
requesting the president to negotiate with
the governments Of Great Britain and
Mexico with a view of securing treaty dep
u~tations for the prevention OF the entry
into the United States of Chinese from
Canada and Mexico, and immediate con-
slderation Of it asked. Consideration
of the custom administration resumed
Senator Gray moved to amend the bill BY
inserting a provision giving the importer
who is dissatisfied the right to begin a
common law suit in the United States
circuit court. This was discussed at length
and the bill was finally laid aside without
action. The conference report on the
house bill for q public building at Fremont.
Neb., was agreed to. The cost was $780,
OOO, but there is no appropriation in the
bill Senator Platt's resolution for the
correction of the Oklahoma bill was agreed
tn and the senate adjourned.
After the reading of the journal the
house on the 3Oth proceeded to vote upon
the passage of the bill for the classification
of worsted and wooden cloths. The bill
passed-yeas, 1888; nays, 0-the speaker
Counting quorum. The bill authorizes
the secretary of the treasury to classify as
wooden cloths all imports Of worsted cloths
which are not known under the name of
worsted cloth, or under the name OF
worsted, or d%iagonals, or otherwise. The
committee on rules reported a resolu-
luton providing for the immediate consid-
Grafton of the senate dependent pension
bill. to which the Morrill, service pension