The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1890-01-25
DOINGS OF CONGRESS-
Whatou National Lawmakers
Have Been Doing the
Past Week.

were several petitions asking Tor pension
legislation recommended by the pension
committee of the Grand Army Of the Repub-
lie, Picker, OF South Dakota, presented one
from ex-soldiers o. his state, ind Carter, of
Montana, q large one from ex-soldiers oil
his state. marlborough presented n petition
Of residents of North Dakota, praying Tor
speedy and liberal appropriation to irrigata
arid lands; also q memorial from the first
legislative assembly Of North Dakota. pray
Lincoln as a military post and asking for
appropriation for various improvements OF
the same. Also q bill authorizing the pay
ment of $464 TOT. r. Lounsberry, late post
master at Bismarck, for amount
expended by him for rent and 9th
er expenses from July ], 1883, to Sept.
80, 1885; which amount was disallowed in,
settlement Of his account. Also to establish
a penitentiary in North Dakota, near Graf.
ton, and for a survey of the state for irriga-
ton purposes, appropriating $4,000 for
the purpose. Also bills ap%propriating $751;
600 each for public buildings at Bismarck,
Fargo and Grand Forks.
The interesting feature Of the proceedings
in the Senate was q brisk bebate between
Senators Coll and Plumb on the Florida
swamp lauds resolution. Among the execu-
tive communications presented to the senate
today was one from the President, recon-
| hNA ~ CACSUkOA VI SOuouldE puliOlnko
at Bangkok, Siam.
A joint resolution, introduced in the House
by Representative Chapman, of Michigan, d.
rects the secretary of war to cause q survey
and an estimate of the expense of the cost of
the construction Of q basin for the anchorage
and turning of vessels in the river Rouge, in
the State Of Michigan. between the mouth of
the river and the bridge of the Michigan Cen,
trail railroad across the same.
SENATE
In the senate Mr.. Morgan's resolution rec
ognizing the United States of Brazil as a
free, independent and sovereign state was
taken up and Mr.: Turpie proceeded to i'd
dress the senate in it's support. He hoped
that the recognition of Brazil would come
soou enough to be of value and of real sig
n%i6cance. The resolution went over without
action.
Senator Davis introduced an unusually
large batch o fprivate pension bills, also u bill
authorizing the payment Of 1910 to Geo. A.
Fairbanks, of White Earth, Mimi, that be-
ing the sum advanced by hin for transport
tation in 1881 under the Indian bureau.
The transportation was performed by the
Indians, and as the agent at that time
was not furnished with money to pay
for same, Fairbanks, by the advice OF the
agent, paid them, they turning over to him
9s security the certificates of their work with
the guarantee Of the agent on the back of
them. Such payment was O great accom-
mediation to the freighters and relieved the
agent from annoyance by the Indians, who
were clamoring day after day for their pay.
HOUSE.
The house committee on territories heard
arguments on Mr.. Springer's bill to admit
the territory of Oklahoma. Judge Lowe, of
Guthrie, and Judge Martin, OF Ell Reno, ad-
dressed the committee. Both favored the
bill in general, but objected to that section
which proposed the statutes Of forthe
government of the territory, and pro-
posed the adoption of the Arkansas
statutes. They also objected to the prohibi.
ton features OF the Kansas laws and TIE
slause concerning the pay Of county officers.
The house committee on civil service will
hold a meeting to give q hearing to the com
missioners and those who nave introduced
resolutions tavoring the investigation of the
committees methods Of doing business.
Congressman Lind of Minnesota, as q men,
Der of that committee, has made an almost
complete canvass of it, and finds the pre-
vailing sentiment in favor of an investiga.
ton.
The senate took up the bill introduced by
Mr.. Butler on Dec, 16 toprovide for the emf
grafton of persons of from the Souther n
States, and Mr.. Butler proceeded to address
the senate at some ~len;-.l. Mr.. Hoar re-
piled to Mr.. Butler. 1t seemed to him that
this proposition was the most astonishing
that had ever been heard in the legislative
history of the senate or in the legislative his
tory Of any free, civilized n prosperous
people. The difficulties of the race problem
existed in excited imaginations and ineradical
prejudices OF a few white men, not between the
races themselves. As to the idea of the SEN
ator from Alabama (Mr. Morgan) that the
choice was between numbering the negroes
or marrying them, between killing them or
assimilating them, he thought that a course
of lecture on the sixth and seventh CON.
mandments would settle the whole thing,
and that no more would be heard of O doc
trine that was an absurdity and ON insult to
our common humanity. The bill went over
without action.
Tie time of the house was almost entirely
taken up in discussing O resolution reported
by Mr.. Mckinley from the committee on rules
providing for the appointment of a special
worlds fair committee of thirteen to report
within three days q plan by which the house
can determine the site of the proposed fair
and subsequently to report O bill pro-
yiding for the fair. Mr.. Cannon OF ILL.,
nois, us the minority of the COMMITTEES on
rules, reported a substitute resolutaSn in
structing the committee on foreign affairs
to report to the house a method Of selecting
the locality ofthe world g fair. First, whether
the lair shall be held east or west of the Allc-
, geny mountains; second, the selection of the
i place for the location of the fair, and after
the location has been decided by the house,
for a worlds fair in 1899; at the place select
ed by the house. A long discussion followed,
In which q score or more of representatives
took part.
A
A special meeting of the senate committee
on territories was held. Chairman Platt was
instructed to report, recommending the pass.
orn rf thu hy1lo - po11x- ~ ~@~k. 80
and to organize 9 territorial form of govern.
ment for Oklahoma.
Mr.. Mckinley called up his motion to re-
consider the vote by which the House re-
fused to substitute the resolution reported
BY the COMMITTEES on rules Gas amended by
the adoption of the Cannon resolution) for
the original resolution referred to the com-
mittee. Mr.. McKinley's motion was
ton then recurred on the adoption
of the original resolution, that q select COM
mittee Of nine members be appointed by the
speaker to be called the worlds fair COM
,mittee. to which shall be referred all matters
in, relation to the celebration of the 4OOth
anniversary Of the discovery of America, or
the worlds fair of 1892. >
The resolution was adopted, yeas, al;
nays, 136, Mr.. Springer, OF Illinois,. chang
ing his vote from the negative to the af1m-
ative in order to enter o motion to recon-
slider. Mr.. Springer said he only desired
that the committee should be instructed to
report to the House which location
might be selected. As it now stood the
committee would be authorized to select the
location. He withdrew his motion to recon-
slider, stating that he would trust to the fair.
ness Of the committee and the House.
SENATE. :.
A special meeting OF the Senate committee
on Pacific railroads was held to listen to
argument by Collins p. Huntington on the
Pacific railroad bill.