, 1890-05-27
THE DAY IN CONGRESS.
The Senate Does All the Bust
ness Of the Day.
Cockrell Wants no More Bat
tie Ships Built.
Timber Culture Law is also
Under Discussion.

Way
after the reading of the journal the oath
of office was administered BY the vice
president to Carlisle as senator from Ken
lucky for Beck's ~unexpired term.
Sherman presented petitions in favor
of exclusion from the mails the Police
Gazette and similar publications.
Plumb's bill to provide for the pur-
chase of silver for use as lawful money,
prepared by Banker st. Johns of New
York, was referred to the finance commit.
tee.
Plumb offered a resolution, instructing
the finance committee to prepare a report
in connection with the tariff bill
a statement showing duties levied
under the existing law and duties as
they would be under the house bill and
duties as they would be if the committee
should recommend new duties or an in
or reduction OF the existing duties,
and to state the reasons in each case for
such addition or increase.
Reagan moved to amend the resolution
TO inquire into cases of compound duties
in the specific and ad valorem column,
aud showing the equivalent ad valorem
amount OF duty where practicable. Agreed
to, and the resolution as amended passed.
The senate committee on public lands
reported a voiuminous substitute for the
house bill to repeal the timber culture
laws. The bill repeats the timber culture
act of 1878, except as to Nebraska, and
all acts supplementary thereto, with pro-
V1sna that nn valid rtrhta nnlar A. -
shall be disturbed. etc. The act of 1877,
making provisions for sale of desert
lands, Is amended by the addition of five
sections, governing issue of patents for
lands to be irrigated and giving parties
the right to associate together in the con
of irrigation canals and bitches.
The bill further provides that no public
lands be offered at public sale ex-
cept abandoned military reserva-
tons, isolated and disconnected frac-
tioual tracts, and mineral and other
lands. The provision made for entering
townsites in Alaska. is limited to 100
acres, and for requirement of tracts not
exceeding l60 acres by manufacturing or
associations. From the operation
these provisions are excepted coal lands
aud lands containing precious minerals,
public reservations. fish culture lands on
the Kodiac and Afaqua islands and is
of the Pribylot group, and tracks of
and not exceeding GAO acres in extent &C.
cupied as missionary stations. The right
to regulate the taking and protection OF
is also reserved. Townsite entries
may be made by Incorporated towns and
cities on mineral lands in the United
but they shall not acquire title to
vein OF mineral ore,
The pending question was Cockrelfs
amendment to strike out the provision for
heavily armored battle ships at
"a ,O00,0 600 each, There was a lengthy
debate on this, in which Cockrell com
mented on the recommendations of the
secretary for the construction of a large
number of vessels. There is no occasion,
said Cockrell, for the construction for
coast defenses or the increase of the naval
establishment. 1t was well for the SEN
alto to remember that the surplus is
gone. When the legislation of
congress Is finished there will be no
surplus, aud the people of the United
States might be very happy if the taxes
did not have to be increased. There
no necessity for the con-
struction of great battle ships
The American flag is perfectly safe in
every part of the earth. The United
could rely on securing Justice with
out any manifestation of physical or visi-
BILE force.
Voorhees, said the American people no
more favored increasing the navy and
having a great standing navy than they
were in favor OF having e great standing
army, He had faith in the ability of the
American people to get ready whenever
an emergency arose.
Butler spoke vigorously in opposition
to the amendment and regretted that it
was not in his power to vote for eight In
stead OF three battle ships. He hoped all
cur difficulties might be settled by nego.
or arbitration. but so long as
human nature was as it is it was unsafe
to assume that the United States was in
danger of collision with any foreign
power.
Blair moved to amend the provision
for three battle ships by inserting a
proviso that it shall not be available until
the government of Great Britain shall
have been requested by the president TO
Withdraw all her naval forces from Amer
waters and to dismantle her naval
stations In both South aud North America
and in the adjacent islands, and shall
have declined OF neglected for one year to
do so.
Hawley said this proposition from a
nation already disarmed to get Great
Britain TO disarm was simply ludicrous.
While he was as much in favor of peace
as anybody, he did not conceive of in any
way departing from the teaching of Holy
scripture in favor of being prepared
against violence and gross Injustice. There
was some time in the history of the
world, when for the sake of manhood
and patriotism, for sake OF God and
country. a people must fight, and those
were the days that lifted people out of
their worship Of the almighty dollar.
MIR. Hale spoke of the defenseless con
dition of the Pacific coast and the extern
sive British works and naval stations in
British Columbia, which he had visited
last year.
Blair's amendment was rejected as was
also Cockrell's, the later by a vote OF 80
to Is. The bill then passed.
Mitchell offered a resolution which was
agreed to. i%nstructing the committee on
pensions to report an amendment to the
pension laws providing in more liberal
manner for widows, minor children and
dependent relatives Of deceased soldiers.
Adjourned.