Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-16
The Proposed Condemnation Of Ken
nedy's Speech in the House.
THE DIGNITY OF THE HOUSE" "
Railroad Land Forfeiture Bill
Passed in the Senate.
ALSO THE ANTLLoTTERY BILL.
SENATE.


The Senate met at IL am. with Vice Presi-
dent Morton in tho chair.
The Senate bill giving Con conditions and
limitations) the assent OF the United States to
certain leases of rights to mine coal in the
Choctaw nation was reported from the COM
mittee on Indian affairs and placed on the cal
endar
Mr.. Hiscock introduced bill to authorize
the construction Of q tunnel under the waters
OF the Bay OF New York between Middletown,
Staten Island and New Utrecht. LII Referred
to the committee on commerce.
BILLS PASSED.
The House bill to provide for the holding Of
the regular terms OF the circuit and distric,
courts Of the western district of Virginia was
taken from the calendar and passed with
amendments.)
Also the House bill to authorize tho Score
tary Of the Interior to sell certain lands and to
grant the proceeds of such sale to the town Of
Pelican, Oneida county, Wis. for school pur-
poses.
Also the Senate bill to authorize the Seneca
nation OF New York Indians TO lease lands
within the Cattarsugas and Allegheny reserva-
tions and to confirm existing leases.
The Senate then proceeded to consider (for
one hour bills on the calendar unobjected to.
QUESTIONING THE UTILITY OF PROPOSED PUR-
CHASE.
The first bill on the calendar being the
Senate bill authorizing the librarian of Con-
gress to purchase Cat not exceeding S3O, ,OO0)
Townsend's library OF national state and in
diyidual records concerning the origin, progress
and consequences Of the late civil war Mr.
CockreH questioned the utility Of the proposed
purchase and commented upon Mr. Evarts
having reported it, and having also reported
another bill appropriating $50, 600 for another
books roster OF the war-that would be Of
use only to pension sharks.
MR.. EvARTs EXPLAINS
Mr.. Evarts said that he had reported both of
the bills by order of the joint library commit
tee He would say nothing now about the
roster as that bill was not before the Senate
Mr.. Spofford the librarian of Congress-, had
recommended the purchase of the collection
and tho bill had received the approval of every
member Of the committee. 1t was a compila-
ton. Mr.. Evarts said made from day to day.
during the progress of the events. II con-
sisted of ss large folio volumes containing zoo
or 800 pages each, with large index of Is vol
umes. 1t was a work of great labor and (ac-
cording to Mr.. Spofford) of great accuracy and
completeness 1t was represented being
equally impartial and perhaps equally full in
reference to events on the confederate side.
1t should belong to the United States and be
accessible to historians and readers. Its value
could not be overestimated. There was not a
question OF Job or proft IN 1t.
The discussion was continued by Messrs
Hawley, Gibson, Hampton. Henderson and
Blair in favor Of the bill, and By Messrs. Berry,
Waithail and Reagan in opposition.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
Mr. Walthall moved to amend the bill by in
sert,ng proviso that the librarian shall exam
inc the work carefully and see that it contains
nothing that is not authentic history.
THE BILL PASSED.
The amendment was rejected-yeas IL. nays
Sand the bill was passed-yeas n, nays H.
The hour assigned for the calendar was en-
tirey consumed in the consideration of this
bill.
Senate bill to authorize the construction of
pontoon bridge across the Arkansas river at
Dardanelle, Ark, was con motion Of Mr.. Berry,
taken from the calendar and passed.
Senate bill granting right Of way to the
jamestown and Northern Railroad Company
through the Devils Lake Indian reservation,
Nd, was reported and placed on the calendar.
MORE BILLS PASSED.
On motion of Mr. Plumb the Senate resumed
consideration Of bills on the calendar unob-
iected to. The following bills were passed:
House bill marking the lines of battle and tho
positions Of troops of the army of northern
Virginia at Gettysburg, Pa.
Senate bill to grant the right Of way through
the public lands for irrigation purposes.
Senate bill to provide tor the reappraisal and
sale of the unsold portion Of the grounds and
the buildings thereon known as the Dearborn
arsenal in the state OF Michigan.
Senate bill apprOprinting $75.0 600 for public
building at Lar HarbOr. Me.
Senate bill apprOpriating $1,000 for i'm
prOvement OF the road to the national cemetery
near Pensacola. Fla.
Senate bil! for the relief of Emil NJ Blum
late commissioner general to the Barcelona ex-
position.
MR.. MORGAN RESUMES MS REMARKS.
The conference report on the railroad land
forfeiture bill was resumed and Mr.. Morgan
continued his argument against it. He spoke
OF the first section OF the bill as uuconstitu-
tional and said that the bill was q mere sham
and pretense as a forfeiture bill
1T GAVE EVERYTHING TO THE RAILROAD
COMPANIES
and nothing to tho United States No Senator
should vote for it merely because it professed
to be a forfeiture bill There never would be
foot of land forfeited under it,
while good deal OF land would be
given away that could be reached
by bill in proper form. As far as the North
ern Pacific railroad was concerned the bill only
applied to the 225 miles of road between Wall
lula and Portland, which was not yet built.
AS TO THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD,
the land grant forfeiture was not worth the
snap of a mans finger. What lands, then.
would the bill forfeit? 1t would forfeit the
lands of one little limo from Gadsden, Ala,
Up toward Chattanooga, the company for
the construction of which had never been even
organized, and for which claim had never
been made. Nobody had ever disputed that
those lands belonged to the government
WHAT ELSE DOES THE GOVERNMENT GET
under the pending bill? Nothing whatever ex-
cept the lands for the 225 miles Of line between
wallula and Portland, and yet the bill was
called q land grant forfeiture bin. 1t was q
mere sham and pretense-nothing but
mere political performance invented to get up
the idea that Congress was forfeiting railroad
land grants. while the whole Of the provisions
OF tho bill we're to confirm the title of the great
railway companies to their lands.
THE CONFERENCE REPORT AGREED TO.
The conference report on the railroad land
forfeiture bill was agreed to-yeas 80, nays l3-
the democrats voting in the negative and the re-
publicans in tho affirmative.
THE ANrI-LoTTERY BILL PASSED.
The House snti-lottery bill was taken up.
read and passed.
On motion Of Mr.. Plumb the Senate pro.
ceeded to tho consideration Of the House bill
TO repeal ber-culture laws.
HOUSE.