Morning journal and courier., 1890-05-03
THE FIFTx-F1RsT CONGRESS.

THE FIFTX-F1RsT CONGRESS-. Passage efthe Customs Administrative
 nAA In the Senate-The Silver Ques-
 ton so be Taken Up Wednesday-
 1he Copyright Bln Defeated In tho
 House.
 WASHINGTON, May 2.-Nr. Cullom, from the committee on interstate commerce made report with testimony on the subject of American commerce by Canadian railroads. Ordered printed.
 MT. Vest introduced a bill to amend the interstate commerce act, stating that its ob- 5ect was to place express companies finder the provisions of that act, and asked the attention of the interstate committee to the subject.
 The concurrent resolution heretofore of- tered by Mr. Dolph requesting the president to enter, into negotiations with the govern ments of Great Britain and Mexico with view to securing treaty stipulations for the prevention of entry of Chinese laborers into the United States was taken up and agreed to.
 A message from the house with the house amendment to the senate dependent pension Dill was laid before the senate. Mir. Sher- man suggested that the bill and amendment be referred to the committee on pensions. It was so ordered.
 The customs administrative bill was then taken up.
 After discussion several committee amend ments were agreed to and the bill was passed yeas 30, nays IS.
 Mr. Platt gave notice that he would next Monday ask the senate to take up the nlll TOT the admission of the state of Wyoms ing.
 On motion of kr. Jones of Nevada, the bill authorizing tho issue of treasury notes on deposit of silver bullion was taken up and made the unfinished business from Wednes- day next until disposed of.
 The conference report on the Oklahoma town sites bill was presented and agreed to.
 After short executive session the senate adjourned till to-morrew.
 HoUsE. '- On motion of MT. O'Neill of Pennsylvania aresolution was adopted setting apart Sstur. day, June 14, for the delivery of eulogies ups on the late Samuel J. Randall of Pennsyl- vania.
 The house then resumed the consideration of the copyright bill. MT. Hopkins of Hi nois said that the ostensible purpose of the bill was to extend the rights of American au- thors. But the measure meant vastly mere than this. The inevitable result of 1t would be to create gigantic publishing monopoly which would raise the price of every book and periodical printed in this country, and would impose tax on every reader of books from the boy with his primer to the college pro. lessor with his scientific work.
 MT. Simonds of Connecticut argued in favor of the bill. The American people were beginning to undertand how great a wrong was being done to authors and they were determined that Q stop should be put ko ic Io{- 1@o oEho barism for the United States to despoil an alien author because he was an alien. It was sad reflection that this great govern. ment, which boasted of its freedom and love of equal rights, should be substantially the l only one of the great civilized nations to play the part of the robber baron. Every American who was thoroughly patriotic, thoroughly intelligent and honesty ought to long for the coming of the day when this sham should be wiped off the national honor. Hr. Bland of Missouri characterized the bill as a scheme for monopoly. MT. Culberson of Texas said that the measure was not inspired by love for the property rights of foreign authors It was the old, old cry of protection against compe- tition. American authors sought by this to destroy the competition against which they were already reasonably protected and to increase the recepts of their work at the expense of the people.
 Ir. Mills of Texss claimed that after an au- thor had given his idea to the public he had no right over 1t. It became public property. To give copyright to foreign authors was to increase the price of the authors books, to arrest the wheels of civilization, to stop the education of the masses and to turn back on the path of progress. In return foreign gov ernments would grant the same boon to American authorsi The price was too heavy for us to pay.
 Messrs Peters and Anderson of Kansas and MT. Stoekdale of Mississippi opposed the bill and MT. McAdoo of New Jersey warmly es- poused it.
 Mr. Moore of New Hampshire said that he had been e newspaper publisher from boy hood up. He knew all about patent insides; and he undertook to say that this bill neither directly nor indirectly affected the patent in. side in any way whatever. He was earnestly in favor of the bill. It was justice to extend
 to foreign authors that justioe which foreign
 countries extended to American authors. The
 great typographical union of the country
 asked congress for this bill because every
 foreign work reprinted must be reprinted by
 American printers.
 Mr. Carlisle of Kentucky said that without
 knowing perfectly the details of the bill he
 would support it on account of the general
 principle involved. He had never been abl' to see why a man should not be just al
 much entitled to protection in the ownership of the products of intellectual labor as in thu products of his manual labor and in fao every literary work involves tosome exten . manual labor.
 MT. Payson of Illinois declared that thu
 bill was in the interest of foreign author
 and against American readers. Mr. Lodge of Massachusetts said that al property was the creation of law. The goot ,. old rule, the simple plan that they shall talk
 who have the power and they shall keep wh' can, had been replaced in the gradual pro . gress of civilization by law. The law of giv , ing property in the ideas of the mind datet back in England to the statutes of Anne. was recognized in the constitution of the :. United States.
 Messrs Covert and Farquhar of New York Buchanan of New Jersey, and Buttsrwortl , of Ohio supported the bill. , On motion of Ar. Payson an amendmen , was adopted providing that whenever an foreign nation shall by its laws or by treat r or convention grant to the citizens of tn
 United States rights, property and privilege
 equal to those granted by this bill to citizen
 of foreign countries, the president shall mak
 public proclamation thereof, and from tn q date of the proclamation the citizens of tn
 foreign country shall be entitled to the rights s property and privileges hereby granted. . On motion of Mr. Pay son an amendmen s was adopted striking out tho clause whic
 prohibits the importation of any foreign boo !, printed abroad for which @ copyright hs z been granted by the United States. The vote was then taken on the engrosl ment and third reading of the bill and . . was defeated-yeas 97, nays 126. . Before the announcement of the resul . Mr. Breckenridge of Kentucky, who voted i 2 tho affirmative, changed his vote to the net Z ative for the purpose of moving @ rsoonsid eration.
 5; Nr. Hopkins of Illinois moved to lay u - motion to reconsider on the table. The house took @ recess until o'clock. The motions to reconsider and to lay u
 motion on the table will be acted upon t
 morrow.
 n The house at it's evening session passe seventeen private pension bills and at 10:' n adjourned.