The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-23
SESSION OF THE SENATE.
AN INCREASE OF idESSENGERs
AGREED TO.

Discussion Over the COMMITTEES to
Which a Communication from the
Court of Claims Should Be Referred.
Failure of the Committee on Appro-
priatious to Provide for the Payment
of Awards.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 22-In the Senate
this morning after the introduction of q
number Of bills the resolution heretofore
offered and reported back from the COM
mittee on contingent expenses for an in
crease of the messenger force of the Senate
was presented and agreed to, Mr.. Platt
withdrawing the objection which he had
previously made to it and remarking that
he found the increase asked for to be abso-
Iutely necessary If the Senate was O utilize
the Maltby hotel property, which be was
very sorry had ever been bought by the
government.
A communication from the court OF
claims transmitting tho awards in certain
French spoliation claims cases was pre-
sented, and gave rise TO discussion as to the
committee to which 1t should be referred,
Messrs. Mitchell and Cockrell arguing that
it should go to the committse on claims,
stating that for several years
past the committee on appropriations
had had jurisdiction of these cases In the
course of the discussion Mr.. Allison stated
that the committee on appropriations had
in a number OF cases rejected OF failed to
appropriate for awards made by the
court. Conspicuous among the cases which
the committee had refused 20 recommend
appropriations for were the insurance oom-
panies' claims In the Alabama awards. He
did not believe that the government was
under any obligations to pay these ancient
insurance claims. He did not consider him-
self bound to appropriate to pay such awards
simply because they were reported by the
court Of claims. He thought that they
should be referred to the judiciary commit
tee to examine thu decisions Of the court and
the law respecting them.
ONLY CERTIFICATroNs.
Mr.. Mitchell concurred in the suggestion
aud said that these awards of the court Of
claims were oertihcatlons and had no con-
ciusivene6s ON the Senate or on congress
Mr.. Cockrell expressed himself In the
same sense, and said IL was farcical to call
them Judgements They were no judgments
but were findings.
Finally the matter was referred to the
committee on claims.
Mr.. Stanford, accompanied by his col
league, Mr.. FELTON,, advanced to the clerks
desk and took the oath of office for his new
ccndlOIAdA Ool III 0uQ tucu AutIOuuC6u boVH
eral bills including the following: To pro-
vide the government with means sufficient
to supply the wants of sound circulating
medium; for an extension of the executive
mansion; to encourage Cooperation in the
District Of Columbia and to provide for the
formation of associations for the purpose of
conducting lawful business and dividing the
profits
The House concurrent resolutions for the
payment of the December salaries to the
employees of congress on Dec "a, and
for holiday recess from tomorrow until
Tuesday, Jan. 5, were presented and
concurred in, and then, after short execu-
tive session and as mark
of respect TO the memory of the
late Representative Ford Of Michigan,
whose death during the last recess had bsen
formally communicated from the House,
the Senante, at l:10 o'clock. adjourned till
tomorrow.