The critic., 1891-02-21
THE HOUSE ON THE HILL.
WHAT WAS DONE IN THE HOUSE
AND SENATE TODAY.
The Senate Passes the Bill Prohibiting
Pool.selling and Gambling in the
District--A Little Tilt In the House
Over Roll Call This Morning.
SENATE.

SENATE.
In the Senate to-day resolutions were
presented by Mr.. Dolph, from the Cham
Der Of Commerce, Of Portland, Ore, pro-
testing against any further discussion of
the Free Coinage act.
Mr.. Faulkner, from the District Com
mittee, reported the bill to prevent book
making and pool-selling in the cities Of
Washington or Georgetown, or within one
mile Of the boundaries Of these cities.
The bill does not take in the race
course and the question was made by Mr..
Hoar as to itnot doing So.
This was explained by Mr.. ingalls, who
said that the bill was an attempt on the
part Of the Commissioners to adjust the
topography of the District to the con-
science of the Executive "a similar bill
having been vetoed last SESSION..
II was a serious effort ON the part of the
committee to avoid the difficulty by ex-
clusion, so that If the Executive chose to
veto the bill he would have to exercise o
process of deductive reasoning. Pool
selling on race courses was not very
mortal otfense, and never had been visited
with any special severity by the laws of
TO a suggestion that the bill was in
tended to apply particularly to poolselling
and gambling as practiced by negroes in
the northwestern part of the city, Mr.
Edmunds remarked that the only race
that 1t did not apply to was the horse
race.
An amendment which was offered by
Mr.. Hoar to extend the provisions of the
bill to the whole District, was disagreed
to--yeas Q, nays 30-and the bill was
passed.
The Senate also passed bill to make
Enfield, Conn, port OF delivery in the
The Sundry Civil Appropriation bill
was reported and Mr.. Allison gave notice
that he would ask for its consideration on
Monday, and, If 1t was not concluded be-
fore o'clock on that day, he would ask
for night session.
The Senate bill for new mint building
in Philadelphia, at cost not to exceed
100000, was reported and placed OH the
calendar.
The Senate then proceeded to the con-
sideration of the Nicaragua Canal bill.
Mr.. Morgan addressed the Senate in
support Of the bill and in reply to argu-
ments made against it yesterday.
Mr.. Edmunds, referring to a misunder,,
standing as to the amount of capital
stock subscribed for by the construction
company Gt appearing in the committees
report as 100000, ,000), said that he had q
telegram from Mr.. Hitchcock, president
of the company, saying that was mis-
print for 81 100000.
Mr.. Morgan said that the reason the bill
was pressed at this late stage Of the session
was on account of its very great import
ance, and that the committee had no pos
sible alternative.
Mr.. Wolcott inquired of Mr.. Morgan
whether the testimony did not show that,
while the construction company had
subscribed for 81 100000 in stock, the sub
scriptions to the stock by the rest of the
world amounted to only Sl1 800, ON which
10 per cent, or 81 ,i50, had been paid in.
Mr.. Morgan said that he did not know
that to be the case, but was perfectly
willing to admit II, as IL strengthened the
argument that the pending bill should be
passed. If the bill was not passed the
company would so on and build the canal
and obtain the money in the markets of
the world.
Commenting upon Mr.. Vests argument
as to the obstacle presented by the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty, Mr.. Morgan asked
whether Senators were to take off their
hat to Queen Victoria and say "by the
leave of your Msjesty." That, he said,
was not the American view of the question:
1t had not been so since the days of Mon
roe and never would be.
HOUSE.
In the House to-day, at the opening OF
the session, there were sonly 12l members
present, and, pending the reading of the
Journal Mr.. Fithian of Illinois made the
point that no quorum was present.
A call of the House was demanded by
Mr.. McMillin of Tennessee, but it was re-
jected by vote of yeas 6S, nays l25; and,
quorum being disclosed by this vote,
the clerk proceeded to read the journal. .
Messrs. Fithian and Springer demanded
that it should be read in full, and this
drew forth the remark from Mr.. Cannon
that he was unaware that there were two
Speakership candidates from Illinois.
Mr.. Fithian interrupted the reading
several times, and declared that the Clerk
was skipping some OF the names ON the
roll-call.
This, upon the authority of the Clerk,
the Speaker stated to be incorrect.
Mr.. Millikin Of Maine-The Clerk is
reading every letter.
Mr.. Fithian-I say he is not.
Mr.. Milliken--And say he is.
Mr.. Fithian--And sap you are saying
what is not true.
The Clerk proceeded with the reading
but was again interrupted by Mr.. Springer,
who stated that he was not reading the
journal, in that he was reading the NUM-
bers of the pension bills passed last night
and not the titles. After q brief contro-
yersy the Speaker stated that the Clerk
was reading exactly what was furnished
been no time to fiji in the titles.
Mr.. Springer suggested that this was not
journal, and Mr.. Wheeler of Alabama
suggested that the House should take q
recess until the journal was properly
made up. But this idea was not carried
out, and the reading continued.