The Portland daily press., 1891-03-04
CONTEST OVER GENERAL FESSENDEN.
The Vote Of the Speaker Necessary
To Break the Tie and Elect Him.
All Hands at Work Completing Acts
Of Legislation.
Cengressmen Are Working All Night
on appropriation Bills.
Especial to the Press. ]

Especial to the Press.l
WASHINGTON, March 3.-The conference
report, which puts General Francis Fessen-
den. on the board Of managers Of the Sol
diers' Home, came up in the House this
morning and there was clese vote on its ad-
option. The report involved an Ohio contro-
yersy somewhat similar to the Maine contro-
versy over Colonel Farnham and General
Hyde. When the report came up Mr.. Bou-
telle asked Mr.. Cutcheon some pointed ques-
tions In regard to the action of the conferees
when Colonel Farnham had been nominated
by the House. The Senate contrary to its
unbroken precedents had refused to ratify
the nomination because, as General Cutcheon
said, OF the urgent efforts of the Maine Sena-
tors to have General Hyde. retained for an
other term of six years. Mr. B0utelle want
ed to know why, after the Senate had con-
cluded to withdraw General Hyde's name,
there were any obstacles to the appointment
of Colonel Farnham, who had received the
unanimous nomination of the House, Gen.
eral CutcheOn said there was nothing what
ever against Colonel Farnham as soldier
and as gentleman, but the matter had been
held in deadlock for about ten months by the
action Of the friends Of General Hyde in the
Senate. Finally General Fessenden had been
selected as a distinguished soldier who would
be acceptable to those who had been sustain
ing General Hyde in the Seaate. Mr.. Bou..
Fessenden as soldier and a personal friend
and declared that he wanted to remind the
House that Colonel Farnham had never
sought the position but that he had been
nominated unanimously by the House and
contrary to all precedent had been rejected
by the Senate on the pretext that General
Hyde should be kept in. The action of the
Senate was hardly courteous to the House
or to Its presiding officer, who had endorsed
rssdT ~ snnnort M NJ t tS was
ference. But there was much opposition in
the House to the report, on the part of those
interested in the Ohio part Of the controversy
where DIR. Y0der, member Of the House,
was supported by the entire Democratic
strength for one OF the places. On q rising
vote the report was defeated on the yeas
and nays there was a tie. Mr.. Boutelle voted
for the report. The tie vote left the deciding
vote to Speaker Reed who voted for the re-
port and thereby put General Fessenden on
the board by saving the conferees from de-
feat
The direct tax bill has been signed by the
President and Maine is sure Of 1857 900 after
waiting thirty years. The postal subsidy
bill has also been signed by the President.
Colonel Mark F. Wentworth Of Kittery, is
here.
Disagreement on Filling Vacancies.
WASHINGTON, March 3.-The Senate met
at $50 this morning and Immediately went
into executive session.
The doors were reopened at 1918 when the
general deficiency appropriation bill was
taken up and all amendments that had been
agreed to In committee of the whole last night
we're agreed to in bulk the Senate except four,
including the French spoilation claims and
the Pacific Railroad claims.
The French claim was finally agreed to.
Mr.. Plumb's amendment appropriating
$4,000 for the Oklahoma sufferers was
agreed to.
The paragraph directing settlement Of
claims to the amount Of So, 500. 900 by several
states and the city ef Baltimore on account
advances during the war of 1872 was agreed
TO. The bill then possed and went back to
the House.
The conference reports on the copyright bill
and the diplomatic and consular bill were
presented and agreed to.
On the copyright bill the Senate voted not
to recede from the Sherman and the Ingalls,
amendments and further conference was or
dered.
On the pension bill disagreement was
reported and further time was granted, the
Senate insisting ON the clause reducing the
fees of pension attorneys.
The report Of the snndry civil bill was tax
en- up and agreed to, the House amendments
being sustained.
Sixty private pension bills were disposed
OF during nll in appropriation proceed
ings.
The finance committee was instructed to
fully Investigate the workings of the tariff
dnring recess, full authority to sit whenever
and whenever they deemed it necessary.
PRESIDENT Manderson was appointed a
member of the committee on rules, vice H.
gals resigned, Mr.. Casey member of the
committee on agriculture, vice Mr.. Blair re-
signed, and McP on Pacific railroads,
vice Hearst, deceased.
Discussion arose as to the wisdom of filling
these committee vacancies now, rather than
waiting until next session: Messrs. Ingalls,,
Hale and German opposed the action.
1t was voted to pay the salary of ex-Sena-
tor Mcdonald from March 4, 1887 till his
death.
The conference report on the agricultural
bill was received with the House order that
certain Senate amendments should not be
agreed to. Several Senators resented this
appendix aud there was considerable dis
cussion as to the proper course to be pursued.
Further conference was finally ordered. A
resolution In regard to ex-senator Warner of
Alabama, similar to the Mcdonald resolu-
tion was reported. 1t was vigorously op-
posed by Mr. Hale and finally was placed on
on the calendar. An attempt was made to
reconsider the Mcdonald resolution but 1t
was prevented by the Senate's going into
At 80 the doors re-opened the Senate
passed Is pension bills, and at 6 o'clock took
recess until 8.
All pension bills on the Senate calendar
were passed at the evening session.
The reports on the Indian bill and the post
office bill were agreed to.
The bill to transfer the revenue marine to
the navy came up for discussion, but was not
settled.
The diplomatic bill was finally agreed to,
as was the agricultural bill and the copy
right bill.
At Ills p. m., the Senate went into execu-
tive session. The session will probably con-
tinue all night.
Reading Clerks Used Up.
WASHINGTON, March 3.-When the House
met, the reading clerks could hardly make
themselves heard so worn out had their
voices become during the excitement Of the
last few days.
Mr.. spooner of Rhode Island called up the
Senate bill increasing Mrs. Silas Casey's
pension to 800 per month, and it passed.
Confe renee was ordered on the agrlcultu-
raj Dill, Mr.. Breckenridge of Kentucky NOV
Ing that the c0nferees be directed to insist
on the withdrawal of the provision allowing
sorghum boilers to use distilled spirits with
out tax.
Further conference was ordered on the
pension bill.
The report on the diplomatic and consular
Dill was submitted by Mr.. Hit Of Illinois.
lie stated that the only subject OF dispute
was the Hawaiian cable section. Mr. Hit
argued the need of such cable, aud thonght
that the House should maintain its position.
Messrs. Morrow Of California and Chipman
OF Michigan also favored it. The House
n0n-cOncurred and further conference was
ordered, the House insisting on their action
on the cable paragraph.
The sundry civil report was agreed to,
Messrs. Cannon, Peters, and breckenridge
OF Kentucky were appointed conferees on
the deficiency bill, and the House took re-
cess to $50 p. m.
In spite Of the bad weather, the galleries
of the House were packed when the House
met after the recess. The Speaker laid be-
fore the House the Senate joint resolution
amending the act establishing the circuit
courts Of appeal by providing that such
courts shall hold their first session on the
third Tuesday Of June, 1898. The amend
ment was agreed to.
The conference reports on the post office,
pension and agricultural bills were received
and accepted. The bill to appoint commits
sion of five members to investigate the liquor
traffic was passed amid the greatest confu-
sion. Several other matters were passed Ia
q perfunctory manner, the members appear
ing to be completely tired out.
Washington Notes.
Attaches of the Chinese Legation deny
hat ha has Objected TO