Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-23

IN CONGRESS TODAY
A Good Deal Of Horse Talk in the
Senate.
A REPORT ON EQUINE DISEASES
Causes Quite Lively Debate as
to It's Value to the Farmer.
ALL QUIET IN THE HOUSE.
ALL QUIET IN THE HOUSE.
SENATE.

1ho cTcuent1nB oi MI ftatt fof nis new sOna-
torial term, beginning March next, were pre-
sented and placed on file.
Among the papers presented and referred
were resolutions of the state senate of Texas
favoring an amendment to the Constitution lin
iting the tenue Of all federal officers to reason
able term Of years.
Also the petition Of fifty ministers Of churches
in and near Kansas City, No., against the OPEN
ing of any exposition under control Of the gov
eminent on Sundays. Also a letter from the
secretary of state of Idaho to the governor ''in
regard to signing and afixing the great seal of
the state to the credentials of one Vim. H.
Clagget as United States Senator" Referred
to the committee on privileges and elections.
Mr.. aonMAN's PREDICTION.
proposition for printing 100, 1000 copies of
the report Of the Agricultural Department on
Diseases of the Horse" provoked a discussion,
in the course Of which Mr.. German inveighed
against extrsvagance in the way of public print
ing, and predicted that in 1892 an increase of
taxation would be necessary to meet the ex-
penditures OF the government.
In reply to some remarks OF Mr.. Spooner in
favor Of the proposition Mr.. German was con-
vlnced that there WAS not farmer in Maryland
or Wisconsin who did not know more about the
horse than did the men who got up that book
He was willing that $4,000 copies should be
printed and distributed among the farmers
(not among the race-horse men.
Mr.. Power urged the printing Of the larger
number, not for the benefit Of horse racers,
but of horse raisers.
PUT IN THE KNIFE TOO DEEP.
Mr.. Paddock expressed the opinion that the
committee on printing in amending the House
resolution by reducing the 100000 copies to
20, 900 had put in the knife too deeply, and that
the desire for economy would have been better
lhnp in, frft-s -snrv
$500, ,O0) for the ornamental work of the geolo-
gical survey.
MIR. Hawley advocated the reduction. and re-
marked that the horse race was not an original
race in America, but ''the court knew" some
thing about it already.
The House resolution proposed to spend
500. 900 on the book at a time when the ex-
penses of the government printing office had
run up to three millions year. Mr.. Cockrell
In replying to a remark of Mr.. Gorman's as to
public documents being on sale at all the sec
ond-hand book stores intimated that that could
not be the case without the connivance Of Sen
ators and Representatives
SECONDHAND BOOK STORE INQUIRY.
Mr.. Berry-Does the Senator intend to state
that any Senator ever disposes of books issued
to him for his constituents to second-h hand book
stores? -
Mr.. Cockren-I am not making that charge
But these books come from the quotas of Sena-
tors and Representatives and they cannot come
from any other place.
Mr.. Berry-If the Senator knows of any Sene-
tor or Representative who has done such a
thing, hope he will make it public.
Mr.. Coekrell-If the Senator from Arkansas
Will inquire at the Senate document room
whether all the documents allotted to- senators
have been sent ont by them. he will ascer-
tain the facts. What. for instance, does C.
Representative from New York care for his
agricultural reportsI Probably he has clerk
who tells him that he wants to distribute them
and he turns them over, franked, to this clerk
And 30 1t is with many other public docu-
ments.
Mr.. Berry-K the Senator knows of any
Senator or Representative who does this an in
vestigation should be made and such Senator
or Representative should be expelled. And any
clerk who is guilty Of such an offense should be
dismissed. The charge is a very serious one
and II the Senator from Missouri knows any
facts OF the kind the country ought to know
them.
Mr.. Dolph agreed with Mr. Berry and would
offer resolution Of inquiry if he was sure that
secondhand book dealers were out of that
privileged class that would decline answering
the questions of a committee ian allusion to the
correspondents who refused to say where they
got reports OF doings in executive sessions.)
$4,000 COPIES AGREED TO.
Finally an amendment, offered by Mr. Harris,
fixing the number of copies at $1,000 was
agreed to-yeas, AZ; nays, IA
Mr.. Platt offered resolution (Which was re-
ferred to the comn.itte on contingent expenses)
authorizing the committee on territories to
visit Alaska during the recess and inquire into
its resources and as to it's need of a more eff
cient system of government-with power to
employ clerk and stenographer and to send
for persons and papers.
=. Mr.. Pierce offered u resolution (which was
agreed to- instruc:ipg the committee on public
lands to examine the questions involved in the
recent decision Of the Supreme Court in the
case Of the st. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba
Railroad Company against Ransom Phelps and
to inquire what legislation is necessary to pro-
tect tho settlers on the lands of the company or
to remunerate them for the loss OF their homes
The conference report Oh the bill providing
for the allotment Of lands in severaity to In
dians was presented and agreed to.