Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-12
What the Solons at Washing
ton Did Yesterday.
The Naval Appropriations Bill
Passes the Senate. ..,.,
The New Pacific Coast Dry Dock to be
at Port Orchard.
Hot Words Over the Shipping Bill in the
House-several Bills Signed by
the President.
Ausociated Press dispatches.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.-In the senate,
today, Harris inquired of Spooner,
chairman Of the committee on claims,
as to the bill passed by the house for the
payment of findings of the court of
claims, in which bill, he said, many
Tennesseeans were interested.
Spooner explained that he had exam
ined the testimony accompanying the
findings of the court in some cases in
cluded in the bill, and found that it did
not justify the action of the court in the
matter of loyalty of the claimants. He
had reason to think that during the last
administration the interests of the gov
eminent in the court of claims were not
faithfully represented and protected.
He had not therefore felt justified in re-
porting the bill. He had, however,
drawn up an amendment, which he had
presented to the committee this morn
ing, and which had been adopted, and
he expected to report the bill and the
amendments to the senate today.
Teller offered resolution (Which was
agreed toy calling on the secretary of the
treasury for list of persons, firms or
associations by whom silver bullion was
offered under the act of July IA, 1890,
the amounts and prices, the basis on
which the estimate is made of the mar
kct price OF silver and the amounts and
prices of silver bullion purchased outside
of the United States.
Morgan offered resolution (Which
was agreed to) calling on the secretary
of the interior for copies of the regula-
tions for carrying into effect the land
forfeiture act OF September 20, 1889, in
Guiding all instructions and decisions.
Consideration of the naval appropria-
tion bill was resumed, the pending ques-
tion being on the amendment in refer
ence to the site of dry dock on the
Pacific coast, whether on Puget sound
or on the Columbia river.
The amendment recommended by the
committee on appropriations, leaving it
to the secretary of the navy to decide
upon the site OF the dry dock, was ad-
vocated by Dolph and Mitchell, while
Allen argued in support of his amend
ment, fixing Port Orchard, on Puget
sound, as the site.
The discussion lasted so long that Hale
threatened to move to lay the commit
tee amendment on the table, thus putting
an end to the whole thing. The dis
chssion was, nevertheless, continued by
Cockrell, Hiscock, Washburn, Squire,
Spooner and Hale.
a vote was taken on Aliens amendment,
and it was agreed to-yeas. "a, nays, 12.
1t directs the secretary of the navy to
acquire lat cost not exceeding $25, ,000)
tract of 200 acres on Puget sound, at
Port Orchard, and to cause to be erected
dry dock, not less than 600 feet in
length and 20 feet in width, capable OF
admitting vessels drawing so feet of
water; the cost of the dry dock not to
exceed 100000.
The reading OF the bill having been
concluded, and all the committee
amendments disposed OF, German offer
ed an amendment providing that no
money he used for the purchase OF, or
payment for, armor or gun steel, unless
it shall have been submitted to public
competition by advertisement.
Hale offered as a substitute Tor Cor
mans amendment, that no contract
shall be made until its subject matter
shall have been submitted to public
competition by advertising.
German accepted the substitute, and
it was agreed to.
The bill was then passed.
Wolcott, from the committee on civil
service, reported back without recon-
mendation), the senate bill to ensure
preference in the appointment and re-
tention in the public service to veterans
OF the late war.
The copyright bill was taken up, but
laid aside Informally.
The following bills were passed:
Senate bill to provide for the disposal
of the abandoned Fort Maginnis military
reservation in Montana, under the
homestead and mining laws, for educa-
tional and other purposes.
Senate bill creating two additional
land districts in Montana.
House bin to facilitate the collection
OF commercial statistics required by Sec
tion of the river and harbor appropria-
tion acts OF 1866 and 1867.
Senate bill regulating the jurisdiction
of courts in the territories on habeas
corpus proceedings.
The house bill to relinquish the inter
est OF the United States to certain lands
in San Francisco, which had been ad-
versely reported and placed on the cal
endar, was indefinitely postponed.
AdiOurnaG