The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-12

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.-Harris inquired
of Spooner, chairman of the committee on
claims, as to the bill passed by the House
for the payment of the findings of the
court of claims in which bill; he said many
Tennesseeans were interested.
Spooner explained he had examined the
testimony accompanying the findings of the
court in some cases included in the bill and
found it did not justify the action of the
court in the matter of the loyalty of the
claimants. He had reason to think that
during the last administration the interests
of the government in the court of claims
were not faithfully represented and pro-
tected. He had not therefore felt justified
in reporting the bill. He had, however,
drawn up an amendment which he had pre-
sented to the committee this morning, and
which had been adopted, and he expected
to report the bill and amendments to the
Senate to-day.
Teller offered resolution, which was
agreed to, calling on the secretary of the
treasury for list of all persons firms or
associations by whom silver bullion was
offered (under the act of July IA, 1S9o,) the
amounts and prices, list of those from
whom silver bullion was purchased, the
amounts and prices and basis on which the
estimate is made of the market price of
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 regulations for
carrying into effect the land forfeiture act
of September 80, 1889, including all instruc-
lions and decisions.
Consideration of the naval appropriation
bill was resumed, the pending question be
| in N tO 70 fO,
a 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 a
site for a dry dock was advocated by
Dolph and Mitchell, while Allen argued in
support of his amendment, arguing
Port Orchard on Puget sound as site.
/ The discussion lasted so long that Hale
threatened to move to lay the committee
amendment on the table, thus putting an
end to the whole thing. The discussion
was nevertheless continued by Cockrell
Hiscock, Washburn, Call, Squire. Spoonel
and Hale. Finally, after nearly three
hours talk, vote was taken on Aliens
amendment and it was agreed to, yeas, "a
nays, 12s
1t directs the secretary of the navy t.
acquire ''at a cost not to exceed s25, 900 {
tract of 200 acres of land on Puget SOUND
at Port Orchard, and to cause to be erected
a dry dock not less than 600 feet in length
and 20 feet in width capable Of admitting
vessels drawing 30 feet of water, the cos
of the dry dock not to exceed 500, 000."
The reading of the bill having been con
cluded and all the committee amendment
, disposed Of, German offered an amendment
providing no money should be used for thu
purchase of or payment for armor or gul
steel unless it shall have been submitted Il
public competition by advertisement
, Hale offered as a substitute for German
! amendment that no contract shall be mad
until the subject matter shall have beer
submitted to public competition by adver
Using.
German accepted to the substitute, and
was agreed to.
The bill then passed.
Wolcott, from the committee on civ
3 service, reported back without recon
mendation," the Senate bill to secure pref
erence in appointments to employment an