The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-01
SENATE paooEED1Naa
Senators Stating How They stood on
the Force Bill.

the rOTCo BILL.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3L-The Vice Presi-
dent laid before the Senate this morning
the credentials of Mr.. Cameron for his new
term, commencing on March next. They
were placed on file.
Mr.. CullomEpresented two resolutions of
the House of Representatives in the Illinois
legislature. He said that they instructed
the senator's from that state to vote for the
free coinage bill and against the force bill,
so termed in the resolution. He regarded
these resolutions, be said, as in the nature
of petitions, and asked that they be fled in
the records Of the Senate. 1t was SO or
dered.
The House resolution for the appointment
OF committee of nine TO attend the funeral
of Secretary Window was laid before the
Senate, and Mr.. Morrill, offered resolution
for the appointment of committee of seven
senators TO join the House committee in
attending the funeral, and to take such
other action as may be Appropriate In honor
OF the memory of the deceased. and TO man
ifest the respect and appreciation of con-
gress for his public services.8 The resolution
was agreed to, and Messrs. Morrill,,
Washburn, Sherman, Allison, Harris,
Payne and German were appointed. Mr..
agreed to, for a meeting of the Senate Mon
day afternoon at O'Clock TO enable the
senators to attend Secretary WINDOWS
funeral.
BLAIR ON TUE FORCE BILL.
Mr.. Blair, rising to personal explana-
tion, said that he had observed, circulating
in the newspapers Of the country, whatpur-
ported to be copy of an agreement alleged
to have been entered into by the repubi-
can senators with reference TO the consider
of the force bill--so called, or elections
bill, more properly called The
names of certain senators were given as
having violated their agreements, and
allegations made that all the other re-
publican senators had signed the agrees
ment without condition. As that allegation
was so broad and so general as to include
| himself among those who had signed that
agreement without condition he desired to
say that he had never signed such an agree
ment except with clear qualification thas
ii should not interfere with his efforts for
the consideration of the educational bill.
TELLER AGAINST THE BILL.
Mr.. Teller said that be did not intend to
q general rule, never gave any attention TO
statements made by newspaper cor
respondents. He only desired to say now
| that the statement, pretty generally circu-
lated, that he had been in favor Of the
| force bill so-called Tor election bilD, at any
time, was incorrect; that the further state
ment that amendments were made to that
bill in committee whenever he asked to
have them made, was also Incorrect, and
that the statement that he had ever
agreed to support the bill. directly
| or indirectly, was Incorrect. He
| would say now, lest he might have
/ no other opportunity, that his opposition to
the elections bill had never grown out of
his attitude on the silver question. II the
| silver question had been disp1sE OF early
last year, in accordance with his wishes,
his course on the elections bill would not
have been changed. He had been opposed
| to that bill on principls, and he had never
| for a moment entertained an idea that it
4 would be so amended that he should be able to
| vote for it; because that would involve such
| radical change In the bill that it's friends
| would not then care about its passage. He
| said now, and 1t was all that be proposed to
| say, no matter what might be said about
his attitude or his relations to the bill, that
he had never promised to support II that
| he had pever intended to support it, and
that he had never supported it. iP
BACK TO THE APPROPRIATION BILL.
| The appropriation bill was then taken up
| and the amendment Of the committee on
| appropriations which was under d iscussion
| last Friday, to strike out the provision that
| government transporta ion on land-aided
railroads shall not exceed so per cent of the
charges to private parties was agreed to.
| The question then came up on the amend
ment Of the committee to insert provision
| that government transportation on land
| aided railroads shall be paid for on such
basis as ths Secretary Of War may deem
| Just and reasonable, not to exceed 10 per
cent. of the charges for like service to pri-
yate parties.
Mr.. Power moved to amend the commit
tee amendment by reducing the limitation
| from 10 per cent. TO so per cent, and on that
he demanded the yeas and nays. The
amendment was rejected-yeas s (Messrs.
Cockrell, Davis and Power; nays AZ. The
committee amendment was then agreed to
and the bill was passed.
OTHER BILLS PASSED.
The following bills, among others, were
taken from the calendar and passed: ao e.
The Senate bill to authorize the construc-
ton of bridge across the Cumberland river
for the use of the Chesapeake and Nashville
railway.
The House bill to promote tho construc
tion of a safe deep water harbor on the
coast Of Texas at Corpus Christi and Padro
Island with amendments).
The Senate Joint resolution for the use of
the appropriation in the last river and har-
Dor Dill relating TO the Apalacnicola river
in Florida-to the amount of 5000 for
Lees slough.
The conference report on the bill to
amend the, interstate commerce act of 1887,
so as to allow the taking Of the depositions
Of witnesses before notaries public.
Mr.. Quay presented resolutions of the
Pennsylvania legislature in favor of the
federal elections bill, which were read and
laid on the table.
PENSIONS BILLS PUT THROUGH.
The fortiication appropriation bill was
then taken up; but it was laid aside in
formally, and the pension bills on the calen-
dar were proceeded with. There were I1O
bills passed, among them bills giving
pensions of $50 a month to the widows
of Gen. Buell., Gen. Starkweather, Mai.
Gordon of the Fifth cavalry, Gen. Pelouze,
Lieut.. Col Lee, Brig. Gen. Abraham
Duryee and Gen. Edward +. Noyes; also
the House bill granting pension Of 800 a
month to Gen. Franz Siegel. The bill to
pension Mary Ann Dougherty was objected
to and won't over.
A message Of the President in relation 10
the vacancy created by the death Of the
Secretarv of kfe Treasurv WAS laid hafor<