Morning journal and courier., 1891-02-05
THE FIFTY-FIRsr CONGRESS.

THE R1FTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
 Much work Accomplishedfn d in the Sen ate-Several Amendments Added | the eFOrtificatfon nBill-Consideratiol
 ofthe Military Academy Bill-worl
 ofthe House. WASHINGTON, Feb. 4-Mr Blair pre-
 sented the credentials of his successor, Ja !, cob H. Gallinger, and they were placed O,
 file.
 After a short executive session the door , were reopened and legislative business wal resumed.
 Mr. Cockrell read resolutions of the Phil
 adelphia maritime exchange protesting
 against the passage in the house of repre-
 ssntatives of the senate bill of May, 1890 , for the monthly purchase of 4, 800, COG
 ounces of silver. There was no such bill, he said, passed by the senate in May, 1890, ; and yet these ''wiseacres'' in Philadelphia
 were meeting and protesting against it.
 The fertilization bill was then taken up and proceeded with.
 The amendment reported by the appro- priations committee appropriating S400,- 900 for rifed sea coast mortars of cast iron hooped with steel with Mr. Chandler's ! wholly of steeD gave rise to long discus sion, at the close of which MT. Chandler's amendment was agreed to, and then, at the suggestion of MT. Dawes, the committee amendment as amended was rejected.
 The next committee amendment was to reduce the item for completing the army gun factory at Watervliet, N Y, from S24S, 743 to $14S, 743.
 The committee amendment was agree to
 The next committee amendment was to reduce the appropriation for machinery at Watervliet arsenal from $46S, 1000 to $26S,- OOO
 It was agreed to without discussion.
 The next committee amendment was to increase the appropriation for the board of ordnance and fortifcation (to make pur- chases, experiments and tests or the most effective guns, small arms, etc.) from $100,- l 900 to S200,000.
 In the course of lengthy discussion Mr Chandler defended bureau officers of the l army and navy against an attack upon them by MT. Teller for hostility to all in ventions in arms and ordnance except such as are made by military and naval men | the fact being (according to MT. Teller) that all the great inventions have been made by | civilians.
 The committee amendment was agreed to.
 Mir. Cockrell moved to add to the para graph the following words: "And one ad- | ditional member shall be added to the board of ordnance and Notifications who shall be civilian (and not an ex-officer of the army or navy) and shall be nominated by the president by and with the advice | and consent of the senate, holding his office for four years and receive salary of S6,- 900 and actual expenses" Mr Chandler favored the amendment but suggested that this should be two civ ilians on the board instead of one. MT. Cockrell accepted the suggestion, and the amendment was modified accordingly and was agreed to.
 The last committee amendment was to insert paragraph increasing to s4 ,250, 900 the appropriation in the fertilization act of last session for the procurement of heavy ordnance. After long discussion it was agreed to.
 MT. Dolph offered an amendment ap- priating million dollars for plant for heavy ordnance at some point on the Pa cifc coast and for the appointment of board to select the site. The amendment was disagreed to-yeas 23, nays 27.
 MT. Plumb offered an amendment authorizing the secretary of war to trans fer to the navy department 8 portion of the site of the United States powder depot ut Dover, N. J., for magazine purposes Agreed to-.
 Mr. Blair offered an amendment for an international conference looking to the suppression of kidnapping in Africa, and of the traffic in intoxicating liquors and gunpowder and firearms in Africa and to the reduction or disbandment of existing military and naval establishments
 MT. Sherman made a statement to the effect that the ratification of the treaty agreed to by the senate to-day (and from which the injunction of secresy had been re- moved)wouldlattaint the purpose intended of the amendment, 80 far as the suppression of the slave trade and the regulation, or pro- hibition, of the traffic in intoxicating liquors, arms and ammunition, in Africa, was concerned. The amendment was dis agreed to and the bill was passed.
 Senate bill appropriating $55,O 900 for 8 public building at Westerly, R. l., was re- ported and placed on the calendar Also a bill to amend the interstate commerce act.
 The senate then proceeded to the consid- eration of the military academy bill. There was but one amendment and that one to the amount of $5,O00, offered to the bill. It was agreed to and the bill passed, the only delay being the time consumed in it's reading.
 The pension appropriation bill was talk en up and went over as the unfinished business.
 The senate then proceeded to executive business and at o'clock adjourned till to- morrow at II am.
 Mir. Dingley of Maine reported from the ''silver pool' committee resolution dis charging J. A. Owenby from the custody of the sergeant-at-arms. The resolution was adopted. MT. Mckinley of Ohio asked unanimous consent that during the remainder of the session the house shall meet at II o'clock a. m.
 MT. Rogers of Arkansas objected.
 The house then went into committee of the whole on the diplomatic and consular appropriation bill.
 In speaking to verbal amendment Mir. | McAdoo of New Jersey gave his hearty as- | sent to the position taken by the secretary | of state in his letter to Representative Ba- | ker of New York relative to reciprocity ! with Canada. The United States should have unrestricted trade and commercial union with Canada or it should have no commercial relations with her. The only solution of the problem Ia solution un- sought by the United States) was that the people of Canada should in their sover- eighty ask for annexation, which was the ultimate destiny of Canada
 The bill was, after some discussion, laid aside, with a favorable recommendation; and the committee proceeded to the con sideration of the sundry civil appropria- ton bill.
 Mr. Candler of Massachusetts spoke in favor of proposed amendment instruct ing the secretary of the treasury not to approve the payment of any expense at tended upon meeting of the Worlds Columbian Commission or of the board of lady managers except such meetings as may be called at the tune of the dedica- ton and opening of the Worlds Fair.
 Pending further discussion the commit tee rose and the diplomatic appropriation bill was passed.
 On motion of MT. Struble of Iowa, the conference report was adopted on bill providing for an additional justice of the supreme court of Arizona.
 The house then adjourned.