Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-02-20
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 20.
SENATE.

ton OF the eleventh CELSIUS WIS p1>9SH-
The House bill to limit the jurisdic-
ton of the district and circuit courts
of the United States was reported back
adversely from the judiciary committee.
Messrs. Pugh, Coke and George, mem
beers of the committee, dissented from
the report.
In presenting concurrent resolutions
of the legislature of South Dakota for a
constitutional amendment to have 7.
S. Senators elected by the people, Mr..
Pettigrew said that in view of the fact
that that legislature had been for sew
eral weeks endeavoring TO elect a u. >.
Senator, and had failed to do so, he
was heartily in favor of the new plan.
The sundry civil appropriation bill
was taken up, being open to general
amendments.
An amendment was agreed to appro-
priation $1,000 for the cost OF collect
ing, transporting and taking care Cat
the Columbian eXposition) of the dis
play of agricultural colleges Illustrative
of the land grant policy of the United
States. Mr.. Morrill, offered an amend
ment approprialing $25 900 for complet-
ing the public building at st. Adams:
Vermont.
Mr.. German, of the committee on
appropriations, said that the condition
which confronted the country was such
that he did not see how the Senate
could possibly increase expenditures.
Congress had been exceedingly liberal
in regard TO public buildings. In his
belief Congress had exceeded the point
where it ought to go. There was al
ready 81 900 900 authorized to be eX-
pended forpublic buildings. We are, he
said, in front of a condition serious and
alarming and which had brought Sena-
tors together last Saturday to provide
against disaster. l am firm believer
that we have only touched the borders
of this trouble and that the real trouble
is that the revenue laws do not pro
duce sufficient money to pay the eX-
penses of the government as now fixed
And l believe that before July next,
extraordinary action will have to be
taken by the men who control the IL
nancial establishment of the govern
ment to meet the emergencies; or else
Congress will have to reassemble and
meet it by making adequate provision.
This body, in opposition to the earnest
recommendations Of the committee on
appropriations, increased the approprl-
tions for rivers and harbors nearly four
million dollars, swelling the bill so
that it already amounts to S4 100000.
Mr.. Call deprecated attempts to
spread the idea of panic. Such an
idea he thought, had no just iounda-
ton. Still it was not wise, he said, TO
increase appropriations. The vote was
taken and Mr.. Morrill's amendment
was agreed to, yeas, % mays, 20.
Mr.. Wolcott moved to reduce the
amendment for topographic surveys
from 5000, 900 to 800, 900 and advocated
the adoption Oft the amendment giving
what he called "the peculiar history OF
the geological survey" If any one
examined the geological map OF the
United States he would see that the
largest marking of surveys was in dis
tricls where congressional representa-
tives made the most fuss" in other
words the Typographical surveys had
been distributed politically and not geo
logically. The survey had already
expended over seven million dollars;
and nj the rate at which the work had
been carried on, it would take IS years
to complete the topography alone, and,
as to the geological part Of the work,
no man could figure out its completion
within n century, nor its cost with any
thing like a hundred million dollars.
He referred at much length to The n
glect of geological work in the portions
of the country where it would be of
most benefit and importance-the coal
fields of Pennsylvania, the iron and
copper ores Of Michigan and the coal
deposits on the Pacific coast, and de-
clared that the work was entirely con-
trollcd by politics. He criticized also
the publications Of the survey rs being
irrelevant to geology and mentioned
the case of one of the chief biologists
(Prof. GilberD whose time since July
last had been given to an investi-
CATION the geology and .physio-
ogy of the moon. The Senate, he said.
would be of different political com
plexion next session and he hoped tha:
it would appoint an investigating cons
miitee to probe the geological survey
and direct It's usefulness into proper
channels. But, meanwhile, the Senate
might afford to go slow and to suspend
a port ofits vast appropriations for
topoy raphic work which was being sin
ply duplicated. !
Mr.. Call came up to the defense OF
the geological survey and its superln-
tendent, Maj. Powell, snd replied to
some arts of Mr.. Wolcott's speech.
HOUSE.
Mr.. W. A. Stone started the
lilibustering this morning-his object
of attack being the New York and New
Jersey bridge bill. Before the reading
of the journal he raised the point that
there was no quorum present and call
of the House was ordered.
One hundred and seventy-eight
members responded to their names,
whereupon Mr.. Dalzell moved that the
House take recess until one o'clock.
The motion was defeated.
Dir. DockerY moved to suspend the
rules and approve the Journal
Mr.. ". A. Stone demanded the read
ing of the journal in full, 1t was noon
when the reading was concluded.
Filibustering was continued until
1890 o'clock, when the bridge bill re-
ferred to was taken up.
Mr.. Covert said that for many years
there had been demand for a bridge
across the Hudson river and the neces-
sity for the establishment of the struc-