Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-03-05
FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS-.
SENATE.


from the House and, was laid on the
Yice-President's table.
A resolution for a change of Senate
rules was offered by Mr.. Allen pop,
Neb.) and was referred to the commit
tee on rules. 1t makes the duty of a
committee to which a bill or resolution
or other measure is referred to report
it back within 30 days and, in case Of
its not doing so, the Senator who in
troduced it is to have the right to de-
mand its being reported within five
days from the time the demand is made.
A resolution was agreed to-, calling
on the Treasury Department for a state
ment as to the repayment of interest
paid by the Government on State bonds
for the Chickasaw fund and as to
what States are still in default, as to
principal or interest, and to what
amount.
Mr.. Voorhees, reported from the COM
mittee on finance, a compilation of the
coinage laws of the government from
1892 to 1891 which he spoke of as work
of inestimable value, got up by Mr..
Dirfee, late clerk of the committee, and
asked that it be printed as a public
document. 1t was so ordered.
Mr.. Cockrell called attention to the
fact that within a few days past he
had received ''cart loads of letters
from druggists in Missouri asking him
to vote against the tariff bill because it
increased the tax on alcohol which
they described as one of the necessaries
of life. He could not understand, he
said, the receipt of so many letters on
the same point and largely couched in
the same language, until the inspiration
of this manifold letter-writing had been
sent to him by a good friend. That i'll
spiration was a circular from the
Iowa State Pharmaceutical Associa-
ton, Of Dubuque, Iowa, asking
druggists in Missouri to send to both
their Senators a protest against any in
creased tax on alcohol-an article
more necessary even han tea or cot
fee" Imagine that !" Mr.. Cockrell
exclaimed, "alcohol absolutely neces-
sary in prohibition iowa"
He asked that the petitions and cir
cular be referred to the finance CON-
mittee, where the Senator from Iowa
(Mr. Allison) was a distinguished mem
Der, so that he might consider this
piteous appeal of his constituents"
Mr.. Allison had no doubt that the
circular represented the general view
Of the drug trade; and he added, sar-
castically, that thus far.he had not been
able to make any investigation Of the
tariff, as a member of the finance COM
mittee.
The petitions and circular were so
referred.
Objection was made to the second
reading of the seigniorage bill and it
went overtill tomorrow with the under
standing that the Vice President would
lay it before the Senate at any time he
pleased.
A resolution heretofore offered by Mr..
PETER, for a change of the rules so that
all executive session shall be open ey-
cept in cases where the President of
the United States suggests that the sub
ject matter of his communication requir-
es secrecy, was laid before the Senate,
and referred to the committee on rules.
The Senate then took the calendar
in regular order, the first bill upon it
being the one referring the McGarra-
han claim to the court of private land
claims. On the request of Mr.. Morrill,,
who has heretofore been the leading
opponent of the measure, MIR. Teller,
WIZ las CudiSC vi ~, IohoChVOu shaU
it should go over till tomorrow.
The Senate then went into executive
session.
HOUSE.
The House of Representatives began
the second year of the Fifty-third Con-
gress at noon to-day with prayer by
Dwight l.. Moody, the noted evange-
list. There was a good attendance of
members, and the prayer was listened
to attentively.
a bill was passed amending the
act authorizing the construction of q
bridge across the East river from New
York to Long Island, so that the low
est part of the bridge shall be not less
than 1871 feet above mean high water at
spring tide, instead of 142 feet. Mr.
Mallory said that the amendment was
recommended by the Secretary of War,
and Mr.. Coombs explained that the
provision made the structure the same
height as the Brooklyn bridge. Some
members thought the bill was the re-
constructed New York and Hudson
river bridge bill which President Cleve-
land vetoed, and were disposed to OBJ
iect, but Mr.. Coombs explained what