The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-26
WASHINGTON NEWS.
General Deficiency Bill Passed by the
House.
THE AMENDMENT FOR DAMAGGES
FOR SEALERS REJECTED.

The Sum Claimed is characterized as Ex-
travagant and Unjust-The Conference
Report the Postal Appropriation
Bill Reached-Discussion in the Senate
Over the Purchase of the Blaine Prop
erty.
Washington, February 25.-The genera
| deficiency bill was taken up in the
House and the House considered the
| amendment to pay the British govern.
ment $425,000 in full for all damages
claimed by the Canadian sealers who
were interfered with by the United
| States.
Mr.. Cannon (Rep. of Illinois, combat
ted the appropriation of $4,000 as
claimed by the British ambassador, as
S25e, 900 was for speculative damages
alone. He quoted from the award in
the Geneva arbitration, the unanimous
opinion of that tribunal that speculative
damages could not be considered be-
cause they depended upon such contin-
geneies that no calculation could be
based thereon.
Mr.. Hooker. sustained the amendment
on the ground that the United States
were bound to meet and settle these
damages.
that with American citizens knocking
at the door for the payment of claims
long adjudicated to be due, and with the
award of the Geneva tribunal against
the United States on the subject of con-
ssquentlal damages he was not in a
hurry i'll these days of depleted treas
ury to dump half million dollars into
the British treasury, especially with
such high authority for the statement
and unjust. Of ali the claims made,
according to Mr.. Foster, $s1. .8ls are prob
ably we'll founded, and the remainder
speculative, or wholly unfounded. For
one, Mr.. Henderson said, he was in favor
of a commission provided for in the con-
vention passing upon these claims, SO if
there were American masquerading un-
smoked out. (Applause.)
Mr.. McCreary (Dem.) of Kentucky,
favored amendments.
Mr.. Dingley (Rep.) of Maine reviewed
the circumstances which led to the pres
ent situation, and said that we were
confronted with an alternative, either
horn of which was evil. On the one
hand, if we vote to pay the amount pro-
posed by the State Department, we will
be paying an extravagant and unjustifi-
able sum; on the other hand, if the
question of damages is submitted to a
commission, the umpire is to be from a
foreign government, and no one can tell
what the result would be. Justice
would make a much smaller measure of
damages than it was proposed to pay.
Mr.. Breck kenridge closed the debate on
bo dooa amt ruif n hot ha
award be paid.
Upon rising vote the amendmen t
was defeated-ayes Al, nays So, and di-
vision WAS demanded, resulting, ayes
| "a, noes Sc. The amendment was adopted
for the time being as in committee of
the whole.
An amendment was offered by Mr..
Breckenridge and adopted, extending
the appropriation for the Mexican bound
AIRY commission. AS the commission has
not yet completed it work. this provis-
ion simply provides for the continuation
of the work. a g,..s..-.
The committee rose and the bill was
reported to the House. 1t was agreed
that all the amendments be adopted as
whole except the extra compensation
for clerks and the payment OF the Beh-
ring Sea award. Afs as@
Upon this latter question the yeas and
nays were demanded. 1t was rejected,
yeas 112, nays 143; present, but not
voting, 5. A yea and nay vote was de-
manded on the amendment to pay the
employees of the House and clerks of the
mem bers an extra months salary, aud
it resulted, yeas l43, nays 10S.
The bill was then passed, the House
dividing on the motion, 1S1 to "a.
Mr.. Bland (Dem.) uf Missouri. de-
manded the yeas and nays, but only II
mem bers rose to second the demand, and
the hill was declared passed amid ap-
plause.
Mr.. Henderson (Dem. } of North Caro-.
lima, presented the report of the con-
ferees on thespost office.appropriation bill.
1t was ID par ial agreement only, and was
agreed to, action on the matter still
in dispute being postponed until tomor-
row. The agreement reached by the
conferees confirmed the amendments put
on the bill by the Senate, with one ex-
ception, that the railway postal clerks
hereafter appointed shall reside at some
point on the line to which they are as
signed, but clerks now employed are not
tosbe compelled to change their residenc-
es.
The total amount carried by the bill
is $50, 545. 99s.
The House, at $50, adjourned.
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