The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-03-05
CONGRESS NOW AT AN END.
BOTH BRANCHES ADJOURNED AT
 THE HOUR OF NOON.


 When the Speaker of the House Declared
 That That Body Had Adjourned Without
 Day There Were Some Cheers-Before
 the End Came There Were Some Lively
 Debates in Both Branches and But Little
 Work Was Done.
 Washington, March 4.-When the
 hours of the recess came to close
 the chamber of the senate presented
 8 very forlorn and deserted appear
 ance. There were only halft dozen
 senators present-two on the democratic
 side and four on the republican-and
 there was apparently no business to be
 attended to. Another recess for quar-
 ter of an hour was ordered; and mat
 ters drifted along in that way until
 halt-past nine, when MT. Towle, chief
 clerk of the house, appeared and an nounced that the speaker had signed
 the naval bill dhe last but one of the appropriation bills) and he delivered it
 to the senate for the signature of the
 vice president.
 In another moment the vice president announced that he had signed it; and it was immediately returned to the house, and was by the house enrolling committee carried to the white house for the signature of the president,
 At 9;50 the last of the appropriation bills (the deficiency) was received with the speakers signature to it; and it immediately received the signature of the vice president and was returned to the house. In the course of the next hour several other enrolled bills were presented and received the signature of the vice president and this was the only sort of business transacted
 The vice president announced his sig nature to the anti-lottery bill and the bill amending the copyright law so as to limit the liability of publishers,
 At 1915 a resolution was offered by MT. Voorhees,, dem. of Indiana, for the appointment of a committee of two senators to join a like committee on the part of the house to wait upon the president of the United States and in- form him that the two houses having completed the business of the present session were ready to adjourn unless the president had some other communi- cation to make to them.
 The resolution was agreed to; and Senators Voorhees and Sherman, rep, of Ohio, were appointed such commit tee.
 The resolution heretofore offered by MT. Morgan instructing the committee on foreign relations to inquire into the claim of Great Britain arising out of the fur seal controversy, was re- ported back with some notifications from the committee on contingent eX- penses.
 MT. Gray, dem., of Delaware, asked the vice president whether it required unanimous consent to have that reso- lution considered now; and, on being told that one objection would carry 1t over for 8 day, he promptly objected
 MT. Morgan expressed the hope that the objection would be withdrawn, and stated at some length the importance of the investigation.
 He thought it due to the government of the United States that the committee on foreign relations should make a fair, | impartial and thorough investigation l of the subject, and that was the object l of his resolution.
 MT. Gray stated why he would not | his objection. The house of | he said, passed with. practical unanimity, a few days ago, | a bill to protect the American fur seal | herd from further devastation and de- struction. That bill lies upon our table. It's purpose was to provide the only in- teligent method by which that end can be accomplished-the appointment of to a joint commission | of delegates from Great Brit ain, the United States, Japan and Rus sia (the countries most interested in these fur seal f1sheries) to investigate l as to the destruction of the seal herd. That bill ought to be before the sen- ate for consideration. The senator from Alabama has objected even to the con- sideration of it.
 All that it proposes is that we shall have thorough investigation by ex- pert commissioners of the countries in- crested; of the regulations that are and that while that investi- yation is going on, there shall be a nodus vivendi that will stop the de- 'truction of the seal herd until better regulations can be framed
 In relation to the $425, 900 offered in settlement of the British claim-the lia- 1ility for which we admitted at the Paris tribunal-it was, MT. Gray said ar within the estimates made by the British claimants and by the agents of he United States. When that matter vas presented to the committee on for ign relations it was received with aI most universal favor. It seemed to us hat the settlement was very advanta ,eous to the United States. The vice president said that the res i lution having been offered to-day and ( objection being made to it, it goes over | lnder the rules. | A resolution by Mir German. dem. s f Maryland, chairman of the committee 2 n printing, was adopted declaring that ( he standing and select committees ' f the senate, as now constituted, shall l e continued until the first Monday in 2 December, 1895, or until their success \ rs are appointed, and that the commit \ ae on printing, as it will be constituted \ l December, 1895, be authorized to sit 1 I uring the recess. I A resolution was offered by MT. o