The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-26
THE SALARY GRAB CLINCHED
LAST Of THE APPROPRIATION BILLS
RUN THROUGH THE HOUSE.
Absent Members to He Paid Despite
the docking Law-SenatOrs Now
Working Night and Day.

to be due the country under the awards of
the Paris arbitration tribunal account
of the seizure of some twenty Canadian
sealers by the United States previous to the
modus vivendi of 1892 The amendment was
strongly attacked by Messrs. Cannon of
Illinois, Henderson of Iowa, and Hit, on
the ground that the amount was unreason-
ably large; that some of the vessels were
owned by citizens of the United States,
and $4,000 was for constructive or specu-
lative damages Ghe estimated catch.) Only
SSlO05, they contended, was due Great
Britain. Messrs. Breckenridge, McCreary,
Hooker of Mississippi and Dingley supported
the amendment, maintaining that the gov
eminent, no matter how bad the bargain,
must carry out the awards of the Paris
tribunal in good faith. Mr.. Dingley de-
clared that it was preferable to pay Great
Britain $4,000 than leave the assessment
of damages to an umpire appointed by a
foreign power The amendment carried in
committee. but was defeated in the House
liz to 143. Some excitement was caused by
the attempt to strike out in the House the
appropriation for an extra months salary
for the employees of the House and Senate
and the clerks of the members, but it
failed, and the amendment prevailed-143 to
1OS. Motions to reconsider and recommit
were voted down promptly offered
until the opposition dwindled to point
where it could not get the yeas and nays
1t then surrendered and the bill was passed
Fully thirty members crowded down into
the area in front of the Speakers chair
when the House met this morning all press
ing for unanimous consent to consider bills
of local Importance. There were several
fortunate ones before the regular order was
demanded Bills were passed for the relief
OF James Phelan; for the relief of Michael
Ryan; for the relief of Matthew S. Priest:
TO construct bridge across the Illinois
river at Hennepn;. to appoint Gardner b:
Hubbard, of Washington on the board of
regents of the Smithsonian institution; to
authorize the erection of bronze statue
of Prof. Samuel y. Cross in the city of
The Senate amendments to the Indian ap,,
preparation bill were nonconcurred in and
the bill was sent to conference.
THE DEFICIENCY BILL.
BY arrangement Thursday was set aside
for District of Columbia business, and the
House then went into committee of the
whole and resumed consideration of the
general deficiency bill. The pending amend
ment was to pay $3.50 to Charles Nor
gan, c. b. Payne and the Southern Steam
ship Company for extra compensation as
mail contractors before the war. Mr.. Dock
cry raised a point of order against the
amendment The committee temporarily
to agree to a partial conference report on
the District of Columbia appropriation bill
and send it to further conference, after
which the Chair sustained the point OF or
der
The amendment to pay Great Britain $685.
000 the amount of the awards made by the
Paris Boring sea tribunal against the United
Mr.. Breckinridge, in charge Of the BILL ex-
planned the details of the Paris arbitration
and the decision against the justice and
the legality of the seizures the United
States had made in Boring sea. Twenty
vessels flying the British flag, engaged In
lawful enterprise, had been seized, and
in some cases their masters had suffered
Imprisonment. The United States, he said.
the convention with Great Britain signed
by Mr.. Blaine, Great Britain having OBJ
tanned judgment. The only question was as
Britain, through Sir Julian Pauncefote, had
demanded 100000 and Secretary Gresham
Mr. Cannon, of Illinois, said he cared little
about the sum Observation-Disclosures We were
v were assessed according to well-estabiished
principles of law. The fatal defect in the
Judgment of the Paris tribunal was the tact
that the citizenship of the claimants had
moreover, to the fact that under the modus
Russell Tepresenting the British govern
ment, and E. ]. Phelps, representing the
HnIsea st had haen salemnly waived. In
the Geneva award all claims for specula-
tive or constructive damages amounting 70
hundreds of millions, had been ruled out on
the ground that they depended on contin-
gencies too uncertain. What was sauce for
W WI se Should we now pay speculative dani-
ages? Some say $25S,000 of the present
saes he had reason to Believe that
Of the thea owners Sn the 1Tnte ehe states
| 7 subjects. At most but $4,000 could be
claimed. When Secretary Gresham offered
he said. jumped at it like a bass at a fly
He should, he declared. never vote to carry
| out the agreement made by secretary
Mr.. McCreary. chairman of the foreign
affairs committee, favored the appro ii,a-
ton on the ground that the United states
must do one of two things-pay TINS si1o.soo
or submit the question of the assessment
course was followed it would cost the gov
eminent twice $4,000 before the mater ,isi.,
himself him f' on the fact that if the, United
States had suffered from this aroitratlon
the present. Democratic administration ma. nau
| scheme of arbitration by which the con-
| tentions of the United States We're shat
tered was conceived and executed by the
Harrison administration.
SCOUNDRELLY AND FRAUDULENT.
Mr.. Hit attacked the amendment vigor-
| ously OF the $425, 600 claimed positive tes-
| timony showed that $36G.000 was owned by
| citizens of the United States. Bosewitz.
| he claimed, owned almost all the fleet. and
| had sent it out to the BerinS sea to lay
| the foundation of scoundreily and fraud
| ulant claim. III looked 10 il!fi, AAF. I'LL
| said as If the State Department were max
| ing a desperate struggle to maintain the
| parity between claims and payments.
| Mr.. Dingley agreed with Mr. Cannon that
| the S375,0C0 claimed as damages for esti-
| mated or prospective catches should have
| no standing with any commission chosen
to assess damages, but after our experience
with the Halifax awards he believed pros
| pective damages would be awarded There
/ fore although he believed the Secretary OF
/ State should not have made so large an
/ offer, he believed the agreement made by
| Mr.. Gresham and the British minister
/ should be carried out because the practical
| alternative would be the assessment OF the
/ damages by an umpire who would be APP
| pointed by foreign government
After further debate by Mr.. Hooker OF
| Mississippi, in favor of the amendment. Mr..
| Breckenridge closed with the declaration
| that the conception and history of the Paris
i arbitration an unfortunate chapter in
our diplomacy and its result 4 complete
| fiasco. Yet We must keep out faith ana pay
the award.
! The vote was then taken and the amount
carried--94 to 81 Mr.. Cannon gave notice
that he would demand a yea and nay vote
In the House
On motion or Mr.. Bynum without de-
| bate. an amendment was adonted directing
| the Speaker to certify ana the sergeant
alarms to pay representatives salary With