The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-13

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-The pro-
ceedings of the Senate today were
more varied. They covered the entire
range of legislation, from the intro
duction of petitions. bills and resolu-
tons to the passage of bills. and IN
cluded the formal addresses. A bill
extending the Chicago port Of entry
so as to cover the state of Illinois re-
ceived the final endorsement of the
Senate, having already passed the
House. This will probably be the first
bill Of the Fifty-fourth Congress TO
become a law. Almost an hour Of the
session was devoted to listening to
Senator PETERS advocacy of his bill
curtailing the expense incurred In
congressional funerals and providing
that sergeant-at-arms shall take the
place Of the committees now sent out
by the two houses as escorts to their
homes. of the remains of deceased
members.
The Proceedings.
Senator Thurston, of Nebraska, to-
day introduced a bill for the settle
ment of the Pacific railroads debt. 1t
provides for the sale of the govern
ment interest in both the Union Pacific
and Central Pacific railroads, July l,
1895, to the highest bidder, but there
shall he no sale unless the bid be at
least so per cent of the government
interest. The bill is very long and de-
voted mainly to the details Of the
transfer and the manner of sale. Its
main features have been already pub
lished.
The proceedings of the Senate today
began with the presentation of the
usual petitions for the recognition of
the belligerent rights Of the Cuban in
surgents.
Messrs. Cameron and Harris both Of
1ered motions for the adjournment of
the Senate until Monday. when il
should adjourn today, and the vice
president created a ripple of laughter
by putting both motions at once. They
were adopted.
MT. Stewart Pop.), of Nevada. intro.
ouced resolution fnstructing the Com
mlttee on Finance to INQUIRE into t17e
rates or exchange between the cold
standard and silver standard countries
ana their erect on the agricultural and
manufacturing interests, and gave no.
nee OF a speech on Monday.
MT White Oem.), of California. pre-
scented an amendment to the Senate
rule requiring all debate in the Senate
70 'be relevant to the subject before fine
Senate. lne
On motions of Mr.. Hansbrough a nas-
olutlon was passed calling upon the
secretary of agrIcultur> for inforrna-
IRON as 10 whether he had expended eli
or any part OF the last appropriation
Tor the purchase and distributiotn Of
seeds. Secretary Morton has refnee5
TO spend this money.
Duty of Civilized People.
Mr.. Call then addressed the senate
Ia z
the duty OF the civilized powers to s,,r-
press the crueltieS alleged to be ner-
pelrated upon the Armenian subjects
OF turkey by the Turkish authorities
AIR. Call said that while it was the ac-
cepted policy OF this government to
avoid participation in foreign complica-
nons. he did not understand 1t to mean
tLlat We should not interfere to pre-
vent such cruelties and barbarism as
mad been enacted in Armenia. He
tno-g the United States should at
ieast express encouragement to the CIV
lIlzed powers in the effort they are
making to suppress these outbursts of
plgotry, superstition, cruelty and crime.
PETER ON Funerals,
Mr. PETER pop, Kan.) spoke upon
ms bill to regulate congressional fun
erals. His attention had first been
called to this question by charges made
AZ Lie newspapers ana after 1nVeStig3t-
ing the matter he had concluded that
the system now pursued had come to
be seriously abused.
He instanced the obseuuies of the late
Senator Plumb in which he had par
ticipaIted, and said that while the cost
OF that funeral had amounted to over
$4,000, the average value OF an Amerl.
can farm, he had learned that the
amount fell below the average.
Mr. PETER declared that the expendi-
lures or account of funerals were con-
tinually growing, until the average cost
had increased to $4,542. The last thir-
teen burials Of the seventy-three which
had occurred in the senate, had cost
more than all the other sixty. Of the
l07 senators who had died while in
service the expenses We're greatest in
the case Of the late Senator George
Hearst of California, whose funeral
cost tn government 1922 He OBJ
jected to regarding the treasury as
subject to common plumber for those
who choose to prey upon it, and said
the best way to get rid of the odium of
such a custom was to stop it. He ask
ed In conclusion that the bill be made
the unfinished business of the senate
The senate then went into executive
sess- on, and at p. m. adjourned until
Monday.