The morning times., 1895-12-30
ODD BILLS IN CONGRESS
Measures Which Attract Atten-
ton by Some Peculiarly.
A VERY QUEER PETITION
Washington Man Uses Up Forty Thou
sand Words In Telling What He
wMnts-Plans to Tunnel Niagara
Falls and Make Large Western
-.Parks-Ca pital as an Art City.

Congressman indulge in some queer ideas.
and ask other people 10 jSin them, too.
Some very queer bills are introduced and
referred to suitable committees during every
session of Congress. Their fate in commit
tee is foregon conclusion.
One of the strangcst petitions presented
during this session sis that of John B.
Moulton of This cityh who asks for an ap-
preparation ofseyenix oud thousand dollars.
He claims it on the II bund that he was il
legally deprived OF his freedom.
The petition was before the last Congress
and Mr.. Mahon of Pennsylvania, had the
teinerity 10 laugh at fl, As a consequence
Mr.. Mouiton has IL In fer Ar. MalOn. In
his revised petition he attacks Mr.. Mahon
on every occasion.
/ The petition itself IL most accurately
gotten up. Including printed matter which
accompanies IT the pr ttition must contain
nearly 10000 weris. With the question
of personal liberty In his mind Mr. MOultOn
has worked into his story everything that
might have bea ring on IL.
1t contains q voluininous extra ct from the
Declaration OF independence and The Consu-
tuition of the United States. Nearly the
whole of President Buchanan's last annual
MESA to Congresses quoted as 1wcllas the
report of his Secretary of War.
FROM MANY SOURCES.
Many paragraphs are taken from the
statute books and quoted in toto and he
even has inserted whole chapters from Topu-
lar novels, giving credits of course. He
inserts speeches of Blaine aud ether noted
MEN and finds IN item something to bear
on his claim.
His contention is based on the fact that
while he was confined in Andcrsonviilc
his term of enlistment expired. After
that expiration he was siiil confined in
Confederate prisaUs 100 days. So all Army
cour.s martial, on orders or general Of
ficcrs. that could be twisted IL bear ou
The subject have been twisted
In fac, the petition, lonked at simply
as a Pc iiion, is oue nf tie Queerest ever
presenicd cd in ihe Senate. II will De re-
fcrrcd 10 many time III Tie days IL come
for II attracted much attention. '''5
During he past week bill was intro
duced in he House to regulate the issu-
ance or license for he sale OF il toXicants.
Il has long been claim of temperance
people hat the Commissioner Of Internal
Revenue Should no, issue n government
license to person living in Il town where
such sale WIS prohibited.
Temperance advoCa s.s claimed ihat this
business on /. he part uftiic government was
entirely wrong. and did more To- damage
morals th.Iu anything else. So TIE b.il
now before The HoEse is to remedy this
evil. l. f.rb.ds Tie Issuance uf u license
from tie general government for the sai ie
liquor ANY STATE. county. or parish
where the sale Is prohibited by law.
1n these local option and prohibition
places many dealers viii brave tie state
or heal law. Ba, it is seldom they dare
fo"l viii uHc,e Sam. They ih:nk If they
have an internal rcsehr.c i:c,nse they are
all right.
BRIDGING NIAGARA FALLS.
Another member has introduced a bin
10 bridge or tunnel the Niagara RIVER at
Niagara Fails o: course it IS 10 inctr-
pcratc company, but every detail OF
such a bridge or tunnel is prov d, d ior.
Another bill Introduced was to build an
electric road through Yeiio wstone Park.
This also detailed IN what manner the
road should he built and. III. ,a-es charged.
Senator SeGrs waits the Washington
National Park established. To d. th's he
asks that certain tracts of lands in the
STATE of Washing ton be d, dicated for
this purpose. II takes in great tract of
land ard would be one of the wonders OF
that State.
II all the suggestions of Ccnsressmen
were carried ont washington would be
filled with a collection OF sta;uary ard
paintings. Nearly every member has some
blH To offer i'll this direction. Already
Largo number have he..p pff A,pppu
them are bills for the purchase OF statues of
Salmon 2. Chase, Gen. Zachary Ia aylor,
Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, Robert Dale
Owen, Gen. Meade ard Commodore John
Paul Jones, and paintings of Abraham
Lincoln, the United States Capitol and Mrs.
Dolly Madison.