Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-23
A SLIM ATTENDANCE Of Congressmen Owing to 0bscrv-
 ing Washington's Birthday. PGTTIGREW GETS SAUCY. And Make Threats of Blocking
And Make Threats of Blocking Further Legislation in
 the Senate.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.--The house today observed Washington's birthday by meet ing an hour earlier than usual. At Il o'clock Chaplain Pagby invoked divine blessi ng. There were about score of n embers present, but this attendance was rapidly increased, and while business was being considered under request for unani-
 nous consent probably 100 were in their seats on the floor.
 The senate concurrent resolution express ing the qualification of congress at the high honors paid the late Minister Gray by the government of Mexico was laid before tho house and agreed 10.
 Mr. Martin, democrat, of Indiana, asked unanimous consent that the rule adjourn ing the Friday night pension sessions at 10 80 be so modified for tonight as to fix the hour at F o'clock. He said there were q large umber of senate bills on the calen- dar that had not been acted on and wanted the extension Of time in which to consider them. Mir. Jones. democrat, of Virginia, objected.
 The house in committee of the whole re- sumed consideration of the general defi- ciency appropriation bill for the curront year. The bill had not been disposed of at o'clock, when, under the rule, recess was taken until o'clock. There were two matters which gave rise to extended de-
 hate. The first was the paragraph appro- priating $40, 900 10 be paid by the attorney general for expenses in enforcing the order of United States courts for the protection of property in the hands of receivers during the railroad strikes of last summer. This was antagonzed by Messrs. Livingston and Boatner and criticised by Mir. Breck- inrdge, in charge of the bill, and advo-. | cated by Messrs. Cannon, republican,, of Illinois, Henderson, republican, of Iowa, and Savers. An amendment was agreed to on a mo- tion by MT. Baker, republican, of New Hampshire, directing the attorney general | to report in detail to congress the disburse-s
 ments under the appropriiatiSSn, , ana In that The other matter was proposition to. l pay w. Jasper Black burns salary as a rep, | resentative from Louisiana district from March 4, 1867, to April 16, 1868. This led l to whether or not vacancy existed in the district for that period, inasmuch as the state was not given representation in con- gress under the reconstruction act until the latter date. The amendment was ruled l out. s4, There was considerable discussion in the | course of the session also regarding the | policy of paying certain employees of the house for extra ana Spec1al serVlces over | and above the salaries fixed. | MT. Cannon, republican, of Illinois took l the ground that fit were necessary or de- l sirable 10 make these appropriations In or | der to equalize the salaries of the employees | of the house, who, he said, were the best | paid men in the government employ, ex- | cept the employees of the senate, the house should take a day or two and rearrange | the whole list.
 | Before taking the recess at o'clock the | . ofa ,ncfvN ,frSx nf | the request of Great Britain, the enforce ment of the international regulations of | August, 1890, to prevent collisions at sea. At O clock the house reassembled for a | session of two and half hours, to be de- | voted to the consideration of private pen- | sion bills.
 IN THE SENATE.
 Washington's birthday furnished the l staple of the chaplain's opening prayer in | the senate today. His petition was that l the influence of that noble character | should transmute the life and character of l every American boy and man is this and all | future times.
 MT. German made another proposition | that there should be g night session on l Tuesday for the consideration of bills on | the calendar not objected to, each eenator | to have an oppor tuutty to call up one bill. | It was also acceded to. The senate then proceeded with the cons, | sideration ot the Indian appropriation bill,
 and the remainder of the days session was | taken up all exclusively with the consider ation of that bill.
 When the senate adjourned at 5:85 D. m :. | the appropriation bill, after three days be- | ing devoted to 1t, was far from being fn-' | ished ,and a proposition for the fiual vote to | be taken before adjournment tomorrow (re-' uuiring unanimous conseht) was promptly negatived with an objection from Mr., Chandler.
 A prior proposition that the vote should | be taken at D. m. tomorrow had been de-, feated by mhltaneous objection from MT. Peffer and from Mir. Pettigrew. The latter | spoke of an attempt that wal to be made at l that hour to get up the railr6ad pooling morrow and Sunday. He gave notice that 1 as soon as the Indian bill was disposed of | legitimately he would interpose delay In every way possible and that the pooling | bill would not become . law at this session | of COD pgress if he could prevent it., much | less would it be considered on Sunday. With business matters in this very un- | satisfactory position, and notWithstandine . warning from Mir. Cali, ih charge of the l Indian appropriation bill, that if the bilt was not passed tonight or early tomorrow some of the great appfopriation bills would fail, the senate quittly proceeded to the 5:S5 o'clock adjourned.
 SENATE CONTRIBUTIONS. The senate todsy confirmed the nomina- | tion of Er6kine M. Ross of California to be- United States circuit judge for the Ninth | Judicial circuit and Gideon G. Rantz.
 associate justice of the supreme court of New Mexico.