Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-02-19
TY-F0URTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.
SENATE.

Mr.. Hill called attention To an ac-
cummuiaiion of petitions. on the same
printed form received by him within
The last ten days, against sale of beer on
Ellis Island in New York harbor
(where immigrants land) as having a
demoralizing effect on the immigrants,
and on Bedloe's Island as injurious 10
Inc mems stationed there. He said
that he could not very well see that the
sale of beer to immigrants on Ellis ISL
and could be of great injury to the
temperance cause, or could have any
serious effect on the health and lives OF
the immigrants. He also alluded to Pc
.itions he had received from New York
in regard to the observance of Sunday
in the District of Columbia, and
said he could see no interest the people
of his State bad in the subject.
He gave notice of motion to change
the rule on the subject of petitions so
that they would not be presented dur
ing the morning hour.
Mr.. Wolcott, chairman of the post
Office committee, reported bill to pre-
vent the sending through the mails by
any department of the government, of
matter weighing more than four
pounds, except written or printed mat
ter. He spoke of the great abuse OF
sending through the mails type-writing
and other machines.
Mr.. Carter offered a resolution to re-
commit to the finance committee the
House tariff bill and the committee
amendment and gave notice that he
would address the Senate upon it next
Monday.
A resolution was offered in the Sen.
ate by Mr.. Lodge instructing the ii
nance committee to investigate and re-
port, generally, on all the important
facts and circumstances connected with
the issue of United States bonds in
1894, 1895 and 1896, and as to how the
proceeds of such bonds have been dis
posed of.
Mr.. Hill said that he would like to
examine the resolution more carefully
than he had time to do now.
The resolution went over until to-
morrow.
At 2 o'clock the consular and diplo-
matte appropriation bill was taken up
and ap agreement was made that the
Cuban resolutions shall be taken up ut
o'clock tomorrow.
The conference report on the urgent
deficiency appropriation bill was pre-
seuted and agreed to.
The consideration of private pension
bills was then proceeded with.
HOUSE.
The House took up the bill under
consideration yesterday to extend for
10 wears from March next the time
within which suits may be brought to
vacate and annul patents illegally or
enormously issued upon public lands.
The committee on public lands had
recommended that the distinctive words
railroad, Mexican, Spanish, or other"
special grant be inserted. The Califor-
MIA representatives objected to the re.
opening of the old Mexican and
Spanish grant controversies, and Mr..
Loud offered an amendment to substi-
tute wagon road" for Mexican,
spanish, or other, as proposed by the
committee.
Mr.. McRae, chairman of the commit
tee 10 the last Congress, opposed the
substitute, asserting that those old
grants were honeycombed with fraud
and should, of all grants, be subjected
to judicial investigation.
Mr. Loud said there was no Mexican
nor Spanish grant that was not at least
fifty years old that there were no
claimants for government lands under
them and that after at least fifty years
of more or less disturbance of title, the
people of California believed that the
time had come when there should be q
settlement.
The substitute of Mr.. Loud for the
committee amendment was agreed to.
The bill extending for 10 years from
March next, the time within which
suits may be brought to vacate and an
nul patents illegally or enormously is-
sued upon public lands, was passed by |
the House. The army appropriation
bill for the coming fiscal year was then
taken.