The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-21
The Proceedings.

Washington, Jan. 20.-Mr. Perkins
(Rep. CALI, introduced joint resolu-
ton for the appointment of a commits
sion TO collect statistics on mines and
mining. Referred.
Mr.. Hill (Dem. ". W, in behalf of his
colleague (Mr Murphy asked unani-
nous consent TO have the New York
custom house bill taken up and put
on its passage. There was but one
slight objection by Mr.. Pettigrew
(Silver S. ID, 10 Mr.. Hills request and
the bill was taken up and passed.
The bill as passed appoints five citi-
ems of New York as building commits
sioners at $1,000 per year The build
ing is to be on the present custom
house. The secretary of the treasury
is to lease suitable premises for the
temporary business of the custom house
$3.50. 600 being appropriated for rental
the new building is not to exceed $5,00O,-
600.
Mr.. Morgan's resolution as to the de-
fault on the part of the Pacific rail-
roads was allowed to go over without
action.
Tne resolution heretofore offered by
Mr.. Pettigrew (Silver S. d., calling on
the secretary of the state for a copy
of the proceedings of the commission
on the divisional line between Venezu-
Ella and British Guiana was taken up
and Mr.. Pettigrew proceeded to dis
cuss it.
At the close of his speech the reso-
luton was referred to the committee
on foreign relations.
The senate joint resolution relating
to the laying of the electric sideways
in the District of Columbia, on which
Mr.. Hill (Dem., n. " had spoken at
length Yesterday. was taken up and
Mr.. Faulkner Dem., w. va, a mem
Der of the district committee, ad-
dressed the senate, defending the ac-
ton of the committee and resenting the
charge made against it yesterday by
Mr.. Hill. There were several short and
rather angry dialogues between Sen
ators Faulkner and Hill, in the course
of Mr.. Faulkner's speech.
At 2 o'clock, the presiding officer laid
before the senate the unfinished bust
ness-the Nicarag qua bill-and Mr..
Turpie (Dem., Ind.) resumed his speech
in opposition to it. He likened the
provisions of the bill to the case of
bogus mortgages, and to the successful
footing of credulous beings by such
means The operation proposed in the
pending bill differed from the bogus
mortgage cases only in the fact that
the canal company on the face of the
BILL on the face of the treaty charter
and on the face of the reports sub
mitted to the senate. admitted that it
had no title to the lands which it pro-
posed to surrender, that it had no in
terest in them and that it could not
transfer them to any one. The COM
pany asked congress with its eyes open
ana knowing that the security was
straw. to give it 500, 900, guarantee
ing payment by a lien on securities
that were utterly without value-on
Peter Funk securities.
Mr.. Turpie asserted that through the
failure of the company to complete,
within three years, the connecting link
known as the Managua canal, it had
already forfeited everything, had al
ready surrendered everything: that it
had either voluntarily or negligently
given up and abandoned its concession.
It had not even pretended to construct
the Managua canal. No act of con-
gress could release the company from
its obligation under the cessation. 1t
was an unreasonable demand, an ir-
rational request, a thoroughly lunatic
proposition, that congress should
guarantee the performance of the
work, or should enter upon its con-
struction without having an estimate
of the cost of three of the principal
items necessary to its prosecution-the
Managua canal and the construction
of two harbors.
After speaking for two hours. Mr.
Mr. Turpie closed his remarks for the
day, but declined to promise that he
would finish his speech tomorrow. The
bill went over.
Mr.. Chandler (Rep., n. H.) asked and
obtained unanimous consent to have
the bill for representation of the United
States at any monetary conference
with other nations taken up after the
routine morning business on Tuesday
next.
The legislative appropriation bill was
then taken up. and the provisions in
regard to the library of congress were
acted on. The first amendment re-
ported by the committee on appropri-
atoms was an item of $4,000 for the
salary of the librarian. who is to be ap-
pointed by the president, by and with
the advice and consent of the senate,
and providing that the librarian shall
make rules and regulations for the
government of the library, to be ap-
proved by the joint committee on
library.
The amendment was agreed to with
out discussion. Another important
amendment reported by the committee
was the insertion sof an item for the
appointment by the president of the
superintendent of the library build
ing and grounds, at q salary of $4,000,
and appropriating SAG, 440 for the Gus
IL i