Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-23
IN HONOR OF WASHINGTON
His Farewell Address Is Read in
the Senate.
CLEVELAND AGAIN SCORED
This Time Because of His Penny Wise and
= Pound Foolish Ideas.
ONE T-AT LETTER RATE PROPOSED
3 ld. of California Deficiency Appro-
ations Finally Pass the House-Pa-
cific Railroad Ghost Again Disin-
tered in Discussing an Item.

Washington, Feb. 22.-The annual sena-
torial observance of Washngton's birth
day by hearing his farewell address read
by one of the leading elocutionists of the
senate, took place today in the presence
of large audience. Mr.. Daniel dem.
Va.), being the reader chosen for the oc-
casion.
The remainder of the day was occu-
pied in the consideration of the Indian
appropriation bill, which was not con-
cluded at the time of adjournment.
Another of President Clevelands vetos
of private pension bills drew out from
several senators a rather virulent con-
demnation of the president, Mr.. Morgan
(dem. Ala.), contrasting the small aggre-
gate amount of all the private pension
bills passed at this congress with the
large sum paid to "the bond syndicate"
and Mr.. Gallinger (rep. N. H., charac-
ized such vetos as trivial and foolish.
The veto was referred to the committee
on pensions.
Just on the eve of adjournment for the
day the Loud bill Ito amend the postal
laws) was reported, back from the post
office committee by Mr.. Gambler Qep. N.
H), with amendments including one for
one cent letter postage The bill and re-
port were antagonized by two populist
senators-Butler, of North Carolina, and
Stewart, of Nevada. There is no chance
of definite action upon it during this con-
gress.
A resolution was adopted fixing the
hour of meeting on and after Wednes-
day next at IL a. m. The senate at 6 p.
m. adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
few weeks ago only the house was
the scene of a prolonged debate full of
bitterness and personal accusation con-
cerning the Pacific railroad refunding
bill. Today another opportunity for
display of temper and recriminatton on
the same subject was given iH the con-
sderation of a paragraph In the deficien-
cy bill appropriating $1,300,00O to pay a
Judgment of the court of claims in favor
of the Southern Pacific, but the matter
was considered in a rather dignified man
ner with merely a suggestion of feel
ing Mr.. Sayers, (dem. of Texas), led the
opposition TO the appropriation. taking
the ground that the Southern Pacific
controlled the Central Pacific road and
should not be paid any money while the
latter stood so deeply indebted to the
government. The house, in committee of
the whole, refused to strike out the para
graph in question, and also declined to
make some minor amendments designed
to curtail the benefits conferred by the
bill on the Pacific railroads. Later on
Mr.. Savers emdeaVored to have the de-
.ficiency bill sent back to the committee
on appropriations with instructions to
strike out the Pacific railroad paragraph,
but was defeated in yea and nay vote.
The deficiency bill was passed with few
changes in it's provisions. The appro-
priation of $4,000 to refund to members
sums deducted from their salaries for
absence, was eliminated as were likewise
items providing for the payment of an
nual salaries to the special employees
conceded the democrats by the majori-
ty.
conference report on the bill ap-
propriating $250,000 for closing the crew
asse at Pass AL 'Outre, La, were pre-
sented and agreed to.
Mr.. Boutelle, the chairman of the ma
val committee, succeeded in getting up
the naval appropriation bill before adj
journment and after he had explained it's
principal provisions, considerable prog
ress In its reading was made before the
end Of the days session. which came at
$40. No exercises in celebration of
Washington's birthday took place in the
house.
In his explanation of the naval appro-
priation bill, Mr.. Boutelle referred to
the armor plate question, and told how
the committee had arrived at its con-
clusions regarding the plate.
Congress had provided at its last ses-
sion that no contracts should be made
for armor for the three battleships then
authorized until the secretary of the
navy COuIu. iilNeSllBdle anu lildhe u re-
port on the cost of manufacturing armor.
That report had been adopted at this
session, and the committee on naval af-
fairs by providing that the total cost
of armor for the three ships would not
exceed $400 ton, had followed the re-
port. 1t was fair to say that the man.
ufactureIs of armor plate did not agree
with the secretary's conclusions. But
the secretary said he had given his best
Judgment, and the committee. without
attempting to fix the price themselves,
had most wisely accepted the report of
the secretary of the navy, as coming in
the nature of departmental estimate.
Concerning the action of the commit
tee in leaving out an appropriation for
new ships, Mr.. Boutelle explained that
the omission represented in no possible
sense any laxity on the part of the COM
mittee. They had done so out of con-
sideration of the national finances, pri-
marily out of consideration of what 1t Is
believed to be the present temper of the
house, and on account of the inability to
obtain armor for the three battleships
now on the stocks.