The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-04
IN THE SENATE.
Considerable Business Transacted in
Hurry.

In THE SENATE.
Considerable Business Transacted il
Hurry.
Washington. March 3.-The last day:
session of the Fifty-fourth congress:
opened with a drizzling rain storm.
In order to save time the reading
of yesterdays journal was dispensed
with.
A further conference was ordered or
the sundry civil appropriation bill.
The conference report on the bill tC
amend the laws of navigation was
agreed to. TIE bill contains a clause
Z that nothing in it should be construed
/ to repeal or modify the act passed in
1850, which enacted that ''fiogging or
board vessels of commerce is hereby
prohibited
MIR. Dubois (Sil., Ida.), chairman OF
the committee On public lands, pre-
sented the report of that committee in
the case of the inquiry into the issue OF
patents for lands in the Perrine grant
y Florida: and Mr.. Pettigrew ISL.
S. d. presented a minority report
The majority report justifies the ac-
tion of the department. while the mi
nority report favors the annument OF
the patents and the opening of the
lands TO public settlement. Both re-
ports were ordered printed and went
over without action.
The conference report on the post
office appropriation bill (finaD was pre-
sented and agreed to.
4 partial conference report was made
on the. Indian Appropriation bill and
was agreed to. The points still left
open are the senate amendments TO
contract schools to the five civilized
tribes; TO the Uncompahgre Indian
reservation in Utah. and the fees of
attorney for the cid settlers or Chero-
kee Indians. A further conference was
ordered
The consideration of the house bills
on the calendar, unobjected to, was
resumed, and a bill was passed to set
apart a portion of certain lands in the
state of Washington. now known as
the Pacific forest reserve, as a public
park to be known as the Washington
National park.
Mr.. Hale (Rep-, Me.) presented a
partial conference report on the naval
appropriation bill and made an ex-
PLANTATION of it. He said that all the
general items in disputu had been ar
ranged, and that the controverted
matters which were still open we,xe as
pedo boats and as to the price of steel
armor for ships. There was nothing
which the senate could do except give
the house an opportunity to pass the
to the increase of the navy by tor
senate amendments.
Mr.. Chandler (Rep. n. HI, who
offered the amendment reducing the
price of armor to $500 a ton, expressed
his regrets that the house conferees
had not agreed TO it. He asked Mr.
Hale whether the conferees had had
before them the offer of the Illinois
rn 1a
$3.50 a ton.
Mr.. Hale answered that it had not
been before the conference in any for
NAL way, but that it had been referred
to. In considering whether it was
practicable to get armor plate at that
price-of which he had some doubt
the attitude of the Illinois Steel COM
pany was a fair subject of considera-
ton.
Mr.. Chandler remarked that he had
inquired yesterday as to the time
within which it would be necessary for
the builders of the battleships to have
the armor plate and learned that II
would be in time in about eight
months from this time. He had also
been led to believe that the new plant
for the production of armor plate could
be put in operation within that time.
Mr.. German argued against the gov
ernment manufacturing establishment,
declaring that with it the plate in
stead of costing S400 a ton would cost
81. .00O
Mr.. Sewell (Rep. n. j. said that as
member of the naval committee he
had favored the reduction of the price
of the armor plate to s400 ton. The
reductions which had recently taken
place in the price of steel rails showed
that the reduction in the price of arnor
plate was fair. "e asked Mr.. Cullom
whether the Illinois Steel company had
made application TO supply armor at
less price.
Mr. Cullom CRep. Ills.) said that he
did not know of any specific PROPOSE
ton having been made by that COM
pany in writing. There had been a
bill introduced in the house to supply
armor at $3.50 a ton on certain condi-
tions.
What are the conditions?" Mr.
Sewell asked.
THAT they should have the contract
for so years." Mr. Cullom replied
After further discussion, the report
was agreed to and a further confer
ence was ordered.
Other bills on the calendar were
passed, among them settlement OF
judgment against William Lick and
James H. Tinsley of Louisville, KY, as
contractors for a mail contract on pay
menC OF Sl,1UZ-
Defining jurisdictj IN of United States
courts in cases of infringement of
patents.
To authorize the Pittsburg, Monon-
gahela & Wheeling Railroad company
to construct bridge over the Monon-
gahela river.
Granting rights of way to the Calves
ton & Great Northern railway through
Indian Territory, with an amendment.
= he
bill was made and agreed
to.
The immigration bill. which was to-
day passed over the presidents veto
by the house, was laid before the sem
ate.
The veto message was read and with
the bill referred to the committee OH
A motion was made by Mr.. Chandler