Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-01-20
FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, January 20
SENATE.

Mr.. Perkins introduced Joint reso-
luton for the appointment of COM
mission to collect statistics on mines
and mining.
Mr.. Hill asked unanimous consent to
have the New York custom house bill
taken up and put on its passage.
Mr.. PAttigrew inquired whether the
bill was unanimous report of the
committee on public buildings and
grounds.
at is unanimous report" said Mr..
Hill.
as it customary" Mr.. Pettigrew
asked, "to have commission appoint
ed for such purpose, or is that new
departure ?"
lit has been done in large number
of instances" Mr.. Hill replied, land
the Secretary of the Treasury approves
the bill in that form"
"Do I understand" Mr.. Pettigrew
persisted, chat it has been customary
TO have the commissioners named in
the bill itself?"
$50 L understand" Mr.. Hill an.
swered.
sand this designation is approved by
the Secretary of the Treasury ?" Mr..
Pettigrew asked.
"Yes," was MIR. Hill's reply.
81 think it is bad custom" said Mr.
Pettigrew, "and that it would be bet
ter custom to have the commissioners
appointed by the government
There was no further objection to
Mr.. Hills request and the bill was
taken up and passed.
The resolution offered by Mr.. Petit.
grew calling on the Secretary of State
for copy of the proceedings of the
commission on the divisional line be-
tween Venezuela and British Guiana
was taken up and Mr.. Pettigrew pro.
ceeded to discuss it.
He was interrupted by Mr.. Sher-
man, who thought that the speech was
encroaching on diplomatic matters
which should only be discussed in ex-
ecutive session, and who suggested that
the doors be closed.
Mr.. Pettigrew, however, promised 10
steer clear of pure executive mat
tiers and was permitted to continue his
speech. At its close the resolution was
referred to the committee on foreign
relations.
The Senate joint resolution relating
to the laying of electric sideways in
the District of Columbia ION which Mr..
Hill had spoken at length Yesterday
was taken up and Mr.. Faulkner, a
member of the District of Columbia
committee, addressed the Senate, de-
Tending the action of the committee
and resenting the charges made against
it yesterday by Mr.. Hill
There were several short and rather
angry dialogues between Senators
Faulkner and Hill in the course Of Mr..
Faulkner's speech. On one occasion,
when Mr. Hill expressed his inability TO
understand the argument, Mr.. Faulk-
ner exclaimed "He who will not under
stand cannot be enlightened, ;" to which
Mr.. Hill retorted land he who will not
explain does not want anybody to be
enlightened" daughter in the gal
leries.)
The presiding officer then laid be-
fore the Senate the unfinished bust
ness" the Nicaragua canal bill, and Mr..
Turpie resumed his speech in opposi-
ton to it.
HOUSE.
Under the call of committees the fol-
lowing measures were considered
Senate bill authorizing the Secretary
of War to issue to telegraph operators
in the military service, during the war,
or to the representatives of deceased
operators, certificates setting forth their
term and conditions of service was
passed.
House bill to reduce from Is to 10
cents per folio of 100 words the fees of
land officers for taking dispositions in
contests, and reducing the fees OF land
officers in the Pacific and Rocky noun
tain States to the same as are paid off
GERS Of the same class in other States
was passed.
The House then proceeded to the
consideration of the contested election
case of Yost vs.. Tucker, for the seat in
the 54th Congress from the 10th dis
trict of Virginia. The majority of the
committee reported in favor of Tucker;
Messrs. Walker and Thomas dissented
from the majority conclusion and re-
commended the seating of Yost. The
question at issue in the case was as to
the counting of certain imperfectly
marked ballots. The majority find
they should not be counted and that
fuckers msjority was 22l; the minor
ity that they should be counted, and
that Yost's majority was 1856.
The election was the first one held
under the Walton Australian ballot
law Of Virginia.
Mr.. Codding made the first speech in
favor of the committees report.
The speech of Mr.. Codding revealed
the fact that beside the loss of votes
due to the rejection of imperfect bal.
lots, as required by the Walton law in
view of the majority, the contestant,
Yost, claimed to have suffered from
the failure to appoint competent and
proper republican election officers in
some precincts.
MRS IRWIN IN WAsHINGToN.-Mrs Irwin,
,l,f,,r fnI al.