The herald., 1897-02-02

(. John N. Quackenbush, who was court
4 rhartialed and suspended from the naval
service IN 1874 for drunkenness as a COM
u1ander, under date of June 1, 1885; also
= bill to reimburse the heirs of Albert
Augustine of Rose Hill, Iowa, in the sum
OF $3.50 for two cows destroyed in the
Cayuse war in 1S47. While a bill to re-
duce the amount allowed steamboat in
Z spectors for travelling expenses was un-
der consideration, Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep.)
OF Ohio took occasion to remark upon
the sudden outburst of economy dis
4 played by the present administration on
the eve of it's outgoing in the matter OF
salaries and fees" About 4:30 the diplo-
matte and consular appropriation bill
was taken UP and fair progress made be-
fore the hour of adjournment. An in
effectual attempt was made to strike out
the appropriation of 5000 paid by the
United States annually under the provis-
ions of the Berlin treaty for the mainte-
nance Of the king of Samoa and the pres
ent government of the Samoan islands.
Bills were also passed to permit a
street railroad to occupy the lower por-
ton of Rock Island bridge; to simplify
the system of making sales in the sub
sistence department of the army; to pre-
vent trespassing upon and the protection
of the Chickamauga and the Chattanoo-
ga and other national military parks
providing that surgeons and assistant
surgeons of soldiers homes may be ap-
pointed from others than those disabled
in the service of the United States; for
the recognition of officers of the army to
whom medals of honor have been award
ed by placing the letterS>"M. H." after
their names in the army registers; ex-
tending to persons attached to the army
the privilege of being made the recipi-
ents of medals of honor (this in addition
to officers and men).
After the completion of the call of the
committees the speaker recognized Mr..
Evans (Rep.) of Kentucky to move the
passage under suspension of the rules OF
the bill for the relief of ex-Commander
of the Navy John Quackenbush. The
bill retires the officer with the rank of
comma nder, as of date June l. 1895. The
bill has been before congress for many
years. After brief discussion it was
passed.
While a bill to reduce the amount al
lowed steamboat inspectors from to .
cents a mile was being considered Mr.
Grosvenor Rep) of Ohio took occasion
to comment on the sudden "economlcal
streak" of the present administration
/. Mr.. Payne of New York. Republican,
who had charge of the bill, had said 1t
had been earnestly recommended by
the secretary of the treasury, who esti-
mated 1t would save $40 000 per annum.
Mr.. Grosvenor sarcastcally remarked
that he was delighted to see so many
evidences of economy on the part or
the present administration, all taking
the direction of reducing salaries ana
fees, but he was impressed with the
peculiar fact that these recommends
tions came just as the administration
was going out Of power.
In Justice t. Secretary Carlisle, Mr..
Payne called Mr.. Grosvenor's attention
to the fact that he made this recommen-
dation in May, 1896.
Mr.. Grosvenor said his observation
would apply also to the state depart
ment He spoke sarcasticauy of that
Massachusetts, spokesman, the presi-
dent of a Civil Service Reform associa-
tion, who had come to Washington at
the beginning of this administration,
and who had assaulted. rified and loot
ed the consular service
I'm sixty days" he said che turned
out eighty per cent of the consular Of
ficers and filled their places with un-
trained. unexamined and incompetent
men. The state department has now
discovered that the emoluments and
fees of our consuls are too high, and an
order has been issued stripping some of
them of their emolumerts, until the
compengat ton is now hardly respecta-
ble>"
,rhe bill passed.
The following additional bills We're
passed under suspensions of the rules:
To amend an act entitled an act to re-
peal the timber culture laws, ard for
other purposes Uhe act relates only to
the entry of la nds in the Sioux Indian
reservation); to convey the Fort Lyon
military reservation to the state of Col
orado for use as a soldiers home; ex-
tending until January /, 1899, the time
in which parties entitled to purchase
Northern Pacific forfeited lands may
purchase them to pay the heirs of AL
bert Augustine of Rose Hill, Iowa, $3.50
for property taken by the Urlted States
in the Cayuse war of 1S41; to authorize
the entry and patenting Of lands con-
tanning petroleum and other mineral
oils under the laws relating to placer
mining Ghe purpose of the bill was to
circuniNent ruling made by the secre-
tary August I, 1866.
A bill to pay p. J. Pitzer OF Knox coun-
ty, KY, $400 for two mules taken by
the union army provoked an hours de-
bate and was finally defeated.
Thereupon the house went into COM
mittee of the whole and took up the
consideration of the diplomatic and con-
sular appropriation bill
Mr. Hit, chairman of the committee
on foreign affairs, who was in charge
of the measure, explained the provisions
Of the bill. The changes, he said, We're
very slight.
Mr.. McCreary of Kentucky, Democrat,
followed with a few observations in
the course of which Mr.. Turner of Geor-
gia, Democrat asked him if there was
not an appropriation in the bill which
made the United States a party to the
maintenance of a king of the Samoan
islands.
Mr. McCreary said that while he did
not approve of that provision of the
Berlin treaty, that treaty bound the
United States to pay annually $4,000 to-
ward the maintenance of the king and
the government there.
w, A. Stone of Pennsylvania, Repub-
]ican, created a laugh ny asking If the
king was under the protection of the
civil service rules.
Mr.. McMillin of Tennessee DemD.
protested that no treaty obligations
should compel the people of the United
States to aid in the support of kingly
government.
mo even the queen of Hawaii" put
in Mr.. Morse.
Mr.. McCreary said the treaty was
made during the administration of Mr..
Harrison.
When this item was reached in the bill
Mr.. Mfllfn moved to strike it out but
the house without division declined TO
do So
After completing ten of the twenty
seven pages of the bill the committee
rose and at 500 p. m. the house ad-
journed.
IN COMMITTEE