Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1883 — NEWS CONDENSED. [ARTICLE]

NEWS CONDENSED.

DOINGS OF CONGRESS. Thx Degtoative, Executive and Judicial Apmnxtiticm bffl’traa before the Senate on Feb. M, Upon the proririon fucrtarina the catary cf public Printer to Slow a dheusriou arose as to thetafloence of the Printers’ Union opon the manacement of the Government Pristine Office. Mr. BoUtas aefced whether this association did not aho dictate who should be employed by the Public Printer. Mr. Anthony said that if any person not brionrin* to the Union was employed all the member* -of the Virion would leave the office. Mr. Hale thought the Senators most be startled at hearing that a great Governmental establishment. upon which ini’ lions was spent annually, was hopelessly in the bands <ri a private, and. for anzht we know, a secret association, which contiol ed its m nagement and monopolized its employment. Mr. Hale thought ths Public Printer ought to weed out from the office evry man who belonged to the Union and employ * non-Union men. Mr. Voorfaeea said that, from the talk in the Senate for the last half hour, it might be supposed the printers were very dangerous people. That was not his view. He knew of no more conscientious, paftistaking. hard-working class. It was admitted that the printers in the Government Printing-Office did their work well, and did not receive too much pay. Mr. Hawley said the printers, like any other class of laborers, had a perfect right to form an association for their mutual benefit, to agree upon the price they would ask for their labor, and to say they would not work for less, but they had no right to say another man not a member of the association should not work for less than their price if he chose to do so. The amendment increasing the Public Printer’s salary was lost. The bill then passed the Senate. In considering the Legislative Appropriation bill, the House of Representatives decided not to pay $3,000 to the heirs of Messrs. Updegraff ana Herron, whose term ot sendee as Congressmen would not have commenced until March A A resolution was passed censuring the Secretary of State of Nebraska and Mr. Majors, an aspirant to an additional seat in the House, for falsifying census figures. A bill was passed to prevent the importation of adulterated teas. *

The bill to prevent the importation of spurious teas passed the Senate on the 26th nit. A resolution was adopted requesting the President to give any information in regard to the agreement of European Ministers at Lima to make an effort toward peace. Pensions of 150 per month were granted to the widows of Rear Admiral Beaumont and Gen. Warren. The President sent to the Senate the nominations of S. G. W. Benjamin as Minister to Persia; Wickham Hoffman, Minister to Denmark: Lucius H. Foote, Minister to Corea; and Dwight T. Reed, Consul General at Madrid. In the House, a resolution reported from the Committee on Rules by Mr. Reed, by which the Tariff bill could be taken up and passed without debate, precipitated a warm partisan debate. Mr. House, of Tennessee, denounced the proposition as a crime against the American people, and Mr. Blackburn said so jealous were the founders of the Government of control of the taxing power that they provided that nowhere on the continent should revenue bills originate except in the American House of Commons. Yet this rule proposed that a revenue bill shall originate in the Senate, and the representatives of the people be denied an opportunity to discuss It Mr. Cox denounced it as an outrage upon the American people. Other denunciatory speeches' followed from the Democratic side of the House, when the resolution was brought to a vote. The Democrats refrained from voting, thus breaking a quorum, and deferring further action on the resolution. Mr. Townshend introduced in the House a retaliatory bill to prevent the importation of deleterious wines from Germany. Mr. Robinson presented a joint resolution to secure the cession of Ireland to the United States by purchase or otherwise. A resolution was adopted by the Senate on the 27th ult., directing the Secretary of the Treasury to report the sums paid to special or assistant attorneys by the Department of Justice last year. A message was received announcing the non-concurrence of the House in the action of the Senate on the Internal Revenue and Tariff bill, and a committee of conference was appointed, comprising Messrs. Morrill, Sherman, Aldrich, Bayard and Beck. Mr. Voorhees presented several telegrams from printers and other workingmen, protesting against any action to exclude “union" Brinters from the Government printing-office, •avid Davis read a notice of his intention to resign the Presidency pro tern. Saturday, March 3. In the House, the resolution of Mr. Reed, providing that a majority may take the Senate Tat iff bill from the Speaker’s table and send it to a committee of conference, was agreed to by 123 to 22. The Democrats generally refrained front voting. The Speaker appointed as such committee Messrs. Kelley, McKinley, Haskell, Randall and Carlisle. Mr. Hammond, of Georgia, offered a resolution to the effect that the Senate, under the form of an amendment to the Internal Revenue bill, had proceeded to Invade the constitutional prerogative of the House by attaching revision to the tariff, and that the bill should lie on the table and the Senate be notified of the same. Mr. Haskell then offered a substitute in the form ’of a resolution with a preamble, all of which recites that the House bill has been so modified under the color of amendments that, in the opinion of the House, it is believed to be in conflict with the true intent and purpose of the constitution, and, therefore, it is resolved that, if the bill shall be referred to a conference committee, said committee may, if it shall be considered desirable and necessary, take the question of constitutional prerogative into consideration, and . may report the result thereof to the House. A long debate ensued, the Republicans supporting and the Democrats opposing Mr. Haskell’s substitute. It was finally adopted—l 43 to 20—four protectionist Democrats voting in the affirmative, and one Republican, McCoid, of lowa, voting against it. There was quite a scene in the Senate on the 2gth ult., on account of the action of the House in passing the Reed resolution. Mr. Garland , of Arkansas, asserted that the House had in that resolution prejudiced the right of the Senate to put tariff legislation upon the Little Revenue bill, and he thought it was a perfect farce for the Senate to send conferees to confer upon a prejudiced question. He then offered a resolution directing the Senate conferees to ask the House members of the committee if they raised the question of the right ot the Senate, and, if they did, to report back to the Senate for further instructions. Mr. Edmunds and other Republicans opposed the resolution, the Democrats, led by Mr. Garland, supporting it. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 26 to 24. The bill to increase the pensions of one-armed and one-legged soldiers was passed. Mr. Edmunds made an adverse report on the House bill to restore to American citizenship such persons as have been naturalized in Great Britain. In the House, Mr. Randall declined to serve on the tariff conference committee, and Messrs. Morrison and Tucker successively refused to take the position, Mr. Speer being finally appointed. The River and Harbor bill wsft discussed for twelve hours, but no conclusion was reached. The cohfereTvo committees on the Tariff bill met in the evening, but as the House conferees had a limitation placed on their action Senators Bayard and Beck refused to remain, and Representative Carlisle soon left the room. The seven high-tariff men went forward with the work of revision.

The Senate passed the sundry civil appropriation on the Ist inst. The Democratic Senators refused to have anything further to do with the tariff business. After Messrs. Bayard and Beck had given their reasons for refusing to serve on the conference committee, the President pro tem. successively appointed Messrs. Voorhees and McPherson, Morgan and Gorman, Davis and Jonas and Butler and Maxey, each of ■whom declined to accept the honor. The chair then turned to the Republican side and called Messrs. Ingalls and Miller to the breach, but they refused. Messrs. Mahone and McDill were Induced to accept. The House passed the River and Harbor Appropriation bill. While this measure was under consideration a scene of the wildest excitement occurred. The item appropriating $60,000 for the improvement of the Sacramento river was read, whereupon Mr. Van Vorhls, of New York, said nobody but a gambler and a eut-throat would think of tacking to the bill such an item. This was a thrust at Mr. Page, of California, whom he had called a mule-driver the previous evening. The words were taken down, at the request of Mr. Horr, and Mr. McLane offered a resolution of expulsion. After several members had spoken, Mr. Van Vorhls disclaimed all intention of being personal to anybody, withdrew the offensive words, and apologized to the House. Mr. Herbert insist d on expulsion, on which the vote stood 66 to 70.