Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1886 — CONGRESSIONAL [ARTICLE]

CONGRESSIONAL

The Work of the Senate end Houseof Representatives. Mr. Harris, of Tennessee, introduced a bill in the Senate, on the Ist inst., providing for the payment to Mrs. Eliza H. Browillow of S9OO for Government advertising in the Knoxville Whig, published by her husband, the famous “Parson” Brownlow. Mr. Beck introduced a bill making it unlawful for any member of either house to act as railroad attorney, and fixing the minimum punishment for violating its provisions at a fine of $5,000, or imprisonment for one year. Bills were passed toprevent aliens from acquiring land in the Territories, and extending the eight-hour law to letter-carriers. The President vetoed another pension bill upon the ground that it was nut based upon substantial merits. The President sent the following nominations to the Senate: David L. Hawkins of Missouri tobe Assistant Secretary of the Interior, vice George A. Jenks, resigned; Joseph E. Johnston of Virginia to be commissioner in the district of Alaska, vice Chester Seeber, resigned; John B. Biley of Plattsburg, N. Y., Indian School; Superintendent, vice John H. Oberly, appointed a Civil-service Commissioner. The House again wrestled with the oleomargarine bill, and the opponents of the measure gained a point by securing the adoption of an amendment reducing the tax from ten cents to eight cents a pound. Mr. Weaver, of lowa, arose to a question of privilege and with some heat denied the charges of an lowa newspaper that he was unduly influenced to oppose the bill. He had been, and still was, in favor of the oleomargarine bill, and it was false that he had been influenced improperly in his course in regard to that measure.

Mr. CuuLom, of Illinois, introduced in the Senate, on the 2d inst., a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment in regard to polygamy. Mr. Morrill submitted a proposed amendment to Senator Platt's open executive session resolution which mat 63 tliiß resolution apply to reciprocity treaties instead of to nominations. The House of Representatives, in committee of’ the whole, finished the oleomargarine bill. Mr, O’Neill, from the Committee on Labor, reported a bill to legalize the incorporation of trades unions. A bill for the payment of the awards for Alabama claims was signed by the President, after consultation with the members of the Cabinet as to its constitutionality. Mr. Dawes presented a petition in the Senate on the 3d inst., from the City Council of Gloucester, Mass., that retaliation be ordered against the Canadian Government for the seizure of American fishing-vessels. Mr. Edmunds expressed the hope that a ship of the United. States Government would soon appear in the northern seas to encourage the fishermen. - The Senate passd Mr. Van Wyck’s bill for thetaxation of railroad-grant lands, the object being that the corporations shall bear equally with the settlers the burden of paying the taxes. The House of Representatives passed the oleomargarine bill uftar amending it to make the tax five cents per pound. The vote on. the passage of the bill was 177 to 99. Of. the 177 votes the Democrats contributed 81 and the Repblicans 96. Tho negative votes were cast by 84 Democrats and 15 Republicans. New England cast 17 votes for the bill and 4 against; New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware 48for and 13 against; tho Southern States, .including West Virginia and Kentucky, 21 for and CC against; the Western States, including Missouri, 84 for the Lilli and 15 against; and the Pacific Coast States 7 for and 1 against the bill. lowa, Kansas, and Minnesota voted solidly for the bill. Wisconsin gave 1 nay—Van Schaick; Michigan 7 yeas and 3 nays—Maybury, Tarsney, and Fisher. Illinois stood 15 to 4—Dunham, Lawler, Morrison, and Ward voting against the bill, and all the rest of them in favor of it except Eden, who was absent. Indiana voted 8 to 3 —Cobb, Browne, and: Ford voting against the bill. The following are the main features of the bill, as it passed: Butter is defined to be a food product made exclusively from milk or cream, or both, with or without common salt, and with or without coloring matter. Oleomargarine is definedas all substances made of oleomargarine, oleo, laraine, tallow extracts, etc., in imitation of butter, or when so made calculated to be sold as butter or for butter. Special taxes are imposed as follows : On manufacturers, $600; on wholesale dealers, $480; on retail dealers, S4B. The existing internal-revenue laws, so far as applicable, arc made to apply to these special taxes. Penalties are imposed on any person who shall deal in oleomargarine without paying the special tax. Provision is made for the proper stamping and labeliug of every package of oleomargarine. A tax of five cents a pound is imposed on all oleomargarine manufactured and sold, and a penalty is prescribed for the purchase or reception for sale of oleomargarine not branded or stamped according to law. A numb -r of sections of the bill are devoted to providing machinery to carry the law into effect.

The report of the Committee on Indian Affairs on its investigation of the condition of the Indians in the Indian Territory and other reservations was submitted in the Senate on the 4th. inst. Touching the claims of the Creeks and Seminoles in Oklahoma, and the pretenses of a right of entry upon these lands by bands of colonists, the committee unite in the conclusion that the United States has no right to dispose of the ownership of the soil in that ceded tract without further agreement with except for the purpose of settling other friendly Indians upon tho3e lands. The Senate passed the Chinese indemnity bill, appropriating $150,009 to cover damages inflicted by rioters at Rock Springs, Wyoming. Senator Culiom submitted the Hennepin canal bill as an amendment tothe river and harbor appropriation biU. In the House of Representatives Mr. Wheeler, of Alabama, made a bitter attack upon Mr. Stanton for his action when Secretary of War, which oxcited some comment. The Secretary of War sent a communication to the House recommending that $50,000 of the amount appropriated by the act of March 3, 1883, for the armament of fortifications, be reappropriated, and made available for the construction of guns. The Ingalls resolution calling upon the Secretary of the Interior for the authority for the issuance by the Land Commissioner of an order suspending the receipt of applications for public lands under certain acts, passed the Senate on the sth inst. The private pension bills rushed through numbered 220. The oleomargarine bill being brought to the Senate from the House the question of its reference was postponed and the bill was allowed to lie on the table to await the return of Mr. Miller, Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture. Mr. Beck gave notice that he would insist on its reference to the Committee on Finance. Mr. Blair reported favorably from the Committee on. Labor an amendment to the sundry civil bill, proposing an appropriation of 100,000 Bland dollars to aid in the establishment of a school in Utah under the direction of the Industrial Homo Association of Utah. The object of theamendment is stated to be to aid in the suppression of polygamy. The House of Representatives passed bills appropriating SIOO,OOO each for public buildings at Sioux City and Zanesville. During a debate over the Union Pacific bondextension bill an exciting controversy took place between Mr. Holman (Indiana) and Mr. Crisj) (Georgia). Mr. Holman insinuated that the Pacific Railroad Committee was unduly influenced in saver of the corporation, and Mr. Crisp's indignant denial and recriminations, caused considerable of a sensation. On motion of Mr. Holman an amendment was adopted increasing from forty to fifty per cent, the amount of the net earnings to be paid into the sinking fund in case the companies refused to accept the provisions of the act.

Egyptian sculptures and wall paintings often represent the interior of well-to-do private houses and palaces; they show the plans of dwellings and adjoining vegetable gardens so well that the very products of the latter can be distinguished, but, though these plans designate the separate rooms and their entrances, it is still impossible to comprehend the general arrangement of an ancient Egyptian, or its interior arrangement.