Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1888 — CONGRESSIONAL. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESSIONAL.

Work of tile Senate and the Houseof Representatives. Mb. Wilson introduced a bill in the Senate, on the 17th inst., providing that any person, who in good faith settles upon and improves public lands believing the title to be in the United States shall be entitled to plead the title of the United States to the lami in support ot his claim, the same as il the United States was actually a party to the suit. From the Committee on Pensions Mr. Turpie reported favorably a bill to- increase to »72 permonth the pension for tqtal helplessness. Mr. Quay, from the same committee, also reported favorably a bill to increase to S3O permonth the pen-don for total deainesa. Pension, at a proportionate rate is to be granted for partial loss of hearing. Mr. Cox, of New York, was unanimously chosen to preside over the Hous©, during the temporary absence of Speaker Carlisle. Mr. Wilkins called up as the unfinished business the bill to provide for the issue of circulating notes to national bank associations, and Messrs. Weaver and Anderson filibustered in order to prevent action on the measure. In the House Mr. Crisp submitted the. report of the Committee on Elections upon tn©. Thoeue-Carlisle contested-election case, and it. was ordered printed. Leave was also granted to the minority to file their individual views. The committee takes up the case as showp by the record and finds that no evidence was produced which supports, or tends to support,, any one of the specifications tiled by. the contestant. His witnesses prove nothing tending to impeach the fairness .of the election. The technical point that the’ jndges of election in Trimble County were all Democrats the committee dismisses with the statement that it dees not follow that the State law was violated in that particular, and cites the case of Barnes vs. Adams in the XLlst Congress as a precedent for its decision. In conclusion, the committee reported resolutions declaring Carlisle arid not Thoeoe electe<h The President transmitted the Pacific Railroad reports to Congress, with a messagestrongly condemning the management of the lines, and recemmendiug legislation to protect the interests of the Government. An amendment to the interstate commercelaw was introduced in the Senate on the 18th inst. by Mr. Butler. It provides that no railroad shall charge any passenger more than 8: cents per mile for a distance greater than 2)0 miles, nor more than 3 cents per mile for a less, distance. Mr. Farwell introduced a bill authorizing the Secretary cf the Treasury to applythe treasury surplus to the purchase of bonds and to perpetuate the national banking svstem by the issue of further securities. The Senate passed the bill for refunding th©.direct tax of 1861, Mr. Wilkins again called up his banking bill in the House, and an effort, was made to come to some agreement by which the measure might ba opened to discusssion aud amendment, but Mr. Weaverannounced that he would not surrender his right to antagonize the bill at' anv time bv any means in his power, and by filibustering tact cs prevented consideration of the measure. The House passed a resolution calling on the Secretary of the Interiorfor information as to what legislation is necessary for the disposal of the public timber lands, so as to secure at the same time the preservation of the natural forest lands at the headwaters of navigable rivers and put within reach of settlers a legal means of providing themselves with timber for building and domesticpurposes. Mb. Hawley, of Connecticut, offered a resolution in the Senate on the 19th inst., which, was adopted, directing the Secretary of the Interior to report a plan of legislation thought by him to be needed for the disposition of the public timber lands so as to secure the preservation of the national forest lands at the headwaters, of navigable rivers, and to out within the rights of settlers legal means of providing themselves with timber for building theirhomes. Adopted. Senator Stockbridge introduced a bill appropriating 3100,000 for a public building at Grand Haven, Mich. Bills authorizing the construction of bridges at Lexington, Mo., and Burlington, lowa, were reported to the Senate and placed on the calendar. The Senate adopted Mr. Manderson's resolution calling on the Secretary of War for information regarding the construction of a bridge at Omaha. The Senate spent most of the day in secret session, at work on its calendar of treaties. Those of chief consequence are the British, Russian, and Dutch extradition treaties. It is understood that the treaty with the Netherlands was. ratified. Another unsuccessful effort was made in the House to consider the Wilkins bankingbill, and after half an hour’s filibustering the-, matter went over. The Committee on Appropriations reported the regular annual pension bill to the House. The bill appropriates SBO,275,500.

The Thoebe-Carlislo contested election caset came up in the House of Representatives Jan. 20. Mr. Crisp of Georgia opened the debate byreviewing the proceediugs before tho Committee on Elections. ‘ He justified the majority of the committee in deciding that the case should not be reopened. Mr. Lyman (Iowa) know of noreason why the House should not reopen the case. Grave charges haa been made by thecontestant in afliuavits—ex-parte affidavits, it. Was true —and they had been answered by other ex-parte affidavits. Strong efforts had. been made to prevent an investigation of these charges. Were the contestee and nis friends. afraid of the truth. Mr. Cooper (oj spoke in. support of the majority report. It had been, charged that there was a con--spiracy immediately after the election between Mr. Carlisle and his friends, for the purpose of fixing up the matter for Carlisle—a charge that was proved to be wholly unfounded and based merely on. the idle chaff whicn was frequently found floating around in the atmosphere after an. election. Mr. Rowell of Hlinois took the sameview. Mr. Lodge of Massachusetts spoke in support of the minority. The pending case,, he said, was too important to be settled byaffidavit. On motion of Mr. Crisp, Thoebe,. the contestant, was granted an hour ini . which to present an argument in his own behalf. Mr. Lyman of lowa offered a resolution providing for a full investigation of the case, out it was defeated by a vote of 125 to 132, seven. Democrats voting in the affirmative. On, the majority report, refusing an investigation, Republicans refrained from voting, and the matter went over. Therewas an exciting scene in the House. In the debate over the Melbourne Exposition bill Judge Kelley intimated that Mr. Springer of Illinois sought a foe for his services in securing a decision in the Supreme Court against the Philadelphia Centennial. Mr. Springer got up and vehemently denied the insinuation. Mr. Kelley then reiterated thecharge, amid great excitement. There was an evident misunderstanding, and a good many hard words spoken before it was cleared up.