Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1888 — CONGRESSIONAL. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESSIONAL.

Work of the Senate and the House of Representatives. A bill to incorporate lhe Atlantic and Pacific Ship Canal Company was reported to the Senate ; on the sth inst. A resolution wss agreed to in- | structing the select committee on Indian traders j to inquire into the methods of allotting lands in | severalty to Indians on reservations in ‘Wiscon- , sin and Minnesota, and as to the sale of timber on those lauds. Mr. Cnllom’s bill to confirm certain Mississippi Biver bottom lands to Kandolph County, Illinois, on payment of *1.25 per acre, was favorably reported. Mr. Sherman presented thirty-two petitions for the passage of the per diem service pension bill. Mr. Keagan reported adversely from the Poatotfice and Post ltoads Committee the Edmunds and Cullom postal telegraph bills, and reported favorably an original bill to regulate interstate commerce, carried on by telegraph, and to subject telegraph companies to the supervision of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Mr. Cullom insisted that this bill Bhould be referred to the Interstate Committee. A sharp conflict between the two committees followed, and the matter finally went over without action. The President transmitted to the Senate the remaining documents and protocols relating to the fisheries treaty, together with a letter from Secretary Bayard. The Alabama contested election case of McDuffie against Davidson was discussed in the House without action. Mr. White, of Indiana, offered a resolution providing for a, special committee of fivo to investigate the Burlington strike. Mr. Hitt, of Illinois, introduced a joint resolution for promotion of commercial union with Canada, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Bills were introduced as follows : By Mr. Kerr, of lown, for a public building at Cedar Kapids, Iowa; by Mr. Breckinridge, of Kentucky, to declare trusts unlawful; by Mr. Thomas, of Wisconsin, to define trusts and to prohibit trusts from carrying on interstate commerce ; by Mr. Nutting, of New York, for the construction of a ship canal around Niagara Falls in New York; by Mr. Farquhar, of New York, for the better protection of the northern and northwestern frontier; by Mr. Breckinridge, of Arkansas, to anticipate the payment of interest on the bonded debt aud to provide for the special deposit of public money ; by Mr. Weaver, of lowa, for the erection of public buildings at Ottumwa and Oskaloosa, lowa. The Grand Army pension bill gave rise to another heated partisan debate in the Senate on the 6th inst., in the course of which Mr. Ingalls, of Kansas, made a bitter attack upon the President in particular and the Democratic party in general. The Senate agreed to a rule that a treaty may be made public or considered in open session whenever a majority vote so decides. The following was offered by Mr. Beck as an amendment to the Bond bill, reported from the Finance Committee : “That all laws and parts of laws requiring maintenance of a sinking fund and the purchase of bonds of the United States for said sinking fund as heretofore authorized, are hereby repealed.” Mr. Sawyer reported back adversely the bill for tUe construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at Memphis. A minority report was presented. The House resumed consideration of the Alabama contested election < case of McDuffie against Davidson, aud after a long partisan debate it was decided in favor of Davidson by 144 yeas to 122 nays. The House Committee on Pacific Railroads, on the 7th inst., unanimously reported the Outhwaite bill extending the time for the payment of the Government debt by the subsidized roads comprised in the Union Pacific system. The bill is amended by striking out all roads except the Union Pacific and its aided divisions. The bill is also modified by restrictions which make it more positive in dealing with the corporation. As an instance, it directs the Attorney General to bring suit at once to recover misappropriated lunds of the road instead of leaving it within his jurisdiction. The extension of the indebtedness 1b for fifty years. It is understood that separate bills ior each of tho Pacific Roads will be eventually reported to the House, it having been determined that the roads shall be dealt with individually instead of collectively. Mr. Hatch of Missouri, from the Committee on Agriculture, reported a bill to create a Department of Agriculture and Labor. The Senate resumed consideration of the urgency deficiency bill, the question being on striking out the provision inserted by the House requiring the Public Printer to enforce rigidly the eight-hour law. The item was struck out—yeas, 82; nays, 20. In response to Senator Cullom’s resolution of inquiry ths President sent to the Senate a letter from the Secretary of State giving a history of tho probibition by France of the importation of American pork. The Secretary says that the department knows of no ground to expect that the decree of the French Government will be revoked at an early day. By a vote of 44 yeas to 16 nays the Senate, on the Bth inst., passed the bill granting pensions to ex soldiers and Bailors who are unable to perform manual labor and to the dependent relatives of deoeased soldiers and sailors. Amendments including those incapacitated by the infirmities of age, soldiers who served in the war with Mexico, or for thirty days in any of the Indian wars, and limiting the benefits of tho bill to those totally incapacitated, were voted down. Those Benators voting against tho bill, on its final passage, were: Bate, Beck, Berry, Blacabum, Co krell, Coke, Colquitt, D&niel, Eustis, Gibson, Harriß, Pasco, Reagan, Baulsbury, Vance, Wilson (Md.) —l6. The President sent to the Senate a message stating that negotiation with the Emperor of China for a treaty that shall exclude the importation of Chinese laborers into America was begun several months ago, and he hopes a satisfactory treaty will soon bo concluded. Bills were reported to the Senate for the establishment of an Indian industrial school in Michigan and giving right of way to the Duluth, Rainy Lake Biver and Southwestern Railway Company through Indian lands in Minnesota. Mr. Cockrell submitted the report of the special committee which has been investigating the business methods of the executive departments. The committee finds fault with the prevailing methods of doing business in the various departments, and reported two bills intended to rectify the defects. The House of Representatives passed the bill for the allotment of landß in severalty on the White Earth and Red Lake reservations to the Chippewa Indians in Minnesota and for the opening np to settlement of the other reservations of those Indians in that State. A bill to enable the people to select their postmasters was reported adversely. Mr. Rayner, of Maryland, from the Committee on Commerce, reported the bill to establish a postal telegraph. The Postmaster General sent to the House a communication In which he says that careful inquiry and close examination of the complaints as to the railway mail service in Kansas and generally in the region west of the Mississippi fails to disclose any tenoble ground for tho complaint quoted in the resolution. The House of Representatives, on the 9th inst., passed the omnibus war-claim bill, by S vote of yeas 105, nays 100, alter a sharp debate. At the evening session tho House made ths Logan and Blair pension bills special orders for March 23. Thirty-four pension bills were passed, inclnding one increasing the pension of the widow of Gen. Robert Anderson to SIOO a month. The Senate was not in session.