Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1888 — NATIONAL LAWMAKERS. [ARTICLE]

NATIONAL LAWMAKERS.

Wh«t Ic Being Done by the National Legislature. After a struggle lasting an hour in the House the 23d over the order of business, the Public Buildings Committee secured the floor, and Mr. Biddle of South Carolina called up the Senate bill for the construction of a building at Portland, Ore. By an amendment the amount was reduced to *200,000. The whole afternoon was spent in the effort to get a quorum, and failing to secure one on a proposition to report the. Portland bill favorably, the House adjourned. The attention of Congress the 26th was devoted to routine work. Several unimportant bills were Introduced in the House, and the Senate considered seme minor measures. Mb. Pduwb, of Kansas, gave notice in the Senate, on the 26th, of an amendment to the sundry civil appropriation bill forbidding the purchase for national soldiers’ homes of products of convict labor in the hope of material or supplies. The Senate took up the legislative, executiveand judicial appropriation bill. The only auestion that created discussion was: mt relating to renting buildings in Washington for the use of the Government, Mr. Edmunds saying that it would be cheaper for the Government to erect than to rent buildings. Mr. Allison agreed with him, but said the House prevented such action. After further discussion the bill was passed. The House resumed consideration of the public land bill. An amendment was adopted allowing entrymen six months (instead of three) in which to erect a habitable, dwelling. A long discussion ensued over an amendment reserving title in the Government, to alternate strips of public land along watercourses and the seashore. The amendment was rejected, and the House, without action on the bill, adjourned.

Consideration of tho public land bill was relumed in the House the 27th, the ayes and noes being taV en on Mr.-Holman's amendment retaining title in the Government to coal mines found on the public lands, but allow,ng entrymen to mine such coal deposits until Congress acts turther in the ma ter. The amendment was adopted, and the bill was then passed. Whsn Mr. Mills called up the tariff bill Mr. Kelley of Pennsylvania suggested, on his Individual responsibility, as a means of expediting adjournment, that the tariff bill be laid aside until next session, its fate then to depend upon the result of the November elections, and' that the surplus be kept down by an entire repeal of the tobacco tax. Mr. Mills rejected the suggestion, and made a counter proposal that an early day be fixed for taking a final voteon the bill. No action was taken. In the. Senate, House amendments to Senate bills authorizing the construction of bridges across the Ouachita river, Arkansas, the Mississippi river at Muscatine, la., the Missouri river at Nebraska City, Neb., the Columbia river between Oregon and Washington territory, the Missouri river at Parkville, the Mississippi river at Ocaquan, IIL, and the Mississippi river at Clinton, la., were severally concurred in. The Senate theu proceeded to the consideration of th#. River and Harbor Appropriation Bill.

Senator Davis submitted to the Senate, on, the 28th ult., the report of the Committee on Pensions upon eight vetoed pension bills, the passage of which it recommends, the objections of the President notwithstanding. The report says :“Usurpations move rapidly in’republics from small objects to those of the greatest concern. That the power exists in the executive to disapgrove any legislative measure cannot be denied. lut the duty undeniably aIBO exists that it shall not be used in such a manner, or upon any occasion or pretext, as to make its exercise operate as an encroachment upon the powers of other departments of the Government. The right to so use the power of executive disapproval as to change the ordinary method of legislative action by a majority vote upon, proper subjects of legislation, merely because the executive differs from Congress upon the sufficiency of proof of the expediency of relief, does not, in the opinion of your committee, exist. ” The House had a spirited debate of the Mills tariff bill. The following committee amendments to the bill were adopted: Placing on the free list German looking-glass plates and striking out plums and prunes, pulp for paper-makers’ use, hatters’ furs (not on the skin), lime, linseed or flaxseed, and marble of all kinds. On motion of Mr. MUIb an amendment'was agreed to striking from the free list plaster of paris when ground or calcined.