Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1888 — THE SEN ATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

THE SEN ATE AND HOUSE.

NATIONAL LAW-MAKERS AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING. Proceedings of the Senate and House of Representatives Discussed and Acted On Gist of the Business. Consideration and discussion of the tariff bill was resumed in the Senate on the 11th inst., and ojenpied the principal part of the day. Mr. Chandler presented in the Senate a petition pt-ay Ing for an investigation into alleged deprivations of the right to vote for electors and Congressman in South Carolina hut month. Tfiis petition is signed by I,«UJ residents of Ziegler precinct, Orangeburg County, South Carolina, and recites that they endeavored to comply yith the registration law of the State, but were prevented from doing so, and th?n on the day of election were refused the right to vote. A let* er accompanying the petition says that 2,363 voters of Orangeburg County were thus daprived of their rights of franchise. The names were taken at the polls as last as their owners were refused th# privilege of depositing their boUota. The petition and letter were referred to the Committee qn Privileges and Elections. The Senate agreed to Mr. Frye's resolution instructing th® Commit ee on Foreign Affairs to inquire" into the condition of aflmrs at the Samoan Islands as far a* the interests and right* Of American residents there are affected; the relations of tho United States to the islands and her obligation* under existing treaties, and what action by the United States, if any, was demanded. Mr.. Edmunds, from the Judiciary Committee, reported a resolution, which was agreed to, calling on the Attorney General for infonuation concerning the execution of the act of March 3, 1887, in reference to bigamy, also to report the C names of all United States Officers who have had any connection with such execution, iu •what capacity, and what compensation has been claimed or received by them. The House spent the day in committee of toe whole on the direct-tax bill. The duty on cotton ties, etc., occupied tho whole attention of the Senate on the 12th in st... and gave an opportunity to several Senators todiscuss tho late election campaign and the President's civil-service policy. The direct tax bill passed the House by a vote of lib yeas to 96 nays. FVrty-oue Democrats and 187 Republicans composed the majority. The negative votes came from the Democratic side of the House. Mr. Townshend was the only Democrat in the Illinois delegation who voted lor the bill. Mr. Anderson was absent. More than onehalf of the forty-one Democrats who voted with tue majority ouine from the South. Speaker Carlisle, Mills, Landall and all the leaders fought it, but Judge Holman sent in on aye. The bill did not receive enough votes to pass it over a veto. When the measure came up in the committee of the whole of the House Mr. Cox, ot New York, dec.arod it to be profligate, Humoral and objectionable on account of its glaring inequality. Mr. Cummings said the money would find its way Into tne pockets of peopie who had been citizens of foreign countries when the tax was collhjiod. Mr. r.iliott offered and the committee adop.ed an amendment providing for the payment tocertain owners or heirs of owners in tomb Carolina, the value ot lands assessed for taxation by tee United States The amendment carries with it an appropriation of The bill mates it the uu'ty of the Secretary of the Treasury to credit eacn State and Territory and tha District of Columbia a sum equal to all collections by set-off or otherwise nfade irom said States and ’lerritonee and the District of Columbia, or from any of the citizens or inhabitants thereof, or other persons, under the act of congress approved Aug. 5, 1861, and remits all money still due to the United States on the quota of the direct tax. It appropriates such sums as may be necessary to reimburse each Slate. Territory, aud the District ot Columbia ior all money tound due io ■ them ; and the ’treasurer of the United States is d.reeled to pay the same to the Governors of the b aes and territories, ano to tho Con.mmsiouers of the District of Columbia; provi-ediual ‘ where the sums, or any- part theieof. credited to any state,'te.ritory, or the District of colum-• b.u, have been collected by the United states from the citizens or inuab.tants thereof, or any ether person, either directlv or by rale of property, such sums shall ba held in trust by such Stale, lerrltory, or bv the District of Columbia, for tue benefit of those persons or inhabitants or their legal representatives ; and, provided further, tnat no part ot the money collected from individuals and io be held in trust- shall be retained by the United states as a set-off against the indebtedness alleged to exist against the State, Territory, or District of Columbia, in which such tax was collected; and provided further, that no part of the monev hereby appropriated shad be paid out by the Government of any State or Territory, or any other person, to any attorney or agent under any contract for services now existing, or heretofore made between the representative of any State or Territory and tniy attorney or agent. AU claims under tbe trust shall be filed with the Governor of such Sta.e Or Territory and the Commissioners of the District of Columbia respectively within six years next aftec passage of this act, and all claims not so - filed shall be forever barred, and the money attributable thereto shall belong to sunh state, Territory, or District of Columbia, respectively, as the case may be. The river and harbor bill was-reported to the House and was referred to the committee of the whole. it appropriates $11,906,850. In reportingback lavorably to the House a bill granting a pension of $3,500 a year to the widow of ten. fcheridan, the Committee on Invalid Pensions says: “There has been decided opposition in this committee to these unusually large pensions to widows, but this report in made favorable in this case upon the ground that. Congress cannot well retuse such action aftergiving large pensions to others who are less meritorious.” The Senate continued the discussion of the tariff biU on the 13th, several members of that body making speeches, Mr. Vest characterizing the measure as in the interest of New England' manufacturers. The Senate confirmed the nominations of Perry Belmont as Minister to Spain and William J. Larkin, of Chicago) as army Post Chaplain. The Oklahoma bill was considered in the House in committee ot the whole, and an amendment offered by Mr., Payson (111.) provided that the rights of honorably discharged Union soldiers to make homes on the public lands under the existing homestead laws shall not in any degree be impaiied by the bill, and that their rights under those laws shall extend to the lands open to settlement under its provisions. Mr. Payson, in an s wer to Mr Weaverilowa), said that the Government would pay for the land, and predicted that Mr. Springer would not dare to vote against the amendment. Mr. Sjiringer declared that he would vote Against it, and characterized the proposition as demagogical and inconsistent. Mr. Weaver yielded to no member in his devotion to the men who carried the flag In the late war, but this amendment was a proposition, to stab the bill in the name of the Union soldier. He had never i eard of Union soldiers asking for such an amendment, and it was nob offered in their interest. Mr. Warner (Ohio) said that if the lands were public lands he would be in favor of tbe amendment, but they were not. The proposition is to purchase them. Mr. Payson suggested that Oklahoma would embrace the 3,500,(J0y acres of the public land strip. After a lengthy debate and no action, the House adjourned. Soon after the convening hour the House went., into committee of the whole «n the Nicaragua, canal bill, on the 14th inst. Mr. Payson (lU.) offered an amendment providing that aU shares, stocks, bonds, certificates, aud other securities shall be issued from the principal office in New York aud shall be disposed of ouly for cash. The amendment was defeated by a tia vote, but it was agreed that a vote should be taken in the House. Mr. Spinola offered an amendment limiting the capital stock to sloo,tOJ,Ox'. The amendment, was supported by Mr. Payson and opposed by Mr. Bayne (Pa.), who declared that the bill would be passed this session if it occupied every Friday. Tbe legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation bill, as reported to the House, carries an appropriation of $10,8)2,245, being $138,195 less than the bill for the current fiscal year, and $285,240 less than the estimates. Representative Hooker (Mies.) introduced a. joint resolution providing for a holiday recess from Friday, Dec. 21, until Monday, Jan. 7. The. Senate was not in session. At a country picnic in Massachusetts an old gentleman of. seventy-six had ». lively waltz with an old lady of eightyone. Another couple danced together j whose combined ages were 16L