Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1889 — THE SENATE AND HOUSE. [ARTICLE]

THE SENATE AND HOUSE.

NATIONAL LAW-MAKERS AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING. Proceedings of the Senate and Honse of Representatives Discussed and Acted On Gist of the Business. Mb. Chandler presented to the Senate on the ■ 17th inst., a statement from ninety-nine citizens of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, declaring that they had been prevented from exercising the right of suffrage lost month, and peuuoning the Senate io make an inve.ti e atiou of affairs there. The tarin debate was continued. The Senate agreed to the conference report on the following bills: Relating io the Chippewa Indians in Minnesota; to retire Major General A. J. Smith as colonel of cavalry;. granting right of way to a water company in Arizona. A resolution was adopted by the House appropriating $2,000 to pay the expenses of the Ford investigating committee. Cn motion of Mr. Springer, from the Committee on Territories, the House passed a resolution making the Senate bill for the admission of the State of South Dakota and for the organization of the Territory of North Dakota a special order from day to day until disposed of, providing that the omnibus bill may be offered as a substitute therefor. Thereafter other bills relating to the admission of Territories shall be disposed of in the order fixed by the committee. The Ht>use passed a bill incorporating the American His orical Association. Geo. Bancroft, Andrew D. White and Justin Windsor are among the incorporators. The resolution providing for a holiday recess from Dec. 21 until Jan. 7 was passed by the House and referred to the Finance Committee by the Senate. The House amended and passed the Senate bill increasing to $651,000 the limit of cost of the San Francisco public building. Considerable filibustenrfg occurred over the Oklahoma bill, but no action was taken.

The resolution for evening sessions was taken up by the Senate on the 18th, and an. amendment offered to it by Mr. Morrill, providing that, until otherwise ordered, the daily hour of meeting of the Senate be 11 a. m.. and. that at 5:30 each day a recess be taken till 8 p. in. was lost. Bills were passed to permit the construction of free bridges across the Red River in Dakota and of a railroad bridge across Young’s Bay, Oregon. The Senate then resumed consideration of the tariff bill, taking it up at paragraph 150, in reference to wire rods, and various amendments were rejected. A. new movement toward woman suffrage was begun in the Senate. Senator Lawes introduced a bill to remove the political disabilities of Harriet H. Robinson, of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and to declare her a citizen of the United States, with all the rights and powers of citizenship, including the privilege of voting or being voted for. The general appropriation bill, carrying nearly $21,000,000, was passed by the House. After a general discussion, of a rather political nature, on an amendment to the river and harbor bill, the House adjourned.

But little progress was made on the tariff bill by the Senate on ths 19th inst., only three pages being disposed of. Mr. Voorhees, after action on several amendments, spoke on the Senate substitute, which, he said, was conceived, not for the reduction of taxation, but merely to gam a temporary political success. He was followed by Mr. Hawley, on the other hand, the debate ■ being quite heated. The following resolution was introduced by Senator Edmunds and referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: “Resolved, That the Government of the United States will look with serious concern and disapproval upon any connection of any European Government with the construction or control of any ship canal across the Is hmus of Larien or across Central America, and must regard any such connection or control as injurious to the just rights and inforests of the United States and as a menace totheir welfare. Resolved, Tt at the President, of the United States be requested to communicate this expression of the views of Congress to the Governments of the countries of Europe.” The senate passed the House bill incor--porating the American Historical Association. Tne House agrepd to the conference report on. the bill letiriug Gen. A. J. Smith with the rank or Colonel of cavalry. The House went into • committee of the whole cn the river and harbor bill. Mr. Blanchard (La.) explained that every item of appropriation in the bill hod been in the bill of last yew, and that the .¥11,900,666 appropriated was a little loos than per t ent, or the amount recommended by the chief of engineers. Alter considerable debate the House od.oumed.

The Senate non-concurred in the House • amendments to the direct-tax bill and a conference was ordered on the 2oth inst. By unanimous consent it was ordered that the ■ voting on the tariff bill and all amendments thereto shall be. in at 1 o’clock p. m. January 21, after which there shall beno further debate without unanimous consent. An amendment was adopted fixing the holiday recess from Friday, Die. 21, till Wednesday, Jan. 2. Mr. Gibson offered a resolution, wh ch was ordered printed, for the appointment of a • commiitee of thirteen Senators to inquire into the state of suffrage throughout the United States, especially to investigate tho election of State officers at the State elections held in November in Rhode Island and Louisiana, and the » residential election in New York and Indiana. The House joint resolution for the pay of Congressional officers, clerks, and employes on the 20th of December was passed. The ■ House bill to authorize the construction of a • bridge across the Missouri River in lowa and Neoraska was passed with amendments. The tariff bill was taken up, beginning with the section relating to tocacco and cigars. About ten pages were disposed of. The action of the Senate on the direct tux bill was rec nsidered and the bill was referred to the Finance Committee in order to afford an opportunity for the presentation of arguments before ■ the committee in support of the House amendment to restore the proceeds of the sale of the lands at Beaufort, 8. C., some SBOO,OOO. Mr. Call introduced a joint resolution, giving thethanks of Congress to Supervising Surgeon. General Hamilton and other general physicians for their fidelity and efficiency in the treatment of the yellow fever epidemic in Florida. Referred. All the pension bills on the calendar, ninety in number, were passed. The legis--1 tive appropriation bill was referred tothe Committee on Appropriations. The Senate bill to open abandoned military reservations in Nevada was passed. The - Senate in executive session confirmed all i the army and navy nominations that have been sent in this session except the six new staff appointments. The Senate also confirmed the • nominations of Thomas Burke, to be Chief Justice of Washington Territory, and O. B. Hallam, to be Deputy First Auditor of the • Treasury. A bill appropriating $63,003 to meet' • a deficiency in the appropriation for public printing and binding, and $5,000 to enable the Navy Department observe the eclipse of the sun, was ■ passed by the House. In committee of the. whole the House resumed consideration of theriver and harbor bill.