Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 January 1889 — THE NATIONAL SOLONS. [ARTICLE]

THE NATIONAL SOLONS.

WORK OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Our National Law-Makers and What They Are Doing for the Good of the Country —Various Measures Proposed, Discussed and Acted On. The discussion of the Edmunds Panama resolution occupied the principal part of tho day in the Senaie on the 7th in»t., and it was finally adopted by a vote of yeas, 49; nays, 3, after being modified as follows : Heaolveo, By the Senate and Housj of Representatives of the United States of Am aric i, in Congress assembled, that the Govemm lit of the United States will look with serious concern and disapproval ujon any connection of any European Government with the construction or control of any slip canal across the 1 tbmns of Darien or across Central America and must regard any such connection or control as injurious to the just rightß and interests of the United States, and as a menace to their welfare. 2. T_at the President be and he is hereby requested to communicate this expr-ssionof the views of the Government of the United Stateß to the Government of tha countries of Europe.” Blackburn, Hampton, and Vance voted nay. On motion of Mr. Allison, the existing order as to the vote on the tariff bill was extended lor one day in consequence of the day’s session having been occupied by the Panama Canal resolution, so that tho vote on the tariff bill is to be taken on Jan. 22. Tho obstructive tactics against the proposed chang : in the rules were continued in the House, the time being consumed by roll calls and voting on simple motions to adjourn and to adjourn till Wednesday and Thursday, until 5 o’clock, when the sossion: ended Dy limitation. Tne Republicans voted solidly for the new rules and against adjournment, while the Democrats showed a divided front. But little progress was made on the tariff bill in the Senate on the Bth inst. The feature of the day’s discussion was the tax on bagging for cotton. A resolution passed the Senate calling on the Secretary of the Treasury for Special Officer Byrne’s report on the evasion of sugar duties in New York. Senator Sherman introduced a bill to regulate Congressional elections. It authorizes ihe President to appoint, with the approval of the Senate, five, qualified voters in each State to be known as the Board of State Canvassers, and. three voters in each Congressional district toserve as an electoral board, the appointees tohold office during good behavior. The Electoral Board of each Congressional district shall appoint a registrar and three judges, not all of thesame political party, for euch e ec.ion district or precinct, to hold office for &ix years, subject, however, to removal for misconduct. The bill defines the power of the board, etc. No actiom was taken. The House deadlock on the resolution to change the rules, which 1 as lasto I for four days, was broken. Tho previous question was ordered on the resolution by a vote of yeas, 187; nays, 20. Then Mr. Holman (Ind.) niovedto recommit the resolution, and upon that motion demanded the previous question. After some filibustering the motion to recommit wascarried. The sundry civil bill was reported to the House. The House amendments to the Nicaragua canal bill were uon-concurred in by the Senate, on . the 9th inst., and Senators Sherman. Edmunds and Morgan were appointed conferreos. TheSenate then resumed consideration of the tariff bill, the pending question being on Mr. Vance’s amendment that the duty ■on no article in schedule J (flax, hemp and jute) shall exceed 50 per cent, ad valorem. The amendment was rejected—yeas 18, nays 25, Mr. Brown voting with the Democrats in the affirmative. To putbituminous coal on the free list vai rejected—yeas 11, nays 31. That Mr. Weaver (Iowa) isearnest in his intention to do all in his power to prevent the House from accomplishing any business until it has finally acted upon the Oklahoma bill was denioastrated. Immediately after the prayer Mr. Woavor called the Speaker's attention to the rule which directs that officer, after calling the Bouse to order, tocause, upon the appeurance of a quorum, tho reading of the journal of ihe last day’s sitting. He raised the point of order that the journal could not be read until it was apparent that aquorum was in attendance. The Speaker sustained the point, and directed the Clerk to call the roll. The filibustering continued until 3:30 p. m., when the House adjourned. About twelve pages of the tariff bill were disposed of on the 10th inst. On motion of Mr. Allison, paragraph 415, taxing manufactures of alabaster, amber, etc., 25 per cent, ad valorem, was amended by omitting the words “cork orcork bark” and adding to it the words “osier or willow prepared for basket-makers’ use.” Paragraph 416, taking manufactures of bone, etc., 30 per cent, ad valorem, was amend—ed by adding to it “cork or cork bark.” Mr. Allison moved to amend paragraph 425 by reducing the duty on pearls from 25 to 10 per cent ad valorem. Adopted—yeas, 25; nays, 20, as follows, those voting in the negative being: Bate,. Berry, Blackburn, Brown, Coke, Colquitt,. George, Gibson, Jones (Ark.), Plumb, 1 ugh, Saulsbnrf, Spooner, Teller, Turpie. Vance, Voorhees, Walthall, Wilson (Md.) —20. Mr. Brown moved to amend paragraph 449, taxiug" watches and watch cases 25 per cent, ad valorem, by adding to it “gold watches and gold watch cases 40 per cent, ad valorem.’’ Agreed to—yeas, 22; nays, 20. The Republicans - who voted aye were: Chandler, Frye, Hale,. Manderson, Mitchell. Paddock, Plumb, Stewart, and Teller. Tbe Democratic Senators who voted no were: Gibson, Gray, Saulsbury, Vance, and. Vest. Various omer amendments were voted on, after which the Senate adjourned. The deadlock iu the Houße continued. Mr. Weaver occupied the time with motions to adjourn, etc., on which there were numerous 1011-cals, uutil 1:40, when the House, recognizing its "hopeless helplessness.” as one member put it, adjourned. During the proceedings a resolution was m.reduced, but ruled out by the Speaker, seeking aconference with Weaver to the end that legislation might be proceeded with. The Senate completed the consideration of t ba-free-list section of the tariff bill on the lit lx inst. The following items were stricken from the free list: Fresh fish (made subject to s. duty of cent a pound), leather scraps, mica and mica waste, and osier or willow. The session of tha House was again devoted to rollcalls and points of order. Mr. Weaver, however, did not have things all his- own way, asthe Speaker decided several points against him. One of these was that a conference report took pieewlenee over a motion to adjourn, and under" this ruling the conference reports on the Milwaukee (Wis.) and Omaha (Neb.) public-building, bills were agreed to, The first-named bill as agreed to appropriates 91,200,010 and the other $600,009. During the debate on the Milwaukee bill Mr. Weaver managed to get lit a speech infavor of tbe Oklahoma measure, during wirch he said that the will of the House and the wishes of the country had been disregarded and trampled in the dust by a small minority wbiou w;a@ opposed to the bill. He was finallyshut off by Mr. Mason, who raised’the point of order that he was not speaking to the subject. before the House. After further dilatory motions, on motion of Mr. Weaver the House took a recess, the evening session to be for the con— Bideratiou of private i ension bills. Mr. Weaver was not present during the evening session, but his place was occupied by Mr. Kilgore(Tex.), who announced that so long as one man could prevent the transaction of public business In the House, no private billsshould be passed. He wag successful in blocking business until 8:30. v hen the House adjourned.