Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1889 — DOINGS OF CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

DOINGS OF CONGRESS.

IMPORT AST, MEASURES CONSIDERED d ’ AND ACTED UPON. At the Nation’* Capitol What Is Being Done by the Senate and House Old Matters Disposed of and New Ones Cons'de red. Tax amendment to tbe tariff bill, providing for plaeing salt upon the frte list, fu.nished the topic for debate in the Senaeon the 15th inst., and occupied the entire day. Mr. Springer (111.) called up iu the House as ths special order the Senate b.h for iLe admission of South Dakota and the oiganiza.ion of the Territory of North Dakota, and 1 a lengthy debate followed, without action. The President transmitted to both houses of Congress a r port from the Secretary of (state, with later couespondence, since Dec. 21, exhibiting the progress of the disturbances in Samoa up to the present date. 1-u his message of transmittal the President says : "in the midst of the disturbances which have arisen at Samoa such powers have been exercised as seem to be within executive control under the Constitution and laws, and which appear to accord with our national policy and condition, to restore tranquillity and secure the safety of our citizens through negotiation and agreement wi* Great Britain and Germany, which, with our own government, constitute the treaty powers interested in Samoan peace and quiet. The attempt has been made to define more clearly the part which those powers shall assume in the government of that country, while at the same time its autonomy has been insisted upon. Germany still asserts, as from the first she has done, that she has no desire or intention to overturn the native Samoan government or to ignore our treaty rights, and she still invites our Government to join her in restoring peace anu quiet. But thus for her propositions on this subject seem to lead to such a preponderance of German power in Somoa as was never contemplated by us and is inconsistent with every prior agreement or undtrstanding, while her recent conduct, as between warring factions, gives rise to the suspicion that she is not content with a neutral position. A i ecent collision between tbe forces from a German man-of-war stationed in Samoan waters and a body of natives rendered the situation so delicate and critical that the war-ship Trenton, under theimmediate command of Admiral Kimberly, was ordered to join the Nipsie, already at. Samoa, for the better protection of persons and property of our citizens and iu furtherance of efforts to restore order and safety. The views of the Executive in respect to the just policy to be pursued wiih regard to this group of islands wnich lie in the direct highway of the growing aud important commerce betweonAustralia and tho United States have found expression in the correspondenceand documents which have thus been fully communicated to Congress, and the subjec. in its present stage is submitt- d to the wider discusaion conferrea by the Constitution upon the legislative branch of the Government.” Mb. Vest's amendment to tbe tariff bill tomake salt free was rejected by the usual party vote on the 16th inst. A long debate then took place on the tinplate question. A copy of tho proceeding i ot the aor h J akota S atehood Convention in favor of the division of the Territory and the ad i is,ion of North Dakota was pre sente 1 to the Senate. The Hi use again discussed territorial statehood, the claims of New Mexico being adxo-ated by 1 elegate Joseph (N. M.) and Representative Mansur (Mo.), whte Mr. Voorhees of Washington voiced, the demand ot the people of tl at territory for admission. Mr. Struble ilowa> opposed, the admission of New Mexico, saving that a large proportion of the inhabitants of the Terr.tory were unable tospeak or. understand tbe English language, and. were not entitled to statehood until they cameup to the line of the language and American, civilization. Mr. Dubi-rs (Idaho, said that, while Idaho was not asking for admission into the Union, it did ask for an enabling act which would fix a definite lime when it cou'd assume tbe resi>onsibilities of statehood. The Housepassed a bill constituting Columbus, Ohio, a. port of delivery.

Mb. Hoab, from the Committee on Privileges, and Elections, reported back to the Senate without amendment, on the 17th inst., the concurrent resolution recently ntro.luced by him, as. to the meeting of the two houses to count and declare the result of the electoral votes. Calendar. Among other bills reportid fiom cmmiitoes ana piaced on thi calendar wereth- following: Granting the rig it of way fora railway across the t ort I itna military Res.-rva-tion, in Arizona; to authorize the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi hiver at J a Grosse, Wis.; granting to the Big Horn Southern Railroad Company the right of way across a. part of the Crow Indian reservation in Montana. The Senate then resumed consideration of the tariff bill, the pending question being on. the amendments to the tin-plate paragraph. The Speaker laid before the House a communication from ex-Governor Gray of Indiana, stating tbat on the 12th inst. the resignation of A. P. Hovey as Representative from theFirst Indiana Congressional District was received and accepted. Laid on the table. After the transaction of some unimpoitant business the House resumed the consideration of the Territorial bills. The House adopted the following amendments : Granting 12 ,vuo acres for the support of an agricultural college in the State of Dakota (the Senate bill granted ninety seclions of land), providing that the lands sold for common school purposes shall not be sold for less than $lO an acre ; reducing the salary of theDistrict Judge from $5,000 to $3,530; fixing April 9, 1883, as the date of the election to decide the question of accepting the boundaries and name of the new State an 1 to elect Stateofficers and two members of Congress. The sugar-boun.y amendment to the tariff' bill was passed by the Senate on the 18th inst., by a vote of 27 to 23, party lines being maintained, except that Mr. Payne voted yea. with the Republicans and Mr. Quay voted, with the Democrats against it. The amendment provides for a bounty of one cent a pound on sugar produced from beets, sorehum, and cane grown in the United States. The House spent the day in the consideration of the Territorial bills. Mr. McDonald’s substitute for the omnibus bill was first rejected by a voteof yeas, 117; nays, 122, McDonald and Tarsnjy voting with the Republicans in its favor. Mr. Springer then offered an amendment to theomnibus bill, providing that if a division of Dakota is authorized, and a majority of all the votes cast at the election provided for in theact shall be in favor of the Sioux Falls Constitat ton of ISB>, it shall be the duty of the convention which may assemble at Sioux Falls to resubmit to the people of South Dakota for ratification or rejection the Sioux Falls Constitution of 1885, and also the articles separately submitted at- that time, including theselection ot the temporary seat of Government, with such changes as relate to the naine and boundaries of the proposed State, to the reapportionment of the judicial and legislative’ districts, and such other amendments as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of this act. On motion of Mr. Perkins (Kan.) an. amendment was adopted providing that if the’ Sioux Falls constitution is ratified by the people of South Dakota the President shall Laue, his proclamation declaring the State of South Dakota admitted into the Union. Mr. Springer’s amendment as amended vas then agreed to. A similar provision relativeto the admission of Montana was embodied in the substitute. The House than voted on the omnibus bili as amended as a substitute for theSenate measure, and it was agreed to by a party vote of yeas, 133; nays, 120. The Senate bill as amended by the substitution of the omnibusbill was then passed—yeas, 144; nays, 98.