Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 March 1889 — THE NATIONAL SOLONS. [ARTICLE]

THE NATIONAL SOLONS.

WORK OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. * Our National Law-Makers and Wliat They Are Doing for tlie Good of the Country —Various Measures Proposed, Discussed and Acted On. Mr.. Coke concluded his speech on alleged Texas election outrages in the Senate on the 13th inst., after which the resolution was laid aside. The House bill to provide for taking the eleventh and subsequent censuses was passed. Mr. Cullom, from the Committee on Territories, reported back to tho Senate the House bill to organize the Territory of Oklahoma and it waft placed on the calendar. Mr. Crisp, of Georgia called up in the House the California election case of Sullivan against Felton, against which Mr. McKennn, of California, raised the question of consideration. Nearly the entire day was consumed in filibustering. The Senate took up the sundry civil appropriation bill on the 19th inst., and agreed to the following Western amendments reported from che Appropriations Committee: For completion of postoffice building a Fore Scott, Kan., 88,000; Point Betsey (Mich.) lighthouse, *35,000; Point Peninsula (M.ch.l lighthouse, *2,(.00; supply department, Ninth Lighthouse District, $50,u00steam tender for the great lakes, 885,000; Columbia River, Oregon, *60,000; San Pedro, Cal., #5,000; fish hatcheries in Lake County, Colorado, 815,000, and on Lake Erie, $20,00j ; viaduct at Rock Island, 111., 4 35,000 (one-half to be reimbursed by the city of Rock Island). The Senate amendment to pay Mrs. Waite 88,740, the balance of one year’s siilary of the late Chief Justice Waite, was agreed to—yeas, 28; nays, 16. The amendment appropriating 810,000 each for statues of General Philip H. Sheridan and General John A. Logan in Washington was agreed to. Jn the Senate Mr. Harris called attention to the large number of unconfirmed nominations. He held it to he as much the duty of the President to make nominations to fill official vacancies as to perform any other official duty, and as much the duty of the Senate to consider and confirm or reject such nominations as to pet form any other Senatorial duty. Ho moved that the Senate proceed to the consideration of executive business. The motion was rejected by a party vote—yeas, 24; nays, 26. Mr. Harris gave notice that he would make tho same motion every day to the end of the session. The postofflce appropriation bill was beforo the Hcuso. Amendments to regulate tho salaries of assistant postmasters an 1 to reduce the salaries of postmasters’ stenographers to .*BOO wererejected, as was also Mr. Adams’ (Ill.) motion to fix the salary of the Assistant Postmaster at Chicago at $3,203. Representative Butterworth introduced his resolution authorizing the President to invite Canadian officials and legislators to visit the United States about Mav I.

The conference report on the Territorial bill’ passed both houses of Congress on the 23th. inst., and only lacks the signature of the President to become a law. The bill as agreed provides for the admission of the States of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington. Mr. Plumb, from the Committee on Public Lands, reported to the Senate the Senate bill for the relief of settlers in Hettinger County, Dakota, which was explained and passed. (The bill authorizes an exchange of lands on which homestca l settlements were made by mistake for other public lands with the Northern Pacific Railroad Company.) A message from tho House announcing the signature by the Speaker of the direct tax bill was laid before the Senate, and the bill (having beed first signed by the presiding officer) was immediately sent to the President. The House passed a large grist of bills at its evening session. Among them were the bills lor the establishment of a lighthouse and log signal at the outer breakwater, Chicago; authorizing Lake View to erect a water-works crib in Lake Michigan, and authorizing bridges across the Missouri River at St. Charles, Mo., near Kansas City, and at Leavenworth, Kas., and across the Mississippi River between Wisconsin and Minnesota at Lacrosse, Wis., and at Lyons, lowa.

The Senate devoted the larger portion of its session, on the 21st Inst., to the sundry civil bill. After a long debate tho amendment reported from the Appropriations Committee allowing a royalty of oj cents per l,i 00 impressions for the use of steam plate printing presses in the Bureau of Engraving was passed. Tne House bill allowed a royalty of 1 cent per 1,00.1 impressions. Furtuer appropriations reported lrom tbe committee were agreed to as follows : Sedatia (Mo.j postofflce site and building, .$5: ,000; expenses of In emational Conference of Americuu States (additional), $7->,uoo; lighthouse and fog signal at Chicago outer break-w ater (substitute for House item of $5,200), 836,000; lor the in'eveniicn of epidemics (additional), $335,0j0. The Agricultural Department appropriation bill was also reported and notice was given that it would be called up as soon as the Sundry Civil . bill was disposed of. The House pasted ,he Postoflico Appropriation bill with an amendment l.xing the salary of the ■ Superintendent of Registry at Chicago at 40 per cent, of the salary of the Postmaster. Toe House also made considerable progress on the deficiency bill, to which an amendment was appropriating $6,000 to pav Daniel Layout, the President’s Private Secretary, the difference between his present salary and .'*■s,oo(l a your, the salary which his successor will receive. Representative O’Donnall (Mich.) presented in the House an egormous petition against the Sunday-rest hill, which bears the signatures of 230,003 seventh-day adventists in alt parts of the country. Two immense packages in favor of the bill were presented in the Senate bv Mr. Stockbridge. The conference report on the legislative appropriation bill was agreed to by both houses. Three appropriation bills—the Army, Sundry Civil and Agricultural—were passed by the Senate on th 9 22d inst. An amendment was added to the Sundry Civil bill as a substitute for Mr. Hiscock’s motion to appropriate 83j0,00) for csle-rating tho constitutional centennial, declaring Tuesday, April 30, 1883, which is tho centennial anniversary of tbe inauguration of the first President of the United States, a national holiday. It provides for suitable ceremonies by both houses of Congress on the second Wednes- • day of December, 1889, under the direction of a joint committee, which is authorized to invite the officers of the United States, the Governors of the several States, and lepreßentatives of foreign governments to participate ; also to invite tho Chief Justice to deliver a suitable address on the occasion. It appropriates $3,003 to carry out tho arrangements. An item was also added appropriating $40,003 for a site and pedestal for a statue of Gen. Hancock in Washington. Mr. Reagan made a long argument in tne Senate in opposition to the Evarts resolution for a revision of the laws regulating Congressional elections. The Senate passed the House bills authorizing the construction of bridges at Leavenworth, Kan., and across the Illinois River within seven:, miles of Campsville, 111. The Houb3 amendments to tffe Alma (Wis.) bridge bill were also concurred in. The Houso passed a bill granting a pension of $3,501) to Mrs. Sheridan, with an amendment reducing it to 82,500. The Senate non-concurred in the amendment and ordered a conference. The Senate bill placing Gen. Rosecrans on the retired list of the army with the rank of Brigadier General pissed the House.