Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1884 — THE NEWS CONDENSED. [ARTICLE]

THE NEWS CONDENSED.

COHORESSIOXH PROCEEDINGS. A raxniOM from citizens of Californio, praying for an Increase of the duty on raisins was presented in the Senate April 31. A resolution was adopted that the Secretary of War inquire and report the value of all grants to the State of Michigan for the Portaue hake Ship Canal, and on what conditions that work can be purchased by the Government for a free waterway. Bills were passed authorizing a bridire over the Cumberland River at Nashville, grant-' ing a pension to the widow of Rear Admiral McDouga.ll, and to ratify agreements with the Sioux Indians for right of way for the Dakota Central and the CHioago.Milwaukee * St. Paul Roads. In the House, Mr. Weller objected to consideration of the bill to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to invest lawful money deposited by national banks to retire their circulating notes. An order was tnade that evening sessions be held for general debate on the tariff bilL The pension appropriation bill was passed, the amendment oy Mr. ltosecrana to transfer the duties of Pension Agents to the Pay Department of the army being lost. The House then went into committee on the tariff bill. Mr. Wellborn said the mea-ure was a step in the direction of adjusting all duties to a reyenue standard. Protection was a monopoly of the worst form, and was an Illegitimate and pernicious exercise of the rights of taxation. This great issue should not be evaded, and Could not be postponed. The Democracy would ultimately triumph. Mr. McKinley said it was gi atifying to know the real purposes of the Democracy to destroy the present system of taxation and protection. He congratulated the i>arty that under the leadership of the honest statesman from Illinois it had announced Its true platform. The real great is*ue between the parties was whether there should be free trade or a revenue tariff which would at the same time care for the great industries of this country. He would not support the hill under any circumstanoes, because a reduction of JO per cent, would destroy some great industries. The horizontal bill bore on Its very face the highest evidence of absolute incapacity. It was the invention of idleness. The only persons who demanded a reduction of the tariff were the wealthy members of the tree-trade clubs of Brooklyn and New York. He held that the bill would reduce the price of labor, and appealed to the Democratic party not to take a leap in the dark bv passing the hill. It should first discipline its mutineers. Mr. Herbert made an elaborate argum'-nt in favor of the bill. A resolution by the Legislatin'.? of Ohio, reoommending the granting of pensions to prisoners of the late war, was presented to the Senate, April 2S. A message from the President was received, transmitting a report by the Secretary of State to the effect that the demands of foreign countries upon the United States for wheat •hould naturally be as great as last year. Bills were passed to provide for Government control of the Sault Ste. Marie Falls Canal in Michigan, and to protect Indian reservations from the unlawful cutting of timber. While the pleuropneumonia bill was under discussion, Mr. Coke taid 11 the Agricultural Department would Btop libeling American cattle there would be no more trouble with the business. Mr. Williams declared that,, of his own knowledge, plenro-pneumonia existed to the District or Oo.umbia and adjacent States, tn the House of Representatives, a resolution was adopted to the Kansas contested election sase giving a seat to Sir. Peters. While in committee of the whole on the navy appropriation bill, Mr. Kasson urged that armam >nts be given to vessels now in process of construction, and Ur. Randall argue l against accepting the Senite n 'me-'t to the u>e-’s - ’r.r There wai a lively debate on the pleuropneumonia bill in the Senate April 24, but no action was taken. A petition was presented from the State officers of Maine, asking that an' appropriation be made to aid of the World’s Exposition at New Orleans. A joint resolution was passed that the two houses attend the ceremony of nnveiling a statue of Chief Justice Marshall cn May 1<). Bills were passed relating to trespass on Indian lands, and to provide for disposing of abandoned military reservations. The House of Representatives passed a joint resolution authorizing the lease to the Michigan Fish Commissioners of a strip of land adjacent to the Sault Ste. Marie Canal. An adverse' report was made on the bill to compel residents of one State to attend as witnesses to the courts of another State. Favorable action was taken by committees on bills for bridges across the Mississippi at Bock Island and the Falls of St Anthony, and over the Missouri in Douglas County, Nebraska. The Reuse voted not to concur in the Senate amendments to the naval appropriation bill, except the item of $600,000 to provide an armaitnent for the new cruisers. Messrs, Reed, E. B. Taylor, T. M. Prowne, and McCold submitted a minority report from the Committee on Jndtoi* ary in favor of female suffrage. > bfii. Wilson, of lowo, made an elaborate speech in tho Senate, on the 25:h of April, in favor of the principle of national regulation of Interstate commerce Mr. Jones, of Florida, delivered a long speeeh against the pleuro-pnen-monia bill. He took extreme State-rights grounds, and held that the National Legislature had no constitutional power to adopt the proposed measure. A resolution was passed to deposit to the Smithsonian Institution a ting made of American silk, presented by Joseph Newman, of California. The House of Representatives, in committee of the whole, made a favorable recommendation on the bill to give Mrs. Myra Clark Gaines patents for 38.467 acres of land claimed by her, or pay $1.25 per acre for so much thereof as has been sold. There was no session of the Senate on April 26. The House of Representatives passe d the free-ship bill, with an amendment providing that any American citizen may import free of duty iron or steel steamships of not less than four thousand tons measurment.