Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 February 1885 — NATIONAL LAW-MAKERS. [ARTICLE]

NATIONAL LAW-MAKERS.

Uriel'Summary of the Proceed* ing'o of The bill authorizing the sale of part of the lands of the Winnebago Indians m Nebraska was passed by the Senate Feb. 17. A favorable report was made on the House bill to per? mit the building of a horse railroad over Rock Island, to connect with the lowa shore. The anti-foreign contract labor bill was taken up, and an animated discussion ensued, in the course of which there was a lively passage-at-arms between Senators Sherman and Vest. The latter advocated the passage of the measure, saying he had no doubt of Its constitutionality. It was an exercise of power and right to preserve the life of our Institutions and our civilization. It was not intended to exclude any self-reliant man from coming to the United States. He was glad to see that Mr. Sherman and o.her Republicans favored this bill. Mr. Vest said that Mr. Sherman was himself the father of a bill to establish office Of Commissioner of Immigration, one section of which provided that all contracts made abroad for the repayment of passage money by intending emigrants shall be binding here, and be a lien on their wages land lands. According to newspaper there were 15,0c0 men out of employment in!the streets of New York. "And this,” Mr. Vest exclaimed, “after twenty-four years of Republican ascendency and protective tariff." Senator Sherman, entering the chamber at this juncture, explained that tne immigration act of 18tU, to which Senator Vest had alluded, was a temporary measure. It was passed at a time when our labor had been taken from our homes to put down a formidable rebellion. The gentleman from Missouri (Vest), being engaged in attempting to break up the Government, was not familiar with the motives which ihfluenced Congress in passing the act. The bill was unanimously passed, receiving the votes of Republicans and Democrats alike. Soon after the war the act was repealed. Senator Sherman concluded with the statement that all measures adopted for the protection of our laboring classes had emanated from the Republican party, ana that it was the policy of the. Republican party to elevate the laboring men of this country. Senator Vest replied tartly that, so far as Senator Sherman's remark* bore personal allusion to his (Vest’s) status during the war, he would only say that whatever the opinion of others in that regard he had no sort of apology to offer the Senator from Ohio. He had heard Senator Sherman condemn in toto the principle of “contract labor." The Senator from Ohio was now compelled to admit that that principle had been appli d by ' the Republican party to meet the contingencies of the war. The act had never been expressly repealed either. If it were merely a temporary measure, intended for the exigencies of war, how did it happen to stand on the statute books until 1874, when it was omitted in the revision? Senator Sherman explained that he thought the law had been repealed in an appropriation bill as early as 1866. Two amendments to the river and harbor bill were proposed in the Senate by Mr. Cullom, in case it should be determined to consider the bill in the Commerce Committee as offered by Mr. Morgan. One of these amendments is the Hennepin Canal provision and the other proposes to appropriate $50,000 for a canal from Calumet River to Calumet Lake, below Chicago. The House of Representatives passed the legislative appropriation bil'. Mr. Dorsheimer introduced a bill to regulate the coinage, providing for the issue of circulating notes redeemable ip. silver dollars of 480 grains. A bill was passed for the erection of a public building at AVicliita, Kansas, at a cost Of $50,000. .- ' ' ■ The Anti-Foreign Contract Labor bill passed the Senate Feb. 18, by a vote of 50 to 9. Briefly summed up, the measure forbids the importation of aliens into the United States on contract to perform labor. All such contracts are declared nu 1 and void, and punishment is provided for viol at. on of the law embodied in the bill Exceptions are made in favor of artists, actors, lecturers, singers and domestic servants. A bill was introduced to set aside the St. Clair flats in Michigan as a hunting and fishing reserve. The Committee on Indian Affairs reported a bill to enable the President to negotiate for the opening of Oklahoma, providing a penalty of fine and imprisonment for entering upon the lands without authority of law. Mr." Van Wyck introduced a bill to appropriate SO,OOO for the improvement of the Missouri River opposite Nebraska City. Emory Speer, of Georgia, was confirmed U*ited' States District Judge of that State by a vote of 26 yeas to 25 nays. All the Republicans except Mr. Hale of Maine voted for him and all the Democrats except Mr. Brdwn of Georgia voted against him. The House of Representatives passed the Senate bill for the erection, at Chattanooga of a public Imilding to cost ' $105,000. Considerat on of the river and harbor bill was resumed. Mr. Potter opposed the Hennepin Canal provision on the ground that it would benefit the State of Illinois alone. Mr. Reed spoke against the Mississippi River appropriation. He said that the improvements, if carried out on the plan proposed, would cost $150,000,000. The pending amendment offered As a substitute for the Galveston harbor paragraph was adopted. It appropriates $500,000 for the improvement of the harbor and directs the harbor board to examine the plans and specifications for the proposed improvements and report to the Secretary of War. A report was submitted to the House by the Elections Committee on souri contested election case of McLean vs. Broadhead, accompanied by a resolution-con-firming the right of the sitting member, Broadhead. to his seat. The House bill forfeiting lands granted to the Texas Pacific Road passed the Senate Feb. 19. Fifty-six Senators voted for and only two —Blair and Bowen—against it. Despite the efforts of the obstructionists, all amendments which militated against the effectiveness of the bill were voted down. It declares forfeited all lands granted to the Texas-Pacific Railroad Company under the act of 1871, and repeals the act of 1875 “for the relief of settlers within railroad limits." While the bill was under discussion there was a sharp interchange of amenities between Senators Beck and Morgan. Mr. Beck made some severe remarks about the difficulty of getting any legislation inimical to the railroads through tue Senate, and reflected particularly upon Senators on the Democratic side. Mr. Morgan took this as personal to himself, and replied that.be had always tried to do his duty unawed by public clamor. He had not tried to earn applause by making himself conspicuous on the popular side of every question, regardless of right and wrong, and, as he had been a Democrat longer than the Senator from Kentucky had enjoyed the privileges of American citizenship, he did not intend to take any lessons in Democracy from that gentleman. The Scotch have often been .accused of intellectual inertia, and Mr. Beck took this allusion to his being a naturalized citizen as an affront. There is no doubt Mr. Beck is proud of “cakes and brither Scots," but he appeared to be exactly the reverse, for he excused himself tor being bom in Scotland by saying that he had no chance to exercise his choice in regard to the Blace8 lace of his nativity, and he declared that Mr. [organ’s allusion to his birth in Scotland was very unworthy of him and unworthy of the Senate. He added, loftily, that in wha* he had said before he had no thought of the Senator from Alabama. He did not think the Senator from Alabama was so important a person as that gentleman thought that he was. In the House of Representative* Speaker Carlisle took the chair for the first time since his recent sickness. He was welcomed back with hearty applause. Consideration of the river and harbor bill being resumed an amendment was adopted increasing the appropriation for the improvement of the Mississippi River, between the Illinois and Ohio Rivers, from HOO.OoO to s6oi,i>4>. An amendment was also agreed to providing that no portion of the Mississippi appropriation shall be expended in repairing or building levees, unless for the purpose of benefit ng navigation. Several hours were spent in commitfee es the whole on the naval appropriation bill Said a man who had made himself, and thought that he had turned out a pretty good job: “When I was a boy I so thirstqd for. knowledge that I worked all night to buy books, and then got up before daylight to read them. ” A man was lately fined $lO over in j the Dominion for beating- his wife. A few days after another man was fined SSO for vagrancy. From this it may be inferred that it is better for a man to beat his wife than to do nothing. T' ' Miners and married women are now allowed to open accounts in French Government saving banks without the ’ authority of their parents or husbands. ! The pet aversion of • Japanese is the fate of being buried at sea.