Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1887 — CONGRESSIONAL. [ARTICLE]

CONGRESSIONAL.

Work of the Senate and the Wnute of Representatives. Mb. EftiiTNDSj from the Committee on Foreign Relations, reported a bill to the Senate, Jaa. 19, to authorize the President of the United States to protect and defend the rights of American M-ssels. The bill provides that wheu the President shall be satisfied that any American Ashing vessels aro denied any of the rights secured to them by treaty or law, or are subjected to unreasonable restrictions in respect to such rights, while visiting the waters or ports of British America, it shall lie the duty of the President by proclumation to deny vessels, their blasters and Crews, of tho liritish dominions of North America, any entrance into waters of the United States, whether they come directly from the Dominion or not. He may also, in iifs discretion, deny entry intj the United States ot fresh or 6alt’fish, or any other product or goods of the Dominion. The report of the committee accoinBunying tbe bill denies tho pretension of Great ritain that American fishing vessels or others have no rights in Canadian waters except at the pleasure of tho British Government. The Senate passed a bill appropriating ¥300,000 to expedite tho completion of the Charleston jetties, Senator Hampton introduced ft bill KT promote the efficiency of the civil service by establishing a retired list. The President nominated the following Postmasters: Samuel E. Fleming, Huntingdon, Pa,; William H. Black, Rochester, l’a.;' Rob wt L. Foard, Columbuß, Texas; John W. Lingo, Lebanon, Ohio; P. S. Lntscli, Appleton City, Mo, An effort to fix a day for the consideration of the Blair educational bill was deleated in the House. Both the Senate and House passed bills authorizing the construction of a bridgo over the Mississippi River at vßt. Louis. The bill passed by the Senate was so amended as to prohibit tho location of the new bridge within two miles of the present structure. Tuk President 6ent to the Senate, ou tho 20th, a message vetoing a hill granting a pension toWilliam Dickens. The ground of the veto is that a pension had been already, in December, letti, given to the bonuiiciarv through tho pension office. Mr. Jones (Ark.), from the Committee on Indian Affairs, rejjorted two Senate hills granting right of way to the Spokane and Pelouse and tho Washington and. Idaho Railroad Companies through the Occur d'Alene Indian reservation. Ia the House Mr. Outhwaite, from tho Committee on Pacific Railroads, reported buck tho following resolution, which was adopted : liesolved, That the- Secretary of the Treasury be and is hereby requested to inform the House of Representatives aB soon as practicable the sums of money which were owing to the United State-s----on the Ist day of January, 188/, from the Pacific. Railroads which have receivediti'cl from the Government in bonds, giving tho sums which are due, principal and interest, under existing law, severally and collectively, from said companies, and what will bo tho result to the treasury and effect ujion these debts if the House bill 831$ should become a law and its provisions be complied with.” The object of the committee in reporting tho resolution is to get the opinion of the Treasury Department as to the effect of tho passage of tbe House funding bilk The following committee reports were submitted and referred : By Mr. Hill (Ohio), tho Senate bill for tbe admission of the State of Washington; by Mr. Cox IN, C.), for tbe suppression of tho opium traffic s by Mr. O’Neil (Pa.), for the completion of the monument to Mary, the mother of Washington, at Fredericksburg ; oy Mr. Winaus (MicU.j, authorizing the Commissioner of Agriculture to make a special distribution of seed in the drought-stricken sections of Texas.

Senator Brown offered, a resolution in the Senate, calling on the President for the correspondence with Mexico iu regard to tho seizure and sale of the American sohooner -Rebecca in the port of Tampico; and also that relating to Minister Jackson's resignation. Senator Sherman offered an awsndmeiit to tho sundry civil appropriation bill, appropriating *3,OUJ to put now fences around tue cemeteries in winch Confederate doad are .buried near Columbus, Ohio, and on Johnson’s Island. Mr. Colquitt presented a petition ' from tho Woman's Christian Temperance Union of the District Columbia, charging tho Confirmss ionera- with protecting saloons, gam-bling-houses and brothels. President Cleveland transmitted a letter offering to the nation the sword of Captain Reed, the commander ot the privateer General Armstrong at the battleof Fuyal. A debato of over three hours' duration took place on the British extradition treaty, which oarne over from last session, but uo action was taken. The interstate commerce bill was passed by tho Houso of Representatives. The vote—2l9 to 41—surprised tho friends of the measure, who had estimated the strength of the opposition at about sixty. But when members found there was no middle ground, and that they must vote either for or against the whole conference report, soino of those who had been declaiming against the bill wavered. They did not want to go on record as against interstate railroad legislation. After tne Speaker had rulod out all attempts to get a vote bn different sections of the bill or on recommittal, it did not take long for the roll to be called. When the result was made known there was somo applause, and members who have been for ton years urging national regulation of railroads wero congratulated on the success that had at last crowned their efforts. The fortyone votes against the measure were cast by thefollowing members; Allen (Mass.), Anderson (Ohio), Bliss, lioutolle. Boyle, Bragg, Brumrn, Campbell (Ohio), Caswell, Dibble. Ely, Evans, Felton, Findlay, Frederick, Gay, Gilfllian, Grosvenor, Hayden, Hilt, Johnson (N. sv). Kelly, Ketcham. Libbey, Long. Markham, Martin McKenna, Miller, Morrow. Oates, O'Neill (Pa.j, O’Neill (Mo.), Rannev, Read, Rieo. Seymour, Wadsworth, Wait, Weaver, and White (Pa.). A largo number of pairs wore announced, but only in tho following cases was it stated how the members in tho pairs would have voted: Mosses. Alerriman, Glass, , Snyder, , Clardy, Wise, and Stone, of Massaihusrt s, who would have voted in the affirmative, wero paired with Messrs. Bacon, O'Hara,- llanback. Bingham, Negloy, and Davis, who would have voted in- tho negative. Tho bill provides 'against discrimination or favoritism in the transportation of passengers or freight ; forbids a charge for a short haul in excess of that made for tho full length of tho route ; rnakos unlawful tho pooling of tioiglitor division of Darnings: prescribes the publication of rates, and imposes a maxim ml fine of $5,001 for the violation of any of these provisions. There are to bo five counniss oners, appointud by tho President, at salaries .oIzST, SOO each.

The extensffim of the Hawaiian treaty for seven years was ratified by tho Senate in a secret session, Jan. 22, by a vets of 43 to 11. The discussion in the Senato over the proposed treaty with Great Britain was characterized by the most bitter personalities. Evarts is said to be mortally offended with Riddleberger tor de-' scribing him as a “parrot who would cry one way or the other just as. bis interests dictated.'' Riddlebergor also charged that Edmunds was every day becoming more in love with monarchical institutions and dissatisfied with American ideas A resolution by Mr. Wallace on the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty, which rocitos that the President and Senate have ratified a convention extending the terms of the treaty seven years longer, and that the treaty contains provisions for tho admission of certain articles free of duty, aud instructing the Committee on Judiciary to inquire into these facts and report whether a treaty which involves the rato of duty to be imposed on any article can be valid and binding without the concurrence of the House of Representatives, was adopted by the House. This resolution is in the interest of the Louisiana sugar planters, who are opposed to the extension of the Hawaiian treaty. Senator Riddleberger introduced a bill to abolish the Mississippi River Commission, which was promptly referred. The Secretary of the Treasury sent a communication to the House iu answer to a resolution, stating that the amount due from too Pacific Railroad companies to the United States, on account of interest and bonds, was $157,332;b15. The House considered the river and harbor bill.

A close student of human nature, says that “when you see a young man and woman walking down the street leaning against each other like a pair of badly mated oxen, it is apretty good sign that they are bent on consolidation.” , ■ There is comfort for spinsters in Scripture, which tells them that Naomi was five hundred and eighty years old when she married. The veterans may still hope. . I ■ -L. . " 1 ' ~ 7r7 ~ ... Iy we examined our cvfn faults attentively we should have less time to detect, and more inclination to pardon, those of others. Good-nature is mote agreeable in conversation than wit, and gives a certain air to the countenance which is far more suitable than beauty.