Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1888 — THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS.

On the IMh, the Senate returned consideration of the Blair educational bill. In hit closing argument Mr. Blair made some remarkable statements. He said the opposition to the bill was a fight against common schools of the country, an attempt to subvert the great ayatem. Soon after the bill passed the last Congress, and while it was struggling in the hands of a packed committee in the House of Representatives, where it was finally strangled, a Senator had shown to him. and he had read, the original letter of a Jesuit priest begging a member of Congress to oppose the bill, and to kill it. The wiiter said there was an organization all over the country for the destruction of the bill and that they would destroy it inevitably, and also, if they had known of it in season, they could have prevented its passage through the Senate. They had begun inseason this time, but they would not destroy it. Twelve years ago, when he was a member of the House of Representatives, and while there was a proposition pending to amend the Constitution so as to prevent the appropriation of public money to the support of sectarian schools in the country, a friend of his pointed out to bim nine Jesuits on the floor ot the House log-rolling that proposition—nine at one time. These were not, he thanked ftod, the Catholic Church. Within the sound oi his voice were sleeping the remains of John Carroll and Charles Carroll, of Carrollton —men who had been devoted to civil rights and true religion; and against the memory of those men, or against the great Catholic organization of the country, he would say nothing, for he venerated their memory, and he venerated that great organization, which in his belief, was the true exemplar of Christianity. He cored not how far it extended, or how widely its power was spread. But within that organization was a Jesuit organisation which had set out to control this country, which had been repudiated by every country in the old world, Catholic, or Protestant, but which had eome to America and was now trying to secure control of this continent by destroying the public school system. The Jesuits had been expelled from the countries of the old world, and the time would come when they v ould be looked upon as enemies of this country and when the question of their expulsion would have to be considered. Several amendments to the bill were proposed and voted down. The bill was then passed by tho following vote: Ayes—Allison, Berry, Blair, Bowen, Brown, Cameron, Call, Chandler, Colquit, Cullom, Daniels, Dawes, Dolph, Eustis, Evarts, George, Hampton, Hearst, Hoar, Jones (Ark.), Manderson, Morrill, Palmer, Pasco, Payne, Platt, Pugu, Quay, Ransom, Riddleberger Sawyer, Stanford, Stewart, Stockbridge, Teller, Vance, Walthall and Wilson—39; nays—Aldrich, Bate, Beck, Blackburn; Blodgett, Butler, Coke, Davis, Farwell, Faulkner, Frye, Gray, Hale, Harris, Hawley, Hiscock, Ingalls, Jones, (Nev,) Kenna, Morgan, Plumb, Reagan, Sabin, Saulsbury, Spoone, Turpie, Vest, Voorhees, Wilson,—29, The House bill ior the appointment of two additional division superintendents of railway mail service was passed.

The House passed three bills, only one of which is of interest,{[creating a board of arbitration to settle and determine the controversy between the United States and Texas respecting certain territory lying between the north and south fork of Red river. The deficiency appropriation bill was con-idered. Barnes stated that the committee en appropriations was in receipt of estimates for the completion of public buildings in various parts of the country. As, in every case, the estima es exceeded the limits fixed by law, the committee could not, under the rules, incorporate the items in the bill. The buildings, however, must be completed, and he offered an amendment making appropriations for the completion of public buildings at the following named places: Carson City, Nev.; Dallas, Tex.: Denver,Col.; Aberdeen, Miss.; Detroit, Mich., (Marine hospital); Fort Wayne, Ind,; Hannibal, Mo.; Jackson, Miss.: Keokuk, Iowa; Leavenworth, Kas.; Port Townsend, W, T,; Shreveport, La.; Springfield, O.; St. Joseph, Mo., (strengthening); Terre Haute, Ind.; Tdedo, 0.; Jefferson City, Mo. After a short discussion and an ineffectual attempt by Mr. Voorhees, of Washington Territory, and Mr. Herman, of Oregon, to increase the Port Townsend appropriation to 8-00,000, the amendment was adopted. An amendment was adopted appropriating 32,474 for the construction of a military telegraph line from San Francisco to Point Reves. The House, on the 17th,(passed the urgency appropriation bill after adopting an amendment instructing the public printer to rigidly enforce the eight hour law. The bill for the relief of Nathanial MeKay was passed. Steele, of Indiana presented a memorial to the authorities of the city of Bluffton, Ind., asking Congress to discontinue the practice of passing appropriation bills for government buildings, and instead thereof to pass a general appropriation bill providing for the erection of post-office buildings of every town of 3,00 - inhabitants or over, the appropriation to be made on the basis of inhabitants, not less than J2,0C0 for each I.COO inhabitants. The paswge. of such, a bill, says the memorialts, would prevent the present unjust discrimination against-the smaller cities; would save the Government millions of dollars, and would result in the erection of 1,200 buildings at an aggregate expenditure not exceeding 320, 000,000. Adjourned until Monday. In Abe Senate, on the th.'thefolio wing bills were reported and placed on the calendar: To establish a United States Land Court, and to provide a settlement of private land claims in certain states and Territories; to relieve purchasers and indemnify certain States under swamp aud overflowed land acts; to provide for the disposal of the Fort Wallace military reservation in Kansas; for a public building in Helena, M.T. Mr. Hoar offered a resolution, which was agreed to, ordering that on Wednesday next the farewell address of Washington be read to the Senate by the presiding officer at the conclusion of the morning business- Voorhees suggested that after the reading an adjournment of the Senate be provided for. He thought that that would be a proper mark of respect for the day. Mr. Hoar remarked that that wouldbe within the power of the Senate,. The bill to incorporate the Washington Cable Electric Street Railway Company was taken up. After considerable discussion of a partisan nature the bill was laid aside informally. A bill was introduced and placed on the calendar providing for the establishment of a bureau of animal industry. The Senate then adjourned. The Speaker laid before the House a message from the President transmitting a report irom the Secretary of State in relation to an invitation from the Balgian government to the United States to participate in an international exhibition, to be held in Brussels in May next. Referred. Also, a message from the President transmitting a report from the Secretary of State relative to'an invitation from the German government to the United States to become a party to the International Geodetic Association. ReferrCT. Also a communication from the Secretary of War in reference to Boutellc’s battleflag resolution. Mr. Culbertson, of Texas, on behalf of the committee on the judiciary, moved to suspend the rules and place upon 'ltapassage the Hoar, joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment changing the date of Inauguration day, and extending the terms of members of Congress until April 30th. Quite a longdebate ensued, though little interest was manifested. The motion to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution was lost—Yeas 129, nays 12£,~ not the necessary two-thirds in -the affirmative—gnffthgHOUte thCh’ adjourned. _____________ k The backbone cf winter is getting mere rigid every day.