Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1888 — THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

THE FIFTIETH CONGRESS.

In tbe Senate, on the 7th, a joint resolution was passed to ena tie the Secretary of the Interior to utilize the hot water now running to waste on the Hot Springs reservation. The urgency deficiency appropriation bill was considered. The House provision requiring the public printer to rigidly enfojee the tight hour law was strilren out—ayes 32, nays 20. After an executive session the Senate adjourned. The House adopted a resolution requesting the President to furnish all documents relating to the disputed boundary between Venezuelan and British Guinea. In discussing a bill for the erection of a public building »t Sedalia, Md., at an ultimate co-t of #50,030, Mr'. Bland, of Missouri, toot occasion to inveigh against tbe protective tariff and against the extravagance system which the House had inaugurated in the passage of the bills for the erection of., public buildings. Mr. Heard, of Missouri, regretted that his colleague had seen fit, upon the pending bill, to rehash, revamp, duplicate and quadruplicate the speeches upon the tariff which he had made out of time and out of place, and which no youngiman in his [Mr. Heard’s] distriGt, who aspired to be a prosecuting attorney, could not exoel. The bill was pas-ed. Bills were passed, also, ratifying an agreement with the Grotvemre, Piegan, Black Feet and River Crow Indians in Montana, and to divide the great Sioux Indian reservation into separate and smaller reservations.

Among the petitions and memorials presented to the Senate, on the 8th, was one, said to have over 102,000 signatures from thirty-three States and Territories, against the admission of Utah as a State so long as its people, are under, the control of the Mormon priesthood. The Senate then resumed consideration of the bill granting pensions to ex soldiers and sailors who are incapacitated for the performance of manual labor and providing foe pensions to dependent relatives of deceased soldiers and sailors. Manderson replied to some of the remarks made by Senator Vest last week, particularly as to there being no federal ex-soldiers, or confederates either, m almshouses in Missouri. He quoted from a report of the Commissioner of Pensions showing that on Oct. 15, 1887, there were in the Missouri almshouses 138 ex Union soldiers and sixty-two dependent relatives, and and in the whole United States 16,853 ex-soldiers and 4,915 dependent relatives—in all, 22.000. In addition there were in National sohlbrs’ homes 15,’22 inmates, making a total ui 8’,.-• vx soldiers uud their dependents wuo were dep ndent on ehairitable institutions. In contradiction of Mr. Vtst’s statement, that 60 par eent. of the number of those eurolle I during the war were either pensioners or applicants for pensions, he showed that there were 367,421 invalid pensions granted, and 2 -0.692 for widows, children and dependent relatives—in other words, there were of pensioners and claimants not over 44 per cent, of the whole number enlisted. After the rejection of several amendments the hill was passed, the following Senators voting ag-tinst the bi l: Bate, Heck, Berry, Blackburn', Coc trell, Coke, C dquitt,—Daniel, Kustls, Gibson, Harris, Reagan, Saulsbury, Vance and Wilson of Md, The following wore paired: Evarts and Morgan, Edmunds and Jones of Ark., Sabin and Call Hanson and Joaes of Nov., Vest and- Piumb. The Senate then transacted considerable routine business.

The House pissed a bill appropriating <lO. POO for the pureha.su of certain swords belonging to the widow,of Gen. J,ime3 Shields. A bill was, passed for the allotment of lauds in severalty on the White Khrth and Red Lake reservations, to the Chippewa Indians in Minnesota, and for opening up t:> settlement of the other reservations of those Indians in that State. The House, on the 9th, passed the omnibus war-claim bill.” Bills on the private calendar were considered. At night thirty-four private pension bills were passed. The Senate, on the 12tb, transacted routine business. Colquit and Dolph delivered speeches ou the President’s message. The House passed the Senate joint resolution for investigating the practicability of constructing reservoirs for the storage of water ia arid regions ol the United-States. District of Columbia business was considered.