Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1890 — NATIONAL CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

NATIONAL CONGRESS

The Senate on the 16th completed apd passed the river and harbor bill. It also agreed to the conference report on the' Chiekamauga national park bill, which has already been adopted by the House, thus finally passing the bill. In the House the McKay bill was finally passed. It has been before congress twenty-three years. Tho anti-lottery bill was debated until 4:4oand then passed by a -rising vote, which wag practically unanimous. ' The Senate, on the 18th, passed the deficiency appropriation bill. The committee inserted an item, which was agreed to by the Senate, appropriating $12,000 for a steam vessel on Puget sound to prevent the violation of the Chinese restriction act and of the custom laws. The amendments appropriating an aggregate of $1,239,688 for the payment of the French spoliation claims were opposed by Mr. Plumb, who denounced the claims as essentially fraudulent and as intended not for the benefit of the claimants, but of attorneys and assignees. All the amendments were agreed to. The tariff bill was considered. The House adopted the joint resolution providing that nothing in the diplomatic and consular appropriation bills shall be construed to interrupt the publication of the reports of the international American conference. Mr. Breckinridge, of Kentucky, facetiously inquired whether the publications would contain a certain recent letter of the Secretary of State on the subject of reciprocity; and, on Mr. Hitt replying that they: would contain only the pro* ceedings of the Mr. Breckinridge sent to the Clerk’s desk and had read Secretary Blaine’s second letter to Senator Frye. Mr. Breckinridge said that he did not entirely agree with Secretary Blaine, butthe Secretary was getting on the right track; and so far as he went he; [Breckinridge] agreed with him. Mr. Grosvenor, of Ohio. rdmarked tSat the only objection he had to the Secretary was that he was getting so near to th,e gentleman from Kentucky. A bill was passed restoring the wages of 1874 in the government printing office. The contested election case of Chalmers vs. Morgan was decided in favor of Morgan. A minority report in the Breckinridge case was submitted. In the Senate the bill granting a right of way through certain lands of the United States in Utah, and the House bill to aus thorize the Secretary of the Interior to procure and submit to Congress proposals for the sale to the United States of the western part of the Crow reservation in Montana, were taken up, amended and passed. A resolution offered Monday by Mr. Plumb, instructing the committee on rules to issue orders that will prevent the sale or drinking of spirituous, vinous or malt liquors in the Senate wing of ♦he Capitdl, was taken up. Mr. Gorman moved to refer the resolution to thecommittee on rules. Mr. Blair called attention to the fact that Mr. Plumb was not present, and said something as to his (Mr. Plumb’s) making a four hours’ speech on the resolution rather than have it referred to the committee and defeated by delay. Mr. Gorman withdrew his motion of reference, and the motion went over till the next day. The tariff bill was then taken up, the pending question being on Mr. Plumb’s

amendment reducing the duty on tin plate from 2 2-10 cents to 1 cent a pound and allowing a bounty of 1 cent a pound oa American tin plate. This amendment ivas very objectionable. After some discussion Mr. Plumb withdrew his amendment with the Understanding that he would offer, it again. Mr. McPherson's amendment placing tin plates on the free list was rejected. The Senate on the 20th took up Quay’s resolution designating the legislative business to be taken up at this session. Mr. Hoar offered a substitute providing that when any bill or resolution shall have been considered for a reasonable length of time it shall be in order for any Senator to do* mand that debate thereon be closed. Mr, Hoar then made a lengthy speech in opposition to the Quay resolution. Other Senators participating in the debate were Pugh. Frye, Edmunds, Hiscock and Spooner. The Senate bill was consideredThe House amendments to the meat in. spection bill were concurred in. Tho House passed the Senate meat inspection bill. When the measure was taken up for consideration Mr. Funston, chairman of the Committee on Agriculture,said that it was proposed by this measure to open foreign ports to American meats. By opening those ports millions and million' of foreign gold would be brought into the country,and would relieve the embarrassed condition of all classes cf industry. Mr. Hitt said this bill would remove the pretense upon which foreign governments excluded our hog products. He objected to unjust discrimination being made against American pork under the pretense that it wbb unwholesome. The provision for inspection would remove any cause iorthat pretense. It was a measure in favor®tlie farmer, and it was time that such legisla tion should be enacted. Other measures relative to agriculture were then considered. The Senate on the 21st concurred in the conference report on the bill to increase the clerical force of the pension office. Theresolutiontopreventthesaieof liquor* in the Senate wing of the Capitol was dis Cussed. A bill was introduced, by request of the Farmers' Alliance, to provide for banks of deposit. The tariff bill was considered. \ The House considered unimportant routine matters and debated the uniform land bill. *