Congressional News

CONGRESSIONAL NEWS

WORK OF THE NATION SOLONS AT WASHINGTON

Both Houses Just Getting into Good Working Order and Settling Down to Business—A Summary of the Most Important Bills and Resolutions Introduced During the Week and Action Thereon.

WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 19. — The first business of the senate Wednesday was the passage if a bill reducing the fee for a passport to $1. Then came a short rush of petitions and bills on various subjects, among them Farwell's bill to perpetuate the national banking system, which it is proposed to do by issuing 8 per cent bonds to run fifty years in exchange for those now held by the banks, paying the premium on the latter, and allowing circulation to issue to the full amount of the par value of the former. The bill also authorizes the treasury to buy bonds with the surplus in the open market. The bill to refund the direct tax to the states was then taken up and passed—48 to 10—and then Brown of Georgia and Blair continued the debate on the educational bill, both of them speaking in favor thereof. The senate then adjourned.

Cox announced to the house that Speaker Carlisle was rapidly recovering, and would soon resume the gavel. A resolution was adopted calling on the secretary of the interior for information as to what legislation is needed to protect the forests at the head of navigable waters. Plumb offered a resolution appointing a committee to investigate the refunding legislation with the object of ascertaining if the government can pay the bonded debt as its pleasure. He wanted it considered at once, but objection was made. The majority report on the Carlisle case was presented. It was ordered that 10,000 extra copies of the president's Pacific railways message be printed. The appropriation for agricultural experiment stations was passes. Wilkins called up his banking bill, but Weaver and others filibustered until an adjournment was forced. 

WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 21. — The house Friday received and referred a petition from the National Board of Trade convention favoring liberal appropriations for waterway improvements. Springer made a personal explanation regarding a statement by Kelly Thursday, and denied the imputation that he had claimed a fee of $10,000 for inserting a clause in the bill appropriating money to the Philadelphia centennial, by which the money was returned to the government. he had appeared in court for the government in the case and afterward had asked the court of claims fix the value of his services, but his request had no been acted upon by Congress. The Thobe-Carlisle case was then taken up and after Thobe had addressed the house in his own behalf the resolutions of the majority of the elections committee, declaring against reopening the case, were voted on. The Republicans, with the exception of a few who voted aye, and Brumm, Hovey, and Laidlaw, who voted nay, refrained from voting on the ground that they were not sufficiently informed on the subject. The vote was ayes, 140; nays, 3—no quarum. The house then adjourned. 

WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 23. — The house held a short session Saturday. The Thobe-Carlisle election case was again called up and Hogg of West Virginia moved to reconsider the vote by which the reopening of the matter was defeated Friday. The speaker pro tem permitted the motion, but afterward reversed his ruling, declaring that he had made a mistake as it was out of order until the previous question on the majority resolutions was disposed of. An objection was made to unanimous consent to offer a resolution to re-open, and then a vote was taken on declaring Carlisle entitled to his seat, the vote was yeas, 140; nays, 6—no quorum, and Crisp then, in view of the fact that there was not a quorum voting, moved to adjourn, which was carried—139 to 123—a strict party vote. 

WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 24. — The senate Monday referred the memorial of the governor of Massachusetts and other prominent and representative citizens of that state urging a hearty welcome to the British peace proposals, to the foreign relations committee. The resolution providing for an investigation of the alleged suppression of the negro vote at Jackson, Miss., was adopted without opposition. Chandler introduced resolutions asking the navy department for information as to the plans for naval vessels, the contracts for ordnance, armor, etc. Fyre made an elaborate speech on the tariff, declaring that the president's message meant free trade, which was really the position of the Democracy on that issue. Blair spoke for nearly an hour in favor of the educational bill, and when he concluded the senate went into executive session, ratified the shipping treaty with Guatemala, and when the doors reopened, adjourned.

After some discussion with reference to the correction of the house journal Monday Brumm wanted to speak to a question of privilege, stating that Crisp in an interview Sunday had reflected on the Republicans of the house regarding their action in the Thobe-Carlisle case. The speaker decided that no question of privilege was presented. The Thobe-Carlisle case then came up on the resolution to declare the latter entitled to his seat, and it was adopted—yeas, 164; nays, 7. The mass of Republicans did not vote, the only ones being Cannon, Cooper, Davenport McKenna, Post, and Steele, who voted in the affirmative, and Bake of Illinois, Brewer, Buchanan, Cheadle, Hovey, Kerr and Laidlaw in the negative. A number of kills were introduced, among them the following: For the construction of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers canal; placing salt used for curing pork on the same tax footing as that used for curing fish; appropriating $100,000 for statues to Logan and Shields; for the speedy settlement of the fisheries imbroglio; withholding until the settlement of the status of these companies; appropriating $150,000 to A. De Baussett, to build an air shop. The house then adjourned. 

WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 25. — In the senate Tuesday, after a spirited debate, the president's Pacific railways message was referred to a special committee of seven. A bill authorizing a bridge across the Mississippi at Burlington, Ia., was passed. Palmer of Michigan made a long speech in favor of his bill to prevent undesirable immigration. The deficiency bill, which failed last session, was then taken up, but without action the senate adjourned. 

A bill was reported favorably to the house providing rewards for Esquimaux natives who have taken care of ship-wrecked seamen. A resolution was adopted requiring of the publiq printer information as to furloughs or discharges from his office at a time when the work there was largely in arrears, and also whether preference was given to a veteran soldiers in employment. A bill authorizing a bridge across the Mississippi at Memphis was passed. Breckearidge of Arkansas introduced a bill authorizing the president to discontinue customs districts where the receipts are less than the expenses. A bill was passed granting right of way to the Duluth, Rainy Lake, River & Southeastern railway through certain Indian lauds. In offering resolutions for the printing of 5,000 copies of the report of the West Point board of visitors, Wheeler of Alabama euologized Geo. W. Childs, president of the board, and the house adjourned.

BUSINESS NOTES.

The Eagle iron works at Wilkesbarre, Pa., have failed, with extensive liabilities.

The San Francisco Bridge company has failed. Liabilities, $300,000; assets, $200,000. 

The Novelty Machine works at Evansville, Ind., one of the most extensive establishments of that kind in the state, made an assignment Wednesday. Liabilities, $60,000; assets unknown.

M. Slocum, dealer in agricultural implements at Elgrin, Ills., has assigned, with liabilities of about $3,000. His principal creditor is the firm of Althouse & Wheeler, Waupun, Wis. 

An assignment was made Monday by M. & E. Solomon, tobacco dealers at New York. They gave preferences for $61,392. 

One hundred clerks, operators, train and section men between St. Louis and Toledo have been discharged, and two passenger trains dropped by the Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City Railroad company, to reduce operating expenses. 

The proprietors of the great traveling circuses and menageries of this country declare that under the provisions of the new interstate commerce law it will be impossible for them to transport their exhibitions from place to place without loss, and that, therefore, they will abandon business in America and go to Europe.

THE HENDRICKS MONUMENT.

The Contract Awarded to W. H. Parks—To Cost $15,000

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Jan. 23.—The Hendricks monument committee met Saturday and awarded the contract for erecting a memorial statueto the late Vice President Hendricks to W. H. Parks, the designer and builder of the Juneau statue at Milwaukee. The highest of the monument is thirty-one feed, the base being eighteen feet and the statue thirteen. The base is of granite, and consists of three steps leading up to a die, on which is a wreath of laurel and oak enclosing the word "Hendricks" in raised polished letters. The statue is bronze, and represents the vice president as in the act of addressing an audience, his right hand resting in the lapel of his coat and his left hanging by his side and holding a parchment. The entire work will cost around $15,000, and the statue will be cast in Italy.

TEN MEN BURNED TO DEATH. 

Frightful Holocaust at the Burning of a Boarding House. 

TOWER, Minn., Jan. 23.—Fire broke out in the Barnaby boarding house and saloon, on the main street of the town at an early hour Saturday morning, and before the inmates could be awakened the structure was a sheet of flames. Fiive men were certainly roasted alive and their charred bodies taken from the ruins, and it is variously estimated that from two to nine others were also caught in the flames. The bodies of the following, burned to a crisp, were recovered: Robert Whitford, W. H. Barnes, Dan O'Connell, Alexander Brandt and Mike Trump. 

Everybody was asleep when the fire broke out, and there was a terrible struggle among those who were saved to reach the street. Men fought with each other in the narrow passageways like wild beasts in their endeavor to reach an exit first, the consequence being that most of those engaged in the struggle perished. One escaped, and tells the story of the panic.

A friend and room-mate of one of the boarders, who was laid up with rheumatism, tried to get his partner out. He got him as far as the front door, and find that locked, kicked it open. Turning around he could not face the flames, and was compelled to let his companion perish, and barely escaped with his own life. 

A young lady who was sick in the doomed building was rescued with difficulty. 

There were over thirty people in the building. 

LATER.—Search for the bodies of those burned was continued and five more were taken out of the ruins, making a total of ten. All are too badly disfigured to be recognized. It is thought some bodies may have been entirely consumed. One of the bodies is believed to be that of Jack Collins, of Superior, Wis. 

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION. 

Louise Michel Seriously Wounded While Addressing Anarchists.

PARIS, Jan. 23. — An attempt was made to kill Louise Michel at Havre Sunday evening. She was making an address at a meeting of Anarchists, when a man in the audience named Lucas suddenly arose, and, pointing a revolver at the speaker, fired two shots at her. She received a serious wound in the head and the lobe of one of her ears was torn away. Lucas had a narrow escape from lynching at the hands of the infuriated Anarchists, and it was only the timely arrival of the gendarmes that saved him. He was locked up. 

Cora Lee Scores a Point. 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Jan. 24— The state closed its side in the Cora Lee case at 2:30 o'clock Monday afternoon. Leon Maurice, the first witness Monday morning, recognized in a photograph of Mrs. Graham, a woman that George Graham and Cora Lee had with them the night of the murder. The sworn statement of the defendant, made as ground for a continuance and filed May 25, 1886, in which it was admitted that a gray pony such as was hers had been driven from the direction her home on the night of the murder by a closely veiled woman answering her description, was offered as evidence by the state. It was asked time to get witnesses to prove that Cora Lee was not in the wagon the pony [end]