The Work In Congress

Washington City, Mai-ch 23.- The senate Wednesday postponed coiisideration of Blair's bilí to give preference to Confedérate veterans in appointments of ex-rebels to office until Tueaday noxt, after Vanee bad denied a statement by Blair that there were 20,000 dependent ex-Confederate soldiers in North Carolina alone, Vanee said North Carolina did not permit any ex-Confederate soldier to want. The bilí providing for inspection of ineats for export and prohibiting the ünportation of adulterated f ood was passed. A bilí was passod Livin; aoldi6rs who have lost both hands or their use $100 jíer month pension, and the bilí allowing war mirses who served six montbs $25 per month was considered, but went over on Beck's objection. The senate substitute for the Sioux reservation división bilí of the house was passed. A bilí was reported providing for a conference of representativas of this country and the South and Central American nations to encourage closer relations, and arbitration of differences, and the senate adjourned. Randall presented to the house a memorial of the Philadelphia board of trade against the Mills tariff bill. The bill to refer claims of govornnient employés for compensation for labor performed in excess of eight hours per day to the court of claims was debated. Rogers of Arkansas, Tillman of South Carolina, and Taulbee of Kentucky, opposing and Tarsney,Blaud, Dingley,and Lodge advocating its passage. It was laid over without action uutil May 16, Bills were passed to prohibit the use of contract labor goods by the departments or on public works of any kind and to prevent the employment of convict or alien labor in a similar inanner. In eommittee of the whole the proposed agricultural department was discussed and immerous amendments adopted makiug it the duty of the commissioner to investígate the whole subject of wages, cost of living, cost of production, etc, at home and abroad. Pending action on a motion to make ït the commissioner's duty to inquire and report the effect of the Mills tarift' bill on the labor and industry of the United States the house adjourued. Washington City, March 83. - The senate agreed to the conference report on the urgent deficiency bilí Thursday. The provisión requiring the public printer to rigidly enforce the eight-hour law remains in the bill. Saulsbury spoke in defence of the president's message. Riddleberger moved that the fisheries treaty be publicly considered and wanted immediate consideration of his motion, but Coekrell objected. Bills on the calendar were considered and several authorizing the building of bridges were passed ; also bilis to provide an alcoholic liquor commission and authorizing the president to invite the South and Central American nations to take part in a conference in this city in 1889 to arrange for arbitrating ful uro difficulties and more intímate commercial relations between the countries; also a bill reducing postage on seeds, etc. , to one cent for each four ounces. After au executive session the senate adjourned. The house devoted the day almost ent'irely to bilis f rom the judiciary committee. Among those passed were the following: To make valid patents sig'ned by the assistant secretary of the interior: regulating terms of United States courts in Iowa northera district; authorizing the treasury to remit duties collected on animáis imported for breeding purposes. The conference report on the urgent deficiency bill was agreed to. It appropriates $6,876,500. The house then adjourned. Washington City. March 24.- Mo congress Friday on account of Chief Justice Waite's death. Washington City, March 26. - Saturday was devoted in the house to consideration of business from "the judiciary committee, the debate being oa the question of the jurisdicdiction of state and federal courts, the bill being one to define and regúlate the jurisdiction of the latter. Weaver and Anderson, of Iowa favored the curtailment of the jurisdiction of United States courts. Tfie amendment immediately under discussion was one which makes a Corporation a citizen of a state in which it may be a party to a suit regardless of where it was organized. Pending action the house adjourned. AVashington City, March 27. - The first business done by the senate Monday was the passage of an appropriation of $5, 000 for the expenses of the funeral of Chief Justice Waite. Riddleberger offered a resolution for consideration of the fisheries treaty in open session, hoping at thp same time that it and the extradition treaty would go over to next session and die together. Sherman said the foreign relations committee would perhaps report in favor of public debate on the treaty, and the resolution went over. The house bill for the purchase of government bonds with the surplus was araended as proposed by Plumb, so as to require the treasury to issue legal tenders for all national bank circulation surrendered, and without final action the senate held a secret session and adjourned. In the house bilis were introdueed : To ref und the cotton tax ; to establish a permanent board of arbitration for this country, England and France ; to provide for the celebration of the constitutional centennial at this city by the sixteen American republies, and for a world's exposition in 1892, the 400th anniversary of the disco very of America. The bill appropriating $5,000 for the funeral expenses of Chief Justice Waite was passed. The rest of the session was taken up by a bill to prevent grave robbing in the District, but without completiug the bill the house adjourned. Washington City, March" 28. - An invitation to attend the funeral of the late Chief Justice Waite in the hall of the representatives was accepted Tuesday by the senate. A bill was introduced for the purchase by the governraent of the Portage Lake ship canal. The Blair resolution to prefer exConfederate soldiers in appointments of exrebels to office came up, and Riddleberger said he repreeented the rank and file of the rebel anny, who were the loyal men of today in that soytion. and many of them had to beg their bread. Edmiuids said the bill destroyed all distinctions between treason and loyalty, and was a nionstrosity. The bill went over. and that for the purchase of United States bonds with the surplus was taken up on Stewart's amendnient to authorize the depositof gold orsih er bullios and issue of certiflcates therefor. Teller spoke on the subject, denying that silver had depreeiated, and the Wil went over uiitil next week. Sherman, Allison, Evarts, George and Gray were appointed a committee to accompany the remains of Chinf Justice Waite to Toledo, and after an executive session the senate adjourned. The house onflrmed tbe right to his seat of Representativa Post f rom the Tonth lllinciis district, tlms ending the Worthiugton-Post contest. Outhwaite spoke in favor of the Union Pacifio funding bill, after which the military acad ;my appropriation was passed. The public land bill was then discussed without actiou un'il adjounuiient.