The third amendment of the committee, that "this act shall not take effect except upon the fundamental condition that within the said State of Idaho there shall be no denial of the right of suffrage, or of the right to hold office, or to serve on juries, because of crime, except after conviction thereof by a court of competent jurisdiction," was rejected without a division. The bill was then passed-yeas 129; nay, 1. The affirmative vote was 127 Republicans, 1 "Wheeler." I Democrat. The negative vote was Democratic. Sixty-six Democrats present declined to vote. The Speaker counted them to make a quorum, and declared the bill passed. In the Senate the bill passed without a division in July, 1890. In February, 1890, the Supreme Court of the United States had unanimously maintained the power of the Legislature of Idaho to pass the Registration act of that Territory. WYOMING. The act admits Wyoming as a State, accepting, ratifying and confirming the constitu tion formed for themselves and adopted at an election in November, 1889. But exclusive legislation over the Yellowstone National Park shall be exercised by the United States, which shall have exclusive control and jurisdiction over the same, except that civil and criminal processes, la fully signed by the State of Wyoming may be served within the Park. That until the next general census, or until otherwise provided by law, said State shall be entitled to one Representative in the House of Repre sentatives of the United States, and the election of the Representative to the LIst Congress and the Representative to the Lild Congress shall take place at the time and be conducted and certified in the same manner as is provided in the constitution of the State for the election of State, district and other offices. This bill also was resisted. Section 6 of this constitution secured female suffrage, in these words: "The right of the citizens of the State of Wyoming to vote and hold office shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex. Both male and female citizens of this State shall equally enjoy all civil, political and religious rights and privileges." A motion to provide for a new convention to be elected by the "male" citizens of Wyoming, and for a new constitution, to be submitted at the November elec tion in 1890 was rejected. Yeas, 131 (of whom 2 were Republicans and 129 Democrats); nays, 138 (all Republican except 1 "Wheeler.") A motion to submit to an election in November, 1890, the question of adopting or reJecting the constitution, and for or against female suffrage, and for or against the eligi bility of women to hold office and sit on juries (at such election only male citizens to vote), was rejected. Yeas, 133 (of whom 3 were Republicans and 130 Democrats); nays, 139 (all Republicans except 1 "Wheeler"). A motion that Wyoming shall not be admitted until the constitution has been amended so as to strike out female suffrage and female eligibility to office, submitting this proposed change to a vote of the male citizens thereof, in November, 1890, was rejected. Yeas, 132 (of whom 2 were Republicans and 130 Democrats); nays, 138 (all Republicans except 1, "Wheeler." The bill was then passed-yeas 139 (all Republicans except 1 "Wheeler"), nays 127 (all Democrats except 1 Republican). In the Senate, a motion was made to strike out all after the enacting clause and insert a substitute providing for the admission of Arizona, Idaho, New-Mexico and Wyoming, under constitutions to be framed by conventions to be chosen in June, 1890. All persons resident in said Territories who are qualified voters of said Territories are to be entitled to vote for delegates, and Mormons are to be entitled to vote if they take the oath prescribed in the anti-polygamy act of March 3, 1887. The constitutions to be submitted in November, 1890. After their ratification, the Legislatures may elect United States Senators. This was defeated-yeas 18 (all Democrats), nays 29 (all Republicans). A motion to provide for a new convention in Wyoming to be elected by the male citizens, the constitution to be voted on in November, 1890, was rejected-yeas 18 (all Democrats), nays 29 (all Republicans). The bill then passed-yeas 29 (all Republicans), nays 18 (all Democrats). "ORIGINAL PACKAGE" LEGISLATION. Chap. 728. Provides that all fermented, distilled, or other intoxicating liquors or liquids transported into any State or Territory remaining therein for use, consump tion, sale or storage therein, shall upon arrival in such State or Territory be subject to the operation and effect of the laws of such State or Territory enacted in the exercise of its police powers, to the same extent and in the se manner as though such liquids or liquors had been produced in such State or Territory, and shall not be exempt therefrom by reason of being introduced therein in original packages or otherwise. Approved August 8, 1890. This legislation resulted from this condition of things: On April 28, 1890, the Supreme Court of the United States, by Chief Justice Fuller (Justices Gray, Harlan and Brewer dissenting), held, in the Gus. Leisy case, that brewers in Illinois had the right to import into Iowa beer and to sell it in original packages, without regard to the law of Iowa. The ground is thus stated in the closing paragraph of the Opinion of the Court: "The plaintiffs in error are citizens of Illinois, are not pharmacists, and have no 38 or permit, but import into Iowa beer which they sell in original packages, as described. Under our decision in Bowman vs. Chicago, etc., Railway Company (supra), they had the right to import this beer into that State, and in the view which we have exUp to that point of time, we hold pressed they had the right to sell it, by which act alone it would become mingled In the common mass of property within the State. that in the absence of Congressional permission to do so, the State has no power to interfere by seizure, or any other action, in prohibition of importation and sale by the Whatever our individual views may be as to the foreign or non-resident importer. are not such, deleterious or dangerous qualities of particular articles, we cannot hold that any artcles which Congress recognizes as subjects of interstate commerce that whatever are thus recognized can be controlled by State laws amounting to regulations, while they retain that character; although, at the same time, if directly danthe To concede to a State gerous in themselves, the State may take appropriate measures to guard against injury before it obtains complete jurisdiction over them. power to exclude, directly or indirectly, articles so situated, without Congressional permission, is to concede to a majority of the people of a State, represented in the State Legislature, the power to regulate commercial intercourse between the States, by determining what shall be its subjects, when that power was distinctly granted to be exercised by the people of the United States, represented in Congress, and its possession by the latter was considered essential to that more perfect Union which the Undoubtedly there is difficulty in drawing the Constitution was adopted to create. line between the municipal powers of the one Government and the commercial powers of the other; but when that line is determined, in the particular instance, commodation to it, without serious inconvenience, may readily be found, to use the language of Mr. Justice Johnson in Gibbons vs. Ogden, 8 Wheat., 1, 238, in 'a frank and candid co-operation for the general good."" ac was Congress speedily took note of the effect given to the absence of legislation on the The vote in each house upon it point involved, and passed the act above recited. us follows: IN SENATE. Yeas-Messrs. *Allen, *Allison, *Blair. Call, *Casey. Colquitt, *Cullom, *Davis, Dawes, *Dixon, Dolph, *Edmunds, George, Hawley, Hiscock, *Hoar, Ingalls, *Jones of Nevada, McMillan, Mitchell, Moody. Morrill, *Paddock, Platt, *Plumb. Power, Pugh, Sawyer, Spooner. *Stewart, Stockbridge, Walthall, *Washburn, Wilson of Iowa-34. (29 Republicans, 5 Democrats.) Nays-Messrs. Bate, Blodgett, Cockrell, Coke, Harris, Jones of Arkansas, Turpie, (All Democrats.) Vance, Vest, Voorhees-10. IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. * * Yeas-Messrs. *Allen of Michigan, Anderson of Kansas, *Arnold, *Atkinson of Pennsylvania, Baker of New-York, Banks, Bartine, Belden, Belknap, *Bergen, Bingham, Cogswell, *Comstock, Conger, Connell, *Cooper of Virginia, *Buchanan of New. Jersey, Burrows, *Candler of Massachusetts, *Cannon, *Carter, Cheadle, Cheatham, **Cogswell, *Comstock, *Conger, *Connell, *Cooper of Ohio, *Craig, Crisp, Culbert Darlington, Dingley, Dolliver, Dorsey. *Dunnell, son of Pennsylvania, *Dalzell, *Evans, *Ewart, aFeatherston, Fithian, *Flick, *Flood, *Funston, *Gear, *Gest, *Gifford, Greenhalge, *Grosvenor, *Haugen, Henderson of Iowa, Herbert, *Hill, *Hitt, *Hopkins of Illinois, *Kelley of Kansas, Kennedy, *Kerr of Iowa, Knapp, Lacey *LaFollette, *Laidlaw, *Laws, Lewis, *Lodge, *Mason, McComas, *McDuffie, McKenna, *Miles, *Milliken, *Mcffitt, Moore of New-Hampshire, *Morey, *Morrill, *Merrow, *E. A. Mcrse, O'Donnell, *O'Neill of Pennsylvania, *Osborne, *Owen of Indiana, *Payne, Payson, *Perkins, *Peters, *Pickler, *Post, *Pugsley, *Raines, *Ray, *Reed of Iowa, *Reyburn. *Rockwell, Rowell, *Sawyer, *Scull, Sherman, Smith of Illinois, Smith of West Virginia, *Snider of Minnesota, *Spooner, *Stephenson of Michigan, *Stivers, Struble, *Sweney, *E. B. Taylor, Thomas of Wisconsin, *Thom.pson of Ohio, Townsend of Colorado, Townsend of Pennsylvania, Turner of Kansas, Vandever, Waddill, Wallace of New-York. *Watson, Williams of Ohio. *Wilson of Ken(Republicans 114, "Wheeler" 1, Demotucky, Wilson of Washington, *Wright-119. crats 4.) Nays-Messrs. Abbott, *Adams. Barwig, *Bayne, *Beck with Breckinridge of Arkan. sas, Breckinridge of Kentucky, Brickner. Brookshire, J. B. Brown, Brunner, Bunn, *Burton, Bynum, F. Campbell Caruth, Caswell, Catchings, Chipman, Clunie, Cooper of Indiana, Crain, Culberson of Texas. Cummings, Davidson of Florida Elliott, Ellis, Flower, Forman. Forney, Fowler. Frank. Geissenhainer, Gibson, Goodnight, Grimes, Hatch, Hayes, Haynes, Heard, Holman, *Kinsey, Lane, Lanham, Lawler, *Lehlbach, Lester of Virginia, Maish. Mansur, Martin of Indiana, Martin of Texas, McAdoo. McClammy, McClellan, *McCord, McCormick, MeMillin, McRae, Montgomery, Morgan, Mutchler, Oates. O'Ferrall, O'Neil of Massachusetts, Outhwaite. Owens of Ohio, Parrett, Paynter, Peel, Penington, Reilly, Richardson, Rogers, Rowland. Sayers. Skinner, Springer, Stewart of Texas, Stockbridge. Stone of Kentucky, Stump, Tillman, Tracey, Tucker, Turner of Georgia, Turner of New-York, Van Schaick, Vaux, Wheeler of Alabama. Whitthorne, Williams of Illinois, Wilson of West Virginia, Yoder-93. (Republicans 12. Democrats 81.) *Republicans. a "Wheeler." This act provides that all soldiers, sailors and marines who have since the 16th day of June, 1880, or who may hereafter become so totally and permanently helpless from injuries received or disease contracted in the service and line of duty as to require the regular personal aid and attendance of another person, or who, if otherwise entitled, were excluded from the provisions of "An act to increase pensions of certain pensioned soldiers and sailors who are utterly helpless from injuries received or disease contracted while in the United States service," approved June 16, 1880, shall be entitled to receive a pension at the rate of $72 per month from the date of the passage of this act or of the certificate of the examining surgeon or board of surgeons showing such degree of disability made subsequent to the passage of this act. Approved March 4, 1890. THE DEPENDENT PARENTS AND DISABILITY ACT. The act provides that in considering the pension claims of dependent parents, the fact of the soldier's death by reason of any wound, injury, casualty or disease which, under the conditions and limitations of existing laws, would have entitled him to an invalid pension, and the fact that the soldier left no widow or minor children having been shown as required by law, it shall be necessary only to show by competent and sufficient evidence that such parents or parent are without other means of support than their own manual labor or the contributions of others not legally bound for their support; Provided, that all pensions allowed to dependent parents under this act shall begin from the date of the filing of the application hereunder, and shall continue no longer than the existence of the dependence. Sec. 2. That all persons who served ninety days or more in the military or naval service of the United States during the late war of the rebellion, and who have been honorably discharged therefrom, and who are now or who may hereafter be suffering from a mental or physical disability of a permanent character, not the result of their own vicious habits, which incapacitates them from the performance of manual labor in such a degree as to render them unable to earn a support, shall, upon making due proof of the fact according to such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may provide, be placed upon the list of invalid pensioners of the United States, and be entitled to receive a pension not exceeding $12 per month and not less than $6 per month, proportioned to the degree of inability to earn support; and such pension shall begin from the date of filing of the application in the Pension Office, after the passage of this act, upon proof that the disability then existed, and shall continue during the existence of the same; Provided, That persons who are now receiving pension under existing laws, or whose claims are pending in the Pension Office, may, by application to the Commissioner of Pensions, in such form as he may prescribe, showing themselves entitled thereto, receive the benefits of this act; and nothing herein contained shall be so construed as to prevent any pensioner there under from prosecuting his claim and receiving his pension under any other general or special act; Provided, however, That no person shall receive more than one pension for the same period; And, provided further. That rank in the service shall not be considered in applications filed under this act. See. 8. That if any officer or enlisted man who served ninety days or more in the Army or Navy of the United States during the late war of the rebellion, and who was honorably discharged has died, or who shall hereafter die, leaving a widow without other means of support than her daily labor, or minor children under the age of sixteen years, such widow shall, upon due proof of her husband's death, without proving his death to be the result of his army service, be placed on the pension roll from the date of the application therefor under this act, at the rate of $8 per month during her widowhood, and shall also be paid $2 per month for each child of such officer or enlisted man under sixteen years of age, and in case of the death or remarriage of the widow, leaving a child or children of such officer or enlisted man under the age of sixteen years, such pension shall be paid such child or children until the sixteen. Provided, That in case a minor child is insane, idiotic or otherwise perma nently helpless. the pension shall continue during the life of said child, or during the period of such disability, and this proviso shall apply to all pensions heretofore granted or hereafter to be granted under this or any former statute and such pension shall be gin from the date of application therefor after the passage of this act. And, provided further, That said widow shall have married said soldier prior to the passage of this act. age of Section 4. That no agent. attorney, or other person engaged in preparing, presenting, or prosecuting any claim under the provisions of this act shall, directly or indirectly, contract for. demand, receive, or retain for such services n preparing, presenting or prosecuting such claim a sum greater than ten dollars, which sum shall be payable only upon the order of the Commissioner of Pensions by the pension agent making payment of the pension allowed, and any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this section, or who shall wrongfully withhold from a pensioner or claimant the whole or any part of a pension or claim allowed or due such pensioner or claimant under this act. shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall for each and every such offence be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars. or be imprisoned at hard labor not exceeding two years, or both. in the discretion of the court. This bill, when reported by a Committee of Conference, was passed in the House 40 In the Senate Yeas, 145 (Republicans 117, Democrats 28); nays, 56 (all Democrats.) OATHS IN PENSION AND OTHER CASES. The acts provide that any and all affidavits, declaration and other papers to be hereafter made or used in any pension or bounty cases, or in claims against the Government for back pay or arrears or increase of pension, or for quarterly vouchers, may be taken by any officer authorized to administer oaths for general purposes in the State, city, or If such officer has a seal and uses it upon suci pa county where said officer resides. a one per, no certificate of a county clerk, or prothonotary, or clerk of a court shall be neces sary; but when no seal is used by the officer taking such atidavit, then a clerk of court of record, or a county or city clerk, shall affix his official scal thereto, and shall certify to the signature, official character and term of service of said officer, and such certificate duly filled in the department or bureau in which such papers are used, or with any pension agent, shall be sufficient as to all verifications of such officer during his official term, and all papers heretofore or hereafter tiled shall be subject to this rule. SILVER LEGISLATION. or so This bill enacts that the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to purchase, from time to time, silver bullion to the aggregate amount of 4,500.000 ounces, much thereof as may be offered in each month, at the market price thereof, not exceeding one dollar for three hundred and seventy-one and twenty-five hundredths grains of pure silver, and to issue in payment for such purchases of silver bullion Treasury notes of the United States to be prepared by the Secretary of the Treasury, in such form and of such denominations, not less than $1 nor more than $1,000, as he may prescribe. Sec. 2. That the Treasury notes issued in accordance with the provisions of this act shall be redeemable on demand, in coin, at the Treasury of the United States, or at the office of any assistant treasurer of the United States, and when so redeemed may be reissued; but no greater or less amount of such notes shall be outstanding at any time than the cost of the silver bullion and the standard silver dollar coined therefrom, then held in the Treasury purchased by such notes; and such Treasury notes shall be a legal tender in payment of all debts, public and private, except be reissued; and such where otherwise expressly stipulated in the contract, and shall be receivable for cus toms, taxes, and all public dues, and when so received may notes, when held by any national banking association, may be counted as a part of its lawful reserve. That upon demand of the holder of any of the Treasury notes herein provided for the Secretary of the Treasury shall, under such regulations as he may prescribe, redeem such notes in gold or silver coin, at his discretion, it being the established policy of the United States to maintain the two metals on a parity with each other upon the present legal ratio, or such ratio as may be provided by law. Sec. 3. That the Secretary of the Treasury shall each month coin 2,000.000 ounces of sliver bullion purchased under the provisions of this act into standard silver dollars until the 1st day of July, 1891, and after that time he shall coin of the silver bullion purchased under the provisions of this act as much as may be necessary to provide for the redemption of the Treasury notes herein provided for, and any gain or seigniorage arising from such coinage shall be accounted for and paid into the Treasury. Sec. 4. That the silver bullion purchased under the provisions of this act shall be subject to the requirements of existing law and the regulations of the mint service governing the methods of determining the amount of pure silver contained, and the amount of charges or deductions, if any, to be made. Sec. 5. That so much of the act of February 28, 1878, entitled "An act to authorize the coinage of the standard silver dollar and to restore its legal-tender character," as requires the monthly purchase and coinage of the same into silver dollars of not less than $2,000.000 nor more than $4,000,000 worth of silver bullion, is hereby repealed. Sec. 6. Refers to the redemption of National bank notes. This act took effect thirty days after the date of approval by the President, which was July 14, 1890. The consideration of this bill occupied the attention of Congress during most of the session. The bill reported from the Coinage Committee proposed The House first took action. the purchase of silver to the aggregate amount of $4,500,000 in each month at the market price thereof, not exceeding $1 for 371.25 grains of pure silver, and to issue United States legal-tender notes in payment; Provided, That upon demand of the holder of any of the Treasury notes herein provided for, the Secretary of the Treasury may, at his discretion and under such regulations as he shall prescribe, exchange for such notes an amount of silver bullion which shall be equal in value at the market price thereof on the day of exchange to the amount of such notes presented. The bill also contained this section: "Sec. 6. That whenever the market price of silver, as determined in pursuance of section 1 of this act, is $1 for 371.25 grains o pure silver, it shall be lawful for the owner of any silver bullion to deposit the same a any colnagée mint of the United States, to be formed into standard silver dollars for his benefit, as provided in the act of January 18, 1837." The nega Pending this bill in the House, a motion to recommit the bin with instructions to "report back a bill for the free coinage of silver" was defeated-ycas 116, nays 140. The affirmative vote was 13 Republicans, 102 Democrats, 1 "Wheeler." tive vote was 127 Republicans, 13 Democrats. The House bill, containing the above section, then passed-yeas 135 (of whom 134 were Republicans and 1 Wheeler "'), nays 119 (of whom 7 were Republicans and 112 Democrats). In the Senate, a motion to substitute for the first section of the House bill the fol lowing provision for the "free coinage of silver " was agreed to-yeas 43, nays 24 (the affirmative being 14 Republicans, 29 Democrats, and the negative vote being 21 Republicans, 3 Democrats): * That from and after the date of the passage of this act the unit of value in the United States shall be the dollar, and the same may be coined of 4122 grains o standard silver, or of 25.8 grains of standard gold; and the said coins shall be legal tender for all debts, public and private. That hereafter any owner of silver or gold bullion may deposit the same at any mint of the United States to be formed into standard dollars or bars for his benefi and without charge; but it shall be lawful to refuse any deposit of less value than $163, or any bullion so base as to be unsuitable for the operations of the mint." In the House, this amendment was rejected-yeas 135, nays 152. The vote in favor of the amendment was made up of 22 Republicans, 112 Democrats and 1 "Wheeler." The vote against the amendment was 130 Republicans and 22 Democrats. In conference the differences were reconciled. On agreeing to the passage of the bill as reported (being the existing law), the yeas wer In the Senate 39, nays 26. The yeas were all Republicans, the nays all Democrats. Messrs. Blodgett, George and Payne, Democrats, not voting, were not paired. In the House, the yeas were 122. the nays 90. "Wheeler." The nays were all Democrats. voting, were not paired. The yeas were 121 Republicans, 1 One Republican and 15 Democrats, not Another act prohibits the further roining of the three-dollar gold piece, the one-dollar gold piece, and the three-cent nickel piece. WORLD'S FAIR. The Act provides for an exhibition of arts. industries, manufactures and products of the soil, mine and sea in 1892 in Chicago, Illinois, in celebration of the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. A commis. sion of two persons from each State and Territory is to be appointed by the President on the nomination of the Governors, and of eight commissioners at large and two from the District of Columbia, to be appointed by the President, in all which there shall be one from each of the two leading political parties-with alternates-shall be the World's Columbian Commission, with power to accept the site, etc., on condition of their being satisfied that $10,000,000 are secured for the complete preparation for said exposi tion. The Commission is required to appoint a board of lady managers, who may ap point one or more, members of all committees authorized to award prizes for exhibits which may be produced in whole or part by female labor. A naval review is directed to be held in New-York Harbor in April, 1893, and the President is authorized to extend to foreign nations an invitation to send ships of war to join the U. S. Navy in rendezvous at Hampton Roads and proceed thence to said review. The buildings shall be dedicated October 12, 1892, and the exposition open not later than May 1, 1893, and closed not later than October 30, 1893. The Commission shall exist no longer than January 1, 1898. A Government building for $400,000 shall be erected, to contain the Government exhibits. The United States shall not in any manner, nor under any circumstances, be liable for any of the acts, doings, proceedings or representations of the said corporation organized under the laws of the State of Illinois. its officers, agents, servants or employes, or any of them, or for the service, salaries, labor or wages of said officers, agents, servants or employes, or any of them, or for any subscriptions to the capital stock, or for any certificates of stock, bonds, mortgages or obligations of any kind issued by said corporation, or for any debts, liabilities or expenses of any kind whatever attending such corporation or accruing by reason of the The votes in the House on a site for the World's Fair were: same. Chicago New-York St. Louis Washington Cumberland Gap Total 305 309 306 306 312 311 311 308 154 154 Necessary to choice...... 153 155 At the election in November, 1890, an amendment to the constitution of the State of Illinois, submitted by the Legislature, was adopted by the people, which authorizes the city of Chicago to issue $5,000,000 of thirty-year bonds at 5 per cent interest, the proceeds to be applied, under the direction of the World's Columbian Exposition; said corporate authorities of Chicago to be repaid the same proportionate amount as is repaid to the stockholders on the sums subscribed and prid by them, and to be permitted to take. in whole or in part, of the sum coming to them, any permanent im provements placed on land held or controlled by them. The indebtedness so created by Chicago fs to be paid by the city of Chicago alone, and not by the State, or from any State revenue, tax or fund. The subscriptions and the proceeds of these bonds will fill the requirements of the act as to funds. |