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by a gentleman whose widow is now old and poor, and that the gentleman himself had once been a Republican Commissioner of Agriculture, so that the bill was passed, yeas, 27, nays, 15.

On Thursday of last week, Senator Sherman's bill against Trusts was formally reported to the Senate from the Committee of the whole, where it had been under discussion. There, numerous amendments were added to it making it about four times its original length. Its provisions now extend over stocks and bonds; It includes cotton prints, steel rails, boots and shoes, lead,lumber, woolen goods, whiskey and all kinds of intoxicating drinks. The two most important amendments adopted in the Committee were those offered by Senators Ingalls and Reagan. The first is in eleven sections and is aimed at dealers in "options" and "futures." Traders dealing in this way in farm or cattle products, are to be licensed, and are to pay a certain per cent. on each pound or bushel dealt in, besides $1,000 a year to the internal revenue collector. The whole business is to be under the supervision of the Government, and a heavy fine imposed for each offence against the law.

In addition to these amendments a provision was also added to the bill by Mr. Sherman which exempts from the provisions of the bill all the combinations among laborers to reduce their hours of labor or increase their wages, and all combinations among farmers to increase the price of agricultural and horticultural products.

After some debate, it was agreed to refer the bill and its amendments to the Judiciary Committee, with instructions to report back within twenty days.

Mr. Edmunds from the Judiciary Committee, reported back the Anti-trust Bill, because one section of the bill as reported, went farther than it ought to in the way of restriction, but whatever change may be made in this section will not materially alter the spirit of the bill.

On Friday a new Anti-Trust bill was introduced by Senator Morgan. It punishes by fine and imprisonment any person or corporation attempting to monopolize any article the subject of

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Mr. Blair once more came to the assistance of suffering humanity, with a bill to regulate the wages of laborers employed by the government, the pith of which seems to be that the compensation must never be less than $2 a day. It was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor. If the minimum price is to be thus fixed by law, without regard to value received, it is hard to understand why Mr. Blair should select $2 as the limit. Why not $3, or even $5. It would be pleasanter for the laborer. And it might be a nice thing to pay all laborers who had ever worked for the government for less than $2 a day, the difference between that amount and what they received.

The House bill giving authority to the Mississippi River Commission to buy or hire boats to be used immediately for the rescue of inhabitants of the overflowed districts, was as promptly passed in the Senate, as in the House.

The nominations of Judge Swayne and U. S. District Attorney Stripling of the Northern District of Florida, were confirmed after five hours and a half of executive session, and after having been before the Senate in executive session, five times before. For years, no nomination has been so strongly contested as have these. They were confirmed by a strict party vote.

improvement of the ship building plants at the Navy Yards of Portsmouth, Boston, New York, Norfolk and Mare's Island, and of the steam machinery plants of Boston, New York and Mare's Island. A conditional appropriation is also made to enable the department to test the Ericsson submarine gun and projectiles.

Representative Morrow has fixed on July 1st, 1894, as the date at which the pension list will reach its maximum. Mr. Cheadle thinks that the list may then be $150,000,000 a year. A statement issuing from the Pension Office last November showed that the certificates granted during four successive Novembers had been: November, 1886

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The Senate, on motion by Mr. Edmunds, adjourned over Good Friday, but the House showed no disposition to cease from its labors.

In the House, the Army Appropriation Bill came up for consideration in Committee of the whole, and one of its provisions, that of appropriating $100,000 for Canteens at the army posts, contained a clause which called forth some very eloquent remarks in opposition, by Mr. Morse of Massachusetts. The clause in question was one showing that among other things, beer and light wines were to be sold to the soldiers at the canteens, and that too, while a library and reading room were to occupy part of the building.

The amendment was adopted, 62 to 45, many Democrats voting favorably in order to cause a yea and nay vote in the House. When the House went into Committee of the whole on the Army Appropriation bill, and reported the bill as amended, this action was reversed, yeas 52, nays 135, and the bill was then passed without Mr. Morse's amendment, the total appropriation being $4,521,678.

The Naval Appropriation Bill has been reported by the Committee to the House. It calls for something more than $22,000,000, and provides funds for, among other things, the completion of the gun factory at Washington, for the equipment of an ordinance proving ground on the Potomac, for the

There were 406,000 names on the pension list June, 1887, and Mr. Morrow thinks there will be 750,000 July, 1894. But in the former year the list amounted to only $52,800,000. In order to raise this figure to $150,000,000, while adding only 350,000 names, the average rate of pensioning must be raised from $130 (1887) to $200.

It is not easy to see why the rate of pensioning should be increased, whatever may be said in favor of greater latitude in the conditions of in. scription. The existing rates must be the result of a good deal of experience and thought, and should be regarded as those which are fair and feasible. It would seem more proper to add a million names to the list at once, if so many can be found who deserve pensions, than to make any sensible increase in the average rate.

The bill providing for the admission of the Territory of Wyoming as a State, was passed by the House on Friday last. The vote stood : yeas 139, nays 127, a strictly party vote, with the single exception of Mr. Dunnell, of Minnesota, who voted with the Democrats. The opposition to the admission of Wyoming has been chiefly on accouut of the clauses in its constitution that provide for women's suffrage and compulsory education. Still another ground of objection was its insufficient population, which according to the figures of the last national census, was 20,789. At the last election there, 18,010 votes were cast, of which 4,000 were those of women. Should Wyoming become a State, she would be represented in Congress by one member in the House and two in the Senate.

The House, on the 2d and 3d insts. was principally occupied about the admission of Idaho as a state. The discussion in regard to it, hinged mainly on the Mormon question, the minority objecting to the disfranchising of the Mormon vote in Idaho under the prosposed Constitution, and the majority accusing the minority of being sympathizers with the cause of polygamy, under the pretence of objecting to the Constitution.

A vote was taken on the amendment offered by the minority, providing for the holding of a new constitutional convention, and the amendment was rejected by a vote of 111 to 125. Finally the bill was passed by a vote of 129 to 1, the Democrats not voting, and Mr. Buckalew, the Speaker pro. tem. counting a quorum.

By Mr. Lawler of Illinois, a bill was introduced having for its object the making of a practical test of the science of short spelling. To accomplish this, Mr. Lawler wants Congress to appropriate money to establish one hundred schools. Who is to supply the scholars, or when the test will be considered completed, or what is to be gained by the result when reached, does not appear.

After an unusually long delay, the World's Fair Bill came up in the House on Tuesday of last week, and after one or two amendments, was passed. The principal amendment provided that the Fair should be held in 1893 instead of 1892. The dates of opening and closing, will beMay 1, and October 3d.

The only amendment still remaining in dispute in the Urgent Deficiency Bill, is the one appropriating $20,000 to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to locate Artesian Wells. If this amount is to be expended for divining rods, it will be ample for the Secretary's needs.

On motion of Mr. O'Neil of Massachusetts, a bill was passed giving permission to the City of Boston to improve and beautify Castle Island in Boston Harbor, Mr. O'Neil's idea being to make this island a part of the city's park system.

Mr. Lodge's motion that a petition received by him from the New England Shoe and Leather Association protesting against the imposition of a duty on hides and skins, be printed in the record, was passed, and the petition was ordered printed.

A joint resolution was introduced by Mr. Springer of Illinois, authorizing the President to retire N. P. Banks with the rank of Major-General.

A bill to establish a national banking code was introduced by Mr. Walker of Mass, and is intended by him to take the place of the existing system, which, while it is the best country has had, is enormously expensive. Under Mr. Walker's bill the banks are to be allowed to issue currency notes in addition to the ten per cent. they are now required to take from the Government, to the amount of their coin and certificate reserve, as determined by the Comptroller of the Currency, but at no time to exceed, in this issue, eighty per cent. of their circulation. The bill also relieves banks from all taxation and from all expense except that of redeeming their notes. Mr. Walker said that his bill will release all the bonds now held by the banks, and that the Government will then be able to buy them without having to pay the fictitious premium which it is obliged to pay under the present system.

Mr. Turner of New York is the originator of a novel method of protection of human life on the Atlantic Ocean. He introduced a preamble setting forth the dangers of the ocean steamship travel caused by the keen competiton between the different lines to outdo one another in point of speed, and stated that to such an extent was this competition carried that human life had come to be held of little account as compared with the time made. As a means of lessening the effect of this growing evil, he offered a joint reslution that the President be requested to confer with foreign countries most interested as to the formation of an Ocean Patrol-the patrol presumably to scour the sea in search of ocean steamers which had come to grief.

It might be a good idea to have the patrol act also as a marine mounted-police, and thus by catching the ocean steamships in the act, serve to prevent oceanic fast driving. In fact the field for operation is as boundless as the sea itself. By having a patrol

vessel to run side by side with each steamer, the protection could be made complete.

There were rather more than the usual number of private pension bills before the House, and the passage of them (they were all passed, of course) called for more than the usual amount of enthusiasm for the old soldier, on the one hand, and of protest against extravagance, on the other.

STATE LEGISLATURES. Maryland.-Abill abolishing Pool Rooms was passed by both branches of the Maryland legislature. Upon being sent to the Governor for his signature, it was at once signed and within less than hour all the most prominent pool rooms were closed. (In Baltimore?)

The Ballot Reform Bill has been passed and now awaits the Governor's signature to become a law. It contains all the more salient features of the Australian system, with the exception that naturalized voters who are unable to read or write (English?) are permitted to take friends into the booth who shall help them make out tickets and remain with them until they have voted.

The Senate medical bill passed the House. It provides that practitioners of medicines, except those now in practice, shall be graduates of medical colleges and pass an examination before a board. Medical specialists who come to Maryland must take this examination unless their diplomas are from colleges of good standing.

The sub-way bill providing that the electric wires shall be put under ground, failed to pass.

Maryland's State Treasurer, Mr. Archer, is another example of the folly of neglecting to guard the public purse, not only from outsiders, but from the official who has it in charge.

With the sinking fund practically in his sole care, it was an easy matter to dispose of bonds and securities. Maryland's ex-pensive lesson has taught her, however, to protect herself better; the Assembly has just passed a bill that will render the repetition of Archer's malfeasance, anything but easy. Any bond purchased for the sinking fund is to be inscribed with that fact in red ink, and the books are to be accessible to the Governor, the Ways and Means Com. mittee of the House, and the Finance Committee of

the Senate. Upon representation of the treasurer's malfeasance in office, the Governor is empowered to remove him at once. Archer has resigned, but no action will be taken by the Governor until the question of a criminal prosecution is settled.

Sixteen bills were left on the files of the House, for lack of time. The sub-way bill, and a bill to regulate pawnbrokers were the most important ones.

Governor Jackson signed the Liquor License bill for Baltimore. It goes into operation May 1. Maryland's Legislature is now adjourned sine die.

New Jersey.-The five per cent interest bill was favorably reported in the Assembly, amended to exclude building and loan associations.

An effort to take the Ballot-Reform Bill out of the hands of the Committee to which it has been referred, and bring it to an issue, failed.

The five per cent Interest bill was defeated in the House.

The House passed a bill providing for the estab lishment of free public libraries in towns, town ships, etc., and authorizing the erection of armories in second-class cities.

The new ballot-bill reported to the Senate by the Committee on Ballot reform, is a hodge-podge, combining features of the English and Massachusetts systems with original ideas of doubtful value. The Australian arrangement of booths at the polls is adopted. The ballots are to be printed at the public expense and may be distributed the day before clection. Separate ballots are to be used for each party and there are to be as many tickets as there may be nominations by petition. Split tickets may be voted but no ballots bearing marks or signs will be counted There is much doubt whether such a law will work well.

There is a certain monotony about the results that the Senate Investigating Committee are securing The best record is 200 cases of repeating and illega'. voting unearthed in two days. New Jersey is sadly in need of ballot reform, if her present method allows persons to cast the vote of any deceased voter.

This plan is found to have been followed largely at the last elections.

New York.-The Ballot Reform Bill was vetoed by the Governor on Monday of last week. The veto is based upon the same reasons as were al leged last year, and refers in the main to the disfran. chisement of illiterate voters. The Governor claims the bill is full of unconstitutional provisions.

A constant stream of canal grab bills, as they are called, is passing through the Lower House with little or no opposition. Neither is much expected in the Senate. It is estimated that this class of appropriations alone reaches the sum of $4,000,000, which sum their supporters hope to squeeze from the State Treasury. As a fact it is worthy of note that the tax-payers of New York State, are this year called upon by the legislature to contribute over $800,000 for canal maintenance, and $600,000 to supply deficiencies for the current and coming fiscal years. This latter expenditure is the result of the famous two-dollar a day law, the repeal of which has been largely demanded.

Governor Hill has signed the General Appropriation Bill for $8,000,000.

The bill, promulgated by the State Charities Aid Association, providing for the care by the State, of the insane poor, passed the Senate by a vote of 21 to 6. It is expected that the Governor will sign this at once.

The Assembly considered Mr. Curtis' bill to abolish the death penalty and ordered it to a third reading. It is shrewdly suspected that certain electric companies are secretely pushing this bill, too much attention being attracted to the deadly nature of electricity by the present method of execution.

At the request of large numbers of colored men a bill has been introduced into the Assembly to beter secure to them certain rights and privileges. It provides that they shall be entitled to full and equal accommodations in hotels, public conveyances, theatres, cemeteries, and other public places.

The Hendricks' High License Bill passed the Senate by almost a party vote. The vote stood: ayes 17; nays, 10. This measure is more moderate than some of its predecessors; it remains to be seen whether it will meet a similar fate-a veto by the Governor.

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-The case of Mr. Foster North, of Kewanee, Ill-. is from its peculiar nature attracting much attention. Mr. North was a student in the University of Illinois, and was suspended six weeks before gradua tion in 1885, for refusing to attend religious services in the chapel. He alleges that this was his only offence; that the institution is supported and controlled by the State; and that the Constitution provides that "No person shall be required to attend or support any ministry or place of worship against his consent." He claims that these chapel exercises are illegal, and the rule requiring an attendance upon them is void. He has filed a petition

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