struct and maintain a wagon bridge over the Mississippi River, reported it without amendment and submitted a report thereon.
    Mr. BATE, from the Committee on Military Affairs, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1857) granting an honorable discharge to William B. Barnes, reported it without amendment and submitted a report thereon.
    Mr. FRYE, from the Committee on Commerce, to whom the subject was referred, submitted a report accompanied by a bill (S. 1886) to facilitate the entry of steamships: which was read twice by its title.
    He also, from the same committee, to whom was referred the amendment submitted by Mr. HOAR on the 10th instant, intended to be proposed to the sundry civil appropriation bill, reported favorably thereon and moved that it be referred to the Committee on Appropriations; which was agreed to.

    Mr. WOLCOTT introduced a bill (S. 1887) providing for opening the Uncompahgre and Uintah Indian Reservations in Utah; which was read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
    Mr. HILL introduced a bill (S. 1888) granting a pension to Eugenia R. Sweeny, widow of Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Sweeny, United States Army, retired, deceased; which was read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on Pensions.
    He also introduced a bill (S. 1889) granting a pension to Mason H. Stewart; which was read twice by its title, referred to the Committee on Pensions.
    Mr. KYLE introduced a bill (S. 1890) for Sunday rest; which was read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on Education and Labor.
    He also introduced a joint resolution (S. R. 73) proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage and divorce; which was read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

    Mr. McMILLAN submitted four amendments intended to be proposed by him to the bill (H. R. 4864) to reduce taxation to provide revenue for the Government, and for other purposes; which were ordered to lie on the table and to be printed.
    Mr. BUTLER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the diplomatic and consular appropriation bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, and ordered to be printed.
    Mr. VILAS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the sundry civil appropriation bill; which was referred to the Select Committee on the Quadro-Centennial, and ordered to be printed.

    Mr. GEORGE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Printing:
    Resolved, That the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry be authorized to have printed so much as they may deem necessary of the evidence taken and other information obtained by them, or any subcommittee thereof, or through the State Department, in relation to the condition of agriculture and other subjects referred to said committee by the resolution of the Senate of April 19, 1892, and of subsequent resolutions of the Senate, and also any report or reports which said committee may make on the same subject.

    The VICE-PRESIDENT.  The Chair lays before the Senate the resolution of the Senator from Pennsylvania [Mr. QUAY], coming over from a previous day.
    The Secretary read the resolution submitted by Mr. QUAY on the 10th instant, as follows:
    Resolved, That the Senate will hold a session on Saturday, 21st instant, from 12 o'clock noon until 1 p.m., to hear a committee of the workingmen's organizations of the United States in opposition to the bill (H. R. 4864) entitled "An act to reduce taxation, to provide revenue for the Government, and for other purposes."
    Mr. QUAY.  I ask unanimous consent that the resolution may go over until to-morrow.
    The VICE-PRESIDENT.  Is there objection?  The Chair hears none, and it is so ordered.
    Mr. COCKRELL.  I ask the Senator from Nebraska [Mr. ALLEN] to let his resolution go over also.

    The VICE-PRESIDENT.  The Chair lays before the Senate the resolution of the Senator from Nebraska [Mr. ALLEN], coming over from a previous day.
    The Secretary read the resolution submitted by Mr. ALLEN on the 10th instant, as follows:
    Resolved, That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, directed and required to inform the Senate of the names and post-office address of all pensioners of the Government whose pensions have been suspended or canceled since the 4th of March, 1893, and the cause of such suspension or cancellation.
    Mr. COCKRELL.  I ask the Senator from Nebraska to consent that the resolution may retain its place until to-morrow morning.
    Mr. ALLEN.  Very well.
    The VICE-PRESIDENT.  Is there objection?  The Chair hears none, and it is so ordered.

    The bill (H. R. 2710) for the relief of the heirs of Edward Morrison and Nellie Morrison, now deceased, was read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
    The bill (H. R. 4279( relating to the sale of gas in the District of Columbia was read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia.
    The bill (H. R. 4605) granting chief justices of United States courts in Territories power to appoint commissioners to take proof in land cases, etc., was read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
    The bill (H. R. 6442) to protect the birds and animals in Yellowstone National Park, and to punish crimes in said park, and for other purposes, was read twice by its title, and referred to the Committee on Territories.
    The following bills were severally read twice by their titles, and referred to the Committee on Pensions:
    A bill (H. R. 3309) to pension Ambrose Giseburt; and
    A bill (H. R. 5111) for the relief of John J. Patman.

    Mr. COCKRELL.  I ask the Senate to proceed to the consideration of the urgent deficiency appropriation bill.
    By unanimous consent, the Senate, as in Committee of the Whole, resumed the consideration of the bill (H. R. 6556) to provide for further urgent deficiencies in the appropriations for the service of Government for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1894, and for other purposes, the pending question being on the amendment of the Committee on Appropriations to add to the bill as an additional section the following:
    SEC. 2.  That the act entitled "An act to amend section 3709 of the Revised Statutes relating to contracts for supplies in the Departments at Washington," approved January 27, 1894, be, and the same is hereby, so amended that the provisions thereof shall apply only to the advertisements for proposals for fuel, ice, stationery, and other miscellaneous supplies to be purchased at Washington for the use of the Executive Departments and other Government establishments therein named; and all advertisements made and contracts awarded or to be awarded thereon since January 27, 1894, in accordance with the laws in force prior to said date, are hereby declared to be legal and valid.
    Mr. CHANDLER.  Mr. President, I trust the Senator from Missouri will make an explanation of this section which will justify its incorporation in the bill.  I do not understand either the necessity of it or the wisdom of repealing section 3709 of the Revised Statutes, which forbids making purchases and contracts for supplies or services, except for personal services, unless after due advertisements therefor.  The law was put upon the statute books in 1861, and has remained unaltered ever since.  I do not understand that there was any good reason for changing the construction of the law.
    Moreover, if the law is to be changed, I certainly should object to making valid by statute any contracts which have been made or which may be made in nonpursuance of the statute.  That I conceive to be a most remarkable provision to introduce into any statute.  It is a statutory affirmance of the validity of certain contracts with no list of the contracts, so far as I know; with no explanation of what the contracts are that we are by statute to make and to fasten upon the Government.  I may be speaking in ignorance of some list of these contracts which may have been submitted by the Senate.  I have not, however, read anything in any report made to the Senate by the committee which gives us a list of the contracts which the committee want to make binding law, whether they are now lawful or not, by this amendment to a deficiency appropriation bill.  If the Senator from Missouri or any other member of the committee can state what these contracts are and can show that they are wise and judicious, it may be possible that a reason can be given why we should undertake to make them valid or add something that is lacking of validity to them by statute; but as I now read the last clause of the section, it is a most singular provision to put into any law proposed for adoption by Congress.
    And all advertisements made and contracts awarded, or to be awarded thereon since January 27, 1894, in accordance with the laws in force prior to said date, are hereby declared to be legal and valid.
    If they are valid now, there is no need of this provisions.  If they are illegal now, I submit that if we are to go to making contracts valid we ought to know what those contracts are.  I do not think the committee ought to ask us to make valid by specific law any contracts unless we know what those contracts are.
    Mr. COCKRELL.  Mr. President, I confess that I am very greatly disappointed.  We all know the diligence and care with which the distinguished Senator from New Hampshire always listens to all the discussions in which he is a participant.  Yes- Go to the next page