Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1884 — NEWS CONDENSED. [ARTICLE]

NEWS CONDENSED.

Concise Record of the Week. DOINGS OF CONGRESS. Several memorials were presented in the Senate, on the 6th Inst., in favor of suspending the coinage of the silver dollar. A bill for a free bridge across the Potomac was passed. Mr. Vance made an argument in support of the freeship bill. Mr. Vest made a favorable report on a bill to erect a public building at Detroit, limiting the cost of the site to $900,000. Shortly after the House met the tariff bill was taken up for the last day's debate. Mr. Oibson (Dem.of Louisiana, led off with a speech in favor of the measure, after which Mr. Randall (Dem.), of Pennsylvania, took the floor in opposition to the bill. He held that in the nice adjustment of business affairs there was nothing so conducive to success as stability. Judging from the intemperate language of the friends of the bill, those engaged in industrial pursuits were robbers and outlaws. As a matter of fact they were nothing of the sort. They were entitled to the protection of the law. He then went on to argue against the policy of unsettling business Interests by constant tinkering with the tariff. Mr. Blackburn (Dem.) of Kentucky advocated the bill. He said the time was not far distant when the people would repudiate the political hypocrisy of the protectionists. Protection for the sake of protection was the battle cry of the Republicans. He asked the Democrats to make taxation for revenue theirs. The advocates of the principles contained in the bill were ready for the fray, armed in a cause which they knew to be just. He protested against the current Idea that the advocates of the bill desired to exile from the rarty any Democrats who might differ from them. He had no power of expulsion. It rested with each man to determ ne his party affiliation. Let him who would strike down his party, show by his record upon whose hand the blood was to be found. In conclusion, he hoped that enough enlightenment might soon be brought to the House to repudiate the bigotiy which disgraced4>o!i:lcs in the shape of protection. Mr. Kasson (Rep.), of lowa, closed the debate In opposition to the bill. He declared that It was impossible to administer It and it would require a special catechism to answer the questions which would be asked before any goods could be imported. He then proceeded to detail the benefits the country had derived from protection. Mr. Morrison (Dem.), of Illinois, the author of the bill, made the closing debate in its favor. He made a rapid review of the objections to the measure. He then said that the Democratic members from lowa, Wisoonsin, Michigan, and California had been elected on the tariff platform, and feared that if the bill should be defeated they would be succeeded by Page and Burrows and Hazelton and “My Dear Hubbcll." Turning to Randall, Mr. Morrison said: “Yon Rave the power to strike out the enacting clause of the bill. It you nave that power, you have the power to amend this bill and make it what it should be." Mr. Converse (Dem.), of Ohio, moved to strike out the enacting clause of the bill. This was the signal for a volley of hisses and groans from the Democratic side, this demonstration being met by round* of applause from,the Republicans. The motion prevailed by a vote of 159 yeas to 155 nays. When the result was announced the victorious combination gave ronnd after round of cheers. Forty-one Democrats and 118 Republicans voted against the bill, and 4 Republicans and 161 Democrats in favor of it. Of the 41 Democratic votes in favor of killing the bill, Pennsylvania gave 12, New York 6, Ohio 10, California 4, New Jersey 3, and Maryland, Louisiana, Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, and Connecticut 1 each. The names are as follows: Arnot, Boyle, Budd, Connolly, Converse, Curtin, Duncan, Eaton, KUiott, Krmentrout, Ferrell, Fiedler, Findlay, Finerty, Foran, Geddes, Glascock, Hopkins, Hunt, Hutchins, Jordan, Le Fevre, McAdoo, Muller, Murray, Mutchler, Paige, Patton, Post, Pandall, ficney, Bnvder, Spriggs, Storm, C. A. Sumner. Tully, Van Alstyne, A. J. Warner, Wemple, Wilkins. G. D. Wise. The four Republican tariff reformers are Ne’son, Strait, Wakefield, and White, all from Minnesota. The shipping bi.l was again debated in the Senate on the 7th lost. An amendment by Senator Vest was adopted in a modified form. As adopted it provides that there shall be no tonnage duties on United States vessels or on the vessels of nations which do not impose duties on the shirs cf this country. The “subsidy section” of the bill was attacked by Senators Beck and Maxey. The latter said that free ships and tariff reform would be the great political issues of the future, to be decided by the tribunal of the peop'e. Mr. Edmunds introduced a bill to place the name of U. S. Grant on the retired list of the army, adding that everybody understood the reason. Mr. Blair presented a measure for the adjustment of accounts of laborers and mechanics under the eight-hour law. Mr. Hill addressed the Senate In favor of the forfeiture of lands granted to the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Vicksburg Railroad Company. The House of Representatives refused io concur In the Senate amendments to the bill for the relief of Fits John Porter, which cut off pay and allowances from the date of d smlssal, and a conference committer was ordered. When the shipping bill came up in the Senate, on the Bth inst., Mr. McPherson’s amendment cutting off compensation for return trips of mail vessels was rejected, Mr. Vest's amendxnendment for shipping commissioners was agreed to, and motion to strike out the section for foreign mail pay was lost. The House bill was then taken up, amended as above, and passed without debate. Mr. Logan refused to serve on a conference committee on the Fitz John Porter bill, and Messrs. Sewell, Hawley, and Cockrell were appointed. Mr. Mitcheil made a favorable report on the bill granting pensions to soldiers of the Mexioan war, with an amendment that only dependent persons can enjoy its benefits. Mr. Dawes secured the passage of a resolution of inquiry as to whether any steps had been taken to prosecute a cowboy named Halferino for shooting an Indian named B'ack Wolf. The House of Representatives passed the bill to appropriate $1,000,000 to the World’s Industrial Exposition at New Orleans, the amount to be returned irom the gate receipts. A communication from the Secretary of the Interior contained an estimate of $272,620 for additional clerical help in the Pension Bureau. The Indian appropriation bill was debated In the Senate on the 9th inst. The committee having the measure in charge recommended an addition of $757,413 to the amount recommended by the House, which favored an appropriation of $5,4*6,330. Mr. Dawes explained that the increase was mainly In the interest of increased educational facilities for the In liana The greater part of the debate was directed to an item for the increase of the appropriation for the education of the Alaska Indians. Mr. Dolph introduced a bill for the construction of a harbor of refuge at Port Orford, on the Pacific coast. The House of Representatives passed a bill giving the widow of Gen. Frank P. Blair $5,000 for his services in organizing troops, and increasing her pension to SSO per monili. A remonstrance from the Louisville Board of Trade against the enactment of a bankruptcy law was presented. Some hours were consumed in debate on war claims from Henderson, Tenn., growing out of a levy on disloyal citizens to pay for depredations committed by Confederate soldiers. Both houses adjourned to the 12th.