Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1886 — CONGRESSIONAL [ARTICLE]

CONGRESSIONAL

Work of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Among the new bills presented in the Senate on the 7th inst. was one by Mr. Van Wyck to exempt from duty imported sugar and molasses, and also imported boards, lumber, and timber, henatqr Beck introduced a bill to provide for the retirement of United States legal-tender and national-bank notes of. small denominations, and for the issue of coin certificates. Senator; Ingalls introduced two bills amendatory of the pension laws: (1.) To increase the pension 'for loss of an eye to S3O per month, and for partial loss of sight to a proportionate amount. (2.) To increase the pension for loss of one hand or foot, or for total disability of the same, to $35 per month; for loss of an arm within five inches of or above the elbow joint, or loss of a leg within six inches of or above the knee joint, or total disability of the same, to $lO per month, and for loss of an, arm within-slx inches of tne shoulder joint to $45 per month. Senators Morrill and Dawes each introduced resolutions looking toward a revision of . tho tariff, The House of Representatives passed a bill appropriating s2oo,oijo for a cavalry and artillery school at Fort Reilly, and $175,000 for quarters at Forts D. A. Russell and Robinson. Mr. Cox, of New York, laid before the House a bill repealing the statute which authorizestwo salaries, one to a Congressman and the other to an officer such as a Minister. The President transmitted to the Senate, on the Bth inst., a communication from the Secretary of State and correspondence relating to the rights of American fishermen in the British North American wa'o:\ In his letter accompanying the documents the i’res dent commends to the favorable consideration of Congress “the suggestion that a commission lie authorized by law to take perpetuating proofs of the losses sustained during the last year by American fishermen, owing to their unfriendly and unwavrented treatment by the local authorities of the maritime provinces of the Dominion of Canada. ” Memorials were presented in the Senate for a constitutional amendment empowoiitig Congress to pass a marriage and divoice law. against permitting aliens to possess largo tracts of lands, and for legislation in behalf of the Chino e laborers. Bills were introduced for a monument to negrosoldiers and sailors who died for the Union and to place on the retired list the name of General Alexander 8. Webb. Resolutions were offered for information in regard to the oleomargarine traffic, for an inquiry into the poworof Congress to legislate for tho protection of foo l fish in navigable waters, and to limit the price of gas in the District of Columbia. In tho House of Representatives, Mr. Boutelle, of Maine, asked for unanimous consent to put upon its passage a bill admitting free of duty material to he used in rebuilding tho town of Eastport, Me., which was destroyed by fire Oct. 14, 1886. Mr. Breck- ' inridee, of Arkansas, objected to the immediate consideration of the bill, expressing tho opinion that tho pcoplo of the country were as much in need of relief from taxation as the people of Eastport. Ho was glad to find the gentleman from Maine confessing that the tariff was a tax, and he would insist that the bill should take the regular course and be sent to the committee which had charge of the subject of taxation. The bill was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. Mr. Dockery (Mo.), on behalf of tho Committee of Postoflices and Post Roads, called up the bill extending the free-delivery system to towns having 19,000 population, and where the revenne of the postoffice amounts to “10,030 a year. Senator Sewell, introduced a bill in tho Senate, on the 9th inst., for the redemption of trade dollars and the recoinage of the same into standard silver dollars. Senator McMillan introduced a bill to authorize the construction of a bridge over the Red River of the North. The Senate then proceeded to the consideration of Mr. Morrill’s resolution, which declares thatthe promise of making any revision of the tariff in a spirit of fairness to all interests appears so obviously hopeless and impracticable that any further attempts at revision by the present Congress are to be regarded as inexpedient, and detrimental to tho revival of the trade and industry of the country. Mr. Morrill said the Democratic candidate for President in 1884 would have been defeated but for the tariff plank in the platform. He ridiculed Mr. Morrison’s schemes for a horizontal reduction of the tariff, and said that their effect could only bo to let a flood of foreign productions pour in and overrun the American market Mr. Beck said that when the leader in the Senate on financial questions—the Chairman of the Committee on Finance—gave out in advance, in a resolution and speech, that nothing could her done to improve existing conditions, it was like rallying his friends in advance in opposition to every movement. At the present rate of taxation the surplus revenue- after all tho public debt that was payable was paid—wou d bo $125,600,000 a year. Therefore the Democratic President and Secretary of the Treasury demanded and insisted that the taxation on thopeople should he reduced. There was no other way to get clear of the surplus revenue honestly. It might be locked up in the treas ury, but that meant bankruptcy. Extravagant" appropriations might be indulged in, but that meant corruption; or a premium of 20, 30, 40, or 59 per cent, might be paid on bonds, but that meant extravagance and swindling of the taxpayers for the benefit of the few men who hold tho Government obligations, so that if the legislators were honest men and intended to deal honestly with the people thev were compelled to reduce taxation to the point that would suffice for an economical administration of the Government. That did not involve any question of free trade. He (Becks believed that with duties reduced to the necessities of the government tho manufacturers of the United States could reach the markets of the world, aud that the laboring men of the country could be employed twelve months of the year instead of five or six months as now. Mr. Sherman believed that the revenues collected were (oo large and that the public safety and the public interest demanded a careful re-duction-of taxation There was no dispute between parties on that subject. But the Democratic party had been intrusted with the power of legislating in the House. Thoy had promised in their national platform to reduce taxation, and-to do it iu such a manner as not to injure the industries of tho country. But the trouble was that tho Democrats could not agree among themselves. The propositions that had been made in the House hod been so diverse and various, and some of them had been so absolutely contrary to the interests < f the county, that the party itsolf had revolted at them. In conclusion, he said that until the Democratic party could agree among themselves aud could present to the Senate a plan by which the Democrats wero willing to stand, they had noright to chide or complain of Republicans. When they would send the Senate a bill, tho Senate would show them that it had tho power to reduce taxes, and the Senate would propose a measure by which taxes might be reduced without crippling industrial or decreasing wages. The Senate adjourned to' Monday, the 13th. No business was transacted by the House of Representatives 0:1 tho 10th inst. After the reading of the journal, Mr. Campbell, of New York, announced with sorrow and regret the death of his colleague, Mr. Dowdney. and offered resolutions expressive of tho regret with which the announcement of the death had been received by the House, and providing for a joint committee of the Senate and House to attend the funeral. Tho resolutions were ununimously adopted, and the House, as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, adjourned for the day. The Speaker appointed the following committee to attend the funeral: Messrs. Campbell, Viele, Merrirnan, and Muller, of New York, O’Noill of Missouri, Scranton of Pennsylvania, and Brady of Virginia. A I.and forfeiture bill, restoring to the Government 381,000 acros in Michigan, granted in. 1856 to the Ontonagon and State Line Railroad, pissed the House without division on the 11th inst. The lands have valuable pine, aud are now claimed by the Ontonag n and Brule River Railroad Company. The t n years within which the roan that had got the land grant expire l in 1860, and not a stio .e of work had b en dono. In 1380 the present corporation was formed, and an attempt made to confer upon it the forfeited grant. Tne Public Lunds Committee, however, based its recommendation chiefly on tho gionn 1 that any grant inode by the tate us e - the expi rat. on of tne ten years would necossarily have been subject to the right of tho l nltod Sta os at any time to declare afo-feituro. The Ho me also passed a bill extending the laws of (he United States over the public land strip south of Kansas, and throwing the rt‘gion open to homestead entries. * ,